<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">===========================================<br>L O W L A N D S - L - 01 May 2009 - Volume 08<br style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);"><span style="color: rgb(153, 153, 153);">Encoding: Unicode (UTF-08)</span><br>
===========================================<br></div><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="gI"><span class="gD" style="color: rgb(121, 6, 25);">LUCAS ANNEAR</span> <span class="go"><<a href="mailto:annear@wisc.edu">annear@wisc.edu</a>></span></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Subject: </span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="gI">LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.01 (06) [E]<br><br></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Luc,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Although I'm American and have thus heard it my entire life, I think of
it as nearing the end of a really good meal that you want to finish but
are having troubles fitting in your stomach ; ) Â It _is_ work to finish
some meals, even when you want to!</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
I think it would also be neat to look into the semantics of the phrase
"work on" and also to see how the instances when it is used relate to
each other. Â Clearly when we hear the phrase we don't think of any bad
connotations regarding the word "work", or think of what we're doing as
something that we don't want to do.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
-Luke</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
Madison, Wisconsin, USA</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div><span id="q_120feb887a25328a_1" class="h4"></span></div><div class="h5"><br>
----- Original Message -----<br>
From: Lowlands-L List <<a href="mailto:lowlands.list@GMAIL.COM">lowlands.list@GMAIL.COM</a>><br>
Date: Saturday, May 2, 2009 1:50 am<br>
Subject: LL-L "Idiomatica" 2009.05.01 (06) [E]<br>
To: <a href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG">LOWLANDS-L@LISTSERV.LINGUISTLIST.ORG</a><br>
<br>
<br>
> From: Hellinckx Luc <<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</a>><br>
> Subject: LL-L "Delectables"<br>
><br>
> Beste Ron,<br>
><br>
> How one expression can tell more about ethics than a whole dissertation:<br>
><br>
> "Are you still *working* on that?"<br>
><br>
> I got to know this question is usually asked by American waiters when<br>
> people<br>
> have (almost) finished their meal. I honestly couldn't believe it at first,<br>
> but after some research, I found out it's true.<br>
> OK, the question may have somewhat lost its initial meaning, but to a<br>
> high<br>
> degree it still reflects the predominant value of "work" in American<br>
> society. First of all, in many (most?) countries it's considered quite<br>
> rude<br>
> to actually ask people if they have finished their meal, and secondly...the<br>
> verb: "to work".<br>
><br>
> To work?!?<br>
><br>
> It really sounds as if "eating" is some necessary evil that you have<br>
> to get<br>
> over with as soon as possible. Something that you may even have to feel<br>
> guilty about? Is eating considered like a job? In my opinion, it's the<br>
> waiter who should be working and not the customer. Part of his job is<br>
> to<br>
> serve and make customers feel at ease. To my knowledge, "Ober" is not<br>
> short<br>
> for "Obersturmbahnführer" ;=)<br>
><br>
> But then again, the Southern Dutch are mockingly called Burgundians by<br>
> the<br>
> Northerners, so maybe religion does play a role in all this? Where did<br>
> this<br>
> American habit come from? Is it also custom when people are merely<br>
> having a<br>
> drink?<br>
><br>
> Kind greetings,<br>
><br>
> Luc Hellinckx<br>
><br>
> ----------<br>
><br>
> From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com">sassisch@yahoo.com</a>><br>
> Subject: Idiomatica<br>
><br>
> Hey, Luc!<br>
><br>
> Ha-ha! Am I surprised to "hear" The Luc psychoanalyzing that expression?<br>
><br>
</div></div><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> *Ja, ja! Andere Länder, andere Sitten.*</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Â Â 1. In the US and Canada, a familiar, casual tone is now fashionable</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" class="im">> in<br>
> Â Â the catering industry and in most other areas of customer communication.<br>
> Â Â It's perceived as friendly, as opposed to the older subservient or<br>
> servile<br>
> Â Â behavior that is still the norm in most other countries, especially<br>
> Europe.<br>
> Â Â I am surprised, though, that that American waiter has not been<br>
> briefed that<br>
> Â Â his tone and expressions might offend or at least mystify European<br>
> Â Â customers. Personally, perhaps because I am used to it, I prefer<br>
> the more<br>
> Â Â casual tone, because, while I'm for politeness, I'm not crazy about<br>
> Â Â expressions of subservience, especially when they are fake and are<br>
> Â Â accompanied by surly expressions and rude behavior as I have encountered<br>
> Â Â plenty of times in Europe. Besides, American waiters depend on<br>
> tips, and<br>
> Â Â this motivates them to be "friendly".<br>
><br>
</div><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Â Â 2. Personally I believe that "working on it" in connection with food</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">> Â Â originally had to do with children that did not *want* to finish their</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Â Â meals, so introduced into an adult context it has a bit of a funny</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> ring to</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Â Â it.</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
></span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Regards,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Reinhard/Ron</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
> Seattle, USA</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
•
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