excuse me? (2)

American English
This page is about the conversational phrase excuse me? (2)

Meaning

If someone glares at you and says this in a serious voice, you must have annoyed or upset them.

For example

  • After I told Dwayne he wasn't trying hard enough, he glared at me and said, "Excuse me?"

  • Harry said, "The Americans were the funniest," and a man nearby with an American accent said, "Excuse me?".

Variety

This is typically used in American English but may be used in other varieties of English too.

Quick Quiz

She said, "Excuse me?" in a serious voice. Someone must have

a. said something insulting

b. said something funny

c. said something polite
a) said something insulting b) said something funny c) said something polite

Contributor: Matt Errey