"Sorry" or "Excuse me"

[Wanescotting]

I just got back from my local walmart(I had a minor emergency, I ran out of dip), and I was reminded of something that has always peaked my curiousity.

As I approached the checkout stand(register) there was a girl looking through the cheap dvds. She was in my way, so I politely say "excuse me" she looks up and replies "oh, I'm sorry".

HMMMMMMMMM.......what is she sorry for? We both have a right to be in the store, she was doing nothing wrong.

I have heard alot of folks say "sorry" in lieu of the words "excuse me". I suppose it doesn't really bother me, but I wonder why some folks choose to use the word "sorry".

I have noticed that females tend to say "sorry" instead of "excuse me".

So, which term do you use?

 

[Mo0o]

I say sorry inthat case. If i have to get through a crowd i usually say excuse me. And when i sneeze i say sorry (im wierd like that)

 

[amol]

excuse me

 

[Aimster]

I say i'm sorry. It just sounds more polite to me. If they didn't say anything and were pushing me out of the way I would say excuse me with a look of disgust.

 

[Quasmo]

I first I tought you meant tabacco dip, and I thought gross, then I answered the question. Sorry you didn't word it correctly. (<---this = grammer nightmare)

 

[hjo3]

You just said "excuse me" to her. It would sound a little dumb if she replied with the same phrase.

I say "pardon me."

 

[bradruth]

I say sorry, as in "I'm sorry for obstructing you."

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: Mo0o
I say sorry inthat case. If i have to get through a crowd i usually say excuse me. And when i sneeze i say sorry (im wierd like that)

Sounds about right with me. Europeans notice that Americans say that a lot and they even joke about it.

Something that I have personally noticed and OMGWTFBBQ OH NOES I MUST BE A RACIST, is that white people tend to say excuse me and sorry and move out of your way where minoritys usually stand there and look at you stupid and confused, or they bump into you and don't say anything.

Note the above observation is based on my experiences interactining with various races in wisconsin. It is by no means a generalization of any race in the entire nation/world/etc just something that I have noticed in wisconsin.

I'm sure i'll still get flamed for it by an over sensitive person.

 

[Wanescotting]

Originally posted by: Quasmo
I first I tought you meant tabacco dip, and I thought gross, then I answered the question. Sorry you didn't word it correctly. (<---this = grammer nightmare)

Huh?
Yes I was out of tobacco dip?

grammer nightmare?

 

[TheLonelyPhoenix]

I say "excuse me", but I checked the "DIAF" option in the poll b/c I always hit that one when I see it available.

 

[Wanescotting]

I still don't understand why someone would say "sorry". the word sorry has an apologetic connotation.


[adj] depressing in character or appearance; "drove through dingy streets"; "the dismal prison twilight"- Charles Dickens; "drab old buildings"; "a dreary mining town"; "gloomy tenements"; "sorry routine that follows on the heels of death"- B.A.Williams
[adj] feeling or expressing sorrow or pity; "a pitying observer threw his coat around her shoulders"; "let him perish without a pitying thought of ours wasted upon him"- Thomas De Quincey
[adj] bad; unfortunate; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs"
[adj] keenly sorry or regretful; "felt bad about letting the team down"; "was sorry that she had treated him so badly"; "felt bad about breaking the vase"
[adj] having regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone; "felt regretful over his vanished youth"; "regretful over mistakes she had made"
[adj] feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
[adj] without merit; "a sorry horse"; "a sorry excuse"; "a lazy no-count, good-for-nothing goldbrick"; "the car was a no-good piece of junk"

 

Both are appropriate depending upon circumstance. In the situation that you described, I say "I'm sorry" when I'm in someone's way. If someone's in my way, I say "Excuse me."

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Something that I have personally noticed and OMGWTFBBQ OH NOES I MUST BE A RACIST, is that white people tend to say excuse me and sorry and move out of your way where minoritys usually stand there and look at you stupid and confused, or they bump into you and don't say anything.

Note the above observation is based on my experiences interactining with various races in wisconsin. It is by no means a generalization of any race in the entire nation/world/etc just something that I have noticed in wisconsin.

I'm sure i'll still get flamed for it by an over sensitive person.

