Excuse me!

Excuse me! Excuse me! Excuse me! By Maeve Maddox Brad K brings up some interesting questions about three words used in a variety of ways: So, what is the choice, between Excuse me and Pardon me? I am looking for an alternative to a phrase I keep misusing, Im sorry, but . . .. Â  The part that bothers me is that I use this phrase even when I have been offended and am not sorry about interrupting or contradicting . . er .. someone. excuse (verb) early 13c., to clear (someone) from blame, from O.Fr. escuser, from L. excusare release from a charge, from ex- out, away + causa accusation, legal action NOTE: the s in the verb excuse is pronounced with the /z/ sound [Ä ­k-skyÃ… «z]. The s in the noun excuse is pronounced with the /s/ sound [(Ä ­k-skyÃ… «s]. pardon (verb) to refrain from exacting due punishment from someone sorry (adjective) Pained at heart; distressed, sad; full of grief or sorrow. All three terms are used with various meanings in different contexts, but in polite conversation they have the weakened sense of expressing a courteous apology for some minor social offense. Excuse me and pardon me are uttered for offenses that range from jostling someone to belching. They are also used when addressing a stranger, or when one hasnt understood something and wants it repeated. Im sorry can express mere sympathy or apology. Like the other two expressions, it can also be used to introduce a contradiction: Im sorry, but I cant agree that cats dont show affection. Ive recently developed an aversion to the use of Excuse me! spoken belligerently in the sense of How dare you say what you just said? A character in a TV drama I was watching the other night said the expression numerous times in response to remarks that he found insulting. It quickly became tiresome. The Online Etymology Dictionary offers this information about the three words: Excuse me: use as a mild apology or statement of polite disagreement is from c.1600 Pardon: weaker sense of excuse for a minor fault is attested from 1540s. Sorry: Apologetic sense (short for Im sorry) is attested from 1834; phrase sorry about that popularized 1960s by U.S. TV show Get Smart. The overuse of Im sorry as a form of self-effacement is not a good thing. But, like the dear in Dear Sir, these words dont have to signify an emotional or truthful engagement with the person addressed. They are lubrication words like please and thank youpolite words that grease the wheels of social interaction. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Comma After i.e. and e.g.What to Do When Words Appear Twice in a RowWhen to Spell Out Numbers

ProjectIII Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

ProjectIII - Essay Example when you do have the money? At the current state of funds availability and family members (husband and children), one’s individual health insurance is the only one afforded at the moment. In this regard, one acknowledges that I and my family are not adequately insured for auto, homeowners and life insurance given that the amount of current income could not possible support and sustain purchasing all these at the same time. In this regard, after having accomplished the risk management plan, one was made increasingly aware of the sources of risks, the potential losses that one is exposed to, and how one could handle and address the risks through purchase of additional insurance that caters to different risks. As one has already earmarked some portions of combined income for the life insurances of the children, with the surplus of $750 per month, one could try to fit in other insurance coverage as deemed necessary. I could prioritize on purchasing additional health insurance coverage that would include my husband and my children and therefore fits within the family coverage, which is less costly. I have to review the inclusions (pharmacy, dental) depending on the availability of funds. Secondly, I think fitting car insurance needs to be planned next as the risks in driving and travelling are more eminent because we need to go out daily to our work settings and the children have to be taken to their schools. And third, I plan to buy a home insurance to increase protection from fire and theft at home. Other insurances such as life insurance could be planned last when one has substantial savings to accommodate this. Using the website Living to 100, after answering the questions indicated in the calculator to determine the life expectancy, the results revealed that my calculated life expectancy is 88 years which is well above the life expectancies of my parents (Living to 100, 2011). The questions delved in crucial aspects of one’s lifestyle,

