British people often feel embarrassed about responding to offers with the word ‘no’. It feels rude, especially when speaking to strangers. This can be very confusing for people from other countries, especially if they are not fluent English speakers.
no, thanks
One of the first things you learn when you start studying English is how to answer if somebody offers you something. ‘Yes, please’ and ‘No, thank you’ are probably the best-known phrases in the language. Yet British people often say, ‘I’m all right, thanks’ when you offer them something. When they say this, they mean that they have already got everything that they need and don’t need anything else — i.e. it is a way to say ‘no’ without being rude.
i’m all right
However, British people often say ‘all right’ when they want to say ‘yes’ to an offer. The same word can be used in different ways to say both ‘yes’ and ‘no’, and sometimes differences in pronunciation are the only clues to understanding.
confusing
Manjit is an assistant in a shop selling souvenirs and guided tours to tourists. “It’s very difficult to understand what British customers want,” he says. “I ask them if they want to buy something and they tell me that they are all right. Often when I ask if they want to go on a tour, they say, ‘Maybe later,’ but really they don’t want it and may never come back to the shop.”
“Even when they want to say ‘yes’, it’s confusing,” says Manjit. “They say, ‘Sure’ or ‘Why not?’ instead. Why can’t British people just say what they mean? It’s so confusing!” .
The British are the undisputed masters of the art of ‘understatement’, a form of communicating without expressing emotion that can sometimes lead to misunderstandings.
Here’s an example:
- What the British say: “I hear what you say.”
- What non-British people understand: “He/she accepts my point of view.”
- What the British mean: “I understand what you’re saying, but I do not agree with it.”
