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Original poster

"What you said???" - Its PARDON!!!

56 replies

Flame · 15/06/2007 08:22

ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am going to kill either me or her soon!!!

"What? What you said"

"No, you say pardon."

"Oh. What you said?"

"ITS PARDON!!!!"

How do I get her to say pardon rather than "Wha'?" or "What you said?"?????

Its driving me insane. She's 4 btw - she knows that stupid, idiot, and spoilt brat are things we don't say, so why can't she grasp that pardon is what you do say?

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OrmIrian · 15/06/2007 11:37

I thought 'u' stood for 'us. As in what people like us would do. Was it a Mitford who created the deignation?

FilthyFlameVixen · 15/06/2007 11:42

I'm very much working class

vesela · 15/06/2007 12:04

According to Wikipedia, 'U and non-U' was coined by a linguistics professor, but popularised by Nancy Mitford in an essay soon after.

Some of them have changed - 'ice cream' used to be non-U (U was 'ice').

Noellefielding · 15/06/2007 12:19

I really don't like "pardon". It sounds so cap doffing and a bit like some lowly person would address an aristocrat. It doesn't sound modern to me but I grew up in the states.

I hate "What?". My parents were both fearsome snobs about pardon and what and I still have a bit of that in me I think so I suffer when dh belches and says pardon!

I like "Sorry, I didn't catch that" Or "Excuse me I didn't understand/hear you" or even just 'Sorry?" is more polite to me.

It's like "AH WANNA GO TOILET!!!!"

I hate 'toilet' so so so much but it's even more vile when they say I WANNA GO TOILET!!!

RedtartanLass · 15/06/2007 12:48

Oh flamey at you having crap week. Can someone please explain what is "wrong" with pardon?

As for "Sorry" Bleugh!! I was taught never to say sorry unless you meant it, so I can't understand why anyone would want to apologise for not being able to hear someone.

I'm finding this an interesting but weird thread (sorry Flame does help you though eh?)

Now there's an annoying word...Eh?

RedtartanLass · 15/06/2007 12:49

doesn't help you even

Desiderata · 15/06/2007 12:50

She's four, by the way. Would you cut her some slack??

ChipButty · 15/06/2007 12:55

I think 'Pardon' is perfectly fine and I don't care if it shows me to be of a lower class than some of you! WTF!!!!!! Flame - I would just lead by example, if I were you. Do you think she keeps up the 'what you say' because it gets a rise out of you?

ChipButty · 15/06/2007 12:56

BTW - it's never too early to be taught good manners IMO and 4 seems perfectly fine to me.

So shoot me.

littlelapin · 15/06/2007 12:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Anna8888 · 15/06/2007 13:00

"What?" is much better than "Pardon".

"What did you say?" is even better.

scatterbrain · 15/06/2007 13:02

Don't train her into Pardonia ! Very non U - (read Jilly Cooper's class if you don't understand)

What is much more correct than Pardon !

Pardon Me is just about acceptable for burps etc

OrmIrian · 15/06/2007 13:05

Actually I think it's irrelevant what we all would use instead of 'pardon'. The point is that the OP is having trouble getting her DD to say whatever it is that she thinks is polite.

ChipButty · 15/06/2007 13:06

But I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK LIKE JILLY COOPER!!! This thread is getting me down.

littlelapin · 15/06/2007 13:08

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

CatIsSleepy · 15/06/2007 13:11

pardon shmardon what's it got to do with jilly cooper anyway?

eh??? works well for me, however dd doesn't talk yet so i don't have to worry about it just yet

kel4mum · 15/06/2007 13:19

My dd2 is only 22months, She says erh when she doesnt here me and it drives me mad, so i just say pardon everytime she says it so that she knows that is what i expect her to say if she doesnt hear something properly. Of course i dont expect her to say it yet but i think its better to teach them while they are young.

Noellefielding · 15/06/2007 13:40

I'm sorry but

'PARDON ME" is just awful horrible hideous in my opinion. It sounds all dickensian like someone is suddenly going to rush in wearing a blardy farking BONNET and curtsey!!!!

CantSleepWontSleep · 15/06/2007 13:45

So now wouldn't be a good time to remind you of our conversation about the use of apostrophes in the word 'its'?

RosaLuxembourg · 15/06/2007 13:46

Pardon is banned in this house. It's what.
I really don't know why but I cannot bear pardon. It just sounds naff. And it can't be a class thing because I am not even English.

But what really winds me up is when my American rellies come to stay and instead of going to the loo everyone, even the grown-ups need to 'go potty'.

No, no I howl inwardly - I am going to go potty if I have to listen to my children using that expression.

OrmIrian · 15/06/2007 13:49

go potty .....oh no. Really?
Yuck.

RosaLuxembourg · 15/06/2007 13:51

Yes and another one that really annoys me is 'My bad' when you are taking responsibility for something that has gone wrong. I mean WTF. Where did that one come from?

Anna8888 · 15/06/2007 13:51

Go potty .

Yuck, yuck, yuck.

Might as well say "I'll just go and change my nappy".

purpleduck · 15/06/2007 14:21

Whenever mine say "what" i say pardon??? and then they change it. I hate "what" too. And I would rather my dc's swear than say ain't oooh don't get me started on that!!!

maisym · 15/06/2007 14:28

We say what - what's the problem with this?