Can it now be told?

Question

Talking with an American actress at a party and her stock response was "Interesting". She didn't look very interested. Is this the USA standard polite response or a put down?

Answer 1

Definitely not standard more likely a put down.

Answer 2

Queen Elizabeth uses this as her standard put down when visiting places, such as factories, and people tell her stuff that bores her. She says "How very interesting." and a courtier then says something like. "We're running short of time Ma'am. Can we move on?" This gives the person talking to her the impression that she actually is interested and would talk for longer but urgent matters are taking her away. If someone like the actress says that say. "Ooh I am glad because I've so much more to tell you. Please stop me if I'm boring you won't you?"

Answer 3

Sounds very much like a standard polite response.

Answer 4

Put down 100%
Any polite response is a put-down basically in party environments

Answer 5

It really depends on how she said it. I've said that to someone with all sincerity. It could be along the same lines as when people say "yeah" or "uh huh." It's a space filler.
As for her not looking interested, different people show interest in different ways. Maybe she can't express her emotions on her face very well because of her botox injections. Just a thought... :)

Answer 6

A put down, anyone with any class or style would be able to engage in a conversation regardless of the subject matter and have the manners to disengage themselves from the same conversation without causing offence.

Answer 7

A standard answer when the person hasn't been listening.

Answer 8

I don't think it was a put down, she probably couldn't think of anything intelligent to say without a script!

Answer 9

Both

Answer 10

sounds like she was trying TOO hard to be polite and ended up being just bloody rude!!!!