At the other end of the linguistic spectrum comes this observation. Indulging in a cheeky midweek lunch with a friend, we were tickled to hear the barman respond to our every request with 'Not a problem.' Had we asked him to fill my car with unleaded petrol or to take my blood pressure I would have been delighted by the response; but since all we wanted was a couple of drinks and some sandwiches, we hadn't anticipated any difficulty. Later in the day, the staff in the bank informed me that paying in some money wouldn't be a problem either. Good to know.
I must admit I often reply to a request for help with 'no problem'. I'll have to stop doing that.
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