Yes. Yup. Yep.

I was in a conversation with my friend and he asked me:

“How do you feel about people who say “yep?”

After about a second I said, “I hate it, it’s so indecisive.”

Which then turned into a conversation about the many different variations of saying “yes.” I feel that “yes” is the OG (Original Gangster for everyone else that’s not my 5 friends who actually use “OG”) of affirming something. Since the meaning of “yes” we’ve gotten grunts, yuups, head nods, fist pounds, looks, and about thirty other things to show that we mean, “yes.”

When dealing with someone over email or text message I think that the most commonly used terms of “yes” are “yep” and “yup.” The thing about not saying “yes” is that it can mean so much. The words “yup” and “yep” can seem so incredibly passive that it means there is probably some weight behind using them. Here is a quick little break down that I may have spent way too much time thinking about-

Using “Yes” -

Is there really a better word? As I mentioned above it’s the OG of affirming a situation. It gives comfort. I feel that if someone uses “yes” it’s basically a binding contract or at least should be viewed as one. When you get a “yes” you know what the person means.

Using “Yup” -

“Yup” is tricky. Imagine sending this email:

Hey man, I’m thinking about getting engaged, do you like my girlfriend?

Then receiving:

Yup.

That doesn’t exactly seem to reassuring. I actually have no idea why you’d email that to someone but you get the point, right? But on the flip side “yup” is such a bro term.

Hey man I’m going to get some beers for the game, you want any?

Yup!

I can just hear the person responding with “yup” being a doofus who is already drunk. “Yup” is very dependent on context to be honest, but it’s no “yes” and “yes” doesn’t rely on context, its definitive.

Using “Yep” -

The most passive of the bunch. I hate using and also receiving a “yep” because I feel like I always envision the person who is writing it. The only time I ever consciously have used “yep” it’s when I’m basically agreeing with something but I’m not happy about it, so I’m being passive and I want that person to know I’m not happy.

Using “yep” is basically saying, “I’m so annoyed with you.” Also, the word “yep” drastically changes depending on context and the relationship you have with someone.

Imagine if you’re dating someone and you send this:

Want to get dinner tonight?

And you receive:

Yep.

That response is basically saying that the other person has nothing better to do so they’ll get dinner with you.

OR:

Did you finish the presentation?

Yep.

That’s a “fuck you stop asking me about my work and focus on yourself” response.

Yes. Yup. Yep. And I’m currently not really taking into consideration the voice to voice interaction when you can hear people say these different words, once you enter that world it’s a whole new monster. To avoid any and all confusion we just need to stick with the OG. When asked a question, don’t confuse people… just go yes.

Side not to all of this: If you’re the person who just response to people with a “Y” then that’s a whole new ball of wax. That means you’re either a) lazy b) have a old phone and don’t want to type out the word c) not a fan of technology and could give a shit d) receive so many messages in a day that you can’t stand two other letters or e) think you’re so incredibly important.

Some of those reasons stated in the side note are understandable, but just try to stick with yes for the sake of humanity.