Being polite is very British, would you agree? I have to blame something on my inherent need to say sorry all of the time. I apologise for things constantly and for things that aren’t actually my fault. Recent examples of this are:
- When the lady in her massive 4 x 4 came and parked far too close to my car. Then proceeded to whack her door into the side of my car as her children got out. What did I do? Did I reprimand her for slamming the door into my car? Perhaps I told her that really she should leave a gap bigger than a matchstick next time she parks. No, I apologised for being in the way. I said it was my fault. When actually I meant - “it’s your fault that you have no spatial awareness and can’t park your car.” I was immediately full of self-loathing for being so gutless.
- In MacDonald’s (sssh don’t tell anyone, the yummy mummies will be appalled) one of the assistants started to make a fuss of Youngest. This was ok at first. It started with talking to her, which Youngest was ok with. But then he proceeded to get her a balloon. Again Youngest was happy with this. What she wasn’t happy with was when he started rubbing the balloon over her head to make her hair stand-up. Youngest told him to go away. Who blames her, she had a stranger that was invading her private space. Did I explain this to him. No, I apologised for my daughter being rude.
The word sorry trips out of my mouth so frequently that it actually drives Mr C insane. I think that part of it comes from being overly polite and wanting to keep everyone happy. Which translates into ‘I am a walk over”. I worry about offending anyone so when in doubt I say ‘sorry.’ But actually that can make living with me and knowing me pretty tricky. So for Mr C and my friends I have come up with a translation dictionary that will help them in future.
- When Mr C asks me what I would like for my birthday and I politely reply ‘nothing’. What I really mean….”I would really like a present but I would like you to choose it and you to surprise me with it. You had better get me something, anything even”
- When Mr C asks if I would like to go out for a meal on my birthday and I reply “I’m not fussed”. What I really mean….”of course I want to go out man, it’s my birthday! But again I want you to organise it and you to surprise me with it”.
- When I have been on a playdate which has involved my two girls beating up the hosts children, valuables being broken and expensive furniture being used as a trampoline and I say “that was great, let’s do it again”. What I really mean is…..”that was so awful that I would rather gouge my eyes out then endure another hellish playdate like that ever again. Now if you will excuse me I’m going to hide under a rock. I may be gone 10 years”
- When you bump into someone that you haven’t seen in years because you aren’t sure if you even really like them, “So lovely to see you, let’s do dinner next week”. What I really mean is, “oh god this is awkward so awkward, just say anything to get away. ANYTHING. Not that you idiot, not dinner!”
- When you have spent ages baking a cake for a friend and you exclaim “oh this, it was nothing.” What I really mean is “this took forever, I have been up since 5am icing it and now I can’t bring myself to eat any of it as it has added years to my life. So you had better eat it. You had better enjoy it. You had better tell me that you love it!”
- When you make out that you aren’t that fussed by the Tots100 MAD awards, “oh it’s nothing. I’m not fussed, I guess the recognition would be nice”. What I actually mean is “I’m far too polite to actually beg you but I would LOVE a nomination for best new blog. It would mean the world to receive a nomination. I would LOVE you forever.”
See what I did there. I sneaked it in right at the end and now I am extremely embarrassed.
Sorry.
If you have enjoyed reading this post then I really would be over the moon if you would consider voting for me. You can click on the nomination buttons in the footer or the sidebar and follow the instructions. Also you don’t need to be a blogger to vote. If you would like to read a post about why I would love you to vote for me then you can do that here
Hahaha crafty but I like it!
I did this just yesterday when some incredibly lazy selfish lady parked her car on the path opposite school as she is too lazy to park it another 10 metres on the car park and I couldn’t get past with my double buggy so I apologised to her that I couldn’t get through when really? I wanted to floor her
Haha, I had to sneak it in didn’t I! it is madness that we feel the need to say sorry all of the time. I can’t believe that lady parked her car on the path though, that is disgraceful and very rude not to mention dangerous! x
This had me laughing out loud, I do all of these! I must be too British and I hare confrontation, hubby is always telling me I’m far too polite! X
Oh we are too polite aren’t we! But I would rather be that than rude. I hate confrontation of any sort, even when it doesn’t involve me it makes me cringe. I was known for hiccuping in staff meetings when ever someone started arguing with someone else because I would get so nervous x
Just popping back from #TheList 🙂 x
Hannah G, The ‘Ordinary’ Mum recently posted…Stories and Stickers in the Garden
Hee hee I nodded along to all of this - although since the big C I’ve thrown caution to the wind and have gotten quite gobby - high time too! x x
Yes good for you for throwing caution to the wind-you go for it! Perhaps next time I go to apologise I should think to myself “what would Mim do?” and be braver 🙂
Oh this made me laugh and gasp from beginning to end! I could relate to so much of what you said - the bumping in to old acquaintances, the hideous playdates - and loving the little slip in at the end! We do seem to have this need for saying sorry - an automatic reflex which appears to be beyond our British control but I went on a course once with work where the facilitator spoke about not starting a sentence with sorry - it is so difficult - funnily so! He claimed we would feel so much more empowered but when I’ve tried to apply it I always feel a little arrogant - sorry! Another great read lovely as always #BloggerClubUK
I am with you on that, I don’t think it would empower me at all, I would just be worrying that I came across as rude and arrogant. I can see that it might work for some people though, perhaps we should try it for a day to see what happens!
