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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

to what do I owe the pleasure en · X

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Meanings

  1. (formal, humorous) A question asked to know the reason for being visited by the interlocutor.
    • At that moment the headmaster Mr Grave entered the classroom without knocking, his long coat flapping behind him like a cape. The naughty kids at the back of the class who had been texting throughout the lesson quickly hid their mobile phones under the desk. “Ah, Mr Grave, to what do I owe the pleasure?” said Miss Midge, smiling. 2012, David Walliams [pseudonym; David Edward Williams], “The Midget”, in Ratburger, London: HarperCollins Children’s Books, →ISBN, page 109:

Synonyms

to what do I owe this honour

Translations (3)

pl czemu zawdzięczam ten zaszczyt (to what do I owe the pleasure) · he במה זכיתי לכבוד (to what do I owe the pleasure) · ja 何に喜びがあるのか。 (to what do I owe the pleasure)