Why do we apologise a lot?

py2006

Have you ever noticed that we (irish people) say the word 'sorry' alot and incorrectly??

Just noticed a guy in restaurant saying "sorry" to waitress in order to get her attention. I find my self saying it when trying to get passed somebody.

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

Full Marx

sorry

JohnCleary

Don't know, sorry.

RayM

I'm afraid I don't know.

Sorry.

For Forks Sake

Yeah, sorry about that

basillarkin

Apologise for nothing

Links234

Because I correct people who say "alot"

It's a lot. Sorry

Sir Osis of Liver.

py2006 wrote: »

Have you ever noticed that we (irish people) say the word 'sorry' alot and incorrectly??

Just noticed a guy in restaurant saying "sorry" to waitress in order to get her attention. I find my self saying it when trying to get passed somebody.

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

Sorry?

Pac1Man

It's just a colloquialism. Every place has them.

Edit: ^^^ Everyone rushing to be the first to type the most predictable response.

Links234

Links234 wrote: »

Because I correct people who say "alot"

It's a lot. Sorry

See my sig.

wakka12

People do it in every country not just Ireland

py2006

Haha sorry about this thread

speedboatchase

'Alot' is not a word. I'm sorry, but please change that.

Cortina_MK_IV

Not any more... It's soz!

Son Of A Vidic

py2006 wrote: »

Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

Nope. It's just a simple little thing called manners, some people have them and some people don't. A display of politeness and manners has nothing to do with meekness or insecurity. But everything to do with just not wanting to be an ignorant prick.

UnitedFan31

It's an Irish thing I think, the same as saying "bye" about 100 times before ending a phone call.

py2006

speedboatchase wrote: »

'Alot' is not a word. I'm sorry, but please change that.

Done, sorry!

Benjamin Beo

py2006 wrote: »

Have you ever noticed that we (irish people) say the word 'sorry' alot and incorrectly??

Just noticed a guy in restaurant saying "sorry" to waitress in order to get her attention. I find my self saying it when trying to get passed somebody.

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

The same reason Irish people drink a lot.

Dozen Wicked Words

Benjamin Beo wrote: »

The same reason Irish people drink a lot.

Sorry but I don't follow.

Benjamin Beo

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Nope. It's just a simple little thing called manners, some people have them and some people don't. A display of politeness and manners has nothing to do with meekness or insecurity. But everything to do with just not wanting to be an ignorant prick.

Saying sorry when it is unnecessary is indeed a sign of insecurity.

whatismyname

Sorry you feel that way, OP.

py2006

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Nope. It's just a simple little thing called manners, some people have them and some people don't. A display of politeness and manners has nothing to do with meekness or insecurity. But everything to do with just not wanting to be an ignorant prick.

I think you missed the point

The Backwards Man

It's sad, so sad. It's a sad, sad situation.


Allot is a word that people don't use a lot.

mattP

Its just another way of being polite
He was disturbing her from whatever she was doing, fairly correct usage Id think
I love a good ole sarcastic "saw-ree" though :P

The_Valeyard

Because Jesus is watching.

Reiver

Slavery. Colonialism. Nuclear powe

We have alot to say sorry for.

lazybones32

py2006 wrote: »

Have you ever noticed that we (irish people) say the word 'sorry' alot and incorrectly??

Just noticed a guy in restaurant saying "sorry" to waitress in order to get her attention. I find my self saying it when trying to get passed somebody.

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

It's not an apology for interrupting them, it could be classed more as an idiom rather than an incorrect use of the English language, Herr Gruppengrammarfuhrer.

RobertKK

Candie wrote: »

See my sig.

Sorry, but I have sigs disabled.

DivingDuck

I say sorry when I want to get someone's attention-- as in, "Sorry to disturb you".

Nobody likes being disturbed; it's only fair to apologise for it.

jamesbere

Sorry seems to be the hardest word

Niemoj

Haven't a clue.

Sorry.

Massimo Cassagrande

Getting the apology in before the arsey request, generally.