Story of an hour Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Story of an hour - Essay Example To get to a point of climax, stories are read and films are watched. This is what determines whether a story is good or bad as it is the focal point of the story. A sure climax will give a situation where there is a double approval or double disapproval. The short story by Kate Chopin, ‘The story of an hour’, offers every detail on its way to the death of Louise Mallard which is the climax of the story and comes so suddenly that most readers are caught off guard. It is a great story since it gives a lot of details as it leads to the climax. Chopin handles issues that are complex in the story as they involve the mixed feelings that Mallard had when she heard of the death of her husband in a train accident. They were marriage, female independence and love. The death of her husband gives her feelings that are conflicting as she feels the pain of her loss while at the same time; she is excited at the prospect of being independent as a female since there was no man to answer to after his death. The story ends in a manner that is not easy to predict as there is a new twist to the tale with the revelation that her husband was actually n ot dead killing her dream of being independent instantly. She dies from the shock and it is her husband who is freed from her and he stays to enjoy the independence that she would envy even in death. The story however does not go far enough to tell the reader what kind of emotions and thoughts went through Mr. Mallard’s mind. In her story, Chopin makes Mrs. Mallard look like a sympathetic person who is strong in mind and has an insight. This is shown by the fact that she feels the pain of the loss of her husband but is strong enough and knows very well that it is no use getting attached to the loss but it is important to take advantage of the freedom that comes from the loss. In other words she takes on the positives from the loss. In the past American wives always answered to their husbands but those women who were

Business enivronemnts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business enivronemnts - Essay Example External factors have the capacity to determine whether an organization adopts new technologies. In the IT company I worked for, one of the external factors that placed the company under pressure was the rival adoption of the technology. Notably, there is an increased competition between information technology companies. Since many of the companies operating in the same industry had not adopted the new technology, the company had to carry out a critical analysis of its potential benefits. Theorists have highlighted that it is easier to adopt a new technology when other companies in the industry have already adopted and implemented the technology. The reason for this emanates from the fact that when the first company adopts the technology, other companies can learn how to implement it and can discern the potential benefits. In addition, prices are likely to be lower. Organizations that choose to go fast in the adoption of new technology undergo experiential learning. This was the case with the IT company, which sought to adopt a new technology that competitor had not received. However, the competitors were not the only external factors. The company considered the social factors of the new technology. Worth noting is the fact that the information and technology sector presents numerous social impacts.

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy Coursework

Energy Power as a Soft Weapon in Resurgent Russia's Foreign Policy - Coursework Example Russia has inherited much of the former Soviet Union’s hard power including a powerful nuclear arsenal and a sophisticated army. It is in a position to capitalize on the ever-increasing instability in the Middle East and the consequent dramatic rise in the oil price.The interests of the Russian energy sector and the foreign policy goals of the Russian states are not only interrelated but also closely intertwined. To a great extent, the energy sector in Russia acts as the global carriers of the Russian state’s immensely self-assertive foreign policy. On the other hand, the international expansion of Russia’s premier energy enterprises is enormously assisted by the potentials of the Russian state. Oil companies such as Gazprom and Lukoil have strengthened their markets word wide and secured sensitive energy ventures. Their influence goes cut through strategically important places in Europe. Even the United States has come to rely much upon Russian energy resources. Moreover, Europe’s energy security is considerably depended upon the energy resources of Russia. Hill (2004) makes it clear that â€Å"on the surface, given prevailing concerns about energy security and increasing demand in the rising economies of Asia on Russia’s eastern borders, Russia’s future prospects in energy seem extremely promising† ( Hill, 2004, p.29). Thanks to the increases in oil production since 1999, Russia is now the world’s major non-OPEC, and non-Middle East and the Persian Gulf, oil supplier. As Peter Davies, BP’s chief economist, pointed out in his June 2004 presentation of BP’s annual Statistical Review of World Energy, thanks to its fast growth in oil production, between 1998-2003, â€Å"Russia alone supplied 46 percent of world oil consumption growth †¦ and exceeded Chinese consumption growth by 23 percent†¦ Russia has the resource base and the potential to increase oil and gas production and exports further – to supply a significant proportion of the world’s rising demands ... Russia can – and will – supply an important part of the growing energy needs of Asia†.

