Why NOT in America?

Post by **Minimalist** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:08 am

Admit it. You guys like pissing off the French.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:30 am

Blast! I've been found out!

Mind you Min, it's not difficult!

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:43 am

Digit wrote:I don't know if you use the same term or not Min but one piece of casual UK English that drove the French mad was our 'yes, I agree with you, but', in other words, we don't agree!

We generally don't use the same phrasing, but my american colleagues, when dealing with an Italian firm didn't catch on. The americans would say "this needs to be taken care of" and the Italians would say "yes, we agree". Then the americas would walk away thinking it was going to be handled. They failed to see the Italians were saying "yes, someone should do it" but they were not saying "we will do it". It was the source of many disputes later in the project.

Must be something about those romance languages.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Sun May 27, 2007 10:57 am

One of the reasons I liked dealing with the American airforce was that they had a chain of command and when they said something needed doing, it got done. They were great to work with.

Rokcet Scientist · Post by **Rokcet Scientist** » Sun May 27, 2007 2:25 pm

Minimalist wrote:Ah, yes....

As George Carlin said many years ago.

"Flammable.....inflammable....non-inflammable. Why are there three? Doesn't it seem as if two words should be able to handle that concept? Either a things flams or it doesn't."

Yeah . . . there's nothing like the invigourating smell of fresh flams in the morning.