How many times do you feel it's acceptable to say "huh?" or "what?"

Favorited (undo) Following (undo) 22 Comments

I think after the second time, you'd have to admit/explain that you are not understanding what they are saying and ask them to try explaining it a different way.

Who wants to carry on a dialogue of:
"The shmiiing poo ih cod."
"What?"
"Da shmiing poo ih cod!"
"What?!"
"DA SHMIIING POO IS CAWD!"
"WHAT!?"
"IT IS CAWD!"
"HUH?!"

No more than two for me. Any more than that and things just get awkward and embarrassing.

Yea it is pretty awkward when you have to ask more than a couple times what someone said.

I agree w/ SassyFrassyLassie, I say huh once, and if i don't get it after that I'll say 'Pardon?' or 'I'm sorry, I can't hear/understand what you're saying.' huh/what over and over is rude...

I actually say, "Pardon me?" I think saying "huh" or "what" is a bit rude.

If you haven't figured out what they are trying to say in one or two tries, the chances are that you are never going to get it. It's time to try a different approach. Always have patience - nothing constructive can happen if you loose it.

SassyFrassyLassie, I get what you're saying but the principle point remains, how many times (politely or slightly less politely) do you need ask?

Me personally, I draw the line at about 3, but I really (deep down) wanna push it further. It's only some inbuilt sense of decorum that stops me, was hoping this place would tell me to man up an keep asking no matter what, but it seems the results are backing up the 1 - 3 ratio....

We're all pussies....

I know what Chuck Norris would vote

Well I'm from out of Canada and so I mostly just say "eh?" is that the canadian thing? lol it's funny, but it's true..

I usally say STFU, before it even gets to taht stage

I do this all the time. I guess it depends on the person. There's this girl in my class that nobody can ever hear, and most of the time she's just trying to make small talk so if I can't hear her after two or three times of asking her to repeat I just smile and nod.

But if it's a teacher or my best friend or a parent and I get the feeling that they're saying something that I need to hear, I saying "what" as many times as I need to.

i say what alot

I ask a few times. It happens to me a lot. In convenience stores and gas stations the people (hindus or pakis or whatever) ask me about my hair all the time and I hardly understand a word at all, but they point to their own hair so I kinda get what they're asking. sometimes im just not in the darn mood but i usually dont mind a few minutes taken from my day to figure out what they are saying

what?

I HATE when people say HUH or EH ! god so annoying lol

Huh?

huh?

I would keep asking in various ways, perhaps starting at a simple huh-like indication, then asking the person to clarify, until I begin drawing hypotheses about the root of the problem, and asking for specific behavioral changes according to such hypotheses.

They usually give up after that. :)

After two "whats" I'll switch to "sorry, I have no idea what you're trying to say".