Question
17 January
- Korean
-
English (US)
Question about English (US)
"old man"
Does this word basically sound polite or rude or could it have any nuances depending on the tone?
"old man"
Does this word basically sound polite or rude or could it have any nuances depending on the tone?
Does this word basically sound polite or rude or could it have any nuances depending on the tone?
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- English (US)
I guess it does have to do with the tone a little bit. As if you were just describing someone it would be harmless but if you said it a bit harshly it could come off as insulting
- English (US)
In English some people refer to their fathers as"My Old Man" and it is not considered an insult but if its directed at someone who is a stranger( depending on the tone) it is basically like calling them weak and pathetic which is an insult.
Highly-rated answerer
- English (US)
If it's an address, it's rude. "Hey, old man!" would be a very blunt and honestly rude way to call an elderly person in English.
If it's just in narration, it's neutral: like in "there was an old man sitting on the bench," "an old man told me," etc, it's just a way to indicate that the person is old.
Another (less frequent) use of "old man" is slang to talk about one's father: my old man = my father. But it's slang, so it's not super polite either. And it wouldn't be an address (you wouldn't directly call someone this), just a way to talk *about* that person.
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