Quick question for folks who've lived in both Australia and NZ: what cultural and language differences did you notice?
posted by superfish
on May 3, 2013 -
11 answers
I have never used "Jew" as a verb. I no longer "welsh" on debts, and I haven't used "gyp" since I was educated on the racism behind that term. Do I also need to stop using terms like "Mexican standoff", "Chinese firedrill", and "kabuki dance" if I intentionally don't want to create offense to a reasonable person in another cultural group? I grew up in very homogeneous
territory and so I'm still learning. Please school me.
I love words, I love colorful language and descriptors, but I don't want to be an ass. Words matter.
posted by availablelight
on Sep 17, 2012 -
58 answers
In Iraqi culture, does any whole number between 20 and 50 have special significance or associations (positive or negative)?
posted by kalapierson
on Mar 10, 2012 -
2 answers
To what extent do cultural values affect foreign policy making between U.S. and China?
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posted by espada0
on Feb 14, 2012 -
11 answers
I'm looking for recommendations for books related to the philosophy of education, especially those related to multicultural approaches to education or foreign language instruction.
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posted by one little who
on Aug 4, 2011 -
12 answers
Lacan writes about a "symbolic order," a realm of signs and culture constituting a separate domain from the "real." What other authors/thinkers (besides Lacanians, like Zizek, and their predicessors like Levy-Strauss) make use of this way of viewing the world?
posted by Obscure Reference
on Oct 4, 2010 -
15 answers
I live in Germany, and my German girlfriend's brother-in-law is originally from Nigeria. He is having trouble integrating. He's lived in the country (on and off) for 10 years, but continues to struggle with the language. To make matters worse, cultural differences are getting in the way of him establishing himself. What can I do to help him?
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posted by rhombus
on Sep 30, 2010 -
12 answers
I'm moving to the UK for the next three years and have some questions about my identity and language use.
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posted by iamkimiam
on May 5, 2010 -
41 answers
In Japan, there was—and maybe still is?—a practice of communicating via allusion. I figure there must be a name for that, so tell me what it is.
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posted by Su
on Apr 29, 2010 -
3 answers
Sacrifice, speech, writing and art: I am interested in the different ways in which a sacrifice, a sacrament, a spoken word and a written word act as signifiers. The notion for instance that the sacrament, at the point of its acceptance, is understood as
becoming the signified. What can you tell me / what has been written about the notions of sacrifice and their relationship to speech, art and the technologies of writing?
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posted by 0bvious
on Feb 24, 2010 -
8 answers
Is it a bad thing to call oneself a "gringa" (if one is indeed a caucasian American female) when speaking with Latinos? (context inside)
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posted by amyms
on Jan 20, 2010 -
27 answers
I'm half Dutch, but I've never been to The Netherlands. On my first trip there, where should I go, and what should I do, to get a better understanding of contemporary Dutch culture and language?
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posted by embrangled
on Oct 8, 2009 -
11 answers
Dating Across a Language Barrier: Can you share success stories and advice about relationships where you and your partner primarily spoke different languages?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 7, 2009 -
13 answers
Are there any human cultures, past or present, which have developed completely (or largely) distinct spoken and written languages?
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posted by nthdegx
on Apr 20, 2009 -
22 answers
I'd love to get tips/resources for 1) learning more about the Chinese language and culture for work travel, 2) doing graphic design for a Chinese audience and 3) learning more about working with Chinese writing (
this was helpful, for example).* Thoughts?
*Bonus points if anyone can tell me if there are any Chinese typefaces I could access that have a particularly whimsical, fun, or child-like feel. [more inside]
posted by miss lynnster
on Apr 12, 2009 -
12 answers
I am looking for writings on
mimesis in regards new, digital, hypertext and hypermedial technologies and cultures.
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posted by 0bvious
on Feb 16, 2009 -
7 answers
Looking for scenes with dialogue in G-rated movies, shows or cartoons that have hidden references for adults.
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posted by iamkimiam
on Oct 19, 2008 -
43 answers
What are the reasons for and against constitutionally requiring a specific national language?
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posted by netbros
on Aug 28, 2008 -
74 answers
Please help me with a fun multilingual translation? Quick and easy, all languages needed.
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posted by Meatbomb
on Aug 5, 2008 -
42 answers
When did adults in Western countries decrease using man/woman when speaking about themselves, e.g. describing their gender? How came this to be?
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posted by Foci for Analysis
on Jul 20, 2008 -
18 answers
Is Ooow Universal? If I kick a Masai warrior, Brazillian beach bum, an Eskimo or an Indonesian will the exclamation for pain be similar? What about Mmmmm?
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posted by sien
on Apr 9, 2008 -
23 answers
I am searching for examples of The Infinite, or the immeasurably large, in our mythologies and archetypes. I am also interested in the categories of Truth which came out of the emergence of Western, ontological thought. Does the trust in a rationally conceivable reality deny us the infinity of the mythological realm? By rooting ourselves in the present, and denying atemporal mythologies, do we also deny the infinite origins from where we came?
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posted by 0bvious
on Nov 28, 2007 -
22 answers
In languages which use different pronouns to distinguish 'you' (close, informal, equal) and 'you' (distant, formal, hierarchical), how is a shift between the two handled?
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posted by reynir
on Jan 27, 2007 -
50 answers
Recently I've been fascinated with the way a good actor doing good voice acting can convey a very specific character in movies or video games. (This may seem dumb, but the Demonhunter Illidan in WarCraft III has a particularly memorable voice). What I'm really wondering about, though, is the fact that all the examples of really effective, specific voice acting seem to be English-based.
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posted by dmaterialized
on Dec 25, 2006 -
11 answers
An op-ed piece argued that it feels right to avoid blasphemy in general conversation even while agreeing that our old blasphemy laws are a bad idea and unconstitutional. This was several years ago, in a secular publication, not written by clergy, and not specifically sectarian. It definitely did not focus on Islam. Any recollection of this? Thanks.
posted by Dave 9
on Aug 22, 2006 -
3 answers
How do I teach 10 or so Indonesian academics and postgraduate students how to "ace" their US Embassy visa interviews and "prep" for life in the US? Personal experiences with the US immigration process? What are some interview strategies you can pass on to my students?
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posted by mdonley
on Jun 2, 2006 -
2 answers
Does the re-purposing of the word "Nazi" in U.S. culture in recent years to mean
generic-overzealous-rule-enforcement instead of
Homicidal-Socialist-German-Workers-Party detract from the horror of the Holocaust and the other crimes perpetrated by actual Nazis?
Is the "Soup Nazi"-type usage of the word "Nazi" taking away the power of the word? If so, is that the right thing to do?
Is it causing greater estrangement in cultural relationships between the U.S. and Europeans?
How is the word "Nazi" used in your community/workplace/social circles?
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posted by Sprout the Vulgarian
on Mar 11, 2006 -
33 answers
It strikes me that English doesn't have any good words for genitalia. I attribute this to our repressed culture. Any words for our
naughty parts are either porn words, schoolkid words, or clinical. Can anyone think of some good words for the privates?
(Obviously there will be some raw language inside this question.)
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posted by jojopizza
on May 17, 2005 -
73 answers
Why are "aunt" and "uncle", emplyed in a nonfamilial sense, used as terms of endearment and honorifics in so many societies?
posted by deafmute
on Mar 31, 2005 -
17 answers
I'm looking for examples of language survival for many generations among small groups within a larger mono-linguistic society.
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posted by beagle
on Feb 21, 2005 -
27 answers
