<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 06<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(0, 104, 28);">Hellinckx Luc</span> <span class="go"><<a href="mailto:luc.hellinckx@gmail.com">luc.hellinckx@gmail.com</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 "Delectables"</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;">Beste Ron,</span><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">How one expression can tell more about ethics than a whole dissertation:Â </div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
"Are you still <b style="font-size: 15px;">working</b> on that?"</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">I
got to know this question is usually asked by American waiters when
people have (almost) finished their meal. I honestly couldn't believe
it at first, but after some research, I found out it's true.</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">OK,
the question may have somewhat lost its initial meaning, but to a high
degree it still reflects the predominant value of "work" in American
society. First of all, in many (most?) countries it's considered quite
rude to actually ask people if they have finished their meal, and
secondly...the verb: "to work". </div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">To work?!?</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">It
really sounds as if "eating" is some necessary evil that you have to
get over with as soon as possible. Something that you may even have to
feel guilty about? Is eating considered like a job? In my opinion, it's
the waiter who should be working and not the customer. Part of his job
is to serve and make customers feel at ease. To my knowledge, "Ober" is
not short for "Obersturmbahnführer" ;=)</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">But
then again, the Southern Dutch are mockingly called Burgundians by the
Northerners, so maybe religion does play a role in all this? Where did
this American habit come from? Is it also custom when people are merely
having a drink?</div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><br></div><div style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Kind greetings,</div><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" color="#888888"><div>
<br></div><div>Luc Hellinckx</div></font><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;"><br style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">From: R. F. Hahn <<a href="mailto:sassisch@yahoo.com" target="_blank">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><i>Ja, ja! Andere Länder, andere Sitten.</i><br><br></span><ol style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">
<li>In the US and Canada, a familiar, casual tone is now fashionable in the catering industry and in most other areas of customer communication. It's perceived as friendly, as opposed to the older subservient or servile behavior that is still the norm in most other countries, especially Europe. I am surprised, though, that that American waiter has not been briefed that his tone and expressions might offend or at least mystify European customers. Personally, perhaps because I am used to it, I prefer the more casual tone, because, while I'm for politeness, I'm not crazy about expressions of subservience, especially when they are fake and are accompanied by surly expressions and rude behavior as I have encountered plenty of times in Europe. Besides, American waiters depend on tips, and this motivates them to be "friendly".<br>
<br></li><li>Personally I believe that "working on it" in connection with food originally had to do with children that did not <i>want</i> to finish their meals, so introduced into an adult context it has a bit of a funny ring to it.</li>
</ol><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;">
•
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