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Word of the Day: Faux pas
It’s tough to understand another culture without living there for a while, which means if you travel overseas, you will commit a faux pas or two.
A faux pas is a social mistake or an act considered impolite by the locals.
Often, faux pas are not intentional, but they still create awkward situations.
For example, did you know that putting ketchup on a hotdog is a serious faux pas in many American cities?
Yeah, I know, right?
What’s wrong with that?
As a Canadian, I’ve been putting ketchup on my hotdogs since I could lift the bottle.
In the States, though, putting ketchup on a hotdog or even asking for ketchup at a hotdog stand could be a serious faux pas.
Americans are passionate about what others put on their hotdogs.
If you ever come to Japan, you should never wear your shoes inside a home.
That is a serious faux pas.
Japanese always remove their shoes in the vestibule.
Again, because I come from Canada, I’ve never worn my shoes inside a house.
Most of the year, the weather in Canada is not dry and warm.
It’s cold, wet and dirty outside.
People tend to wear heavy boots, which are not very comfortable to wear inside and which make a godawful mess if worn indoors.
So, please take my advice and never wear your shoes in a Canadian house to avoid committing a serious cultural no-no.
When I was a young boy, it seemed like everyone and their dog smoked.
Things have changed through the years, and these days, lighting up a cigarette is a serious faux pas if there is another person within 500m of you.
When you go overseas, be prepared to commit a faux pas or two and hope your hosts are understanding.
Flesch-Kincaid Readability Test
This post is understandable by someone with at least a 7th-grade education (age 12).
On the Flesch-Kincaid reading-ease test, this post scores 72.
The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.