What are the taboos in the UK?

Three taboos

Don’t queue up. British people have the habit of queuing up. You can see them lining up one by one to get on the bus or train or buy a newspaper. Gagging is a disgraceful act.

Don’t ask a woman’s age. British people don’t like to talk about a man’s salary and a woman’s age. You shouldn’t even ask how much the furniture in his home is worth. It is also very inappropriate if you ask a woman her age, because she thinks it is her own secret, and everyone wants to stay young forever, and there is nothing better than saying to a middle-aged woman, "You look so young." What a better compliment. There is no doubt that every woman's hairstyle, makeup and clothes are to make herself look more beautiful and younger, but if her dress makes people feel too deliberate, then others will criticize her and say that she "appears". Tacky”.

Don’t bargain. When shopping in the UK, the most taboo thing is haggling. The British don't like haggling and think it is very embarrassing. If you are purchasing a valuable piece of art or a large quantity of merchandise, you also need to be careful to agree on a full price with the seller. British people seldom bargain. If they think the price of an item is right, they will buy it. If they think the price is right, they will walk away.

The number 13 is taboo in English-speaking countries. According to the Bible, at the Last Supper, Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was the 13th person at the table, so 13 is the number of the murderer. Therefore, there is no room number 13 in the hotel, it is taboo to entertain more than 13 people, and important events are avoided on the 13th of every month. Another example is that in Western countries such as Britain and the United States, black cats are considered taboo animals. If people encounter a black cat crossing the road, it will be a sign of impending disaster. Taboos are almost everywhere. Here we only introduce those taboos that are crucial in cross-cultural communication.

1. Social taboos

In English-speaking countries, you need to make an appointment in advance to visit someone, and sudden visits are avoided. Otherwise, the respondent will feel unhappy because this unexpected visit disrupts his work schedule and causes great inconvenience to him. Appointed visits generally need to be on time, but customarily, especially for banquets or gatherings, Americans are accustomed to arriving 3-5 minutes late, and there is no problem being 10 minutes late. This is to give the hostess some time to change clothes and put on makeup.

Of course, people in English-speaking countries still have one of the biggest taboos, and that is personal privacy. There is a proverb in English: A man's home is his castle. (A man's home is his castle.) It means: A man's home is sacred and inviolable, and no one is allowed to enter without permission. The same goes for personal matters. You don't need to let others know, and you don't want others to interfere. Asking about personal matters such as age, property, salary, marriage, love, religious beliefs, political leanings, etc. is another way to invade someone else's "castle." So questions like "How old are you?", "What's your income?", "How much did that dress cost you?", "Are you married or single?", "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?", "Are you a Republican or a Democrat?" you Catholic?” This type of question must be avoided. If you really want to know someone else's situation in this regard, you can first talk about your own situation, and then induce the other person to take the initiative to talk about his/her situation.

In addition, English-speaking countries have the habit of giving flowers as gifts, which also has some taboos. First of all, avoid giving even numbers of flowers, because even numbers of flowers will bring bad luck. It is also taboo to send white flowers, such as white lilies, which are seen as a sign of bad luck or a symbol of death. In addition, avoid sending white or red and white flowers to hospital patients.

2. Holiday taboos

Christmas is a big holiday in the West, and the taboos of this holiday are mainly related to Christmas pudding. Many Westerners believe that stirring pudding can make them good in the coming year. Therefore, when making Christmas pudding, each member of the family stirs the pudding at least once and makes a wish that they believe is very likely to come true. But please note that the pudding can only be stirred in a clockwise direction, not counterclockwise; you cannot tell anyone about your wishes.

In Western Christian countries, most people believe in the story of Jesus being betrayed by traitors and crucified on the cross. To commemorate him, "Good Friday" was established, which is the Friday closest to Easter every year. Westerners generally think this is an unlucky day. On this day, it is absolutely forbidden to engage in anything that is symbolically linked to Jesus’ crucifixion. Such as haircuts, shoeing horses, and all carpentry work that requires nailing.

3. Superstitions and taboos

There are some common superstitions and taboos in British and American society, as follows:

1) To get out of bed on the wrong side means you will have a bad day. If you get out of bed in the wrong direction, your day will not go well.

2) It is unlucky to have a black cat cross the road in front of you.

3) The bride should not see the husband on the morning before the wedding. The bride should not see her husband on the morning before the wedding.

4) Cattle lying down indicates rain. Cattle lying down indicates rain.

5) A cricket in the house is good luck. A cricket in the house will bring good luck.

6) To pass under a ladder brings bad luck.

7) Lighting three cigarettes from one match brings bad luck to the third person.

8) To break a mirror brings seven years' bad luck.

9) Carrying a rabbit's foot brings good luck. Carrying a rabbit's foot brings good luck.

10) Opening an umbrella in the house is bad luck. Opening an umbrella in the house is bad luck.

Some of these superstitions have their own popular sayings, but many of them cannot be verified. For example: In countries such as Britain and the United States, people all like cats, but there are various taboos against black cats. In the UK, people often associate black cats with witches. The witch is an abhorrent image in British culture: an old woman wearing a pointed hat, riding a broom, and "making trouble" everywhere. According to legend, witches are often accompanied by a black cat. So to this day, many people still believe that black cats are the main culprits.

4. Racial slurs

In English, racial slurs are an important part of language taboos. This phenomenon is particularly evident in American English. Black people in the United States have suffered heavy discrimination in history. The racial slurs used to curse black people in the past have become sensitive and become taboo words. For example, nigger is a completely taboo word with a strong insulting tone, and negro has a connotation of contempt and is also a taboo word. Now people call black Americans blacks or African American. There are also some words containing "black" in English that are also taboo. In English, "white" means "innocence", "purity", "clean", "charity", etc. - these are all positive connotations of praise; while "black" is related to "evil", "sin", "dirty", etc. Such as: blackguard (villain), blacklist (blacklist), black mark (stain), etc. The "prodigal son" that the whole family is ashamed of is called black sheep, not white sheep.

A lie without malice is called a white lie, which is not as bad as an ordinary lie (an ordinary lie) or a black lie (a lie with sinister intentions)