UK vs US manners

Britons may like to complain a lot, but they rarely do so in the moment, explains BBC writer Ruth Margolis. They would rather grumble afterward.

This is because Britons hate to put someone out and cause a scene. Margolis writes: “For instance, I’m much more comfortable just leaving that lump of raw chicken on my plate [instead of complaining to restaurant staff]. But beware: if this kind of thing happens when you’re dining with an American, they will most likely speak up on your behalf and not understand why you find this humiliating.”

In a BBC blog post comparing cultural differences between the UK and the US, Margolis mentions a few other things that Americans like to do that are offensive to Britons.

Not making introductions

Americans rarely remember to introduce a new friend to their friends at parties. Strangers are supposed to introduce themselves. But Margolis says most Britons dislike this approach because “talking to strangers without a facilitator gives them a stomachache”.

‘Quite’ good

Using “quite” to mean “very” happens a lot in the US. But if you are invited to a dinner party in a British household, don’t describe the meal as “quite good” if you want to express high praise. To Britons’ ears, “quite” detracts from the “good”: the meal was passable but could have been better.

Money Talk

Americans can talk about money subjects for hours without feeling uncomfortable. For Britons, says Margolis: “talking about how much we make is unthinkable - only less so than discussing our feelings”.

Over-politeness

In the US, it is not unusual to be greeted by a perfect stranger as “honey” or “sweetie”. But Margolis says Britons find put-on friendliness, especially in stores, deeply irritating. “It’s not that I want shop assistants to be actively rude. But neither do I want to expend energy responding to someone who’s been paid to ask: ‘How are you today?’” says Margolis.

A quieter sort of people

People say you know a group of tourists are American because you can hear them down the street. While “Americans are loud” is a stereotype, perhaps there is some truth in it. It must be a stereotype for a reason.

One complaint about Americans is that they are rude or arrogant, and this shows in the loud way that they talk. Americans are a contrast to British people who do things differently. There is something called the “British reserve” that runs throughout British culture.

It began over 100 years ago. When Britain entered the Victorian era (1837-1901), attitudes in the country changed. Customs became more formal, and society became strict in its morals.

Some of these changes affect culture today, especially British reserve. It helps to explain why people in the UK are obsessed with making polite queues. If you watch people waiting for a bus, you will notice the people automatically make a formal line, one after the other. Even if there is only one person waiting they will be right next to the stop – the first in the queue.

British reserve also carries the idea that it is better to hide emotion or feelings. This is also known as a “stiff upper lip”. It means that you are strong when faced with difficulty and don't let your emotions affect you.

But this can be a negative too. It can mean that you don't show emotion when you should. When Princess Diana died in 1992, Queen Elizabeth II was criticized for having a stiff upper lip, and not showing that she was sad.

To foreigners, British reserve is often rudeness. When they ask for directions in the street, they might get an abrupt reply. It might not be the friendliest way to be, but it's not supposed to offend.

In truth, the British could do with relaxing a little. Perhaps they could learn something from the Americans.

Brown shows how not to kiss

When greeting your friends, how many kisses do you plant on their cheeks? It’s a puzzle shared by the socially shy and the outgoing. Whether to do the one-cheek brush, or to go for several kisses and appear over-enthusiastic?

Obviously, this is a problem the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown shares. Photographers caught an awkward moment when he greeted German Chancellor Angela Merkel at a meeting of European leaders in Berlin last week.

Brown was no doubt aiming for a casual kiss on Merkel’s cheek, but the kiss instead appeared to fall on the German leader’s nose.

So, what is the proper way to kiss others in greeting? In Britain people usually kiss each other once on the cheek. There are no rules about which cheek to kiss. In the past English gentlemen used to kiss a woman’s hand in greeting, but between males a masculine handshake was considered good manners. The handshake has survived time, but kissing the hand has not.

Some formal British greetings, however, have survived. When a person is given the honor of meeting the Queen, a man is supposed to bow to her while women are supposed to curtsy.

In France, the rules are different. People kiss both friends of the same age as well as their family members. Most French give two kisses – one on each cheek.

The Netherlands has the most complicated rules. The Dutch kiss begins and ends on the same cheek. Three kisses are expected, but when greeting an elderly or close family member, there’ll usually be a few more. Just remember, the right cheek always comes first.

Kissing in Italy is only used to greet very close friends or family. The number of kisses is optional, and as there are no rules on which cheek to kiss first, there are often clashes.

7 . Stephen Hawking is the most famous physicist. As a child, he was     1     in discovering the secrets of the Universe. But in his twenties, he began to suffer from a very serious disease.

It was very difficult for him to live a life     2     a normal people because of the illness. Doctors said he had no choice     3     to wait for the death. As a matter of fact, the doctors were wrong—he didn’t die. He didn’t give up the hope and raised his spirits to fight with the disease. In 1988, his best-seller A Brief History of Time     4     published. “I have had the disease for most of my life,” Hawking once said. “Yet it has not stopped me from     5     successful at my work.”

10 . There are a number of animals living on the Earth, and they should have a place here just like humans. To     1     small animals, a group named Clinic 212 made some small road signs (指示牌).

The     2     for small road signs came to Martynas Karpovicius. “I saw a hedgehog (刺猬) walking across the street. The driver drove the car     3     and almost killed it.” He said, “So I decide to make some small road signs.”

Then the group     4     several small road signs in some local parks. They remind (提醒) people that the Earth is a shared     5     between humans and animals. This big and wonderful world belongs (属于) to everyone, including a little hedgehog.