thankyoudebt
/ˈθæŋkjuːˌdɛt/nounVerified NewThe mounting obligation to send thanks — for gifts, meals, favors — after the polite window has closed.
A card three weeks late feels worse than none, so none is sent, and the debt compounds. Many friendships carry decades-old thank-you debts both parties have long forgotten.
Etym. — thank-you + debt — gratitude modeled as a balance.
Rel. — favorsilt
Novelty check: NEW · checked 2026-11-08
review evidence: wordstoreview/review-batch-3-09-social.md
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Method: Editorial batch review — per-word exact-form web search (WebSearch/Tavily) per docs/REVIEW-criteria.md §2