Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h6K0xx707587; Sat, 19 Jul 2003 20:59:59 -0400 (EDT) Date: Sat, 19 Jul 2003 20:59:59 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <BB40185D.6A03%applepie@minos.ocn.ne.jp> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: $B9b66!!H~DE;R( <applepie@minos.ocn.ne.jp> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9208] Re: writing in esl X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-transfer-encoding: 7bit Content-type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII" Status: O Content-Length: 793 Lines: 30 Hello, I'd appreciate your voice on the following. There are many idiomatic expressions with nationality: some obsolete and some still in use, I guess. I myself don't use them often or at all, but have seen/read/heard them. Some of them are: It's all Greek to me. Pardon my French. Dutch treat. Japanese three S's, namely, smile, silence, sleeping (in an international meeting) etc., et. Are they offensive, obsolete, politically incorrect? Or are they just humorous? What about jokes of different nationalities? If someone tells a Jewish joke when a Jewish person is present, would it be offensive? Does it depend on how close the relationship is? Are there any other safe ones to use? or offensive one for that matter? Just the truth as you know it would be fine. Mitsuko Japan
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Mar 11 2004 - 12:16:15 EST