The Pragmatics of Hypocrisy

This chapter very briefly comments on some of the chapters of this volume, and then focuses on what has not been covered: hypocrisy across cultures (and languages). With a particular focus on British English and culture, it notes synchronic contrasts, specifically with Israeli “dugri” speech, and diachronic contrasts, from the mediaeval period to today. It argues that Haugh’s (Chapter 7, this volume) notion of “sincere hypocrisy” is key to British English politeness. Finally, it reminds rea