[LINK] [OT] "we say sorry"

[Roger Clarke]

At 12:21 +1100 13/2/08, Brendan Scott wrote:
>Listening to the PM on the radio I found his phraseology odd.  I 
>would have thought we "are" sorry would be more direct and natural. 
>I recall reading somewhere that Graham Freudenberg et al have 
>recently been lamenting the decline of public rhetoric.

A QC had advised that 'we are sorry' created greater risk of a 
successful lawsuit for a billion-dollar fund than 'we say sorry'.

[Oh, alright, I made that up]

But fancy a *lawyer* missing this subtle point  (:-)}

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW