Sometimes "thank you" won't do, though. Anyone have a good solution for this recurring embarrassment?
Someone - on the occasions that come to my mind it's often a taxi driver, think someone who is just making conversation - asks what you do, or some other innocuous question, and when you tell them, gushes exaggerately "oh, you must be SO clever" or similar. You respond...?
"Thank you" won't do (at least in my culture I don't think it'll do!) because it constitutes an admission that one is, in fact, clever.
"Oh, not really" won't do as it is a lie ;-)
No response at all, or a grunt, is rude.
Giving a nuanced responses (I'd be unhappy using more than, say, 5 words in this situation) is opening up a conversation I don't typically want to feel obliged to have.
I usually end up either saying "Oh, I dunno" or ignoring the comment and saying something else that isn't really an answer, like "Lovely weather we're having", but nothing is really satisfactory - especially when DS is with me and I'd like to be able to respond in a way I really believe is a good choice! Has anyone found an elegant solution to this?
