To have told SIL "no...NOT Pardon!"?

[MrsMushroom]

We're abroad with DHs family.

DD aged 4 didn't hear something SIL said.....DD said "What?" and SIL said "WHAT? WHAT??? I think you mean PARDON don't you?"

I HAD to say..."No...in England "what" is fine. Or If you prefer..."sorry, I didn't catch that."

Was I rude? I just don't want DD saying "Pardon" or even worse "P'don"

Oh and Merry Christmas everyone!

I think 'please to meet you' is absolutely fine, makes more sense and sounds more genuine that 'how do you do?' I know it's non U but I don't care.

MiL tells the children to day say "pardon". I tell them that they should only say it when talking to their grandmother.

Pardon (me) when I fart in public. Is that U, M, or W class?

How horrible to judge someone for the way they speak. Lots of nasty snobbery on this thread. (I am Welsh by the way and say "sorry".)

I actually don't care what word is used and my grandmother will be spinning in her grave

ds1 says 'what'

my mum always interrupts children with the old chestnut, 'It's not what, it's pardon,' which is far ruder than saying 'what', 'pardon' or 'eh.'

The usual response to 'pardon' when I was a child was 'Why? What have you done?' Pardon was for burps and farts, 'Sorry?' was for not catching something said.

I'm not sure I've ever used the word pardon in my life, but I wouldn't judge someone on it. I've always said what or what did you say. But in the same way, I never say toilet, it's just the way things are said in my family.

When I say "in England we don't say pardon" I mean US...as a family. I also think a little when SIL corrects my DC as in this family they all burp and fart in public as if it were nothing!

Very interesting. I'm from quite a posh background and was brought up not to comment on such matters. It's worse than being rude to the help :)

I'd get the stick out of your arse.

Pardon is the most widely used. As someone pointed out, 'what' is used by very posh or working class people.

Most people say pardon because they think it's polite, having no idea about the whole non-U thing.

You don't find pardon rude, you like to use it to prove much better you are.

However, pointing this out to members of your family, just to prove you are 'considerably posher than yow' is frightfully common

It's up to you OP but it's not something I would do.

I was brought up with "what" being classed as rude, and taught to say "pardon" or "sorry I didnt hear you"

I hate "pardon".

My parents both came from working class backgrounds and I grew up thinking of myself as middle class. Not an upper class bone in my body, but we were always taught that "pardon" was common, to say "loo" not "toilet", and to sit in the "sitting room" and not the "lounge". And the word "serviette" was always corrected to "napkin".

BTW, I say "sorry". Compromise is usually the best option! :)

We were brought up to say "pardon", but seem to remember that it also meant passing wind.
In Germany, they say Wie Bitte? Translation is How, please?
Don't know when I last said pardon, but wouldn't just say What? as find that rude.

Merry Xmas!

Oh thats ok then I will keep using pardon

To be honest I don't really care if a load of toffs think its common. Or if w/c think it's pretentious.

Middle class and proud! Merry Christmas everyone!

Erm. In England we do say Pardon. "What" Is VERY rude.

crisis, yes, I was taught to say pardon when I farted, so I've always associated the word with breaking wind and couldn't actually say it without smirking

It's a class thing, Merry. Working and lower-middle say 'pardon' and think 'what' is rude, upper middle and posh say 'what' (actually your really posh types say whatever the hell they like, it's the upper middles who are keen on class distinction and not being seen as lower middle/working so do not say pardon).

I can't stand 'pardon' personally, it sounds so... euphemistic? There's just something horrid about the word to my ears, but that's probably conditioning from my Mum. (We are not posh but I think my Mother disapproved of 'pardon' which is probably why it sounds horrid to me.)

Well, I'll at that to my list of things that MN has taught me!

Pardon is common?! Really?

Well, bloody hell, I am vair common then.

Pardon or even sorry, I didn't catch that? What is very rude.