| Non-apology Apology |
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An example of a non-apology apology is to say "I'm sorry if you were offended by my remarks", to someone that one has offended. This not only does not admit that there was anything wrong with the remarks made, it also subtly insinuates that the person taking offence was excessively thin-skinned or irrational in taking offence in the remarks in the first place. Because they do not admit Guilt or Responsibility , non-apology apologies are frequently motivated by the desire to avoid Litigation . Humorist Bruce McCall, in a 2001 New York Times piece entitled "The Perfect Non-apology Apology," defined the term as referring to "sufficiently artful double talk" to enable you to "get what you want by seeming to express regret while actually accepting no blame," and suggested some tongue-in-cheek apologies, such as :Nobody is sorrier than me that the police officer had to spend his valuable time writing out a parking ticket on my car. Though from my personal standpoint I know for a certainty that the meter had not yet expired, please accept my expression of deep regret at this unfortunate incident. An earlier use occurred in a 1991 New York Times article, which said that Australian Foreign Minister Gareth Evans offered the Prime Minister of Malaysia "what might best be described as a non-apology apology" for an Australian soap opera, "Embassy," which the Malaysian government regarded as an insulting portrayal of Malaysia. REFERENCES
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