Robsweezie

It's a way of endearing ourselves to people and coming across as non threatening.

colossus-x

wakka12 wrote: »

People do it in every country not just Ireland

Nope. Worked with an Australlian chef once in London and he suddenly just lost the rag and started ranting asking "What's all this sorry about all the time". Obviously it was a new phenomenon to him.

It is a bit odd to be fair. I guess it's a shorthand for "sorry for disturbing you but..."

Medusa22

I often apologise for things that are beyond my control, like I'll tell my OH or a friend that I'm sorry if they lose something or if something bad happens to them or if it rains What I mean is though, I'm sorry to hear that, or it's a pity.

My OH is German and her friends and family get so irritated when I apologise for something that isn't my fault, we had visitors last week from Germany and it was raining a lot one day and I said ''I'm really sorry about the weather'' and one of the guests just turned around and said ''why are you sorry? will you stop apologising now, you don't control the weather!''. I think it really annoys them :pac: Though they also get angry if I thank them more than once or if I ask them if they want to eat or drink something more than once, Irish habits die hard

I also apologise if someone bumps into me, I just can't help it, it's a habit.

cantdecide

speedboatchase wrote: »

'Alot' is not a word.

Noone said it was...

LordSutch

Heard it in Tesco the other day. Woman leaves her card behind at the checkout, checkout girl shouts "sorry" "sorry" trying to get the customers attention!

But why didn't she shout excuse me, or hello there?

Why sorry?

jimboblep

I apologise for nothing, im sorry thats just who i am

Whitewinged

py2006 wrote: »

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

"Excuse me" means "to lessen the blame attaching to a fault or offence. Try to justify."

"Sorry" means is to express apology.

So its like your getting the "sorry" for interupting or whatever, out of the way rather than justify it, i guess.

Archeron

I once apologised to a telephone pole that I walked into.

cantdecide

cantdecide wrote: »

Noone said it was...

Who is "Noone"?

cantdecide

Deleted User wrote: »

Who is "Noone"?

No one

Tarzana2

py2006 wrote: »

Have you ever noticed that we (irish people) say the word 'sorry' alot and incorrectly??

Just noticed a guy in restaurant saying "sorry" to waitress in order to get her attention. I find my self saying it when trying to get passed somebody.

Why don't we say "excuse me"? How did it come about? Are we all insecure and afraid to offend?

It really annoys me and it's very common. I do it myself sometimes but really try to say 'Excuse me'. I sometimes garner funny looks for 'excuse me' it though, like people think it's rude or something. And people who come to this country to learn English start saying it too.

I found it was common enough in the UK too.

Why are we so sorry all the time? I have no idea.

Tarzana2

Links234 wrote: »

Because I correct people who say "alot"

It's a lot. Sorry

How do you know if people are saying 'a lot' or 'alot'?

If you correct people who write 'alot', cringe. I can see why people would think it was 'alot' instead of 'a lot'. I've never met a spelling and grammar corrector who didn't make some manner of spelling or grammar fúck up themselves. The people who get vocal about it tend not to know it all themselves!

Candie wrote: »

See my sig.

It's highly sanctimonious.

cantdecide

Tarzana2 wrote: »

How do you know if people are saying 'a lot' or 'alot'?

True. I mean how can one allot alot or a lot?

Tarzana2

Corvus Maximus wrote: »

Nope. It's just a simple little thing called manners, some people have them and some people don't. A display of politeness and manners has nothing to do with meekness or insecurity. But everything to do with just not wanting to be an ignorant prick.

Saying 'excuse me' is polite and makes more sense.

PARlance

Tarzana2 wrote: »

Saying 'excuse me' is polite and makes more sense.

Lotsa* Irish people view "excuse me" as more pissy than polite. Incorrectly of course.

*Not a word? Bite me. Ain't no apologising going on here.

Tarzana2

PARlance wrote: »

Lotsa* Irish people view "excuse me" as more pissy than polite. Incorrectly of course.

I think tone of voice used plays a big role.

PARlance

Tarzana2 wrote: »

I think tone of voice used plays a big role.

Well excuse me!

wil

Because it was my fault, all of it.
.
.

What did I do again?

XplaygirlX

I say it all the time. Basically for most of everything I do haha