The dress of lace
Culture
capsule; Students usually wear casual, not formal, clothes to school. Jeans,
T-shirts, and sneakers are popular among both girls and boys. It is also
acceptable to dress up more. Students dress according to their personal
preferences and sometimes are influenced be fads, or the latest fashions.
In some private schools and
religious schools, students wear uniforms. Although public schools do not use
uniforms, they sometimes have “dress codes,” or rules about what clothes may
not be worn to school.
Trick or Treat
Culture
capsule: On Halloween, which comes on October 31, children go
“trick-or-treating”. The children dress up in costumes, often pretending to be
something scary, like ghosts and witches. They then go from house to house
asking for candy or other treats. If they don`t receive any, they might
threaten to play tricks-like overturning trash cans or spraying windows with
shaving cream. But most children do not really play tricks.
At Halloween time, you will see many
jack-o`-lanterns. These are pumpkins that have been cut to look like human
faces and often have a candle inside.
Coining
Culture
capsule; For certain illnesses like colds and flus, Americans often try home
remedies, that is, methods of getting better that do not involve a doctor or
medicines. For example, a person might stay in bed, have lots of soup and other
liquids, use hot steam to make the air moist, and take lots of vitamin C.
Americans also buy over-the-counter medicines are medicines that do nit require
a prescription, or signed order from a doctor.
For most illnesses, though,
Americans go to doctors, who examine them and often write out prescriptions.
Home remedies are less common in the United States than in other parts of the
world.
Hamburgers
From our
parents and our culture we learn what is considered good to eat and what is
considered bad, what is permitted and what is forbidden. In the United States,
no one eats dogs and most people will not eat horse meat. Some foods, although
not taboo, are not common either. So some Americas will not eat snails or raw
fish, for example.
Certain religious groups have
taboos-pork for Jews and Moslems, beef for Hindus. Even individuals may decide
not to eat certain foods. People who object to animals being killed may be
vegetarians and refuse to eat meat.
Eating the western way
In American
homes table setting usually just include a fork, a knife, and a small spoon. In
some restaurants, though, there may be two of each kind of utensil-one large
and one small. There is a small spoon for stirring coffee or tea and a larger
spoon for soup. The large fork and knife are for the main course. The small
fork is for salad or dessert, while the small knife is for buttering bread. for
some foods there are special utensils-for example, a very small fork for
shellfish and a spoon with a sharp edge
for grapefruit.
Usually, it is the more elegant
restaurants that use a lot of utensils. Many restaurants have only the basic
knife, fork, and spoon, and at places that sell pizza, people usually do not use
any utensils at all.
Potluck
Although
friends and neighbors sometimes “drop in,” usually Americans do not visit one
another without an invitation. If you are invited to someone`s home for dinner,
the invitation might be only for you and your spouse. Do not bring your
children or parents unless they were invited or you have asked the host. Do not
arrive earlier than the time mentioned and try not to be too late.
You might ask your hosts if you can
bring something. If they say no, then you call still bring a small gift-for
example, flowers, a box of candy, or a bottle of wine. If you are invited to a
potluck, of course, you are expected to bring some food.
Quit pulling my leg
There are
many idioms about legs in American English. “Pulling someone`s leg” means not
telling that person the truth. To “shake a leg” means to hurry, and if someone
tells you to “break a leg”, it means he or she is wishing you good luck.
Other parts of the body are also
frequently used in idioms. “Don`t lose your head” means to stay calm. To have
“sticky fingers” means to steal. To “win by a hair” means to barely win, and if
someone says you`re “wet behind the ears”, it means you lack experience.
Hand kissing
In the United States the form of
greeting depends on how well people know each other and on the situation. When
people are first introduced, they usually shake hands. Handshakes are
especially common in business or formal situations.
When two women friends meet, they
might hug and kiss one another on the cheek.(Although in many cultures people
kiss on both cheeks. Americans usually just kiss on one cheek) Male friends
would not kiss but might kiss on the cheek, even though they are not
romantically involved. If people know each other but not well, they might just
say hello. Friends often do this, too. A stranger might greet an older person
with a handshake. A grandchild would probably greet his or her grandparents
with hugs and kisses.
What should I call you?
Children are
called by their first names, but adults are often addressed by their last names
with a title in front. The title “Mr”
(mister) is used for men. The title “Miss” is used for single women.
“Mrs” (pronounced “missus”) is used for married women, and “Ms” (pronounced
“miz’’) is used for single or married women. In school, students usually
address their teachers by whichever of these titles is appropriate and their
last name (Ms. Fontes). In college, however, teachers are often called by the
special title “Professor” and their last name (Professor Dresser). Political
figures are also addressed with special titles (Senator Wong, Mayor Garey), as
are doctors (Dr. Daniel)
An Eye for an Eye
We communicate not only with words
but also with “body language” such as facial expressions, gestures, and
movements. Like words, body language differs from culture to culture. In some
cultures, for example, looking someone in the eye is disrespectful, but in the
United States it is a way of showing you are being honest and truthful.
