BRITISH ETIQUETTE: SAYING NO

British people have always felt that an outright negative is rather bald and impolite. There is a tendency, therefore, to bedeck a negative with evasions and circumlocutions. If, for example, you ask someone "do you like the meal?", you can be sure that a reply along the lines of "it's certainly very interesting" is a resounding negative.

If you ask someone if they want to do something/go somewhere and they reply, irritatingly, with "we'll see", this probably means that they want to do nothing of the sort.

Of course, this tendency obscures meaning and can lead to endless confusion for people who speak as they find. But once you're used to English evasions, you will become attuned to this trait. You will certainly notice that true affirmatives, in contrast, are enthusiastic and heartfelt, and leave no room for ambiguity.

Written by NativeEnglish

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