Gen Z is killing off traditional polite phrases like ‘excuse me?’ - opting for blunter alternatives instead
Gen Z is killing off traditional polite phrases like ‘excuse me?’ – with ‘huh?’ and ‘what?’ becoming the mishearing norm.
A poll of 2,000 adults found 75 per cent of younger Brits consider ‘pardon?’ too formal – with one in 10 admitting they never use this classic courtesy at all.
Instead, many often opt for blunter alternatives like ‘come again?’ (18 per cent), ‘eh?’ (13 per cent), ‘you what?’ (11 per cent), and even ‘I zoned out’ (six per cent).
In fact, 51 per cent of Gen Z often feel too awkward to ask someone to repeat themselves – simply nodding along instead.
And 81 per cent admit they frequently pretend to understand what’s being said when background noise makes it difficult to hear.
The survey was commissioned by Samsung to celebrate the arrival of the Galaxy Z Fold7, which comes with an audio eraser that removes background noise from videos.
Annika Bizon, from the tech company, 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 study also revealed that across all age groups, 74 per cent of adults struggle to hear conversations in busy places like restaurants and bars.
And 70 per cent said this can make the experience frustrating – with a third of conversations estimated to be disrupted by background noise.
As a result, 83 per cent regularly rely on a mix of go-to phrases to ask others to repeat themselves.
But it’s not just about missing words – two in three believe noisy environments can make it harder to emotionally connect during a conversation.
And 73 per cent are often left feeling annoyed or disappointed when they miss key moments.
Meanwhile, 43 per cent would consider recording special social moments on their phone if they knew they could remove the background noise afterwards.
Annika Bizon from Samsung 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.”