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

I don't get the whole "restroom" thing. I don't go to the toilet to rest. I wouldn't want to stay in there long enough to rest. Pee and go.

I don't think it's a regional thing; more class-based I would say.

We're fucked Redmerida. We are the lowest of the low, MN have rubber-sealed it.

I've always been taught Pardon instead of what when I've not heard something.. And had no idea it was common.. Genuinely thought it was more polite that what?!

scuttle not sure why 'toilet' is used on public signs. Internationally recognisable? Although it's not always used, just silhouettes of men or women or 'WC'.

The public signs you sometimes see which always make me smile are on train stations do not alight here or alight here. I mean who says "alight from a train" rather than "get off a train"

I must be really common then - I say pardon, toilet, lounge and settee! I'm from Norfolk. I was always told that 'What?' was really rude! Ha ha, interesting how much it varies!!

Ive never heard of pardon as being common! I'm from the south east and its always been the polite way of saying it here. If someone said what id think they were incredibly rude!
I'm wondering how many people ive been offending over the years
I say toilet too. Loo always sounds ridiculous, and people who have loos round here also have lounges instead of living rooms, not the other way round yet again I always think toilet is a mumsnet thing.
I dont see anything wrong with being thought of as common tbh, but I don't want to be thought of as rude so I'll stick with pardon I think.

clam Jilly also says it's a far worse offence for a friend to steal your cleaner than to steal your husband 😀

Pardon comes from "I beg your pardon" meaning the same as Sorry. At least thats what my Eng Lit teacher told me, so I go with "Sorry?" in polite company or "Yer what?!" with family :o

Oh I don't know Through, it took me longer to find a decent cleaner than it did to find a husband. And I can't remember the last time he cleaned the loo...

We say "what?" Or "sorry, what?".

DSS tried to tell me it was impolite. He was quickly set onto the right path.

It's not rude to say pardon settee toilet or lounge - it's lower middle. Nothing wrong with that. Had one set of grandparents who used those terms the other side of the family said sorry sofa loo and living room.

Read too much jolly cooper as a teen can't unknow this stuff

It's not a regional thing, it's a class thing.

Natsku did you counter with "pardon Mrs Arden there are pigs in my garden"?

No, never heard of that one, shall have to teach it to DD to say next time we visit my parents

Tell your parents and ILS that the Royal family say "what" rather than "pardon" and hopefully that will shut them up?

Yes, then they can be like those models of politeness and good grace Prince Philip and Prince Andrew.

'What?' sounds very curt and implies it is the speakers fault for not being clear enough, rather than the listener for not listening.

I was always taught that it's pardon not what. What sounds rude. We ask our ds to say pardon too. The poshest people I know say 'pardon' or 'sorry'. I'm not posh but was just taught that it is more polite to say 'pardon'.

The definitive answer, what every anyone says, is that in posh English circles, "pardon"'would be unacceptable, unless attached to "I beg your......."

It's bonkers, but it's just one of the club rules. It's sometimes useful to know the club rules, even if you don't want to be a member of the club. If only because you can tell if somebody's pretending to be a member and using it to put you down

You can say whatever you want and anybody who judges you is an arsehole. But the world is full of arseholes.

The royal family say "what?" If you say "pardon" or "sorry" you are apologising for your behaviour as you've done something wrong. As a gentleman or lady would never do something wrong, why apologise?

For example, if you don't hear somebody properly and say "sorry" you're saying you weren't listening properly which is rude of you.

Pardon is working class as we all know and people are brought up not to say it! How can anyone not know that?

As said above the royal family says what as indeed do many mumsnetters. You put yourself into a class category in the UK if you use the word pardon. It is one of our silly rules.

By all means reach children to use pardon but you will be consigning them to a lower class. It is indeed one of the club rules.

"Sorry?" Is better but "What?" is ok...

tell me more about "toilet" v "loo". What does loo even stand for it sounds like a word children would use? All teachers use the word toilet at our state but slight posh school.

What about "What? What? Speak up."?

I taught my children to say 'bog' I could not stand it when they came home from school saying 'toilit' toilit'. Bog or shithouse.

Haha I think I can live with that!

I'm not doubting the origins, just whether it really still applies or the world has moved on a little. Hopefully the latter.

Bog is acceptable, but very outdated I'd say.

Fart, trump or bottom burp?