What or Pardon-Neither!!!!

"I'm sorry or "I beg your pardon'' will do fine. "What" is just rude and "Pardon" is for people who just don't have good manners!

Someone, and I have forgotten who, said "'Pardon' is fit only for talking to servants or dogs

Why on earth would you want to say "What/pardon/excuse me" to dogs ?

My dog makes herself understood perfectly easily and if I don't' "get" what she is "saying" , she just barks louder !

Feetelebaum, I M far too polite to say what to the servants. I find "eh?" Works perfectly well.

What?" really should suffice, but unfortunately it can sound a bit blunt and rude and if I remember rightly I was told off for that very reason when uttering what when I was a child instead of the unnecessary but more acceptable "pardon" which since then has obviously subliminally taken root as far as I'm concerned. Although I think I probably use "what" with people I'm very familiar with.

My husband just says "Eh?"!!

I rest my case.

Surely you mean 'snobbish'?

What a horribly snobby thread this is...

Someone, and I have forgotten who, said "'Pardon' is fit only for talking to servants or dogs..."

I tend to say "Sorry?" or "say again". My excuse for the second, which some of you don't like, is that I do come from a military family.

I was always taught that 'Pardon' was very non U So was I HildaW. It's what the nanny taught the children and the parents then had to undo

Say again is perfectly clear. Probably the best thing for radio operators to use.

I thought say again was a military phrase?
I always say "I'm sorry?" Or "I beg your pardon?" What belongs to the upper echelons though I do also shout it to my husband.

When I took my VHF radio licence exam we were told to use 'say again' if we didn't hear or understand something. I should have asked why.

I was always taught that 'Pardon' was very non U.

like anno, it depends totally on context and whom I am speaking with/to.
We all speak several 'languages', with different registers- depending on the audience. Many of us also have several accents depending on audience too- I can still speak my broadest local Swiss accent (Neuchâtel) including local words and expressions and also lose it totally when required (which I had to to teach French in the UK and also for jobs).

And to some extent the same in English- I do not speak the same with my Surrey relatives as I do with some of my old friends from Stoke or Leicester - I can do a bit of Brum and Liverpool- but tried and tried Geordie and cannot do that at all, probably because I've never lived in North East.

and, I was taught that pardon was short for 'I beg your pardon, I didn't hear what you said!'

I was taught that by Mrs Bucket my mother and we all know that she is always correct!

I beg your pardon! Not just pardon on its own!

Thanks jingl. But I think I can live with it...

Why trisher? I was sympathising with Ana!

Ah yes, "Sorry?" I use that all the time.

Now that might be considered bad manners jbf!
Just discovered this survey probably came from a past discussion on mumsnet.
Now i really am sorry I drew attention to it!!!!

Shite!

Oh dear, my family has been been using English incorrectly all these years...

I usually say "sorry" in a questioning tone. Unless it's DH. He gets 'wot?'