Questions tagged [culture]
33 questions
35
votes
7 answers
How offensive is Fachidiot?
I'm trying to understand how offensive the word Fachidiot is.
Is the idiot bit just tongue in cheek or does it imply a lack of intelligence?
Does it somehow imply the person is at least an expert in his field?
Could it be someone self-absorbed,…
Pierre Pieyet
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34
votes
5 answers
Do Germans count on fingers starting from the thumb?
I’ve watched the Inglourious Basterds movie. In the bar scene the English spy is ordering three beers and held his three fingers up and by this giving himself away.
Is it true in the real life? When the natives count on fingers do they start from…
optim1st
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25
votes
11 answers
Is it okay to have an email address called "SS"?
One of our employees has a name like “Stephen Starr”. Since our company email addresses are based on initials, this means that his email address should be ss@example.com.
Another of our employees say that this would make it very hard to deal with…
Just_a_dane
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15
votes
1 answer
Why do German students knock on the desk?
When I was in Germany it was my first lecture and I was a little bit sleepy. Suddenly I woke up because all students were knocking on the desk, at first I thought there was a strike. But later I realized that it is a normal act of students at the…
Dragut
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8
votes
1 answer
Culture curiosity. Baloon with a wish
It is a question more about culture than German language.
I live in Poland. Last week I found in my garden a balloon out of the gas.
On the balloon there was a drawing of a girl saying
Viel Spaß mit Carina
There was a Sheet of paper with a wish…
mpasko256
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3
votes
1 answer
Was ist der Düsseldorfer Radschläger?
I've heard a story about Düsseldorf and Düsseldorfer Radschläger was mentioned like the first assoсiation connected with this city.
Is it some kind of local tradition or a person?
optim1st
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2
votes
1 answer
What can you say after introducing yourself?
In the US shaking hands and saying your name followed by “Nice to meet you” is more or less universal (correct me if I’m wrong).
This turns out to be a really deep-rooted and important social custom for me that I found difficulty shaking when living…
Julius Hamilton
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-1
votes
2 answers
"Kids These Days"
This is a question more about culture than language specifically but I hope it is still appropriate here.
It's a common topic in current media commentary (in English) to complain about the problems with younger people. They don't want to work,…
Mitch
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