Prithee the addressee, as in "if it please you," "prithee" accompanies a request which addresses itself to the threat of being answered in the negative, as though the request were against the addressee's wishes. Stated otherwise, the word "please" suggests that the person being addressed is willing to comply with the request, whereas the word "prithee" suggests that he or she is not willing. This switch from stating the speaker's contrary desire to stating the speaker's wish not to impose signaled a cultural shift in the English-speaking world in which politeness became stated negatively rather than positively. Wider repercussions are observable
The Word For Today is based on the Biblical principles instilled in him by his mother. He began collating his inspirational writings in 1992 and in 1993 started sending copies to friends and supporters in the United States. Astounded by the response he received in the United States, Gass offered his devotional readings to Gareth Littler, the former CEO of UCB, to encourage their listeners. In April 1994, "The Word For Today" was launched with an initial print run of 3,500 copies and circulated to UCB's supporters within the UK. The reach was later expanded to other parts of the world. Gass runs Bob