Is 'what?' really the correct thing to say when you don't hear something??

[Twiglett]

as opposed to 'Pardon' or whatever

If it is, why is it?

I remember reading it somewhere

dont know but we were always told to say pardon.

I have read that saying 'pardon' is considered 'vulgar' (nb not saying I agree). I tend to say Sorry?

Eh?

"Eh?!"

LOL!

I've read it but i still say pardon having been brought up with do0n't say what say pardon i think it's one of those old u and non u things made to make some people who like to look down on us superior

like lavatory etc

Ye wat ??

Runs before her DM hears her.

lol

We say pardon.... IMO "What?" is rude

What's wrong with "huh?"

Or "speak up!"

the correct term is 'what', which is short for what did you say.

pardon suggests you are pardoning someone (burp etc)

Sorry ? well possibly short for sorry what did you say. But is generally answered with a 'what are you sorry for?'

I read in a Jilly Cooper novel that saying Pardon was vulgar and that you should say what - but it just sounds rude to me so I say either "sorry?"

you need the F*ing fulfords to come on and tell you the answer

wot did u say?

'Sorry?', imo, is short for 'Sorry I didn't hear you - what did you say?' Seems easier just to say 'Sorry?' when you look at it like that.

it's 'excuse me?' or 'sorry?' or 'pardon?' in this house. say 'what?' and you get told off big time no matter who you are.

What does it matter what word you use? Don't you think it is fantastic that we have such a rich and vibrant language that we have half a dozen words to express the message that we did not hear what someone said?

why should anyone think that What is rude?

My last boss (Cruella Evilbitch) used to say it.

But she said it with tones of, "How dare you interrupt me in my important social life/non-work-related activity to ask a life-or-death work-related matter?" - or in tones of "I may have asked you a trivial question, but you surely didn't expect me to listen to your answer the first time round, did you, stupid woman?"

That's why I hate it so much.

When we were teaching my nephew about it, we used to say to him "its not what, its pardon".
I asked him one day "what would you like for lunch?"
To which he replied....."its not what, its pardon"!

sitting room makes you laugh? come to my place and you can roll on the floor laughing to your hearst content. It would never occur to me to call it anything else!

oh crumbs - Im sure I used sitting room in a mn posting recently! Room where you sit - logical enough, surely??

anyone who says looking glass these days must be nuts though - that word surely only exists in Alice in Wonderland now??

I hear it was words that came from French that were considered vulgar - hence saying lavatory, glass (for mirror), etc.

hunker - what a graphic explanation! I must admit, I use WHAT? if I really want to put someone down. "Pardon" wouldnt have the same effect somehow!