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Original poster

What vs. Pardon

92 replies

CruCru · 01/04/2019 17:11

Recently someone (not a parent) corrected my child when they said “What?” and said “Do you mean pardon?” (The child didn’t say “what” rudely).

I was always taught that you must only say “Pardon” if you’ve burped or farted. Otherwise “What?” is correct.

Perhaps it would sound better to say “Sorry, what was that?” but I’d really rather my child didn’t say “Pardon” when they mean “what”.

Obviously I didn’t say anything at the time because it wouldn’t have been appropriate and I would have seemed like a loon.

What do you think?

OP posts:
WhatNowRandy · 02/04/2019 07:56

I'm not native, but back in school every single of our English teachers really really hammered home that's it's "always pardon" (or preferably "I beg your pardon") and "never what" (which would have been the literal translation from what we use in my own language - a simple what), so I feel very cheated.

What does it say about my (lack of) manners that my usual response to not hearing someone is to look up in slight confusion and go "hmm?"

MsTSwift · 02/04/2019 08:02

There are still teachers emphasising “pardon” to children grinds my gears who are they to decide? can’t bear it. Cringing and pretentious

GirlRaisedInTheSouth · 02/04/2019 08:03

What = posh
Pardon = common.

Interested in this thread?

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Families
marvellousnightforamooncup · 02/04/2019 08:12

What in our house. Pardon is too Mrs Bucket.

chipsandhummus · 02/04/2019 08:17

WhatNowRandy

What does it say about my (lack of) manners that my usual response to not hearing someone is to look up in slight confusion and go "hmm?"

I do the same. Also "ha??"

BertrandRussell · 02/04/2019 14:50

As a rule of thumb, if you want to find the “posh” way to say something, choose the one furthest away from French. So what, not pardon. Jam not conserve. Lavatory not toilet.

WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 02/04/2019 14:56

but unless you're a raging snob why would you care?

(I recently found out that the 'rule' about sentences not ending in prepositions comes from when English replaced Latin as the official language (I think of legal documents etc, that kind of thing) and you don't get sentences ending in prepositions in Latin, or split infinitives for that matter. It's got nothing to do with English and everything to do with making English as much like Latin as possible.)

moosesormeece · 02/04/2019 15:05

I too absorbed too much Nancy Mitford as a teenager, but at the same time I don't want "pardon" people to think I'm rude, so instead I say "sorry?" and opt out of the whole stupid mess.

On balance I'd rather look slightly uncouth than be thought to have Hyacinth Bucket tendencies (though is that in itself the Hyacinth Bucket tendency for the millennial generation?)

RightOnTheEdge · 02/04/2019 15:08

All the teachers at my dcs school are always telling the children "it's pardon not what" It really gets on my nerves.
I tell my dc to always say pardon at school though so that they are not constantly nagged about it.

BlueSkiesLies · 02/04/2019 15:09

At work or other professional environment ‘sorry I didn’t catch that / please can you repeat that’

General use ‘sorry?’

In a hurry or very casually ‘what?’

I would never say pardon

CrisisMummy · 02/04/2019 15:13

I was taught to say "Excuse me ..." with different inflections (an apology, a question, etc. etc.). I only say "I beg your pardon?" in an over-dramatic way to indicate my incredulity at what my Child just said.

I was taught that both "What?" and "Pardon?" are rude for different reasons ...

Original poster
CruCru · 02/04/2019 15:16

The thing is, I think I probably am a snob about “Pardon”. I’m not posh - in fact am a bit of a scruff in old jeans and holey jumpers.

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 02/04/2019 15:23

“I’m not posh - in fact am a bit of a scruff in old jeans and holey jumpers.”

Not sure what you mean here..........

Thunderwing · 02/04/2019 15:24

My DM was not born a native English speaker, but is very pedantic fluent. When I was little I was taught that "what" was terribly uncouth, so I had to say "Pardon".

I also wasn't allowed to say "fart" as it is a rude word Hmm so had to say "trump" instead.

The inner teenager that still lives in my 40yr old mind really wants to send her the link to this thread.....

redwoodmazza · 02/04/2019 15:30

I always say 'What?'.

A few years ago I worked with 2 other girls and this one guy nicknamed us 'Sorry, What and Pardon' - which our different responses when we hadn't heard something!!!

shumway · 02/04/2019 15:37

I say sorry? My most irritating colleague says pardon me?

WeepingWillowWeepingWino · 02/04/2019 15:43

Cru posh people are well know for being a bunch of ragamuffins.

BertrandRussell · 02/04/2019 15:46

To add to my “anything but French” language checker, “anything but euphemism” also applies. Grin

AppleKatie · 02/04/2019 17:55

As a rule of thumb, if you want to find the “posh” way to say something, choose the one furthest away from French. So what, not pardon. Jam not conserve. Lavatory not toilet.

This is really interesting, I hadn’t thought about it like that before.

BertrandRussell · 02/04/2019 19:04

“This is really interesting, I hadn’t thought about it like that before.“

It is interesting- if largely bollocks! Other examples are lounge, mirror, serviette, couch, dessert........

LimeKiwi · 02/04/2019 19:06

I've always been taught to say sorry or pardon.
Saying what is rude

LimeKiwi · 02/04/2019 19:08

What = posh
Pardon = common.

Lol, if that's true it explains a lot re my previous comment as to what I say Grin
common as muck, me Grin

BasiliskStare · 02/04/2019 20:13

My mother always said to me that lounges are what you find in airports ( how she would know , as she flew a couple of times and decided she didn't like it so just never did it again )

( NB no-one - love her as I do - should take my mother as a guide to life)

dementedma · 02/04/2019 20:21

My military brother has been know to say to my elderly mother, " say again your last. Over."

To which she feistily replies, "You're not on board ship now Admiral, clean your bloody ears out!"

AppleKatie · 02/04/2019 21:10

Lounge is another point of difference between me and the rest of my family. I guess I’m just the snob. I think that’s prob worse than being the LMC one! 😂🙈