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

Prince Harry at least says, "Sorry?"

Fart.

Absolutely no bottom burping.

Basically, in "old fashioned posh like what the old aristocracy use" any word derived from French is seen as common. So toilet and serviette and pardon are common, lavatory, napkin and what aren't.

As I said, it's all just rules of a club. Clubs like having obscure rules to catch people out.

Oh, and anything seen as twee or euphemistic is common too.

So a fart is a fart.

Fart. Definitely no 'bottom burping' .

Posh people never "pass away" or "fall asleep"

BertrandRussell has it. "Pardon?" definitely has non-U connotations for those who care about such things! I think "Sorry?" or "Excuse me?" covers it for those who want formality....

I agree user - far prefer bog over twee toilet.

what do they do then Bertrand? Do they just die?
Its all good then. One that I cannot stand is just 'pass', it sounds so woo woo and spiritualist.

@ligiligiligi
Loo is presumably all that is left of gardyloo.

"Definition of gardyloo. —used in Edinburgh as a warning cry when it was customary to throw slops from the windows into the streets."

Toilet is just wrong so I suggest you contact the Head of that school at once.

So which is the 'correct' U thing to say after a burp/fart? Is it "pardon me" or "excuse me" or something else?

Our DC's primary school appears to have a policy of telling children off for saying anything other than pardon. Everyone seems to have accepted the idea that it's polite and anything else is rude. Trying to explain that the opposite is true is rather frustrating!

Laughing at those who think the common versions are " regional". Harhar
No, it's about whether you are common or not.

People just die. Correct.

Gosh, everyone's so insecure! I'm as middle class as they come and no-one who met me would ever assume anything else, and somehow I've managed to be middle class forever and still not say 'what'.

It's very entertaining, the amount of drivel being spouted on this thread. And so many of you believe in it! Bless you.

" So which is the 'correct' U thing to say after a burp/fart? Is it "pardon me" or "excuse me" or something else? "

1. you do not burp or fart in public if you could help it.
2. If you do, despite ur best efforts not to, you pretend it has not happened and say nothing.

oh god i remember being stuck in a flat in Poland with this dreadful English guy who would actually lift up one buttock, force out a fart, and then shout 'excuse me' afterwards.....it was hellish.

@charliethebear
People who have loos in your area of the south east should jolly well have sitting rooms. Don't they know anything?

Lounges are to be found at airports and hotels.

@RiverTam
Oh you are as middle class as they come, are you? Honestly it is so desperate to have to say that! As for "Bless...", do you use Facebook a great deal?

I say sorry, what, huh or hmm. I think its the tone of voice that makes something rude, not the word.

My mum would insist on pardon. Pretty sure she was the inspiration for Hyacynth Bucket, though

My gran is the only person I've ever met that referred to her mirror as a looking glass, although she would sometimes shortened it to 'the glass'.

Does anyone still actually use it?

Bless you! In a derogatory manner. Wouldn't say that's very middle class RiverTam!!

Seriously do you know where this comes from? This is from an article that Nancy Mitford wrote in 1955! 1955! she was essentially mocking the middle classes for trying to be posher that they really were ( who were adopting the French version of words - serviette etc). If you work and buy your furniture ( you didn't inherit it) then you're firmly middle class anyway. ( and if you give two fucks about what people think about you you're very definitely middles class).

"Just give a call to myself"

This is another that I find annoying. Some people have got it in their heads that you, me and I must be avoided at any cost no matter how grammatically clumsy it sounds. Definitely a misguided attempt to sound posher.

well yes but Nancy Mitfords article was largely lifted from a previous study on this. She did not make it up - not really capable.