Steve
Jones
Business English
Trainer, Translator,
Proofreader
Temat: Social balls-ups
The formality/ informality thing often gets me...The other day I took my son to his kindergarten and I recognised one of the mothers there, put on a smile and gave her a breezy 'czesc!'
She looked at me as if I'd just dropped my trousers and started to piss on the floor. Then, without a word, she ignored me.
After I'd calmed down I pondered on this and came to the conclusion that it was because I'd said 'czesc' instead of 'dzien dobry!'
Hardly crime of the 21st century, I thought. But apparently, immensely important.
So, there you go: I fucked up!