What does the study say? No, we should be more direct Yes, they help avoid conflictTop 10 British polite-isms (and what they actually mean)"Ooh, could I just squeeze past you?" Around 45% of bilingual respondents say they find it much easier to say a blunt 'no' when speaking in a foreign tongue. Online, the British tend to be a little less restrained: 25% admit they’re more direct digitally than in person. So, far from a universal politeness hack, it can sometimes backfire—especially if misapplied to a situation where the other person is already inconvenienced.

Source: The Times April 07, 2025 16:39 UTC