david_h wrote:I chipped in here mainly because I thought the ytliek's "Bully!" interjection had been allowed to pass by.
It passed by on my part because, left as I was with just that one word alone, I honestly didn't know what he was trying to say.
david_h wrote:... every single person who I accidentally offended was from the left hand side of the pond. Round here (as the first page of this thread illustrates) it doesn't seem to be a problem. Were my first impressions wrong or is it that you folks are more familiar with, say, Irish culture?
I would say your first impressions were right. I've heard this before many a time, and it has to be due to unfamiliarity, pure and simple. As to Yanks on this site being more familiar, I would say that's also right. And not necessarily just familiar with Irish culture, but the whole shebang of you, floating around there on your islands. In certain ways, at certain times, both English-speaking sides of the Pond are very different from each other communication-wise. If you're not familiar, there's much the unwashed Yank can misunderstand. I also happen to know from personal experience that the risk of misunderstanding colloquial speech cuts both ways. The exchanges on this website have done more for my cultural understanding than I could have gotten short of pulling up stakes and sailing East to live where they drive on the wrong side of the road.
Joking aside, I hope the benefits here for cultural understanding have been mutual.
But this brings us back again to the OP. It's too easy to assume that since both parties nominally speak the same language, each will know what the other means. That presumption is a big mistake that leads to taking offense and flying off the handle over a misunderstanding. Better to remember you're in a foreign land (or at least in a foreign presence), smile quizzically, and say, "I beg your pardon? Just so's you know, where I come from that's actually an insult, and I'm sure you didn't mean that." If insult was meant, you'll know soon enough. If not, you'll probably go together and laugh over a pint (or the e-quivalent thereof). Curiosity: there lies the road to understanding.
Of course that's all very easy to say. It takes some work. But if the end result is worth it to you, so is keeping at it.
david_h wrote:( and so as not to disappoint Nano. Who ?
)
I'm afraid you've lost me, there.
Between you and ytliek, I must be thick indeed.
"If you take music out of this world, you will have nothing but a ball of fire." - Balochi musician