Does the expression "What a shame" and "It's embarrassing" are interchangeable?
Native speaker’s answer
Rebecca
Although "what a shame" can be used to mean "it's embarrassing," it also has an extra meaning: it is used when one wants to express a feeling of regret or disappointment. This is a feeling separate from self-hate, dishonor, or embarrassment that "it's/this is embarrassing" implies. Ex: Someone accidentally dropped the cake on the floor. What a shame. Ex: I dropped my food onto my lap. It was very embarrassing for me.