What vs. Pardon.
Definitely What = Common.

What is short for "what did you say?"

Pardon is short for "I beg your pardon, I didn't hear you"

Which of these extended phrases do you think you'd be more likely to hear a chav saying?
(robbersdog, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 18:15, 9 replies)

What did you say?
They're taking the hobbits to Isengard.
(kitescreech still here, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 18:18, closed)

Sorry?
As in "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that".
( Ghoti Fingers, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 18:34, closed)

Sorry?...
Which is actually what I say. I've always always been taught to say pardon.
(robbersdog, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 19:08, closed)

'What' can also show curtness, too.
Whereas 'yer wot?' is probably more common...
( Colonel Boris "...a desperate Buzzfeed imitation...", Wed 22 Oct 2008, 19:15, closed)

"What" is correct
As was drummed into me by my latin teacher.

"Pardon" or "Sorry" have connotations of apology, of being surprised and perhaps offended, and sometimes of irony.

"What" is far more simple and honest and should not cause offense or be unnecessarily toadying. If you don't want to be abrupt, say "What, didn't catch that dude/me lovely/doctor/matey/m'lud".
(lost, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 19:47, closed)

Yup, he/she/it/ is[are] rcorrect
"Pardon" is a lower middle-class affectation. A simple "What" is inoffensive to well brung up folk like what I am and will suffice perfectly well.

OP - epic fail!
(apologies_for_length, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 5:03, closed)

Pardon
is what you say when you've farted.

But it all goes back to u and Non u, a study of the differences between what the true "upper class" and "middle class" say in differnent situations.

Apprarently the study found that the differences between what the "working class" and "upper class" say was minimal.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U_and_non-U_English
( Roland E O'Dorant R Tape loading error, 0:1, Wed 22 Oct 2008, 21:15, closed)

This.
The only people who are insecure about their place in society are the middle classes. In their eyes, they have the most to lose by making (what they percieve) to be social errors. The pressure to be polite and proper is high, simply because they still have that urge to climb the social ladder and be part of the upper class. Unfortunately, that same paranoia marks them out as desperately common. Think Hyacinth Bucket ;)

By contrast Working Class people tend to have no pretensions or greedy desires to climb the social ladder. They don't actually give a shit to be honest. They'll flash the cash if they have it, and if they haven't, they'll buy from catalogues and not give a monkey's what you think. They've got nothing to lose. Upper class people know that it doesn't matter if they haven't got a pot to piss in - they will always be upper class, so it really doesn't matter WHAT they say/do/eat etc.
( Wicca'd Witch needs ideas for a new sig on..., Thu 23 Oct 2008, 8:04, closed)

Huh?

(oneinthepink is at your cervix m'lady, Thu 23 Oct 2008, 9:55, closed)