The theme of the short story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Essay

The theme of the short story Young Goodman Brown by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Essay Example Usually, this kind of negative response did have a deadly result on the disrespected woman. It has been noted that the stories that were penned down before 1842 had a female character that was destroyed only by accident and not by intention alone. The story has shown the transformation of a man from his normal state to that of an abnormal one where he abandoned meeting with anyone and then in the end coming back to his life and restoring normal relationships with all that were important to him and more than that, his wife. A number of authors have made note of the fact that Browns departure from faith and reliance was not an act on purpose since Brown actually planned on returning to her after the forest trip. But there is a belief that the very act of the man leaving the woman shows the males indifference to the security related with their females. Thus it is viewed as the women are in reality viewed as somewhat a kind of sexual beings and men as sexually frozen pieces. The mans lack of sexual desire is what has been truly killing the woman of late and it basically allows for the man to continue living in a hollow life. This is true that this does not necessarily mean the real nature of women but about the way in which men imagine of them. Hawthornes men are obsessed with females but the only way they can make any connection with women is through fantasy or by performing some fantasy-related activities that are not considered appropriate by the female populace. The family ties play a huge role here as husband and wife are considered as the two wheels of a car, the car being the home in this point. These two have to gel together emotionally as well as physically in order to make their individual lives easy and the people who are attached with them within the household. Family ties definitely help the Young Goodman Brown as the writer has suggested that in the long run, it is the family which plays its due

Strategic Management Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Management Analysis - Essay Example The Company focuses on transforming personal transportation by introducing vehicles that will use electricity rather that the norm of fuel consumption vehicles.The Company was founded by Agassi and its headquarters are in R&D center which is in Israel as well as in California and Palo Alto. Mission The mission set by Better Place Companyis to be able to accelerate the change from the use of oil based vehicles to the adoption of vehicles that are powered by renewable energy that is they have zero emission. Vision Its vision is to be a company that is aimed at creating great linkages between the car companies, the battery companies as well as the consumers and utilities in a way that will ensure that the adoption of the Electric Vehicles (EV) is a success. Better Place is geared towards ensuring that the automobile industry adopts a profitable change by propelling the consumers to be able to embrace the adoption of the EVs. Stakeholders A stakeholder simply refers to people, organizati on or groups that have a specific interest in an organization. Being a company that deals with automobiles Better place managers have to always give more attention to the expectations of those stakeholders that are directly involved in the industry. This is due to the fact that the influence and success of the company depends primarily on such stakeholders. The stakeholders include governments, the battery manufacturers, car companies, automobile manufacturers, investors, potential consumers for the EV as well as other private companies. With regards to the way in which each stakeholder influences the success or the failure of the business strategy Better place has three types of stakeholders (Johnson, p.156). These are: The socio/political stakeholders-these are mainly the governments as well as the agencies that are supporting the adoption of the company’s strategy. For instance the governments that have embraced the adoption of the Electric Vehicles are Israel, Denmark, Au stralia, Japan, Toronto and Hawaii. In order for Better Place to be able to attract the government, industry as well as the capital for the adoption of the EV model a number of challenges was faced: These were-the lack of marketing strategy to create awareness about better place in order to build its reputation. The second challenge was trying to convince the decision makers in government and business that the use of the Electric Vehicles was a viable mode of transport. Economic stakeholders-These include the manufacturers, the competitors as well as the suppliers. For instance, the battery manufacturers such as LG Chem and the car companies such as Toyota. Technological stakeholders-These includes the competitors who come up with new technologies that are aimed at improving the industry standards. Better Place Company through the expectations of its stakeholders aims at making a difference by ensuring that the form of transport used worldwide is environmental friendly. The impact o f the company has been seen throughout the years and it is clear that in the case that the company will not have materialized, the hope for a personal transport that has zero emissions would have been lost. Better PlaceCompany is dependent on its stakeholders due to the fact that its implementation primarily depends on their approval as well as continuation of the supply chain. For instance for Israel to fully embrace the Electric Vehicles it was necessary for the government to grant the company permission to start up the venture.Below is a figure showing power/interest matrix: Industry and Scenario Analyses Industry and scenario analysis does not rely on