For those bashing the youth, I find it is the old that are worst, they push past you expect you to give way and at the moment when we are trying to be Covid secure get far too close.
They also seem to think that they don’t need to use manners or a polite to e when they speak.
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Can you pass the salt and pepper? Yes I can but does that mean you want the salt and pepper or just asking if I have the ability to pass it? That's an anomaly of meaning within the English language that people without English as their mother tongue find a bit unusual. As explained by a Latvian who spoke a great number of languages to a very good level so had the knowledge to spot English language idiosyncrasies.Yeah, I'm with you on that one.
My other bete noirs are British people who refer to films as 'movies' and the phrase, 'No worries' when I go into a shop and ask for something (I feel the need to reply, 'It's really not causing me any worries.' But I don't because I know it won't achieve anything except making me look like a git).
But these things are my problem and there's no reason why anyone could or should stop saying these things.
Language changes all the time and so do its verbal tics. And I love the fact that it does so.
Can you pass the salt and pepper? Yes I can but does that mean you want the salt and pepper or just asking if I have the ability to pass it? That's an anomaly of meaning within the English language that people without English as their mother tongue find a bit unusual. As explained by a Latvian who spoke a great number of languages to a very good level so had the knowledge to spot English language idiosyncrasies.
Manners? Cultural constructs. Norwegian men apparently don't hold doors open for women indeed nobody holds the door open for anyone from my experience. If you, as a polite/well mannered Brit, holds a door open you'll probably get a few going through in what is a manner considered bad form in Britain among those with good manners. But do Norwegians have bad manners for that? Norway is one of the most equal societies and IME very polite too. So what does that say about our good manners? Are they wrong or are Norwegians wrong?
My point being manners are only a means for people to get along. So long as you're getting along does it matter if you've got old fashioned or modern manners? Or indeed any manners? IMHO if you're not being obnoxious or rude then you've got good enough manners for me.
Specifically as this is a BCUK forum and nearly ( i'm guessing ) 95% of the participants and contributors are British I'm relating the original question to what we would term/define as manners within the UK.
But that in itself is a problem. We are a nation of mixed cultures and, even between the traditional areas of Scotland, England, Ireland and Wales, there are subtle differences in 'good behaviour' and manners. Add to that all the other ethnic groups that have been added to our mix since the dawn of time and there cannot possibly be one 'manual' for good manners in the UK.
I will admit there is a fundamental ground set of courtesy that one would hope all would adopt but that is far from everything that people tend to lump in with 'good manners'.
As for 'respect' - I'm sorry, but as far as I'm concerned, that's earned not a right.
I do say 'please' to Alexa though; when AI takes over in the not-to-distant future it will remember (it's also because if my grandchildren are listening I need to maintain a level of courtesy when asking someone or something to do something).
I have to agree; with no disrespect or prejudice intended, old women in shops seem to think they have a right to push in front at a queue, have no qualms about pushing past you to reach the very article you are looking at in a shop, and, if you go to any of the 'craft' fairs it's like watching hyenas at a kill some times.
I used to get a bit lippy and say something like "that's OK, you push in ahead of me, you've got less time than me left" - but now I'm getting too old to get away with it or be bothered to be honest