How British and American First Meetings Differ

Step into a traditional English pub, it’ll be a while before everyone knows your name. A long while, in fact. The rules of conversational engagement are different in the UK from what you’d find in a place like Cheers. Kate Fox’s Passport to the Pub: The Tourist’s Guide to Pub Etiquette spells out many of the customs. For example, at English pubs, it’s better not to go for a handshake. Lynne Murphy, an American linguist living in the UK, addresses these differences in her blog Separated By a Common Language. This is part of a complete episode.