To say what instead of pardon?

[toomanycoffeess]

Or is that rude?

Sorry but this is subjective, there’s no “what people are telling themselves”.

My mum used to tell me never to say “pardon”. It was forbidden in our house.

Theres no universal standard for this: it’s largely class.

I’m not saying our family’s way was right and yours was wrong but you can’t just insist that your rules apply to everyone.

I was taught to never say pardon (or toilet, as up thread). I use both to deliberately wind up my grandma, upon occasion...

I use what or sorry on the whole, never pardon and correct my DC if they do.

Agree. The number of teachers who tried to make me say ‘haitch’ rather than ‘aitch’ even though I said my family say ‘aitch’ and I wasn’t changing.

It's simple .. what ?

Your reaction defines the social class of both you and the speaker.

What = ewww, how ill-bred and churlish. You are working class being addressed by a toff or umc dweller trying to be polite.

Pardon = ewww, how fey. Naice ham, anyone? Snigger. You are mc being addressed by someone at the other end of your class trying to be polite.

Yes to pardon being different to sorry. It’s like ‘excuse moi’ to ‘pardon?’ in France.

My mum is a MC wannabe. She she says pardon and lavatory and cemetery. I say sorry and toilet and graveyard.

This is very apt for me today as my just turned 2 year old has suddenly started saying ‘huh?’ if she doesn’t hear me and it’s been driving me mad as I hear it a hundred times a day. I’ve been correcting her with pardon 🤦🏼‍♀️😂same with her older sibling. I just can’t let them say what or huh etc. is that very common of me!?

What is fine, where I live.

I hate pardon.

I can't imagine saying either what or pardon.

What seems rude and abrasive. Pardon just jars for me.

I'd say 'sorry?' or 'sorry I missed that...'

My mum said ‘yeah what’ a lot when she doesn’t hear and I find it quite rude. I mean I’m not offended by it but it’s quite poor manners in my opinion, I’d always say sorry or pardon etc. My dad did the same

Pretty much this. It’s down to your upbringing and social class. But you can’t claim one or the other is definitively “right”.

I was brought up to say pardon and that 'what' was rude

Usually 'eh?' 😁 when talking to my family and friends. 'What's that?' Or 'sorry?'

My partner always tells me off (jokingly) for yelling “huh” instead of pardon!

Why would you do that?

I say sorry , what did you say , I find this very nice and polite :)

"Pardon" = serviette, settee, couch, taking shoes off indoors

But cemetery and graveyard are historically two different things. A graveyard is inside church grounds, a cemetery is land owned by the authorities for the purpose of burials. Nothing to do with class.

To me (working class English teacher) "what?" sounds ruder than "pardon?". In class, I'd correct any of my students and get them to say "can you repeat that please" etc.

You and your mum seem a bit mixed up.

Upper middle class here, and we have fixed on the compromise of "Sorry, what?" or "Say again"?"

Pardon is non-U amongst wealthy.

It’s a genuinely lighthearted example but I appreciate I didn’t flag it as such so fair enough!

The best solution here is "What did you say?" in a polite rising tone.

I always say 'what?' much to all my colleagues amusement. Pardon sounds naff.