run that by me again

[Arthur2502]

I'm wondering how appropriate it is to say "Run that by me again" in a conversation at a dinner table when you are dining with people you are not very friendly with.

Is it a slang expression or one of many colloquial conversational phrases?

Thanks for any comments.
Regards,
Artur

 

[susiedq]

It's very informal.

It could be construed as being flippant.

I'd suggest:

Could you explain that again? I'm just not getting it.

or

Sorry, I don't understand. Could you elaborate, please?

 

[Munch]

Could you explain that again? I'm just not getting it.

or

Sorry, I don't understand. Could you elaborate, please?

To me, the problem with these phrases is not that they are too informal, it is they would sound more natural in a business setting, or when talking about serious topics. At a dinner table, you might want to be more relaxed but still polite.

Your English seems quite good, just say sorry and tell them why you didn't understand, or ask, "Do you mean..."

I don't think you need to rely on any stock phrases.