Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hanygeorge38]

Dear Teachers

could you pllease tell me the meaning of the idiom out of courtsey

Thanks
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hany

[cgage]

"out of courtesy" means for politeness.
Example: Out of courtesy, I gave the old person a seat on the bus.

[advoca]

Courtesy means politeness. If you do something out of courtesy, it means that you do because you are being polite and not because you have to do it.

For example, when someone starts a speech they usually start with, �Ladies and Gentlemen.� They do not have to start this way; it is just polite to do so. The speaker could just as well say, �Gentlemen and Ladies,� but it is more polite to put the ladies first.

Equally so, all the women present may not be ladies. However, it is polite to refer to them as ladies, even if some of them do not deserve the term �Ladies.� You refer to them as ladies out of courtesy.

George W Bush is referred to as Mister President, out of courtesy. It is more polite to do so than calling him George W.