Pardon?

[MothersGrim]

AIBU to not bother with the word "Pardon" for my young children? It seems like a generational thing to me but my parents and in laws correct my young children when they ask "What?"

I was just curious what the expectation is nowadays, should I be teaching them 'pardon'? Is it bad manners not to

Bunty my best friend is called Fenella and my name begins with Fitz.

user did your Fenella once have to sit next to the butcher during a viewing of Vampire Lesbian Killers in the picture house at Little Diddler Under Lyme? If so, let her know that I think of her often. I just can't bring myself to be in her company any more. It's too tragic.

you are funny Bunty

My granddad actually had a friend called bunty!!! Not you though bunty. She had lovely red hair when she was about 80.

Right, what do you say to 'how do you do'? I'm not smart enough to know that (see previous comments re Lancashire accent).

the only answer to 'How do you do' is, apparently, 'how do you do'.
Not sure anybody has said 'How do you do' to me, ever.

How do you do?

How do you do? is just like saying hello. You wouldn't say "fine thanks" to that.

Eh?

I thought most people said "how do you do"! I obviously move in very limited circles. Should get out more.

Someone at work said 'how do you do' to me once, I would have felt ridiculous saying it back so I went with 'hello' and a handshake.

I do remember a total wanker once saying 'How do you do?' to me and me replying 'How indeed?' and marching off.

Though I do find the double 'how do you do?'-ing funny at some level. I think it's the fact that it's a question being answered by the same question, with there being no possibility of expressing the remotest interest in hearing a disquisition on either party's piles, porphyria or the problems of keeping the wolf from the ancestral portico.

shirley.

"The only answer to 'How do you do' is, apparently, 'how do you do'."

How about when people walk past you say on the school run or open plan office saying "hi, how are you?"

What am I supposed to answer? "How are you" back at them or "very well thank you" or start winging about my day?

Clueless foreigner here.
Just change my username as I am wearing my first ever reading glasses specs and thought that Mumsnet would be the perfect way to wear them in .

I say glasses, is this correct?

• I mean when they say "how are you?' in the passing....

but that is different Specs.....it is specifically 'How do you do' not 'how are you'

Glasses = correct but not smart.

Could you say 'how do you do'? 'Well'.

Probably not.

Y es I understand user and that's good to know too though I haven't heard "how do you do?" in the long time. I am wondering if "who are you?" in the passing is similar to "how do you do?" ...

Great thread, enlightening as well as confusing for a foreigner

As we are at it does "supper" sound pretentious?

My mother was American but for work reasons ended up mixing with lots of old-fashioned upper-class types when she moved to England (think antiques restoration), while my working-class dad had the mickey taken out of him by room-mates at university and tried to copy their UMC dialect, which was probably helpful when I ended up at private schools in the Home Counties which were snobbish as anything.

Having read the collection of etiquette and 'how to speak' books we had in the bathroom growing up has been very useful - I can switch to using the same register as clients and sound like 'one of them'.

I got invited to join a FB group called Pardon! and so nearly couldn't bring myself to accept - did in the end though.

"supper" - a little bit pretentious but personally I like it.

Please do not take any of this too seriously Specs! Glasses is fine!

"who are you?" gah! If they asked who are you i'd be slightly offended as they probably walked passed me on the school run for the last 6 years
It's "how are you" of course

I would say "what's that?" Or if feeling very culchie, "ha?"

Look! the Fail must have needed us for inspiration again....

I quite like Tom Uttley and his bus driving wife.

I was taught that saying "What?" was very rude.
"Pardon?" is more polite.
"Pardon me" is what you say after you burp or fart.
"Excuse me?" meaning what? or pardon is something I've kept using from living in the USA.
"I beg your pardon?" If someone says that to me I would imagine I'd said something that pissed them off.