What or Pardon-Neither!!!!

Oh probably- but it is amusing and harmless because the person being spoken to thinks they are doing really well and they go away feeling quite good about themselves. Better than picking a public fight and berating them I think.

Yer what?

what a disgraceful way to behave.

I have a relative who is so good at this. Unless you know her very well she can seem to be saying something really pleasant, and being ultra-polite. Those in the know recognise the sarcasm involved and squirm inwardly for the person who is being targeted.

I think how things are said matters a great deal more than what. One can be extremely rude (deliberately) while using words that are usually used politely, and one can be completely non-offensive using words that some regard as rude. Context and manner (body language) are far more important than diction.

I agree with Anya. All this "U and non-U" stuff just perpetuates a climate of snobbery. As long as it is clear what is being said, does it really matter how it is said?

'Say again' here....also military family.

Well, if we ever need a re-cap we can always dip into Jilly Cooper's 'Class'

Whatever we grew up with many of these "rules" are out of date now. The idea of U and non-U came from an essay by Nancy Mitford in 1955 so things will have changed a little since then.

I beg your pardon is very Margot Leadbetter (from The Good Life)

Oh I loved that programme. Why can't they show some of these things again?
Got a song now-"I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden"-can't remember anything else. Any ideas?

The programme was called, 'I didn't know you cared'.

Jane10, yes there was Uncle Mort. I also remember it as odd, but good!
I think it was in black and white, which probably added to its oddness!

x

I always thought, 'I beg your pardon', was used as an exclamation of dissatisfaction when someone says something you perceive to be impolite or vulgar.

Yes. "I beg your pardon" sounds snotty.

I'm sure everyone says "pardon" sometimes. No one sticks to just one term.

J52 was there not an uncle Mort? I do remember the programme. It was very odd (but good)

I don't think I was ever taught that anything was non-U. Just saying.

One can say "I beg your pardon?" in a very superior way

Oh dear I'm terribly common. Not only do I say, 'pardon', but I taught my children to say, 'pardon', too. Worse still when I was teaching, the entire staff encouraged the children to say, 'pardon'. What a common bunch of professional educators we were and how we let the children down!

I say 'You will need to repeat yourself' and if it is to someone who doesn't know that I am hearing impaired, I will add a few words of explanation. If it is family or friends, I simply ignore them. On the advice of my audiologist years ago, I never apologise for not being able to hear.

Hi back! 'I didn't know you cared' by Peter Tinniswood.
Uncle Stavely always said Pardon.

Sorry for disrupting this thread!

x

Years ago there was a comedy series with Liz Smith and Stephen Rea, as mother and son. They had an Uncle??? Who had his gas mask box around his neck. His sole role was to constantly say "Pardon".

It was set in Northern England and written by a well known author, can't remember!

Off to google!

X

Say again reminds me of the woman on Miranda who was always on her phone and kept saying, "bear with, bear with"

Amazing isn't it- G. B. Shaw's words still ring true- "It is impossible for an Englishman to open his mouth without making some other Englishman hate or despise him."

I think you are taking it too seriously Ana. I was certainly writing tongue in cheek and I imagine others were too.