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What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

bbc.com

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Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#111

Post by throw_await »

ccppurcell wrote: post #27
roarcher wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Isn't this just... normal? In the anglosphere maybe, but outside of that it seems to not be. My girlfriend is from SE Asia and her language's equivalent is evidently used exclusively to apologize for having wronged someone. I've had to explain my usage of "I'm sorry that [bad thing happened]" or "Sorry, but can I just [very minorly inconvenience you]" because she didn't understand what I was admitting fault for. In…

The I'm sorry (that someone died) is easy to explain as it's obviously connected to the word sorrow. The hardest is "sorry?" (I didn't understand or hear you)

That's a folk etymology. Sorry is a derivative of sore. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/sorry

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#112

Post by stuaxo »

eloeffler wrote: post #85

Literally all of these meanings are used in the same way in German. And actually, the word "Sorry" itself, too. Not all Germans do it, but I'd say a fair share. I think, because the German "Entschuldigung" is four syllables long :D But that would work the same way and for example in the pub situations you can shout it much better: "Ent-shool-dee-goong?" I wasn't aware this is something that doesn't work in all Englis…

My German friend lived in the UK for a whole and went back for a bit.

In a lift in Germany a lady tried on friends foot - friend said "sorry".

The other lady said "Well, you shouldn't have been standing there".

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#115

Post by cout »

roryirvine wrote: post #96
fennecbutt wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bloke is definitely not as common in the UK as it is in NZ and Australia. Just like togs, which I've never heard anybody say here though I've read that parts of Ireland still use it.

Swimming togs? That's what they were commonly called at my primary school in Belfast. Never heard it used since! Same goes for "gutties" - rubber-soled shoes to wear in the gym (presumably from gutta-percha). I think "bloke" was more common in the 90s over here. It picked up an association with boorishness, especially when used as an adjective - "blokey" was almost the middle-aged equivalent of "laddish".

When I hear the word bloke I think of Andy Capp. Not sure if he ever used it in the comic strip though.

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#116

Post by peterpost2 »

chris_j wrote: post #71
dfawcus wrote: post #66

The flaw with that article, it being the Beeb showing their bias, is that it mainly applies to the English Home Counties. So it is a southern English habit, not a British one. The other parts of England are more direct, and will use more obvious phrasing. Similarly the other parts of Britain will be more direct.

Indeed. I've lived in the UK my entire life, and I've only ever heard "sorry" used to mean "excuse me, can I get past please?" in and around London. It still sounds weird to me. Where I come from (further from London), you'd just say "excuse me".

Glaswegian here, I would use sorry as an "can I get past" also.

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#117

Post by gofreddygo »

enochthered wrote: post #9

I’m a Brit. It was only after living overseas that I realised just how mad our use of “sorry” can be. An example. One day I was on the tube. My bag was on the seat next to me. A bloke gets on, points at my bag and says “sorry”. What he actually meant, was “move your bag”. The thing is, if he had said something so direct, I would have said “sorry, what did you say to me?” And on and on…

Worked a job taking calls from brits for insurance. The first thing we were made aware of was the brit use of polite sarcasm.

E.g. when someone calls in on behalf of her spouse saying he's gone digging potatoes.

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#118

Post by [deleted] »

psadri wrote: post #90
enochthered wrote: post #9

I’m a Brit. It was only after living overseas that I realised just how mad our use of “sorry” can be. An example. One day I was on the tube. My bag was on the seat next to me. A bloke gets on, points at my bag and says “sorry”. What he actually meant, was “move your bag”. The thing is, if he had said something so direct, I would have said “sorry, what did you say to me?” And on and on…

Separately, I love the word “bloke”. I wish it would take off here in the US.

[deleted]

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#119

Post by phibz »

enochthered wrote: post #9

I’m a Brit. It was only after living overseas that I realised just how mad our use of “sorry” can be. An example. One day I was on the tube. My bag was on the seat next to me. A bloke gets on, points at my bag and says “sorry”. What he actually meant, was “move your bag”. The thing is, if he had said something so direct, I would have said “sorry, what did you say to me?” And on and on…

If someone said Sorry and just sat there expectantly in front of my bag, I would strongly have the urge to look and say "use your words..."

Re: What British people mean when they say 'sorry'

#120

Post by maest »

phibz wrote: post #119
enochthered wrote: post #9

I’m a Brit. It was only after living overseas that I realised just how mad our use of “sorry” can be. An example. One day I was on the tube. My bag was on the seat next to me. A bloke gets on, points at my bag and says “sorry”. What he actually meant, was “move your bag”. The thing is, if he had said something so direct, I would have said “sorry, what did you say to me?” And on and on…

If someone said Sorry and just sat there expectantly in front of my bag, I would strongly have the urge to look and say "use your words..."

You need more hints that it's rude to take up a seat with your bag?
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