Date: Thu, 23 Oct 1997 11:27:15 +0000 From: Duane Campbell Subject: Re: Politeness (Was: Bless You) At 08:55 AM 10/23/97 -0600, you wrote: >my fork from left to right hand after cutting meat. The difference >wasn't actual "politeness," but what was considered polite in a certain >society. But isn't that exactly what "politeness" is? A pattern of institutionalized behavior established by a specific group? The language conventions you employ identify you with a group just as the clothes you wear do and the way handle your silverwear. Duane Campbell dcamp[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]epix.net http://www.epix.net/~dcamp/