{"id":15056,"date":"2022-09-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-09-26T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/plainenglish.com\/?post_type=expressions&p=15056"},"modified":"2024-02-25T15:29:18","modified_gmt":"2024-02-25T21:29:18","slug":"pay-respects","status":"publish","type":"expressions","link":"https:\/\/plainenglish.com\/expressions\/pay-respects\/","title":{"rendered":"Pay respects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pay respects<\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s English expression is to \u201cpay respects.\u201d <\/p>\n

This is a formal phrase and we usually use it with a possessive. \u201cI went to pay my respects,\u201d is what you might say.<\/p>\n

And to pay your respects means to make a polite visit. This is often, but not always, used when someone has died. You pay your respects to the people who are still living, or you can pay your respects to a grave site or other solemn place. <\/p>\n

For example, think about the last time you went to a funeral, a wake, or other memorial service for someone you knew. You might have approached the widow, son, or daughter of the deceased person to express your sympathy. You might have given the person a hug or a handshake; you might have said how sorry you were for the person\u2019s loss. If you did that, then you paid your respects to the widow or to the children of the deceased.<\/p>\n

However, imagine that you were not very close to the person who died. Imagine that an elderly person on your street has died. In the days or weeks after, you might go to the house and make a polite visit, even if you didn\u2019t go to the funeral. In this case, too, you are paying your respects.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s another way to use it. Many countries have national military cemeteries. Here in the U.S., we have many military cemeteries, but the most famous is called Arlington National Cemetery. It\u2019s in Virginia, near Washington, D.C. Many people go to Arlington to pay their respects to the soldiers who died in wartime. <\/p>\n

In a more general sense, \u201cpay your respects\u201d can be about showing respect on a solemn occasion. And that is how I used it in today\u2019s main lesson about the passing of Queen Elizabeth II<\/a> .<\/p>\n

After her death was announced, people gathered outside Buckingham Palace to pay their respects. Obviously, they didn\u2019t go to greet King Charles III personally. But they went to show their respect for the queen and to show their support for the royal family. There were a lot of people, but they made a polite visit to Buckingham Palace. They weren\u2019t cheering, they weren\u2019t drinking, they weren\u2019t partying. They went to share stories, light candles, lay flowers talk to one another, and show their support for the monarchy and to make a respectful gesture.<\/p>\n

I looked in the dictionary and the dictionary says that you can also use \u201cpay respects\u201d in a case when someone has not died. The dictionary says that you can \u201cpay your respects\u201d to someone who is sick in the hospital. The dictionary says you can \u201cpay your respects\u201d by visiting a new neighbor who has moved into a house on your street. I keep saying, \u201cthe dictionary says\u201d because I don\u2019t think I would use \u201cpay respects\u201d in this sense.<\/p>\n

Personally, there is only one situation in which I would use \u201cpay my respects\u201d toward someone who is alive. If someone takes over as the boss of your company, you might go pay your respects by making a polite visit. In that sense, it\u2019s a first visit to show respect to someone in a position of authority.<\/p>\n

Liz Truss recently took over as prime minister of the U.K. I imagine that a number of people came by to pay their respects in the day or two after she assumed that office. People made polite visits to acknowledge and respect her new authority as PM.<\/p>\n

Quote of the Week<\/h3>\n

Today\u2019s quote of the week is by the author H.G. Wells. He wrote a famous book called \u201cThe Time Machine.\u201d It came out in 1895. This novel was the first time the word \u201ctime machine\u201d was used to mean a device that carries you forward or backward in time. That\u2019s a common concept now in science fiction and movies and in our imaginations. But the term started somewhere\u2014and it started with H.G. Wells.<\/p>\n

But he has some words for those of us who do not live inside science fiction books and movies. And here\u2019s what he said: \u201cWe all have our time machines. Those that take us back are memories. And those that carry us forward are dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

See you next time!<\/h3>\n

So that\u2019s all for today, a sad occasion for sure. On Thursday\u2019s lesson, we\u2019ll talk about how Elizabeth II became queen. When King Charles III, for example, was born, it was immediately clear that he was first in line to succeed his mother. He\u2019s been waiting his whole life for this job. But it was almost the opposite with Queen Elizabeth II. And for that we\u2019ll go back in history a bit. That\u2019s coming up on Thursday.<\/p>\n

But for now, remember this was lesson 506 of Plain English and the full lesson is at PlainEnglish.com\/506. That\u2019s all for today. See you Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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