"Noted."

[JadeGirl]

My preferred method for family and friends is "...and?" with a raised eyebrow.  DF is a common offender because when he was growing up, asking for something was guaranteed to ensure that his father would make sure that he didn't get it 

[Jocelyn]

I personally prefer "That's interesting." said very dryly. I should also note that the only people I actually use this with are my own children, when they say something like "I'm hungry." or "I want to watch TV." or similar statements. They then say "Can you please get me a snack?" or "Can I please watch TV."

A friend of mine would reply, 'People in Hell want ice water.'  when her kids would whine with the 'I wanna's. 

[bopper]

I have found that "What would you like me to do about that?" said in a nice tone works with them

I use a version of this with my son when he presents me with some vague complaint.

"My calculator won't turn on."
"And what would you like me to do with that information?"

I think he's finally getting the idea that I will usually grant specific requests, whereas amorphous grousing just makes me cranky.

With strangers, though, or acquaintances? That's tougher. I agree that "noted" (or my personal snarky favorite, "Understood.") can come of as kind of snitty. If I'm aiming for snitty, as when somebody expects my aisle seat just because she likes them, great. Otherwise, I like Craxodile's suggestion of, "Oh?"

I have to do that with my daughter (14).

"I'm thirsty" or the slightly better "I would like some milk"
We have bench seating so she usually can't just get up and get it, I have to get up either way and get out of the way or get it for her.
I usually tell her "Can you phrase that in the form of a question?"

[Pixie]

With my own kids I used, "Would you please put that in the form of a question?"   quite a few times.

It worked.

[NEDESAPIO]

I mentioned this one in a previous thread discussing how people respond to statements that are meant to cause you to do something.

As in:

"My child can't see."

"I can hear you knitting."

"I heard you come in last night and leave in the morning and return later in the day and then go out again."  (MarinaDCA only...)

"Your music is annoying."

Personally, I can't stand that kind of thing.  I would rather someone say "Could you please let me son stand in front of you/could you please move a couple inches to the left/etc" than "My kid can't see."  "Noted" works great.

I don't like what we're having for breakfast.

Noted. 

I think the house isn't clean enough.

Noted.

**Preceding two for the benefit of Tabris.**

I prefer to sit on the aisle (from a latecomer who wanted me to move from the seat I got there early to get).

Noted.

And so on.

Sometimes people actually get it and actually ASK A QUESTION OR MAKE A REQUEST.  Brilliant!  Now, they don't always get the answer they want, but they stand a greater chance of getting something by asking.

Can't STAND hinting.

Any sterling "noted" moments out there?

behindbj

I remember your bringing this up when I told about the time my brother was inadvertently blocking an elderly woman's view while standing in front of the "TV screen" outside the Kennedy Center Opera House.  Instead of asking him to move, the woman whined, to me, "I can't see!"

I like "noted."  But you have to be careful whom you use it with, because it does sound cold.

[Minmom3]

I personally prefer "That's interesting." said very dryly. I should also note that the only people I actually use this with are my own children, when they say something like "I'm hungry." or "I want to watch TV." or similar statements. They then say "Can you please get me a snack?" or "Can I please watch TV."

A friend of mine would reply, 'People in Hell want ice water.'  when her kids would whine with the 'I wanna's. 

Giggle.  DH's line was "I want a beach house in Malibu..."  Which DD#1 thought was "I wanna be chouse in Malibu"  Mom, what's 'chouse?"

[bms2000]

I use this all the time with my kids.

"Mom, I think we should have macaroni and cheese every night"

-Duly noted.

"We deserve more allowance!"

-Duly noted.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

[MamaToreen]

My usual response to such questions is, "Your opinion is duly noted and logged.  Thank you for sharing."  And then I continue doing whatever I want to do.

My MIL has used that since she first saw "The Trouble With Tribbles"!

[Raintree]

Now, I wonder what I was supposed to do about customers who did this, when I worked in a store that sold lottery tickets.

This one guy, a regular, would come up to me and state, "6/49."

I always wanted to say, "Yeah, what about the 6/49?"