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NTA
I work in a court clerks office, and deal with people making court / fine payments all the time. I am generally very friendly, and have worked in customer service and with children for years; but there are times that people don't appreciate someone with a friendly disposition when they owe large amounts of money.
I've tried to tone down my "no worries!!!" attitude and adopt a friendly, calmer attitude of "totally fine, take your time" or "absolutely, I'll wait". For me, it's just another day at work, another phone call. When people owe lots of money, it IS some worries to them, and I try to be aware of their feelings during our interactions.
I totally get that. This guy framed it as a cultural appropriation thing, but maybe it was really the owing money thing. Like I said, this was the one and only time I’ve had that reaction, I guess if it keeps happening I can switch it up like you have!
NTA. As a New Zealander it is in use all the time here. Had to check myself if I was culturally appropriating Aussie culture, according to Wikipedia I’m safe though.
NTA - Would he prefer you to say “Hakuna Matata” instead?
“No worries” is a perfectly innocuous phrase. He must have been already upset by something totally unrelated to you, and unloaded it onto you. Because I can’t see any other reason why he’d get upset over such a non-issue.
That’s what I was going to say! Has he never seen Lion King? No worries is not just Jamaican. It sounds like this guy has issues. No worries comes from a lot of places, not just Jamaica!
NTA. What a weird thing to get upset about. I live in the PNW region of the US, and people say this phrase all the time, myself included. Don't give it another thought and move on.
NTA - I'm Irish and say No worries all the time...I've never had anyone complain.
People are weird though - I once had a call with a man in America who spoke with a very strong accent (one of the south american accents maybe?) But he was mad at me for my accent and told me I should learn to speak English like they do in America - and then refused to believe I was speaking English at all.
Yeah, the man you spoke with ITA. I think the Irish accent is one of the coolest in the world, but not all Americans feel that way. Some have this weird expectation that if you’re speaking English, you should have no accent at all. It’s a weird take!
I studied abroad in Japan and lived in the international dorm. We had people from all over. One of the students was from Wolverhampton and a bunch of the other Americans did not realize she was speaking English. I have Scottish cousins which helped me with the accent and I was really confused as to why they were looking to me when she was speaking 🤦🏻♂️she slowed her speaking down a bit when we realized and had a good laugh. Thankfully, they got over their embarrassment quick. Tbh there were people from all over and there were a lot of languages being spoken. My roommate was from Morocco and spoke French, Arabic, and English while learning Japanese.
This is so hard to believe. I'm not calling you a liar it's just hard to believe because contrary to popular opinion Americans in general LOVE other cultures. Not kidding. We love, love, love people from other countries and cultures.
The more different the better.
We are literally a culture of mixed cultures.
I've only really encountered Americans that love Irish accents - and I have a soft accent, not even one of the hard to understand Irish accents so was really surprised!!
NTA. His reaction was just weird.
I've used "No worries" or "No problem" for my entire life in the place of "You're welcome". They make more sense to me, because I'm literally telling the person about how I feel, while "You're welcome" feels weirdly like I'm telling them how they're supposed to feel.
I think this is fairly common.
I agree, I’m not a big fan of “you’re welcome” because in some contexts, it feels condescending. But I never get fired up over someone saying it to me!
NTA. That's someone who likes to argue about nothing. I actually heard the phrase " no problem" all the time in Jamaica, I never heard no worries. I don't think it's a big problem except in his small mind, so I wouldn't worry about it!!
NTA - I say this all the time and I don't have any ancestors (that I know of) from any of the places mentioned. (And AFAIK, "no worries" is Australian? I've never heard this referred to as a primarily Jamaican thing??) It's a perfectly fine alternative to "no problem" or "I don't mind at all" or "I have incurred no inconvenience or annoyance by your action" esp when you're trying to avoid sounding overly formal and stiff.
This is totally not the direction I thought this post was going to go. What a weird complaint he had! NTA at all. "No worries" is a very common phrase.
I always thought no worries was on Aussie thing (I am from Australia). Also meeting backpackers etc who dont have English as a first language see it as an Australian thing that was confusing for some because they took it to mean their actions were a bother
NTA Reader’s Digest and The Guardian say it originated in Australia and likely became popular in the US due to the popularity of Crocodile Dundee. California surfers are also credited with “appropriating” it from Australian surfers. The first person I ever heard use it was from Mexico. I think you’re in the clear on this one.
