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Yes, it doesn't make sense to critique most idioms on the merit of their literal meaning. A phrase can mean whatever we agree it means. Certainly there are situations where an idiom may be rooted in, for example, racism, and in that case it's probably better to abandon it. But by and large, ascribing anything more than what we all accept a phrase to mean in context, is a waste of time.The author makes no reference to the social tableau implied by any exchange of gratitude.