# Non-US Dopers: In your culture, what makes for polite conversation when you meet someone new? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949 "2024-06-16T15:09:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![velomont](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8491ac/32.png) [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/21 "2024-06-17T21:34:03Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Canada here And here as well, though I’ve moved so often, with the military, and we have such a wealth of diversity I will often ask if they are from whatever place I happen to be in. Unfortunately, with our current political situation, politics is a really bad choice. And amongst white Canadians, religion is almost irrelevant. Though where we’ve just moved to in Ottawa there’s a huge mix of cultures, many of whom are visibly Moslem, and I wouldn’t be comfortable discussing unless they offered. ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/22 "2024-06-17T21:35:48Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > They say we’re a people of 80 million national coaches. Hmmmm. Should I add that England is evidently a people of zero national coaches? j ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/23 "2024-06-17T21:37:33Z")
That’s a bit harsh. I know you all hate Southgate, but what if you pull it off at the Euro this time? ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/24 "2024-06-17T21:37:41Z")
Oh yeah, and you can whine about railways here as well. j ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/25 "2024-06-17T21:39:11Z")
Mea culpa. Not a football fan. But you can’t avoid the headlines. j ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2024, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/26 "2024-06-17T22:42:43Z")
In Israel you can complain about the heat, but you can’t complain about the rain. Rain is a rare and precious thing and complaining about it is downright unpatriotic. You can always complain about the traffic. ---
**Author:** ![zbuzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e19b73/32.png) [@zbuzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zbuzz)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/27 "2024-06-18T05:19:17Z")
[– “Did you see that ludicrous display last night?” – “What’s Wenger doing sending Walcott on that early?” – “Thing about Arsenal is, they always try and walk it in.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yN2H3--1aw) ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/28 "2024-06-18T08:20:15Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > That’s a bit harsh. I know you all hate Southgate, but what if you pull it off at the Euro this time? We don’t hate Southgate! ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/29 "2024-06-18T08:21:21Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > In Israel you can complain about the heat, but you can’t complain about the rain. Rain is a rare and precious thing and complaining about it is downright unpatriotic. In England you can complain about the rain, and the cold and most especially the heat. Despite it being a rare and precious thing. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/30 "2024-06-18T08:29:05Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > I know you all hate Southgate, but what if you pull it off at the Euro this time? Gareth is a top coach and has led England to fine achievements in the last three international tournaments. The problem is sections of our press that insist England are the favourites to win everything - when our world ranking shows we are in the top 5, bit NOT no. 1. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/31 "2024-06-18T09:33:09Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > We don’t hate Southgate I know FA (geddit?) about football, but I do know he’s got the reputation of getting his teams to behave more like grown-ups and less like flash-the-cash gits and a national embarrassment. To the extent that there’s a [successful West End play](https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/productions/dear-england/) about the transformation. Back to the original question: an Australian friend of mine told me that in Adelaide you’ll be asked who your family is, in Melbourne which school you went to, and in Sydney how much you paid for your house ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/32 "2024-06-18T09:59:51Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > Back to the original question: an Australian friend of mine told me that in Adelaide you’ll be asked who your family is, in Melbourne which school you went to, and in Sydney how much you paid for your house Based on my visits to Perth in the 1990s, the question there was, “What football team do you support?” Referring to Australian Rules Football, of course. The only acceptable answer was, “the West Coast Eagles, of course.” Say, “Geelong Cats,” or any East Coast team, and you’d have nobody to talk with at the pub. The Fremantle Dockers garnered some support among western Australians, when they came into being, but the Eagles had a huge following in Perth. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/33 "2024-06-18T11:59:38Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > the question there was, “What football team do you support?” Referring to Australian Rules Football, of course. Yep. Or, as they like to put it, “Who do you barrack for?” ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/34 "2024-06-18T12:29:51Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > in Melbourne which school you went to, I know the OP asked for non-US inputs, but here in St Louis, MO it’s traditional (and I think somewhat unusual among Americans) to ask what high school you went to. > [@](#): > > and in Sydney how much you paid for your house But this would be considered extremely rude. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/35 "2024-06-18T13:38:41Z")
Yes, I think that was rather the point of a rather tongue-in-cheek remark (my friend is a Sydneysider himself). As it happens, there’s a property sales website here in the UK whose latest series of commercials skit on people making [inappropriate comments on the value of other people’s houses](https://youtu.be/ppUjYnE7Mbg?feature=shared) ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/36 "2024-06-18T14:18:13Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > As it happens, there’s a property sales website here in the UK whose latest series of commercials skit on people making [inappropriate comments on the value of other people’s houses](https://youtu.be/ppUjYnE7Mbg?feature=shared) Around here, if they bought it within the past few years, and if you’re in the market to buy yourself, then asking falls under legitimate market research. Otherwise, it’s rude. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/37 "2024-06-18T16:07:12Z")
So much this. I don’t know if its really that common, only happened to me a couple times when visiting the US, but as s Canadian I find it wildly inappropriate when people ask what church we attend. It has only been rare for me, but when my wife was in Charleston a few years ago her and her friend were asked on multiple occasions. Pretty common to discuss occupation when meeting someone in Canada. Not first thing, but once you are at the stage of exploring someone’s experience/ interest it is quite typical. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/38 "2024-06-18T19:23:14Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > here in St Louis, MO it’s traditional (and I think somewhat unusual among Americans) to ask what high school you went to. Same in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In Boston it’s what distinct cultural neighborhood you’re from, like Upham’s Corner or Savin Hill (Dorchester micro neighborhoods). ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2024, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949/39 "2024-06-18T23:09:19Z")
> [@Jas09](#): > > here in St Louis, MO it’s traditional (and I think somewhat unusual among Americans) to ask what high school you went to Yeah I’ve heard this is a uniquely St. Louis thing and kind of a source of pride for the locals that they can tell so much about a person based on where they went to high school. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-us-dopers-in-your-culture-what-makes-for-polite-conversation-when-you-meet-someone-new/1002949.md?page=1)