{"id":185,"date":"2021-11-08T21:41:26","date_gmt":"2021-11-08T21:41:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=185"},"modified":"2021-11-08T21:44:59","modified_gmt":"2021-11-08T21:44:59","slug":"i-beg-to-differ-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/i-beg-to-differ-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"I Beg to Differ - Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Is someone presenting a civil argument to you, and you disagree with them? Rather than getting heated, you could simply present your counter-argument by stating, \"<strong><em>I beg to differ<\/em><\/strong>.\" I beg to differ is a polite way to offer your counter-point without raising the intensity around the situation that might result in a heated argument.<\/p>\n<p>The term is still in use today, but it's not as common as decades ago. You can use the idiom to politely interrupt someone if they are waffling on about a point, or you can use it when they finish talking.<\/p>\n<p>Let's look at ways to use this idiom, its meaning, and how to use it in a conversation.<\/p>\n<h2>I Beg to Differ Meaning<\/h2>\n<p>The meaning of \"<em>I beg to differ<\/em>\" refers to a polite way to present a counter-point to an argument. By saying \"<em>beg<\/em>,\" you're telling the other party in the conversation that you plead for their consideration. \"<em>To differ<\/em>\" means that you will present something contrary to what they are saying.<\/p>\n<p>In essence, <em>I beg to differ<\/em>, offers a polite way to refuse something or ask for a pardon by refusing a request. It also creates a platform to refute an argument.<\/p>\n<h2>I Beg to Differ Example Usage<\/h2>\n<p>Here are some of the ways you can use <em>I beg to differ<\/em> in a conversation.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>That's what you think?, well, <em>I beg to differ<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>You want me to do that? Well, <em>I beg to differ<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>If that's what you believe, <em>I beg to differ<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>I enjoy your company, and I'm sorry you <em>beg to differ<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li>Larry thinks he's getting the promotion, but I <em>beg to differ<\/em>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>I Beg to Differ Origin<\/h2>\n<p>The origin of \"<em>I beg to differ<\/em>\" comes from the <u>Lords in England<\/u>. No one knows the exact date of the creation of the idiom, but we can assume it comes <u>from the 1600s to the 1700s<\/u>. The phrase is common in the UK, especially in <u>aristocratic society<\/u>, and while it uses humility in the form of \"<em>beg<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n<p>The original intention of the phrase was sarcastic. The \"<em>begging<\/em>\" of someone to listen to their point was superficial, showing humility where there was no requirement for it. Today, the phrase can refer to sarcasm. However, most people use it as a polite turning point for presenting a civil argument.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Idiom Meanings: Beg to Differ\" width=\"512\" height=\"288\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/SY_40vvDUMA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h2>Phrases Similar to I Beg to Differ<\/h2>\n<p>Here are a few examples of phrases and idioms similar to <em>I beg to differ<\/em>.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I don't think so.<\/li>\n<li>Let me offer you a different perspective.<\/li>\n<li>I would argue against it.<\/li>\n<li>I condemn that motion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Phrases Opposite to I Beg to Differ<\/h2>\n<p>Phrases and idioms that are opposite to \"<em>I beg to differ<\/em>\" include the following.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>I agree with you.<\/li>\n<li>We're in agreement here.<\/li>\n<li>You're right.<\/li>\n<li>I never thought of it like that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>What is the Correct Saying?<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>I beg to differ.<\/li>\n<li>Beg to differ.<\/li>\n<li>Begging to differ.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Ways People May Say I Beg to Differ Incorrectly<\/h2>\n<p>Some people may use \"<em>I beg to differ<\/em>\" in the wrong context in modern language. Typically, the phrase is for polite refusal or sarcastic use. However, the sarcastic option is less common. The idiom also has nothing to do with actual begging or panhandling; it's a setup for introducing an apology or getting agreement from someone else.<\/p>\n<h2>Acceptable Ways to Phrase I Beg to Differ<\/h2>\n<p>You can use I beg to differ to turn around someone's opinion or their thinking on an argument they present to you. Typically, it's a good bridge to use in a conversation to show the other person that you don't want to end up in a heated exchange with them. \"Gary, I hear what you're saying, but <em>I beg to differ<\/em>.\"<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p class=\"mb-2\">Is someone presenting a civil argument to you, and you disagree with them? Rather than getting heated, you could simply present your counter-argument by stating, \"I beg to differ.\" I beg to differ is a polite way to offer your counter-point without raising the intensity around the situation that might result in a heated argument. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":186,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185\/revisions\/186"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}