We use this not to apologise but to ask permission to do something - for example,
when arriving late for the theatre and asking permission to move along the row of
seats to our own seat.In this particular situation we might also say "sorry" as we
pass along the row causing people to have to stand up or move their legs.
So you might hear someone saying "Excuse me, please" asking permission to pass, and
the "Sorry!" after the other person has had to move!
You might also say "Excuse me" when trying to pass passengers who are blocking the
aisle in a bus, train or plane. Strangely enough, if you are forced to say "excuse
me" in this situation, it usually means that you are implying that the person blocking
the aisle should have moved out of the way before you said it - because in Britain,
unlike in most countries (and I am quite sure there will be many people in other
countries who will disagree!), people on the move try to anticipate what the people
around them intend to do, so that they can take suitable action.
In fact, while people in most countries are usually polite to people they do know,
and are not so polite to those they do not know, in Britain it's the opposite: we
treat strangers with politeness, yet acquaintances and friends with the very minimum
of courtesy!
It takes all kinds to make a world!
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