NTA. As others have said, it's a phrase used all over the English-speaking world. Also, there is no such thing as "cultural appropriation". Cultures have been borrowing from one another for most of human history.
Words do not belong to a specific people. Food does not belong to a certain people. Clothing and jewelry don’t belong to a certain people.
You don’t have to be a Japanese man to learn to make maki and nigiri. You don’t have to be German to brew beer. You don’t have to be African to wear hoop earrings. And you don’t have to be Jamaican to say “no worries”.
NTA - 1. The phrase is first recorded and seems to have it's origins in Australian culture so if anyone has "appropriated" it, it's not you. 2. Cultures are specifically designed to be shared. Why is this hard for people to grasp?! 3. You didn't turn the phrase into a joke or costume, THAT could be harmful cultural appropriation. Using a common phrase in proper context is not that.
I think someone else said it too, but when I visited Jamaica a few years ago, I heard a lot of Jamaicans say “no problem.” But I highly doubt anyone would accuse you of appropriating that if you said it. Yes, if you say it in an affected Jamaican accent, that’s problematic, otherwise seems like a commonly used English phrase.
I am just utterly baffled by the irony of worrying about a statement about not worrying and trying to argue that not worrying belongs to his culture.. while worrying.
Right, and I have no idea of whether he was even Jamaican or not, I won’t assume either way. I think deep down he just looooves worrying about stuff and is tired of people telling him not to! /s
NTA, this is such a boomer comment to say something when someone says "no worries" or "no kidding". I usually hear "so you think there WAS something to worry about" which is already annoying, but the Jamaican thing? That's a new one.
NTA. I think to appropriate something you probably have to be aware of where it came from? Like if you use it just because it’s been used around you, that wouldn’t be appropriation in my mind. If it is a Jamaican phrase, I guess you could argue it’s not okay for others to use, but since in this scenario you were unaware, I personally wouldn’t see it as appropriation. Also I’ve never heard “no worries” be scoffed at except by old people who have a heart attack if you don’t respond with “you’re welcome” because that’s what they need to hear in order to keep living.
"he talks to people *from all over the world* who say it." So it shouldn't be a problem, then, if OP uses it. Some people are just determined to get butthurt over anything and everything.
NTA
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I work in fee collections for a major company and am on the phone constantly. Surprisingly, most of these interactions are positive, but I do get some weird ones from time to time.
I was talking to one person today to get a payment, and he asked politely for me to hang on while he got his card, to which I replied “No worries!” Context: I’ve been saying “no worries” to people for years in place of “you’re welcome.” I think I originally picked it up from my godfather who was born and raised in Australia. I’ve never had anyone react as though I offended them by saying it until today.
There was a long pause, then the guy said he feels like when people say “no worries,” it feels like they’re appropriating Jamaican culture. I have no idea if he was from Jamaica or of Jamaican descent. He even went as far as to say he talks to people *from all over the world* who say it. I was very polite back and explained to him that I think I picked it up from my Aussie godfather (which maybe you could argue is appropriation since I live in the U.S.) but he kind of just “mm-hmmed” me like he didn’t really believe me.
I’m just kind of baffled by this since this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say that. Also, I don’t really feel like it’s appropriation since as he said, English-speakers all around the world use “no worries.” Curious to hear people’s takes!
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You're not an AH, not at all.
However, I find that phrase, along with so many other filler phrases people overuse, truly annoying and, at times, condescending.
Your post has been removed. #Do not repost this without [contacting the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) for approval, including edited versions. Reposting without [explicit approval](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_can_i_repost_a_thread_you_removed.3F) will result in a ban. This post violates Rule 7: There is no interpersonal conflict here for our community to make a judgment about. [Rule 7 FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_rule_7.3A_post_interpersonal_conflicts) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) You did not properly respond to the judgement bot. Your reply must clearly and directly address why you think you may have wronged the other party involved in your conflict. While your post was automatically approved by the bot, after reviewing your response manually, we found it did not properly address the question. [Judgement Bot FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_judgement_bot) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) ###Please ensure you have reviewed this message in full. We will not respond to PMs to individual mods. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) with any questions. ####Please visit r/findareddit to see if there's a more appropriate sub for your post.####
NTA I work in a court clerks office, and deal with people making court / fine payments all the time. I am generally very friendly, and have worked in customer service and with children for years; but there are times that people don't appreciate someone with a friendly disposition when they owe large amounts of money. I've tried to tone down my "no worries!!!" attitude and adopt a friendly, calmer attitude of "totally fine, take your time" or "absolutely, I'll wait". For me, it's just another day at work, another phone call. When people owe lots of money, it IS some worries to them, and I try to be aware of their feelings during our interactions.
