• I think point no. 9 is really interesting: "Don't small talk". It's true that compared to other people, germans tend to be straightforward and direct in communication, at least, that's my experience. and still, the little (in comparison) they do small talk, I find most annoying :d

    ~always a stranger in a crowd~

  • They're certainly using the term small talk incorrectly, no doubt because they couldn't resist the pun on small minds. What this really is about, though, is the politeness inherent to American and British culture. People are used to mentally preparing the other person for what they will say next, if it's bad news, start with a compliment no matter how shallow it may be. That's something Germans don't do or only barely in comparison.

    English: "I love what you did with the sauce. And the pasta is al dente. Maybe there could be a tad more salt in there to make it even better."

    German: "Das schmeckt nach nix. Hast du Maggi da?"

    Labels are for tins, not people.

  • I think the most things are right but they do smaltalk not everyone but most of them :d

    Wenn ich euch zutexte (RW) sagt es mir, ich bemerke es nicht.

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Fenris (13. März 2015 um 17:23)

  • Small talk is for small minds... that's definitely a line to remember. (Yes, it's "definitely", and not "definitly" as I first thought... I looked it up)

    "Sometimes isolation can be a good thing. It can lead to... important discoveries." - Sasha Nein, Psychonauts

  • They're certainly using the term small talk incorrectly, no doubt because they couldn't resist the pun on small minds. What this really is about, though, is the politeness inherent to American and British culture. People are used to mentally preparing the other person for what they will say next, if it's bad news, start with a compliment no matter how shallow it may be. That's something Germans don't do or only barely in comparison.

    The British are well-known for their indirect way of speech.

    A long time ago I found a certain table somewhere on
    the Internet. It had three columns. "What British people say, what
    British people mean, what the rest of the EU understands".

    These are some examples. (By the way, I do realize that not every
    British person would use these words that way.) They have been taken
    from a certain article, and I didn't include all of them here.

    Source, providing it only because of not wanting making The Economist cry :
    https: // www . economist.com / johnson / 2011 / 05 / 27 / this-may-interest-you


    What the British say: "I hear what you say"
    What the British mean: "I disagree and do not want to discuss it any further"
    What is understood:"He accepts my point of view"


    What the British say: "With the greatest respect"
    What the British mean: "I think you are wrong (or a fool)"
    What is understood: "He is listening to me"


    What the British say: "Correct me if I'm wrong"
    What the British mean: "I know I'm right--please don't contradict me"
    What is understood: "Tell me what you think"


    What the British say: "That's not bad"
    What the British mean: "That's good or very good"
    What is understood: "That's poor or mediocre"


    What the British say: "QUITE good" (with the stress on the "quite")
    What the British mean: "A bit disappointing"
    What is understood: "Quite good"


    What the British say: "quite GOOD" (with the stress on the "good ")
    What the British mean: "excellent"
    What is understood: "Quite good"


    What the British say: "Perhaps you would like to think about...."/"I would suggest..." /"It would be nice if..."
    What the British mean: "This is an order. Do it or be prepared to justify yourself..."
    What is understood: "Think about the idea, but do what you like"


    What the British say: "Do as much as you think is justifed [sic]"
    What the British mean: "Do it all"
    What is understood: "Do what you can"


    What the British say: "Oh, by the way/Incidentally ..."
    What the British mean: "The primary purpose of our discussion is..."
    What is understood: "This is not very important ..."


    What the British say: "Very interesting"
    What the British mean: "I don't agree/I don't believe you"
    What is understood: "They are impressed"


    What the British say: "Could we consider some other options"
    What the British mean: "I don't like your idea"
    What is understood: "They have not yet decided"


    What the British say: "I'll bear it in mind "
    What the British mean: "I will do nothing about it"
    What is understood: "They will probably do it"


    What the British say: "Please think about that some more"
    What the British mean: "It's a bad idea: don't do it"
    What is understood: "It's a good idea, keep developing it"


    What the British say: "I'm sure it's my fault"
    What the British mean: "I know it is your fault, please apologise"
    What is understood: "It was somebody else's fault"


    What the British say: "That is an original point of view"
    What the British mean: "You must be mad, or very silly"
    What is understood: "They like my ideas!"

  • I don't know anyone who doesn't do small talk and I always try to cut it short or find something more interesting in it and jump to this topic.
    Bread + sausage: Haven't eat it in months, not sure, if I ate some in 2018.
    Hausschuhe: If I am sure, I don't have to take a walk (or don't want it) I put on "Clogs"; if I am not sure, I walk in shoes.
    Also not sure if any of the other points fit (to me). I wear clothes that looks good IMHO but also are nice to wear.
    And I don't like Schorle at all. I try to avoid it as often as possible.

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