“If only every family could be as respectable as ours.”
Portia FeatheringtonMary SharmaS2 · E1 · 00:31:01
What it sounds like
The speaker says her family is respectable and wishes others could say the same.
What it really means
“She implies Mary’s family is shameful and contrasts it unfavorably with her own.”
Said today
“At least my family knows how to behave respectably.”
What was happening
Mary is being judged for marrying a working man and leaving for India, while the Sheffields are said to have been disgraced. The claim of respectability turns that gossip into a pointed comparison.
PortiaIf only every family could be as respectable as ours.
The exchange, from the subtitles · Season 2, episode 1, at 00:31:01
Stings a little.
How much it hurts: 2 of 5
Wrapped in lace.
How well it is hidden: 3 of 5
Type of insultclass and rank, family, mock politeness, comparison, sarcasm.
Checked by my AI judge (88% sure). Found in 2 of 3 separate AI readings of the episode. Who said it was confirmed. How this works