Gen Z is killing off traditional polite phrases like ‘excuse me' for ‘huh' and ‘what', research reveals

The Sun

2 days ago

GEN Z is ditching age-old polite phrases like 'excuse me?' and 'pardon?' – swapping them out for blunt alternatives such as 'huh?', 'what?' and 'come again?', new research shows.
The study, carried out across the UK, found that 75 per cent of younger Brits think 'pardon?' sounds too formal – with one in ten admitting they never use it at all.
Instead, many reach for less traditional responses like 'come again?' (18 per cent), 'eh?' (13 per cent), 'you what?' (11 per cent), and even 'I zoned out' (six per cent) when they haven't heard something properly.
Half of Gen Z (51 per cent) often feel too awkward to ask someone to repeat themselves and simply nod along instead – while 81 per cent admit to pretending they've understood when background noise gets in the way.
The poll of 2,000 adults was commissioned by Samsung to mark the launch of its new Galaxy Z Fold7, which features an audio eraser to strip out background noise from videos.
Annika Bizon, from Samsung, said: 'We've all been there – trying to have a chat in a noisy bar or restaurant and ending up none the wiser.
'People are constantly battling background noise, and it's not just annoying – it can stop you from really connecting in the moment."
The findings revealed that this issue stretches beyond Gen Z, with 74 per cent of adults across all age groups struggling to hear conversations in loud places like pubs and restaurants.
Nearly three-quarters (70 per cent) said it makes the whole experience frustrating, with around a third of conversations being disrupted by noise.
To cope, 83 per cent regularly fall back on stock phrases to ask for repetition – though many agree it doesn't always solve the problem.
Two in three believe noisy surroundings make it harder to connect emotionally during chats, while 73 per cent often feel frustrated when they miss important parts of a conversation.
And 43 per cent said they'd consider recording moments on their phones – if they knew they could clear the background noise after.
Annika added: 'It's no surprise that more people are looking to their tech to help cut through the chaos.
'That's exactly why we developed Audio Eraser – to help people capture clearer sound in the moments that matter.'
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