My American friends constantly make fun of our little British-isms. Someone walks into me and I saw “sorry”. Even after I do it I go “why am I saying sorry?! You walked into me!” haha… #bloggerclubuk
I really think it is a british trait. We are just all too polite for our own good 🙂
I love this post and your plug at the end - a very British way of asking for a nomination! I can definitely relate to a lot of the others in the list too - hubby always grumbles at me for not saying what I mean and for saying sorry for things that aren’t my fault. Wishing you all the best of luck with nominations! 🙂 #BloggerClubUK
Louise (Little Hearts, Big Love) recently posted…London Canal Museum Family Science Challenge Day
This is brilliant. I am always apologising too. Usually when someone bumps into me, I always say sorry. Definitely a British thing! And I’m always saying ‘we should all get together soon’ when I bump into old acquaintances. Good luck in the MADS, I’m sure you’ll do well as your blog is brilliant. #BloggerClubUK
Thanks Ellen, that is very kind of you to say 🙂 x
That’s great, if our inner monologues could be heard the world would certainly be an interesting place. Great post, nice sneaky plug if that doesn’t deserve a nomination than I don’t Know what does. Really enjoyed reading this xx #bloggerclubuk
Glad you enjoyed it 🙂 x ps loving your new shiny website
I do this all the time!!!! Must be a British thing
Ha! This is brilliant and made me laugh out loud multiple times. So so true, I’m totally British about things like this, too! 🙂
#justanotherlinky
Thanks, i’m glad you enjoyed it 🙂
I think we might be related. I also apologise for everything and it drives my hubby mental too! Including a car accident where someone drove his flashy car into the back of my clapped out Punto. I leapt out of the car (30 weeks pregnant) wailing “I’m so sorry!!” Then got back in the car and rang my hubby saying, erm actually I don’t think it was my fault? It’s a reflex. I can’t help it. I also say thank you rather more often than necessary.
No need to say sorry for your nomination plea though lovely. You deserve an award and I hope you get one. Good luck xx
#justanotherlinky
Awww thank you lovely. We need to stop staying sorry for everything don’t we?! I can’t believe that man who drove into you! I hope he replied “no, it was my fault” xx
Ha ha love this! And so true!! #justanotherlinky
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Thanks 🙂 x
Yep! This is me. Over polite! I am “Too nice” to everybody. On my days off work I deliver and drop home 4 extra kids (no pay involved) when sometimes I really don’t want to - but I can’t say no.
I always say sorry for everything and once caught a child hit one of mine and said: “oh, it was an accident”
I must learn to be more aggressive 😉
#FabFridayPost
Sarah Stockley (@kipperscurtains) recently posted…How to:Boho Hair Wraps
It is so hard though isn’t it! Yes, we need to be more aggressive or at least just stop saying sorry! x
I’m not British, but I’ve been living in Britain for long enough to have adopted the habit of apologising for everything. Sometimes I hear myself doing it and think, “Wait..I didn’t do anything wrong,” but it comes out anyway. I haven’t been able to get myself to ask people to nominate me for any blogging awards - even the thought of it makes me feel awkward. I need to get in touch with my American side, which is full of loud, boisterous self-confidence. #justanotherlinky
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Haha, perhaps we all need to get in touch with our American side. It’s so hard though!
Ha, yes, it’s the British curse.
I think sorry is often the very first word that comes out of our mouths in an scenario now!
x #justanotherlinky
It isn’t it! I was at the hairdressers and kept waiting for over an hour on Saturday. Again I apologised. Madness 🙂
Very true! I get in trouble for taking ‘Oh, I don’t really want anything…’ at face value!
The Twitter account Very British Problems is full of those types of phrases we use unthinkingly and what we mean by them. It’s funny and sad all at the same time.
