To not know that you should say 'sorry' instead or 'pardon' if you want to sound posh?!

[joogle]

I've just read this in a book about English culture I'm reading, didn't have any idea, I always thought "pardon?" was the most formal way of saying "what?"

I just wasted ages on a thread from before my 7 year old was born

Do not use any words of French extraction eg toilet, serviette as they were brought by the Normans whom the aristocracy resent, entirely understandably. You mean words like beef, mutton, pork?

I heard someone say pardon recently and I have no idea why but I was completely taken aback! It sounded so old fashioned.

I’m somewhere in the middle classes, though I don’t often think about it. I’m from the North too so that might have some bearing on my language. If someone needed to speak up, I’d say “Sorry?” “Sorry, what was that?” or “I’m afraid I didn’t quite catch that!”

If I was terribly offended I would consider saying “I BEG your pardon?!” but that’s usually reserved for rude pre-teens in my best teacher voice.

“May I use your loo?” Or “I’ll just pop to the loo.” rather than “Can I use your toilet?”

The whole lounge/living room/sitting room thing confuses me class wise. As does sofa/couch/settee. I say living room and sofa. Not sure what that means.

My mother says serviette, she thinks it’s posh for napkin 🙄. I have to admit, I find it a little embarrassing and a lot of people have no idea what she’s asking for when we are out for dinner (never tea).(unless it’s afternoon or high tea).

As my DF used to say, ‘Don’t say what say ‘ay, ‘ay makes bullshit’.

Pardon is hideous but what? can sound a bit abrupt. I prefer excuse me? but then I''m not posh.

Words on the left are non-U and should be banished from the English language:

Non-U U

Toilet Loo or lavatory
Serviette Napkin
Settee Sofa
Lounge Living or drawing room
Perfume Scent
Glasses Spectacles
Sweet or dessert Pudding

There are many more but these are good to begin with.

See 'scent' makes me think of foxes and 'spectacles' is hilarious. I agree with the rest, though. They all make me cringe.

I'm not posh at all. I have always said toilet or loo myself and not given it much thought about class differences and language, I would have said lavatory was a bit more formal myself. It is interesting reading about what is considered U or non-U, I never realised there was as much of a class distinction in Britain nowadays.

I always thought sofa was a bit more American and one of the many American words and phrases that have crept into British English. For some reason I have never liked the word "napkin" and always said "serviette", I don't mind "serviette" at all but Napkin has always sounded very formal and "posh" to me, like a word used in very formal eating situations.

I have always called lunch "dinner" and evening meals "tea", they are the regular terms in the Black Country area, to call an evening meal dinner would be posh to me.

I know this s an old thread but the word lounge makes me cringe as does settee. We call them specs here, my dh can often be found mumbling about where his specs have gone this time.

I'm in the US, and I was taught that it's impolite to say "what?"

I say "I'm sorry?" or "excuse me?"

Damn, I got sucked into a zombie. ☹️

Sorry and pardon are apologies. No need to apologise for not hearing. What? Is correct despite most people my age being brought up being told otherwise.

Toilet Loo or lavatory

I loved telling my try-hard mother that loo was the correct word for toilet. She winced. Lavatory sounds wanky though.