logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2022
27m 43s

The Art of Apologies

Bbc Radio 4
About this episode

Michael Rosen talks to sociolinguist Louise Mullany about all the ways in which we say sorry. From the sympathetic sorry in the face of bad news, to the polite sorry we say to strangers in the street. Via workplace hierarchies, gender differences, and the nitty-gritty of political apologies.

Louise is a Professor of Sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham and author of 'The Science of Politeness', due out next year.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Becky Ripley

Up next
Oct 2
Julia Donaldson: A life in language
Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo and many other beloved children's books, tells Michael Rosen about her own writing, reading, speaking and listening. Her childhood experiences were a big influence, as was busking in Paris and writing songs which ended up on Play School and ... Show More
33m 38s
Sep 25
It's not what you say, it's how you say it
Michael Rosen on the linguistic comfort food of clichés, pragmatics and how we use language to connect us beyond the actual words used. Derek Bousfield explains how words do more than carry meaning: context governs what we say and how it’s understood. Dr Bousfield is Reader in Pr ... Show More
27m 54s
Sep 21
The Language of the Manosphere
The 'Manosphere' is a group of loosely affiliated mainly young males who have developed a specialised vocabulary to discuss women online in a negative and hostile way. Some of the vocabulary is a response to feminism which some men claim is diminishing their role in society. For ... Show More
27m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Dec 2023
The art of the political apology
In the week Boris Johnson finally said sorry for the mistakes made by his government during the COVID-19 pandemic, host Aggie Chambre explores the art of the political apology — and asks how politicians can redeem themselves after completely screwing up. Johnson's former Downing ... Show More
47m 35s
Oct 2023
Beyond Mere Politeness — The Art of True Civility
It often seems like we live in a very inconsiderate, indifferent, and ill-mannered time and that the cure for what ails our abrasive and disjointed relations is a lot more politeness. But my guest would say that what we really need is a revival of civility.Today on the show, Alex ... Show More
55m 57s
Mar 2022
The limits of forgiveness
Sean Illing talks with philosopher Lucy Allais about the nature, power, and limits of forgiveness. They talk about the role of forgiveness in the dissolution of apartheid in Allais's native South Africa, the distinction between forgiveness and punishment, and the prospect of usin ... Show More
52m 24s
Jun 2020
7. Miriam Margolyes
In Grounded with Louis Theroux, Louis’s using the lockdown to track down some high-profile people he’s been longing to talk to – a fascinating mix of the celebrated, the controversial and the mysterious. in this episode, Louis speaks to actor and documentary-maker, Miriam Margoly ... Show More
58m 50s