(How do you ever expect that to happen, O Queen of Restraining Orders, Empress of Knee-to-the Groin, First Lady Cold Shoulder and Duchess of Pepper Spray?)
There are many places where people give TU for no particular reason, so I assume that all such gestures are meaningless. But most of those places also restrict your posting privileges because of a TD, so that means that an insult is always as valid as a drive-by shooting.
It's a silly thing to say, in my opinion. If what I say is outlandish and insulting, it just doesn't matter what I've said 50 times before whether the first 50 were negative or position. The opposite is true as well. If I'm a jerk 50 times, my compliment is still a compliment on statement 51.
This post was edited by Thriftymaid at October 17, 2017 8:41 PM MDT
HUH? Since when is familiarity a requirement for extending a courtesy to someone, or making someone's day with a kind word? If I say to a complete stranger, "Good job" or "Your smile looks great", it will most likely be just as well-received as if I knew the person.
What you mention is part of what I consider the "stroke" economy that exists between people, but I do agree with you. My answer suggests that only my wife knows me well enough to actually affect me in a major way with either a compliment or an insult.
(Another thing good about grammar is that it promotes precision of thought---as you have just demonstrated by your comment.)
Jane S 