Please?
Phrase
- Meaning
- Cincinnati 'come again?' — a calque of German 'bitte?'
- Type
- Phrase
- Used in
- Cincinnati, Ohio
What does “Please?” mean
In Cincinnati, 'Please?' on its own with a rising tone means 'I didn't catch that, could you repeat it?' It's a direct loan-translation of German 'bitte?' carried over by the city's heavy 19th-century German immigration, and it routinely trips up visitors who keep waiting for the rest of the sentence.
Where it's used
More from this region
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