- You are, no doubt, a smooth operator in all climes. See if you can match the tasteless question with the country where it would be offensive.
-
A. Where do you live? 1. Qatar B. How's your wife? 2. France C. What did that cost? 3. England
-
- In Belgium, which has the most complex legislation regarding language in Europe, your Flemish, French, and German skills may be exercised. True or false: Flemish is a variety of Dutch.
- You are hosting a meeting in Wisconsin for Chinese executives. Which is not a blunder?
- A. Holding the meeting in room 444
- B. Passing out green caps (perhaps from the Green Bay Packers!)
- C. Staying out late entertaining your guests
- D. Serving Wisconsin cheese at every meal
- True or false: Chileans think diamond-studded gold jewelry on men is uncouth.
- True or false: It is a social gaffe to arrive on time for a dinner party in Mexico City.
- Citizens of which country revel in "cutting down the tall poppy"(their phrase for deflating pompous people)?
- A. Uruguay
- B. Jamaica
- C. Australia
- Suffering from a miserable cold, you travel to Japan. True or false: It is appropriate to use a handkerchief as discreetly as possible during your meetings.
- Which of the following behaviors are not mal éléve(ill-mannered) in France?
- A. Going to the bathroom during a meeting
- B. Asking whom one voted for in the last election
- C. Feeding your dog from the chair next to you in a restaurant
- Translation blunders often occur even among English speakers. True or false: The 1993 Warner Brothers' film Free Willy left many Londoners helpless with laughter.
- Your elegant business card, which contains a great deal of red, draws peculiar looks from some international clients. This is because:
- A. Buddhists write one's name in red when they are dead.
- B. Some Mexicans find a name in red offensive.
- C. Red is the color of mourning in parts of Africa.
- D. All of the above.
[tooltip trigger="ANSWERS" width="800" sticky="true"]
- A, 3; B, 1; C, 2 One's home is a personal affair for the English. In Islamic countries, wives are not a topic for conversation. Discussions of money - but not sex! - make the French uncomfortable.
- True.
- C. The number 4 is inauspicious in Chinese (it sounds like end); a green hat means you are a cuckold; many Chinese are lactose-intolerant.
- True. Chileans interpret a man's obvious display of jewelry as proof that he is in business to amass personal wealth, and has the indiscretion to show it.
- True. Guests commonly arrive an hour late for dinner.
- C. Australians value modesty, and often sit in front in taxis so they won't appear self-important.
- False. The Japanese find the custom of preserving mucous in a carefully folded handkerchief to be grotesque. Use disposable tissues.
- C. Dogs are welcome in many French establishments.
- True. In England, the word willy is slang for penis.
- D.
[/tooltip]