Gestures are the easiest part of
body language to describe and learn. Some gestures are as common as words.
Moving your head up and down means yes. Moving your head from side to side
means no. Lifting your shoulders up and down means you don`t know. You can say
hello or goodbye by waving your hand up and down or from side to side.
Making a fist with the thumb
extended downward is a sign of disapproval, called “thumbs down”. Making a fist
with the thumb extended upward is a sign of approval, “thumbs up”. Another sign
that means everything is all right, or “A-OK”, is when the index finger joins
the thumb to look like a big O.
I want to hold your hand
in the United
States, unlike some cultures, lovers can walk down the street holding hands or
with their arms around each other. They may even kiss in public and people
usually won`t mind. A husband and wife
can also hold hands or kiss in public. On the other hand, although in many
cultures friends walk hand in hand or with their arms around each other,
friends in America rarely show affection in these ways.
Breaking up /ending a dating
relationship/
Some boys and
girls may start dating, or “going out”, as early as thirteen or fourteen years
old. That means they will go somewhere alone or with other friends without any
adults along. Later, when they can drive (about sixteen or seventeen), it is
acceptable for a boy and a girl to go out together in a car. Dating does not
mean that the boy and girl will get married. On the contrary, people think it
is a good idea for young adults to go out with different members of the
opposite sex. That way they will meet different kinds of people and learn what
kind of person they really want to marry.
Some couples who are in their twenties or
older may share an apartment and “live together” before they get married. They
think this helps to see whether a marriage might work. But many parents are
still opposed to young people living together before marriage.
Lady in Red
At a
traditional wedding, the bride wears a long, fancy white dress and veil and the
groom wears a tuxedo. Friends and family of the bride and groom take part in
the ceremony. The bride chooses a maid of honor to help her during the ceremony
and bridesmaids who also walk down the aisle. Generally, the maid of honor and
the bridesmaids wear matching dresses. The best man helps the groom during the
ceremony. He and the other male assistants, called ushers, all wear tuxedos, or
formal suits. Other wedding guests often wear their nicest clothing. There are
no rules, though, except that females generally do not wear white, to avoid
competing with the bride.
Different ethnic and religious
groups have their own customs for wedding, including customs about what to wear.
Also, many couples decide not to have traditional weddings, preferring wedding
ceremonies that are less formal.
Good luck and bad luck
Thirteen is
thought to be an unlucky number. Most hotels do not have a thirteenth floor or
a room number thirteen because people might not stay there. Friday the
thirteenth is thought to be an unlucky day. Many people do not want to do
anything dangerous, like have surgery, on Friday the thirteenth, and some do
not even like to leave their houses.
Some people believe that bad luck can come if a black cat crosses their path or
if they open an umbrella inside the house, walk under a ladder, or break a
mirror. There are also many superstitions about good luck. Some people think
they will have good luck if they find a four-leaf clover, hang a horseshoe over
their door, or wear a rabbit`s foot.
Respect
Generally,
Americans parents want their children to become independent. Therefore, they
often encourage their children to make their own decisions, give their own
opinions, and get jobs outside the home. It is also generally acceptable for
children over eighteen to move out and get their own apartments, especially
since eighteen is the usual age for finishing high school and going on to
college or getting a full-time job.
American parents may seem to be less
strict than parents in some other cultures. But rules and discipline vary a lot
from family to family; while some parents are lenient, others are strict.
School Daze /School days/
Teachers will
not be angry if students disagree. Actually, they like students who speak up in
class by asking questions and giving their own ideas. Because it encourages
participation, teachers often use small-group discussion to ask for students
opinions. Generally, teachers do not
require memorization of many facts.
Students are also encouraged to
participate in after-school activities such as sports teams, orchestra, and
leadership classes. It`s generally believed that students who have interests
beyond getting good grades will have more chance of getting into better
colleges and universities.
Who pays the check?
Women`s role
have been changing. Thirty years ago, most married women were housewives and
did not work outside the home. Today, most women have jobs, including jobs-such
as truck driver or business executive-that used to be held only by men.
With the changes in roles have come
changes in customs. Women used to expect that men would open doors for them,
but now they open their own. When a man invited a woman out for dinner, he was
expected to pay for everything. Today, a woman might share the expenses when
she goes out with a man. She can be the one who calls him up and asks him out.
She might even pay expenses for the entire date.
The Surprise
The United
States has no official religion, as the U.S. Constitution says that church and
state (religion and government) must be kept separate. This is not surprising
since many early settlers (like many later immigrants) came to the United
States for religious freedom. For this reason, it is also not so surprising
that the United States has thousands of religions. Over 90 percent of Americans
are Christians, but Christianity in the United States includes many different
groups.
Religion plays an important part in
the lives of many Americans. In addition to being places of worship, churches
and temples are centers for education, social activities, and community events.
