My nanny is teaching the dcs to say "pardon"

[MrsFogi]

and they now call the loo a "toilet". Should I grin and bear it or ask her to modify her language ?

Check your contract immediately. That must constitute a sackable offence. She'll be having them sit on the settee next.

You have my sympathy, DH does this to DD as well. Makes my teeth itch. DD also has a "belly" button. I can only bite my tongue so long but when I say anything I'm being snobby!

kiiiiillllll herrrrrrrr.

My DS says pardon and toilet. Isn't it better than "whaaaaa?" and "pisser"?

You have to tell her. I do (aussies particularly). Say "I'm sorry, it is just one of those inexplicable things, but humour me. The kids must say loo and what - I cannot have toilet and pardon in the house"

They will think you are a nutter but that's your prerogative! Evry time I've had to do it they have stuck to it. Phew.

DS says pardon - when he has burped or farted. Not sure what the "correct" term should be for that. Not sure I care if there's a different one - it was hard enough getting him to say anything instead of giggling.

loo though, definitely.

I don't like belly either - tummy please. Belly is an obnoxious word, makes me squirm slightly.

You know the whole 'don't say pardon' thing was just a big joke by Nancy Mitford, don't you?

I hate the word "loo"!!!
It's so bloody wanky!
Are you scared of saying the word toilet?

Oh, but I am "A Northener".

Er, what do you want them to say? You whaaaat?

When one has burped or farted one says "pardon me" sorely?

surely

N0 - she's teaching them a second language. It will be very useful when they go to school. My children are completely trilingual.

well it wouldn't be any surprise mrsjoyful, she got the OBE

heh heh, my DH was alarmed when he found out I say 'what' and not pardon. He finds it extremely aggressive - it's taken some time for him to get used to it...

Pardon and toilet are the words I teach my own kids. Is that wrong?!

I'm not sure it was exactly a joke by Nancy Mitford, although it was lighthearted.

Not wrong - just that the older 'posh' terms are what and loo. But the reality is that language is always changing and toilet and pardon are taking over as the newer polite terms - so it really doesn't matter, I think

I say "Pardon" if I don't hear something, "Pardon me" if I burp/fart etc and I go to the toilet. I don't understand what the problem is? But then I also have breakfast, dinner and tea...

Ah cross-posted - I am slow typer...

If you want your children to say What and Lavatory, then you really should tell your nanny this - it's pretty poor to teach your children somethign that is agaisnt your wishes and better judgement - but obviously, if she doesn't know, then she'll think she's doing right...
Tell her!

you should say "excuse me" for if you burp
and never, ever mention farts in polite company!
it's always better to pretend they've never happened. (it's rude to draw attention to that kind ofthing)

That list is great Euphemia, I'm positively landed gentry. Just have to lose the regional accent now

Poor Nanny probably thinks she's refining them for you. So expect a sensitive and long conversation whilst you explain that she is actually demoting them socially.

Haha Boysrock :o

There was a girl in Year 7 who reduced me to tears (aww) once for constantly pouncing on me whenever I said "sorry/what?" and not "pardon?". She kept calling me rude- but she was in the same group who also teased me for being "posh". For a while I walked around saying "pardon", but kept forgetting, then decided the whole thing was silly. Is "sorry" wrong?

MIL has just retired from a year childminding DD and one of the high points is that I can now eliminate the words settee, pardon, nana and serviette from her vocabulary and limit dessert and tea to their proper meanings.

DH also argues that 'what' is rude. We were both at Oxford, though you wouldn't know it from our accents.

I draw the line at looking glass, schoolmaster and knave.