Did the educated class really speak so well in the 19th century?

[Juan Marrero]

EvaElizabeth, those are all excellent points. Convenience over courtesy is(comparatively)one of the the hallmarks of our times.

And, frankly, the opposite too has its drawbacks. Some years ago I was in Seoul for business and decided to come home a day early. When I went to the airline office that was in the hotel, the agent was very evasive as to whether I could make my change. It slowly dawned on me that to say "no" would be to "lose face" and I had not picked up his clues that there simply were no seats available. It sort of reminds me of Lincoln writing that he regretted the necessity of saying that he had no daughters. A little circumlocution but beautifully said.