I adore my dear husband, who is a banker, and his friends who are bankers too, call the Swiss money: FRANEK! That is diminutive from Franciszek or Francis, and significantly easier than German pure FRANK 
Really interesting 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markmardell/2009/09/speaking_american.html
Speaking American
Mark Mardell | 22:50 UK time, Friday, 4 September 2009
I will be labouring on Labor day.
It is not a British public holiday, so I don’t mind working. More problematic is how I should I spell it? Should I be speaking English, or American?
The oft-used quote – “a people divided by a common language” – makes a good point. But the common language does something much more, which poses a real dilemma to me as a foreign correspondent based in Washington.
Note that “foreign correspondent”. The language is one of the reasons that many Brits fool themselves into thinking that America isn’t foreign, not really foreign, like other countries.
It is understandable. I guess roughly just under half of the books I have ever read, and half of the music I listen to is American in origin. For movies, the count would be much higher.
Movies, eh? Not films? Which brings me to the heart of my dilemma. It is this: when, if ever, should I use American English words or instead of British English words?
Of course, every British family living in the states reflects on this issue. On a short but glorious road trip south we soon fell to talking about stopping at a “gas” station, while still worrying that we were running low on “petrol”.
Talking to Americans, it seems rude to use a different word or even pronunciation. It seems appropriate, when trying to sort out my horrendous IT problems, to talk not about my “root-er” but my “rout-er”, accepting the defeat linguistically implied.
Even in a foreign country with a foreign language, some words are absorbed. It is a microcosm of the way a strong and confident language develops.
In Belgium, it was natural to refer to the rather un-English idea of a training course for children during the holidays as a “stage”.
Some are adopted mainly as a joke: getting the wallet out after a family meal, “de rekening” always seemed more appropriate than a mere bill.
But I think it is different for a reporter. I am keenly aware that my primary responsibility is to give an insight into this country for a British audience.
Watching coverage of the inauguration, I winced when I heard an excellent reporter talking about the “mass transit system.” I guessed, but did not truly know, that he meant “public transport”.
Now, I may be more of an idiot than most viewers, but to me it is off-putting.
In Belgium, I would not dream of referring to my “GSM”, or – if reporting from Germany – would not even use the wonderful “handy” . Here in the US, my “mobile” will doubtless become a “cell” when talking to Americans, but it won’t when I’m broadcasting.
It is a thin line between empathy, insight and going native and the language you use is part of that.
But what do you think?
Should we fight stereotypes? Should we try to get rid of stereotypes or just get used to them?
I just realized that I’m full of them… sometimes even getting to the “fool” of them..
Slovaks hate Czechs, Germans are pedantic, Spaniards are dark-haired, Swiss people all have pink cheeks… And American & French academics are Marxists… The worst thing is that it really made the world easier to understand.. Even exception proved the rule…
RSVP = repondez s’il vous plait
LOL = laugh out loud
ASAP = as soon as possible
Applauding vs. knocking on the table: KN: Just came back from the nice country Slovensko = Slovakia, and met there for the first time this manner to knock table instead of applauding…
Here there is an interesting explanation on this page
http://www.linguistlist.org/issues/7/7-1214.html
- knocking is characteristic of Germans and Austrians
- Applause is restricted to non-academic performances, like the theater…
- it’s only common in an academic context, at university or at a conference. Here applauding could even be misunderstood as an attempt to ridicule the lecturer. But nobody tells you to knock at your first day at university, it’s rather some kind of common sense, handed over from generation to generation, without knowing why …
There is very specific age-related (as well as familiarity level) way of addressing in Russian and Ukrainian. While in formal language one uses name & father’s name & family name, so in acquaintant/friend/informal colleague relations and interactions between people over 60 years old, it’s father’s name that is used widely. Sometimes, when relations are really friendly, and in private situations people call each other by name, in situations more formal, at work etc. they jokingly call themselves by diminutive name and father’s name, that’s of most fun.
Easter is one of several most important Polish holidays that oblige not to work, what means nobody works, everything’s closed and even trains and buses are suspended. Before and after there is usually traffic and transporting nightmare, which seems to be also a part of tradition. Another interesting part of the holiday is that of blessing food baskets in a church that takes place early morning on Saturday comparing with early morning Sunday in orthodox and greek-catholic traditions. The food and dishes lists are too long to describe, may be sometimes:).
Here it’s fun and here it’s nice page about Polish Easter traditions. Here is how to paint egg.
In Polish you must use capital letter for “Ty” (informal You) while writing letter or sms even to your dearest person. And addressing Mom or Dad (though depending on the family customs) presupposes formality of “Madam” and “Sir”
In Polish: nazywam się = my (family) surname is…
mam na imię Kasia = my name is Kate
Intercultural Communication and Decoding Language and Cultural Discourses:
Few books can help with the cultural shock on the language & pop-culture discourse levels. Therefore everyday experience is priceless.
