Millions of Brits have ditched the traditional 'thank you' and replaced it with the less formal 'cheers', according to a poll.

Although the average person will say 'thank you' nearly 5,000 times a year, one in three are more likely to throw in a 'cheers' or 'ta' where it's needed, rather than risk sounding old fashioned.

One in 20 now say 'nice one' instead, while younger generations are more likely to offer a 'cool' than a thank you.

'Merci', 'fab' and even 'gracias' were also listed as common phrases to use, as was 'much appreciated'.

One in twenty who took part in the poll of 2,000 people by the Food Network UK for Thank You Day, which is marked on November 24 said a formal 'thank you' was now not often needed in everyday conversation. More than one in ten adults said they regularly won't say thank you if they are in a bad mood.

Most people claimed that saying thank you was something drilled into them by their parents, but four in ten will utter a thank you purely out of habit.

A huge 70 percent of those questioned will say thank you to a person's face without even meaning it, while a fifth avoid saying it when they know they should - on at least two occasions every day.

It seems our friends and family get the brunt of our bad manners with half admitting they're rubbish at thanking those closest to them - many justifying the lack of thanks because their family 'already know I'm grateful.'

When spoken words won't do, it falls to a nice text to do the job for most people.

A thank you email is also popular, while a quarter turn to social networks to express gratitude.

A quarter of Britons say thank you with food, with 23 percent cooking a meal to show their appreciation to someone. Another 15 percent bake a cake.

A third will still send a handwritten thank you note - but 45 percent confess it’s been more than six months since they bothered to send one.

It follows that 85 percent of people will be annoyed at not getting the gratitude they feel they deserve.

(Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)