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The Allusionist

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A PODCAST ABOUT LANGUAGE
BY HELEN ZALTZMAN

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The Allusionist

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Allusionist 33: Please

April 1, 2016 The Allusionist

There's an ocean between Britain and the USA, but an even wider division between each country's use of a particular word: 'please'. Linguists Lynne Murphy and Rachele De Felice explain how one nation's obsequiousness is another nation's obnoxiousness.

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There's an ocean between Britain and the USA, but an even wider division between each country's use of a particular word: 'please'.

Linguists Lynne Murphy and Rachele De Felice explain how one nation's obsequiousness is another nation's obnoxiousness.

PLEASE, READ MORE ABOUT IT:

  • Lynne Murphy’s blog is Separated By A Common Language. She has written about ‘please’ and ‘please’ in restaurants.

  • Anthropologist David Graeber considers the reciprocity in using these niceties.

  • “We should use "please" and "thank you" selectively so we don't confuse each other about the difference between favors and obligations”.

  • Why do the British say ‘sorry’ so much?

  • This claims to be a history of etiquette, but is mainly about forks. Get the forks right, and the rest follows (or so the fork tyrants would have you believe).

  • Emily Post may have died in 1960, but she’s still looking out for your manners. Keeping the Post flag politely flying, her great-great-grandchildren host the Awesome Etiquette podcast.

  • There's a transcript of this episode at theallusionist.org/transcripts/please.

RANDOMLY SELECTED WORD FROM THE DICTIONARY:
linstock

CREDITS:

  • Lynne Murphy's blog is separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com and she is @lynneguist on Twitter. Rachele De Felice is @racagain on Twitter. If you're interested in linguistics, follow them!

  • This episode was produced by me, Helen Zaltzman, with music by Martin Austwick.

  • Please find me at facebook.com/allusionistshow, twitter.com/allusionistshow and twitter.com/helenzaltzman.

Please come back for another episode in two weeks.

- HZ

In episodes Tags words, language, USA, Britain, English, manners, etiquette, politeness, social, linguistics, behaviour, behavior, sorry, apologies, apologising, niceties, linstock, England, British, Lynne Murphy, Rachele De Felice
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