The second edition of this collection of 13 original papers contains an updated introductory section detailing the significance that the original articles published in 1992 have for the further development of research into linguistic politeness into the 21st century. The original articles present both the most important problems in developing a theory of linguistic politeness and a number of case studies and research projects. Key features The very successful hardcover now as an affordable paperback. Ideal as an introductory text to politeness research, one of the basic topics in applied linguistics. The new introduction by Richard Watts covers recent developments in politeness research since the 1990s.