UK, Ireland /
ARE BRITS MEANER AND LESS HOSPITABLE THAN POLES? [79]
I've stayed with some very hospitable Poles. There is nearly always a bottle of vodka opened, and if not, a beer is quite likely. I just assumed that I come from a family of inhospitable people. If I go round to my Dad's house, it is unlikely that even a chair will be offered. A cup of tea might take about half to three quarters of an hour. At least having somewhere to sit down is one of the absolute basics of hospitality. I don't think I take after my father in this respect. I always offer food and/or drink, and never fail to find somewhere for guests to rest their arses. Many have to endure a tour of the garden though.
Drinking in rounds does cut down queuing time in pubs, and it is easy enough to say no (or so I've been told).
coin-operated gas ring
Go into a shop and see if you can get a Mars bar without paying.
The idea that Scottish people are thrifty (mean) is perpetuated both by Scots and others. Some quite like this stereotype because it means people are less likely to ask to borrow things, and will be pleasantly suprised when generosity is on display. A bit like the way I like the stereotypes about the English - that we talk like "fwa fwa fwa", run naked around foreign cities whilst vomiting, and generally thinking we can and do run the entire world when in fact, we find it difficult running our own bathwater.
Stereotypes are stereotypes, P3. They often have some basis in reality, but that reality may be one of the past, and they certainly never apply to everyone to whom they are applied.
Isn't that the place you wipe your feet on the way out of?
It's for when the fish and chip shop runs out of vinegar.
