CANCEL the sit. It’s fine. Don’t worry about it, there will be other sits you can take. Do what’s best for you, not them. 
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@rjfitness you can mark this thread as solved
Of all of the (many useless) new categories/details which THS has added to listings, I would 100% support adding this one .
If I remember , I ask HO’s during our chats . But, admittedly , I have forgotten and have been fortunate enough to not land a sit in which the HO’s smoke.
Thanks for the reminder !
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@toreishi I’ve added a line to my profile: - “As a non-smoker, I prefer to sit in smoke-free homes . . . “ just as a little nudge to prospective Hosts. Then I hope to remember to refer to it during the screening call. 
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@StTherese My wording is I only sit - not prefer to. I also show ‘… in homes of non-smokers’. A smoker who smokes outside may think their home is smoke free but a non-smoker may still smell smoke from it transferring to the indoor fabrics and clinging to the smoker’s clothing within the home.
From your post I get the impression that smoking is a deal-breaker for you so I suggest you be more firm in your wording. 
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@Snowbird that was going to be my exact wording response also…. ONLY.
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@snowbird @ziggy . . . . Perhaps it is a British thing - I had imagined any prospective host would catch the nuance of what I was saying . . . And, if not, I would remind them during the screening call.
“I prefer to sit in a smoke-free home” - I would translate as “I will not in anyway whatsoever, under any circumstances - even if h*ll freezes over - sit in a smokey home.”
AI Overview
British communication often relies on politeness, understatement, and irony, where
what is said is frequently the opposite of what is meant
. Key examples include “With the greatest respect” meaning “I think you are an idiot,” and “That’s not bad” meaning “That’s quite good”. It is a polite, often passive-aggressive, cultural code.
Common Phrases and Their Actual Meanings:
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“With the greatest respect…”: I think you are an idiot.
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“That’s not bad”: That’s actually quite good.
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“That is a very brave proposal”: You are insane.
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“I hear what you say”: I disagree and do not want to discuss it further.
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“Very interesting”: That is clearly nonsense.
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“I’ll bear it in mind” / “I’ve forgotten it already”: I will do nothing of the sort.
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“I’m sure it’s my fault”: It is definitely your fault.
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“You must come for dinner”: It is not an invitation; I am just being polite.
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“I might pop by”: I am not coming.
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“I hear you” / “Noted”: I am listening, but I am ignoring you.
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“Quite moody” / “A bit chilly”: It is freezing.
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“I’m not saying you’re wrong, but…”: You are wrong.
-
“It’s a bit dear”: That is too expensive.
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“Cheers”: Thank you, goodbye, or a toast.
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“You alright?”: A standard greeting, not a health check.
Key Contextual Nuances:
-
Understatement: Brits often use phrases like “a bit of a nuisance” to describe a major disaster.
-
Irony: Many negative situations are described with lighthearted, sarcastic, or deadpan humor.
-
Tone: The meaning of phrases like “not bad” or “quite good” often depends on whether the second word is emphasized.
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Ohhhh I really like “that is a very brave proposal” hope I have the opportunity to use it 
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@StTherese I completely understand what you are saying and in a situation where you HAD options, or you could make a choice, you would use prefer. But using that word prefer when it’s a definitive no for you, gives someone a supposed option to go either way. In normal situations I would use prefer to be polite also but in the case of being 100% guaranteed as in this case. I would definitely be saying ONLY.
Your quote:-
“what is said is frequently the opposite of what is meant”. Exactly what I mean in this scenario.
But hey, you have good manners and I think we do also, so I’m sure whichever way you phrase it, you will get your point across. Oh, and I would like to use that term one day also @Cathie 
Thanks for that @Snowbird I just changed my my profile wording from “prefer” to “only”.
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@StTherese I was born and raised in Wales so fully understand the British approach in everyday life. I have lived my adult life in Canada and have had to adapt many times to various differences.
I had a British friend here who would say she was ‘cross’ with someone. It’s not a term used in Canada. However, I would laugh as to me it was way too mild an option as she was usually fuming mad at someone.
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Hi @rjfitness
I’m glad you were able to do what was best for you - I’ve marked your post as solved.
There was a similar discussion with another Forum member recently, and I did pass feedback over to the team, to see if there was a way to add smoking/non-smoking to a listing. I’ll be happy to let you know if there’s any updates on that.
Jenny
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That sounds like a good idea @Jenny .Many listings already specify they welcome only non-smokers…a statement as if declaring a vegan household, since most would never consider smoking indoors, not even in their own homes.
In much of Europe, smoking on a garden patio or balcony remains perfectly normal; in Canada, one sometimes suspects a provincial border must be crossed to light a regular cigarette, while the smell of 420 drifts freely through entire buildings. Norms vary, but old tobacco habits do seem to be resurfacing and trending, though Europeans never really abandoned them.
The very British pilot warned us during our last flight to our sit within the Channel Islands this week that the landing might be a ‘bit sporty’ I think he was letting us know it was going to be one of those landings where it felt like you were landing inside a washing machine on the spin cycle. And no we didn’t clap, we’re British.
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