A curmudgeon speaks, part 97.
Am I the only one who gets inordinately wound up by being addressed by people with a dozy, neanderthal "Huhhh?" when they haven't quite heard what I've said*?
I mean, I work with a bunch of affluent-background, supposedly-intelligent (i.e. post-graduate) students, who are hoping to soon be the solicitors and barristers of this world. And yet, more often than not, when one of them doesn't hear what someone else says (not just me) they respond with this completely ignorant grunt!
Personally, when this happens to me and I'd like someone to repeat themselves, I say one of "pardon?", "sorry?" or even occasionally just "what?", depending on how appropriate each would be for the company at the time. What I never do is make a noise like some cartoon dullard. That's just fucking rude, as far as I'm concerned.
Please - don't tell me that "Huhhhh?" is the correct form in high society, now!
So - is it just me, or does anyone else get wound up by this?
(* - This happens quite often, as I work in a library with a 'silence' policy, meaning whispering only.)
Am I the only one who gets inordinately wound up by being addressed by people with a dozy, neanderthal "Huhhh?" when they haven't quite heard what I've said*?
I mean, I work with a bunch of affluent-background, supposedly-intelligent (i.e. post-graduate) students, who are hoping to soon be the solicitors and barristers of this world. And yet, more often than not, when one of them doesn't hear what someone else says (not just me) they respond with this completely ignorant grunt!
Personally, when this happens to me and I'd like someone to repeat themselves, I say one of "pardon?", "sorry?" or even occasionally just "what?", depending on how appropriate each would be for the company at the time. What I never do is make a noise like some cartoon dullard. That's just fucking rude, as far as I'm concerned.
Please - don't tell me that "Huhhhh?" is the correct form in high society, now!
So - is it just me, or does anyone else get wound up by this?
(* - This happens quite often, as I work in a library with a 'silence' policy, meaning whispering only.)
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