Roy Greenslade spotted an amusing apology in the letters section of the Independent (UK). It’s written by the author of this Independent article:
Salman Rushdie: an apology
In my essay on the apology culture (12 February) I wrote, in the heat of the moment, that Sir Salman Rushdie went to Oundle. I now realise that Sir Salman went to Rugby. I wish to apologise unreservedly to Sir Salman for any offence the word “Oundle” may have caused him. I also wish to apologise to people who went to Oundle, for suggesting that being said to have gone to Oundle when in fact you went to Rugby might be offensive.
I also wish to apologise unreservedly to Rugby School, its staff, pupils and alumni, for suggesting that Sir Salman Rushdie was an old boy of an entirely different school. Finally, I wish to apologise to Eton, Harrow, Winchester and any other notable British school to which Sir Salman might have gone had his parents not decided on Rugby.
I also wish to apologise for a slip of the keyboard, so that I referred to Islam’s disparate “oral theologies” not “moral theologies”, which was what I meant. I should apologise, too, for . . . Oh, to hell with it. Everyone: I apologise for everything.
Michael Bywater
Cambridge
Also notable is the letter published underneath Bywater’s:
Michael Bywater should apologise for writing, “Your a twat”, a phrase I find particularly offensive. It’s “You’re a twat.” Idiot. (Sorry.)
Eccy de Jonge
London WC1
