Which phrase conveys a more heartfelt, sincere apology: I’m sorry or I apologize? The answer depends less on word choice and more on context. Some useful books about the art of apologizing: Sorry About That by Edwin Batistella and I Was Wrong...
Jeanne from Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, is perplexed by the phrase at first blush, which would seem to have to do with embarrassment. But at least as early as the mid-14th century, another meaning of blush has been “glance,” so at first...