5 ms·
> Excuse me? Unrelated to your original comment, but as a British person when I see the use of "Excuse me?" it seems very coarse and sometimes can appear rude.
by renuxa 12y ago
> Excuse me?
Unrelated to your original comment, but as a British person when I see the use of "Excuse me?" it seems very coarse and sometimes can appear rude.
It is interesting, because my wife (who isn't British and English is her second language) uses this often (as do her friends) and sometimes it appears out of place and is misread as rude (which she is not usually trying to be).
I'm not complaining or dissing you at all, I find these small linguistic nuances very interesting :)
- test1235 12y agoAs a brit, I agree with that sentiment. It comes across as passive-aggressive way to tell someone you think what they just said is utter nonsense. You heard them just fine, but you don't like what they said, so you exagerrate your reaction and pretend they're an idiot. Of course, it depends on the tone of your voice as well, so everything comes across in the worst possible way when all you can see is the words :)
- reitanqild 12y agoThanks! Appreciated and upvoted.