:roll: Why do you always feel the need to defend yourself? Is it because you are racist? :-/ You asked for it.... Personally, I meet rude people on both ends. I think courtesy, as a whole, has almost disappeared.

 

[Wanescotting]

Both are appropriate depending upon circumstance. In the situation that you described, I say "I'm sorry" when I'm in someone's way. If someone's in my way, I say "Excuse me."

In thier way? I still don't understand. What is there to be sorry about?

 

[GoingUp]

Originally posted by: DearQT
Both are appropriate depending upon circumstance. In the situation that you described, I say "I'm sorry" when I'm in someone's way. If someone's in my way, I say "Excuse me."

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Something that I have personally noticed and OMGWTFBBQ OH NOES I MUST BE A RACIST, is that white people tend to say excuse me and sorry and move out of your way where minoritys usually stand there and look at you stupid and confused, or they bump into you and don't say anything.

Note the above observation is based on my experiences interactining with various races in wisconsin. It is by no means a generalization of any race in the entire nation/world/etc just something that I have noticed in wisconsin.

I'm sure i'll still get flamed for it by an over sensitive person.

:roll: Why do you always feel the need to defend yourself? Is it because you are racist? :-/ You asked for it.... Personally, I meet rude people on both ends. I think courtesy, as a whole, has almost disappeared.

Figures youd be the one to pick on my post No, I have to defend myself because people are overly sensitive about any criticism of minority groups. Why can't we just make complain about everyone equally?

 

[Babbles]

I usually use the words "excuse me" unless the occasion really calls for the using "sorry."

 

[Wanescotting]

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs

Originally posted by: DearQT
Both are appropriate depending upon circumstance. In the situation that you described, I say "I'm sorry" when I'm in someone's way. If someone's in my way, I say "Excuse me."

Originally posted by: Gobadgrs
Something that I have personally noticed and OMGWTFBBQ OH NOES I MUST BE A RACIST, is that white people tend to say excuse me and sorry and move out of your way where minoritys usually stand there and look at you stupid and confused, or they bump into you and don't say anything.

Note the above observation is based on my experiences interactining with various races in wisconsin. It is by no means a generalization of any race in the entire nation/world/etc just something that I have noticed in wisconsin.

I'm sure i'll still get flamed for it by an over sensitive person.

:roll: Why do you always feel the need to defend yourself? Is it because you are racist? :-/ You asked for it.... Personally, I meet rude people on both ends. I think courtesy, as a whole, has almost disappeared.

Figures youd be the one to pick on my post No, I have to defend myself because people are overly sensitive about any criticism of minority groups. Why can't we just make complain about everyone equally?

He is not prejudiced, he hates EVERYONE.

 

[thirdlegstump]

Watch where I'M going fool.

 

[Wanescotting]

Originally posted by: deathkoba
Watch where I'M going fool.

?

 

Originally posted by: Wanescotting

Both are appropriate depending upon circumstance. In the situation that you described, I say "I'm sorry" when I'm in someone's way. If someone's in my way, I say "Excuse me."

In thier way? I still don't understand. What is there to be sorry about?

Are you a linguist or something? Why do you bother so much with semantics? Don't try too hard because language is not a perfect medium.

Here's a possible explanation of the use of "sorry" instead of something else: The best fit definition of sorry in this context, I think, is "regretful". We are saying that we are regretful that we stood in the way of the other party.

Now, you do realize that you're interpreting "regret" to be a negative or depressing word. However, I beg to differ. Regret does not automatically carry any emotions. Think of different ways that regret could be used. There is no particular connotation, except that which the author intends, or the reader perceives. The author could convey sadness, remorse, pride, indifference, etc. with the word "regretful"/"regret". In this context, it's simply a polite gesture for, and an acknowledgement of, an inconvenience (albeit mild) caused.

Well, that's my perception of it, at least.

 

[DainBramaged]

Originally posted by: Amol
excuse me

 

[cavemanmoron]

sorry i farted

 

[Mandos]

Sorry

 

[tami]

i am female. i say sorry. it has fewer syllables.

 

[Riceball]

I'm a lazy bastard and sorry requires one less syllable to say.

 

[Wanescotting]

bump, for morning crowd