Is there a word or a term for a pop-culture handshake? [more inside]
posted by flatluigi on Dec 4, 2009 - 15 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? [more inside]
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? [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Oct 7, 2009 - 13 answers

What are some interesting blogs that touch on both the language and culture of a country? [more inside]
posted by ElectricBlue on Jun 28, 2009 - 7 answers

Are there any human cultures, past or present, which have developed completely (or largely) distinct spoken and written languages? [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Feb 16, 2009 - 7 answers

Is there some linguistic or cultural explanation for mistakenly calling Firefox FoxFire? [more inside]
posted by odinsdream on Jan 7, 2009 - 31 answers

Looking for scenes with dialogue in G-rated movies, shows or cartoons that have hidden references for adults. [more inside]
posted by iamkimiam on Oct 19, 2008 - 43 answers

What are the reasons for and against constitutionally requiring a specific national language? [more inside]
posted by netbros on Aug 28, 2008 - 74 answers

Please help me with a fun multilingual translation? Quick and easy, all languages needed. [more inside]
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? [more inside]
posted by Foci for Analysis on Jul 20, 2008 - 18 answers

How do you fake American? [more inside]
posted by lpsguy on Apr 10, 2008 - 66 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? [more inside]
posted by sien on Apr 9, 2008 - 23 answers

I am looking for writings on the infinity of definition. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Mar 13, 2008 - 32 answers

What is the origin and meaning of "I can has a cheeseburger?"
posted by NorthCoastCafe on Mar 10, 2008 - 8 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? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious on Nov 28, 2007 - 22 answers

What words do you know which have a strong dissonance between their form and meaning? [more inside]
posted by Jon Mitchell on Nov 3, 2007 - 88 answers

Is there such a thing as a common Italian surname? [more inside]
posted by yalestar on Oct 11, 2007 - 29 answers

How is the English language regarded in Japanese culture? [more inside]
posted by ibmcginty on Aug 25, 2007 - 16 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? [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by dmaterialized on Dec 25, 2006 - 11 answers

Why the random English words used in asian language programming? [more inside]
posted by twiggy on Nov 16, 2006 - 12 answers

LanguageArts: to the bilingual (or more) people in the hive... [more inside]
posted by seawallrunner on Sep 5, 2006 - 24 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

Albania - where to stay, what to do? [more inside]
posted by lorrer on Jun 19, 2006 - 4 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? [more inside]
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? [more inside]
posted by Sprout the Vulgarian on Mar 11, 2006 - 33 answers

Are Americans really all that ignorant? [more inside]
posted by BigBrownBear on Nov 18, 2005 - 84 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.) [more inside]
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. [more inside]
posted by beagle on Feb 21, 2005 - 27 answers

What concepts do not exist in the English language? [mi] [more inside]
posted by pedantic on Sep 27, 2004 - 80 answers