What is the best interpretation of “no offense meant ntaken” in English?
I’ve seen “No offense taken” in the answers to the comments on elu.iv. The question asked is not about plagiarism. None of the online Cambridge, Oxford and Merriam-Webster dictionary registers this usage, nor does Google Ngram.
I can’t find the definition of “No offense taken / meant” as “I am not offended ______________ / I did not mean to offend you,” in idioms.thefreedictionary.com. Is there any online resource for online web searches like Urban Dictionary or Quora? What
prompted the “Alias” expression in the language of Latin to enter the realm of WP? Is it appropriate to say exodus and silence? Can I use “No offense meant (taken)” in both colloquial conversation and formal meeting, for instance with the client advertiser in opposing their idea?
What is the use of being an educated person?
What words are used as preemptively apologize for something that might be construed as insulting? In American english anyway, they usually have the form:
No offense —Revenge not.
—None taken.
The American Free Dictionary and The Urban Dictionary both have entries for this phrasing. As mentioned in Urban Dictionary, “no offense” is frequently used facetiously before or after a deliberate insult. You must rely on context to determine whether the sentiment is sincere or unfair.
Alternative wordings include
- No offense meant.
- What do you mean – no offense for not doing something about me?
- I did not mean to offend anybody.
In short, we can’t keep shunning things.
Why do do people say take no offence in the OED’s reference? If we were paying to read Tom Jones by Henry Fielding, in 1749, then on its own it is first recorded in Henry Fielding’s ‘Tom Jones’, in 1718. The OED describes it as ‘colloquial’, so you will need to judge carefully when it is appropriate, whether with the sense ‘no offence meant’ or ‘no offence taken’. If you have any doubt in any of the following words, it would be wise to use some other expression instead.
An inappropriate use see here.
What do you think about all of these decisions or are they based on one thing: are they inconsistencies?
