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Would you say "What a pity!" or "What a shame!" when you missed a good opportunity?
Aug 17, 2012 6:45 PM
Answers · 10
1
Both are correct. In the U.S., "what a pity" sounds really formal, so sometimes people say it as a joke. You can also use "what a shame," but it sounds like an older person's saying (in the U.S.). If someone else missed a good opportunity and was telling you, you can say, "I'm sorry" or "that sucks." But don't say "that sucks" to older people, because some get offended.
August 18, 2012
1
Both are correct. Personally, I'd be more inclined to use "what a shame" than "what a pity". Both phrases are fairly rare in the few places I've lived in the USA (Atlanta, Central New York, New Jersey). I hear it more from the elderly and from my friends raised in the UK, but it's certainly never sounded strange --- just a little uncommon in my experience.
August 17, 2012
Either although pity sounds more formal or serious to me.
August 17, 2012
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