To think that 'No' is NOT a complete sentence?

It doesn't literally mean you only need to say 'no', you are still meant to be polite, while standing your ground.

"No, i can't, sorry" or "I'm afraid i'm not available" or "I have other plans" or sometimes even "I don't want to do that" or "That's not for me, thanks"

Its about being honest and not making excuses or lying about it.

"Thanks for the invite, but i won't be coming" you know?

Stop taking things so literally.

It depends on who is doing the asking. If its someone pushy or a whinging beighbour then I dont feel the incentive to be polite and fluffy. So its likely to be📧

That doesnt work for me so Ill leave it with you.

If its a social invitation I will be a little softer📧

Thank you for inviting me. I do appreciate it but have a lot on at present so I will politely decline. Do enjoy your evening.

It's not lying to say I've planned a quiet weekend at home if you've planned a quiet weekend at home, or you don't fancy the film if you don't fancy the film?

It's lying to say 'oh sorry I've got a migraine' if you've planned a quiet weekend at home, or 'can't get a babysitter' if you don't fancy the film.

alot of the time rightly or wrongly if people said no, or why then others would get in a huff, its like me, sometimes i have me time for projects etc but a friend then thinks why do that on x day and do y instead but then get in a huff if i say no, somtimes its easier to keep the peace than be honest

I assume it's not meant too literally and you are meant to just bark "no" at someone but it can definitely be unhelpful to suggest someone can just respond to a friend's assertion "I was thinking of coming to visit next week" with "No" and make out like that's not the height of rudeness.

I give a reason, even as simple as "I can't commit to that right now", and then, if they pursue it after they've had an answer, it's perfectly all right to respond with just a (polite) "No".

Hmmmm it does depend quite a lot on who you're saying it to.
So a mate of mine wanted to come see me one day next week between shifts. I straight up said ah no. It sounds rude written down, but if you understood it's taken me a long time to get to the stage of saying it so rudely you might see why.

She is the type to say why not and then I feel resentful that I a 50+ year old woman has to tell another person personal details or lie. Once upon a time I would've said ah yeah, I've got a GP appointment that day, she would ask me to move it (like that's so easy these days) when I said no, she would try to see me around it, which wont work (I will add she is desperate to be left alone in my house to have a good nosey round, this will never happen) so seeing me around the GP appointment would mean her trying to get me to go and leave her in my house alone.

And its all a big faff, so now I just say no and offer no other details and no other day to see me. Somehow she has refrained from dumping me as a mate so it's working.

And children appreciate a straight no, or indeed yes.

It depends on the context. No is not a complete sentence in response to a social invitation, but it might end up being a complete sentence to someone who keeps asking you to do something and won't stop.

I think it's an expression that needs to be borne in mind when dealing with certain types of people. Generally the sort of people who won't take no for an answer.

I’ve always thought people don’t mean it literally- they’re not actually suggesting someone just says no, only that you’re allowed to say no without feeling you have to have a good justification.

At least I hope that’s what people mean 😂

I've always thought this saying just means that you don't always have to justify why you are saying no to something. It doesn't mean that it is okay to be blunt or rude, just that sometimes "no thanks" is enough of an answer.

I think the point of it is not meant to be fully literal it is a way to ensure you can enforce your boundaries it’s a saying to explain that you don’t and shouldn’t have to tie yourself in knots finding ways to say no and coming up with excuses as to why you are saying no.

that you can politely decline a request from someone without a particular reason and if pushed it’s ok not to have one and that a polite no is good enough. That people who push will always find reasons to pick holes in the information you give and put pressure on it so actually it’s better not to think up reasons for a pushy person to question and argue with that put you in a position of folding anyway.

@CheeseWisely But that's lying though...? I certainly would never say an outright 'no' and nothing else! But I wouldn't fabricate a lie either. I'd say 'no thanks, maybe another time?'

Yes. (Or should I say no!) :-)

Yes and no. I think the point is you do not have to always explain yourself.I agree replying No to an invite is short and blunt. However, saying I am afraid/sorry I can not make your kind invite is saying the same thing.

You are not making an excuse or explaining yourself in either, but one is more polite than the other.

'No thank you'. Is a fine thing to say, but it depends what's being offered or asked. A lot of people might expect you to say why.
For example if it's a film you invite someone to see. You might want to know if they're busy, tired or just actively don't want to see that film.
So I would usually say the reason why. Even if it's just 'I don't fancy doing anything today'

I think its helpful to have this phrase in mind when people don't accept your polite version of no
when you sugar coat the 'no' in some way and they come back with
oh but (something or other), then I think its OK to say
actually, no

It’s just something people say because they think it sounds clever. IRL virtually no one uses No in this way. Because they sound socially inept

Perhaps no thank you rather than a blunt no, unless you want to come across passive aggressive I agree

It's obviously not appropriate if being invited somewhere, a polite excuse costs nothing, but sometimes no is a complete sentence. When dealing with children for example, or like the other day when a colleague asked me to do something after they'd been slacking off all day and I'd been working my arse off so I just said no and walked away 🤷

Saying no is rude.

No, that doesn't work for me, unfortunately is better.

I voted YANBU just on the basis of grammar 😂

I think there’s a balance to be struck between a blunt “No” and feeling the need to come up with an explanation that you think other people will find acceptable.

A simple “Oh, thank you but I wont be able to make that/don’t have time right now/can’t contribute at the moment” etc should be fine without having to add all kinds of excuses or explanations (“because I’ve got other plans/am already on three committees/have had a really expensive month” or consolation prizes (“but let’s book in for next month/once I’m off the PTA I can help/ask me again in March”).

As a saying it's not that helpful to take it literally. I do think the notion that you're not obliged to say yes to anything is a useful one, though. I also have no issue with fibs to make a refusal more palatable.

I agree

In real life you don't just say "no" or even "no thanks" if someone suggests something you don't want to do

However it's probably okay to say "sorry we can't make it" type thing

There's a middle ground between a blunt 'No' and outright lying though.

If you receive an invite you don't want to accept then 'Thank you but I've already got loads on at the moment so I won't be able to make it' or 'Thanks but I really need a bit of downtime at home over the weekend' or 'Oh I would [join you at the cinema] but I don't fancy that film' or whatever else the truth happens to be is fine.