Is there a Japanese equivalent to English's "'Can I go to the bathroom' vs. 'May I go to the bathroom'"?


Is there a Japanese equivalent to English's 'Can I go to the bathroom' vs.
'May I go to the bathroom'? You know, a disagreement over whether to use a
phrase that feels correct(and I'd argue is correct) vs. a phrase that is more,
you know, "Politically Correct" in a way.




There is an expression that has annoyed me for these past several years.

That is an expression 「 **これでよろしかったでしょうか** 」 which means " _Was this all right
(for you)?_ " and is often said to me as a customer by a salesclerk in a store
or a shop at a checkout counter.  
It was the time of the payment in a supermarket several years ago that I heard
it for the first time. Because I never talked with the salesclerk before then
in the supermarket, I felt a sense of incongruity when I was asked by the
phrase as 「これでよろしかったですか？」 or "Was this all right?" in a past tense.
「これでよろしいですか？」 or "Is this all right?" was the phrase I expected instead.

In the case when you should logically use the present tense in English, I know
well that the past tense like "I would ..." is usually used to soften a
phrase, but I didn't think we used Japanese in that way.

After the first experience, it seems that I would hear the expression more and
more often. I continue feeling the similar sense of incongruity up to the
present, but the expression seems to be becoming recognized to soften the
phrase in the same way as English.

Tirous, was this all right?

* * *

Probably apart from the questioner's topic I found some examples of seemingly
or logically contradictory Japanese expressions,
[here](http://ch.nicovideo.jp/egweb/blomaga/ar89387),
[here](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%83%85%E3%81%91%E3%81%AF%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E7%82%BA%E3%81%AA%E3%82%89%E3%81%9A)
and [here](https://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/8233035.html), which are like:

  * 反則｛はんそく｝勝｛が｝ち 【反則｛はんそく｝負｛ま｝けの対戦者｛たいせんしゃ｝？】 
  * 立派｛りっぱ｝な犯罪｛はんざい｝ 【どんな犯罪{はんざい}ですか？】 
  * 体｛からだ｝をお厭{いと}いください 【「厭｛いと｝う」は本来｛ほんらい｝、嫌{きら}う、いやがるの意味｛いみ｝】 
  * 感謝｛かんしゃ｝の言葉｛ことば｝もありません 【大変｛たいへん｝感謝｛かんしゃ｝しているときに使｛つか｝う】 
  * いい加減｛かげん｝ 【間違｛まちが｝って「中途｛ちゅうと｝半端｛はんぱ｝」「無責任｛むせきにん｝」「手抜｛てぬ｝き」の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 適当｛てきとう｝ 【本来｛ほんらい｝「適切｛てきせつ｝」の意味｛いみ｝だが、「いい加減｛かげん｝」の誤用｛ごよう｝と同｛おな｝じ類｛たぐい｝の誤用｛ごよう｝】 
  * ウソをつけ！ 【「ウソをつくな！」 _Don't tell me a lie!_ の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 生｛い｝きている化石｛かせき｝ 【化石｛かせき｝は生｛い｝きていない】 
  * カラーワイシャツ 【colored white shirt】 
  * ピンクの白衣｛はくい｝ 【ピンク色｛いろ｝の看護婦｛かんごふ｝さんの制服｛せいふく｝】 
  * 情｛なさ｝けは人｛ひと｝の為｛ため｝ならず 【" _Kindness is never lost_ " is misinterpreted as " _Kindness never do others good_ ".】 
  * もっとも好｛す｝きなことの１つ 【「最{もっと}も」は最初{さいしょ}から１つしかない】 
  * 炎天下｛えんてんか｝の下｛もと｝ 【「下｛した｝の下｛した｝」はどこ？】 
  * 全然｛ぜんぜん｝大丈夫｛だいじょうぶ｝ 【「全然｛ぜんぜん｝駄目｛だめ｝」なら正｛ただ｝しい使｛つか｝い方｛かた｝】 
  * 後｛あと｝で後悔{こうかい}する 【後悔｛こうかい｝は前｛まえ｝にはできない】 
  * 元旦{がんたん}の朝｛あさ｝ 【正｛ただ｝しくは元日{がんじつ}の朝｛あさ｝。「元旦｛がんたん｝」は「元日｛がんじつ｝の朝｛あさ｝」のこと。】 




There is an expression that has annoyed me for these past several years.