This maddening understatement is part of the work culture so much so that it even has a translation service to help people understand that if someone begins a message with “I was disappointed to note…” it means that the person is not just disappointed, they are incandescent with rage.
#justanotherlinky
Oh yes understatement is a classic British trait too, isn’t it! Yes I need to get better at saying what I really mean.
Oh I SOOOO understand this living, as I do, in a foreign country! You may have taken me out of England but you can never take the Englishness out of me … and I haven’t even dared think about asking for any nominations - that wouldjust be so UN English! #FabFridayPost #TheList
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See I think we are born with this Englishness! Both of us not in our home countries yet we still find ourselves doing it!
Haha…a great post! My wife is always telling me off for apologising too much. Very useful to include your translations above though…I hope your husband is reading this! #fabfridaypost
haha, I am glad that you enjoyed. Sadly I don’t think my husband has read it. Although I have just realised now I will know if he does or not from this post 🙂 Thanks for your comment.
lol love how you sneak in the nominations there at the end - very clever indeed! You shouldn’t apologize for yourself or your kids. I know what you mean though & I find Irish people do this too. I’ve started doing it to a certain extent since moving here but now & then the New Yorker in me pops out again! lol Thanks so much for linking up with us! #bloggerclubuk x
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Haha, I had to sneak it in didn’t I. I think we all need to encourage the New Yorker in us! 🙂
Absolutely - thanks for joining us again this week ak #bloggerclubuk xx
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Ha ha! Love this. You have my vote huni. Love your blog and this post really made me chuckle. I am the same, apologise first think later! Thanks for linking up to #TheList x
You Baby Me Mummy recently posted…First Proper Easter Egg Hunt
Awww, thanks lovely 🙂 It’s like a nervous reflex saying sorry all of the time!
OMG- this is so me! Love the little add at the end- you’ve just earned a vote from me 😀
#bloggerclubuk
Yaay, thank you ☺️
Brilliant. Sorry, I’m British. You should follow average British problems on Twitter, it’s hilarious.
Ooh I will look them up! Thanks for the tip x
Brilliant. Sorry, I’m British. You should follow average British problems on Twitter, it’s hilarious. #BloggerClubUK
Oh no! I say sorry all the time…to the point where my two year old is now saying it and I have to keep telling him not to be sorry…uh oh. And why oh why can’t people be mind readers about birthdays…OF COURSE I want a present and a treat! Did you actually make those chocolate cakes? They look amazing #bloggerclubuk
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No, that chocolate cake isn’t one of mine. I never remember to take pictures of the cakes that I actually make until there are only a few crumbs left! Now that is a good excuse to make a cake tomorrow, so I can take a picture of one that I made 🙂 Yes, this sorry saying is a curse. I have also passed it onto oldest. My Mum says that I have always said sorry, ever since I could speak!
Aww I say sorry a lot too. It’s habit but not if some loon whacked my car! I’d be fuming. Bless you. I would definitely practice saying to hubby, “yes I would like…” for your birthday. I have got quite good at that one!! xx #bloggerclubuk
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Haha, you are right, I really need to take a leaf out of your book and actually tell Mr C what I would like! 🙂
Fab! It’s so true, I do a lot of these all the time! I don’t why we have to be so British, wouldn’t life be fun, if we weren’t just for one day! x #BlogClubUK
Oh it would be really fun. But it would just have to be the one day otherwise it could turn dangerous if we all started saying what we really thought 🙂 x
Sneaky! lol! 😉 I don’t think I can contain myself if someone hit my car. You are too too polite! Thank you so much for linking with us again on #FabFridayPost xx
Su {Ethan & Evelyn} recently posted…Grandma’s Fruits Farm | Thailand
I know that was sneaky-sorry 😉 x
Haha you are so very British! 😉 I am glad you became a bit more assertive towards the end, and great that you’ve given your husband some very big hints 🙂 lovely post, fingers crossed you get lots of nominations in the tots 100 xxx #BloggerClubUk 🙂 🙂
Thank you x
I think us British are far too polite and I say sheet far too much! Thanks for linking up to #justanotherlinky xx
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Great post! I also use ‘sorry’ as a prefix to almost every sentence, but I hate that feeling when you feel you should’ve actually said something other than apologising. Then after, I torture myself by playing it back again and again. V annoying! #BloggerClubUK
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Oh it is awful isn’t it! I could literally drive myself insane rehashing all of the times I have said sorry and why I shouldn’t have!
He He! Very timely because I went shopping in Nottingham today and I kept apologising when people bumped into me and getting cross with myself because I just couldn’t stop myself doing it even though I was aware of it. It was like I had some form of Tourettes!!