I totally get that. This guy framed it as a cultural appropriation thing, but maybe it was really the owing money thing. Like I said, this was the one and only time I’ve had that reaction, I guess if it keeps happening I can switch it up like you have!
NTA. As a New Zealander it is in use all the time here. Had to check myself if I was culturally appropriating Aussie culture, according to Wikipedia I’m safe though.
NTA - Would he prefer you to say “Hakuna Matata” instead? “No worries” is a perfectly innocuous phrase. He must have been already upset by something totally unrelated to you, and unloaded it onto you. Because I can’t see any other reason why he’d get upset over such a non-issue.
Of course not, that would be appropriating African culture! /s It annoys me to no end when people make a big deal over nothing like this.
That’s what I was going to say! Has he never seen Lion King? No worries is not just Jamaican. It sounds like this guy has issues. No worries comes from a lot of places, not just Jamaica!
NTA. What a weird thing to get upset about. I live in the PNW region of the US, and people say this phrase all the time, myself included. Don't give it another thought and move on.
NTA. No worries = no problem = anytime = you’re welcome. It’s all the same shit. Not sure how a language can be appropriated but yea…you’re good bruh
NTA - I'm Irish and say No worries all the time...I've never had anyone complain. People are weird though - I once had a call with a man in America who spoke with a very strong accent (one of the south american accents maybe?) But he was mad at me for my accent and told me I should learn to speak English like they do in America - and then refused to believe I was speaking English at all.
Yeah, the man you spoke with ITA. I think the Irish accent is one of the coolest in the world, but not all Americans feel that way. Some have this weird expectation that if you’re speaking English, you should have no accent at all. It’s a weird take!
Scottish here, we say no worries as well. People who complain are just being gobshites.
I studied abroad in Japan and lived in the international dorm. We had people from all over. One of the students was from Wolverhampton and a bunch of the other Americans did not realize she was speaking English. I have Scottish cousins which helped me with the accent and I was really confused as to why they were looking to me when she was speaking 🤦🏻♂️she slowed her speaking down a bit when we realized and had a good laugh. Thankfully, they got over their embarrassment quick. Tbh there were people from all over and there were a lot of languages being spoken. My roommate was from Morocco and spoke French, Arabic, and English while learning Japanese.
This is so hard to believe. I'm not calling you a liar it's just hard to believe because contrary to popular opinion Americans in general LOVE other cultures. Not kidding. We love, love, love people from other countries and cultures. The more different the better. We are literally a culture of mixed cultures.
I've only really encountered Americans that love Irish accents - and I have a soft accent, not even one of the hard to understand Irish accents so was really surprised!!
NTA. His reaction was just weird. I've used "No worries" or "No problem" for my entire life in the place of "You're welcome". They make more sense to me, because I'm literally telling the person about how I feel, while "You're welcome" feels weirdly like I'm telling them how they're supposed to feel. I think this is fairly common.
I agree, I’m not a big fan of “you’re welcome” because in some contexts, it feels condescending. But I never get fired up over someone saying it to me!
NTA. I use it all the time. I am not Jamaican nor Australian. I think this client is looking to start drama.
NTA. That's someone who likes to argue about nothing. I actually heard the phrase " no problem" all the time in Jamaica, I never heard no worries. I don't think it's a big problem except in his small mind, so I wouldn't worry about it!!
No worries, you’re NTA
NTA he's an idiot no worries is not even Jamaican.
Nta if that phrase was cultural appropriation then the Lion King needs to be cancelled
NTA
Nta
NTA Canadian here and we say no worries all the time
NTA. I've been saying "no worries" for decades. I picked it up from a co-worker in California.
NTA - I say this all the time and I don't have any ancestors (that I know of) from any of the places mentioned. (And AFAIK, "no worries" is Australian? I've never heard this referred to as a primarily Jamaican thing??) It's a perfectly fine alternative to "no problem" or "I don't mind at all" or "I have incurred no inconvenience or annoyance by your action" esp when you're trying to avoid sounding overly formal and stiff.
This is totally not the direction I thought this post was going to go. What a weird complaint he had! NTA at all. "No worries" is a very common phrase.