That is an expression 「 **これでよろしかったでしょうか** 」 which means " _Was this all right
(for you)?_ " and is often said to me as a customer by a salesclerk in a store
or a shop at a checkout counter.  
It was the time of the payment in a supermarket several years ago that I heard
it for the first time. Because I never talked with the salesclerk before then
in the supermarket, I felt a sense of incongruity when I was asked by the
phrase as 「これでよろしかったですか？」 or "Was this all right?" in a past tense.
「これでよろしいですか？」 or "Is this all right?" was the phrase I expected instead.

In the case when you should logically use the present tense in English, I know
well that the past tense like "I would ..." is usually used to soften a
phrase, but I didn't think we used Japanese in that way.

After the first experience, it seems that I would hear the expression more and
more often. I continue feeling the similar sense of incongruity up to the
present, but the expression seems to be becoming recognized to soften the
phrase in the same way as English.

Tirous, was this all right?

* * *

Probably apart from the questioner's topic I found some examples of seemingly
or logically contradictory Japanese expressions,
[here](http://ch.nicovideo.jp/egweb/blomaga/ar89387),
[here](http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%83%85%E3%81%91%E3%81%AF%E4%BA%BA%E3%81%AE%E7%82%BA%E3%81%AA%E3%82%89%E3%81%9A)
and [here](https://oshiete.goo.ne.jp/qa/8233035.html), which are like:

  * 反則｛はんそく｝勝｛が｝ち 【反則｛はんそく｝負｛ま｝けの対戦者｛たいせんしゃ｝？】 
  * 立派｛りっぱ｝な犯罪｛はんざい｝ 【どんな犯罪{はんざい}ですか？】 
  * 体｛からだ｝をお厭{いと}いください 【「厭｛いと｝う」は本来｛ほんらい｝、嫌{きら}う、いやがるの意味｛いみ｝】 
  * 感謝｛かんしゃ｝の言葉｛ことば｝もありません 【大変｛たいへん｝感謝｛かんしゃ｝しているときに使｛つか｝う】 
  * いい加減｛かげん｝ 【間違｛まちが｝って「中途｛ちゅうと｝半端｛はんぱ｝」「無責任｛むせきにん｝」「手抜｛てぬ｝き」の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 適当｛てきとう｝ 【本来｛ほんらい｝「適切｛てきせつ｝」の意味｛いみ｝だが、「いい加減｛かげん｝」の誤用｛ごよう｝と同｛おな｝じ類｛たぐい｝の誤用｛ごよう｝】 
  * ウソをつけ！ 【「ウソをつくな！」 _Don't tell me a lie!_ の意味｛いみ｝で使｛つか｝われている】 
  * 生｛い｝きている化石｛かせき｝ 【化石｛かせき｝は生｛い｝きていない】 
  * カラーワイシャツ 【colored white shirt】 
  * ピンクの白衣｛はくい｝ 【ピンク色｛いろ｝の看護婦｛かんごふ｝さんの制服｛せいふく｝】 
  * 情｛なさ｝けは人｛ひと｝の為｛ため｝ならず 【" _Kindness is never lost_ " is misinterpreted as " _Kindness never do others good_ ".】 
  * もっとも好｛す｝きなことの１つ 【「最{もっと}も」は最初{さいしょ}から１つしかない】 
  * 炎天下｛えんてんか｝の下｛もと｝ 【「下｛した｝の下｛した｝」はどこ？】 
  * 全然｛ぜんぜん｝大丈夫｛だいじょうぶ｝ 【「全然｛ぜんぜん｝駄目｛だめ｝」なら正｛ただ｝しい使｛つか｝い方｛かた｝】 
  * 後｛あと｝で後悔{こうかい}する 【後悔｛こうかい｝は前｛まえ｝にはできない】 
  * 元旦{がんたん}の朝｛あさ｝ 【正｛ただ｝しくは元日{がんじつ}の朝｛あさ｝。「元旦｛がんたん｝」は「元日｛がんじつ｝の朝｛あさ｝」のこと。】 

