What vs. Pardon

[godofcoffee]

When I was growing up, everybody I knew said "what?" when they weren't sure what somebody was saying. A fourth grade teacher, though, began insisting that I say "pardon?" instead, and slowly indoctrinated me that way. But I recently heard that I was right from the start, and that (in order of descending politeness) we have:

I beg your pardon? (which I say now)
What?, and
Pardon?

Anybody know what's going on here?

For reference, I'm Canadian: maybe things are different state-side?

 

[Alter]

What?

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Alter

What?

I thought Japanese people were supposed to be nice and gentle and polite. You inconsiderate PRICK.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I thought Japanese people were supposed to be nice and gentle and polite. You inconsiderate PRICK.

I beg your pardon but I am Canadian! You ignorant mouth-breathing moran!

(Apologies to the OP for the thread-derailing...it is Kwilk's fault).

 

[cldpsu]

I haven't really checked that out specifically, but you can bet your money that it's different from place to place.

I've always been interested in dialectal differences.

A good example:

Expressing time; it's a quarter before 3. / It's a quarter until 3. / It's a quarter 'til 3. / It's a quarter to 3. / It's a quarter of 3.

The expressions were segregated in their use among east cost states but dialectal diffusion occurred as a result of migration westward and now you can find traces of all three being used in one location on the west coast.

For your question though, you have to consider previous settlement. I would imagine places with English descent might express confusion with "I beg your pardon" or "pardon" more so than "what?" and those places that use "what?" more often might do so because it is a direct translation from the descendant language. Perhaps the French in Canada started translating "Quoi?" to "what?".

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by Alter

I am Canadian!
Beg your pardon?

BTW I breathe through my mouth AND my nose, mmkay?

 

[Milhouse]

Say again?

 

[NaTionS]

I usually say "what?" But back in 5th grade, there was this girl who had just moved from Australia and she would always say "pardon"

 

[MCsommerreid]

I usually go lengthy with it, because I've always felt "What?", "Excuse me?", and "I beg your pardon?" are used most often to imply some sort of indignation, particularly "I beg your pardon" (delivered with a wrinkled up nose an an affectation, of course).

Something like "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that. Come again?" leaves no room for confusion. Also avoids the stupid need people have these days to be indignant towards everything and say things as quickly as possible.

 

[imatlas]

Huh?

 

[Matt]

I tend to say 'sorry'

 

[West24]

i usually go with "what the **** did you just say?"

 

[Matt]

no you dont.

 

[acidboy]

'come again?'

 

[ysc]

Originally Posted by godofcoffee

But I recently heard that I was right from the start, and that (in order of descending politeness) we have:

I beg your pardon? (which I say now)
What?, and
Pardon?


This is technically or traditionally correct , at least in the UK, but frankly how many people are going to think "pardon?" is less polite than "what?" today?
As others have said they do, I just tend to go for some variation on "I'm sorry"