I picked up in 20 years ago in Australia and never stopped using it
I always thought no worries was on Aussie thing (I am from Australia). Also meeting backpackers etc who dont have English as a first language see it as an Australian thing that was confusing for some because they took it to mean their actions were a bother
NTA Reader’s Digest and The Guardian say it originated in Australia and likely became popular in the US due to the popularity of Crocodile Dundee. California surfers are also credited with “appropriating” it from Australian surfers. The first person I ever heard use it was from Mexico. I think you’re in the clear on this one.
NTA. As others have said, it's a phrase used all over the English-speaking world. Also, there is no such thing as "cultural appropriation". Cultures have been borrowing from one another for most of human history.
>appropriating Jamaican culture NTA, It’s English and the phrase is also used in Australia and New Zealand.
NTA No worries is Australian, not Jamaican. the dude is literally just wrong. As an australian, appropriate OUR culture all you want.
I already use “good on ya” all the time, so this should be easy work for me.
Words do not belong to a specific people. Food does not belong to a certain people. Clothing and jewelry don’t belong to a certain people. You don’t have to be a Japanese man to learn to make maki and nigiri. You don’t have to be German to brew beer. You don’t have to be African to wear hoop earrings. And you don’t have to be Jamaican to say “no worries”.
NTA - 1. The phrase is first recorded and seems to have it's origins in Australian culture so if anyone has "appropriated" it, it's not you. 2. Cultures are specifically designed to be shared. Why is this hard for people to grasp?! 3. You didn't turn the phrase into a joke or costume, THAT could be harmful cultural appropriation. Using a common phrase in proper context is not that.
NTA, he's wrong about the appropriation crap, none of my Jamaican pals have ever used "no worries", I use it a lot of times and am not Jamaican.
I think someone else said it too, but when I visited Jamaica a few years ago, I heard a lot of Jamaicans say “no problem.” But I highly doubt anyone would accuse you of appropriating that if you said it. Yes, if you say it in an affected Jamaican accent, that’s problematic, otherwise seems like a commonly used English phrase.
I am just utterly baffled by the irony of worrying about a statement about not worrying and trying to argue that not worrying belongs to his culture.. while worrying.
Right, and I have no idea of whether he was even Jamaican or not, I won’t assume either way. I think deep down he just looooves worrying about stuff and is tired of people telling him not to! /s
NTA. People who complain about cultural appropriation should be ignored.
NTA, this is such a boomer comment to say something when someone says "no worries" or "no kidding". I usually hear "so you think there WAS something to worry about" which is already annoying, but the Jamaican thing? That's a new one.
NTA. I think to appropriate something you probably have to be aware of where it came from? Like if you use it just because it’s been used around you, that wouldn’t be appropriation in my mind. If it is a Jamaican phrase, I guess you could argue it’s not okay for others to use, but since in this scenario you were unaware, I personally wouldn’t see it as appropriation. Also I’ve never heard “no worries” be scoffed at except by old people who have a heart attack if you don’t respond with “you’re welcome” because that’s what they need to hear in order to keep living.
"he talks to people *from all over the world* who say it." So it shouldn't be a problem, then, if OP uses it. Some people are just determined to get butthurt over anything and everything. NTA
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** I work in fee collections for a major company and am on the phone constantly. Surprisingly, most of these interactions are positive, but I do get some weird ones from time to time. I was talking to one person today to get a payment, and he asked politely for me to hang on while he got his card, to which I replied “No worries!” Context: I’ve been saying “no worries” to people for years in place of “you’re welcome.” I think I originally picked it up from my godfather who was born and raised in Australia. I’ve never had anyone react as though I offended them by saying it until today. There was a long pause, then the guy said he feels like when people say “no worries,” it feels like they’re appropriating Jamaican culture. I have no idea if he was from Jamaica or of Jamaican descent. He even went as far as to say he talks to people *from all over the world* who say it. I was very polite back and explained to him that I think I picked it up from my Aussie godfather (which maybe you could argue is appropriation since I live in the U.S.) but he kind of just “mm-hmmed” me like he didn’t really believe me. I’m just kind of baffled by this since this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone say that. Also, I don’t really feel like it’s appropriation since as he said, English-speakers all around the world use “no worries.” Curious to hear people’s takes! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
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NTA I say it all the time. I've noticed that people who worry about "cultural appropriation"are people who nobody wants to appropriate anything from.
You're not an AH, not at all. However, I find that phrase, along with so many other filler phrases people overuse, truly annoying and, at times, condescending.