{"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":"
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