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Caroline C- 05:08am Oct 19, 1998 (1.)
J'ai entendu dire que se servir librememt dans le frigidaire
etait une sorte de tradition en Amerique. D'apres vos reponses
et vos observations, cela n'a pas l'air d'etre le cas. qu'en dites-vous
?
I have always thought that it was proper to ask someone if it was o.k. to look in their fridge. Or better yet, simply ask someone if they could get something for me. I don't really know why it would be thought that we simply go and open each other's refrigerators.
On the other hand, I guess that there is nothing wrong with
it. After all, what could someone possibly hide in their fridge?
A cadaver?
Getting into someone else's fridge is like drinking out of
the milk carton and putting it back. When I think of someone helping
themselves to food, I think of what I've grown up watching on
televsion (sorry to keep bringing up television, but we see this
sort of thing all the time on 'Cosby Show' 'Growing Pains' etc.),
but not even my best friends do this sort of thing in my home.
J'ai l'impression que beaucoup plus de français que
d'américains utilisent l'ironie pour se sortir de ce genre
de situation. Est-ce une réalité ou bien me trompe-je?
I think that Americans use irony just as much as the French
in a situation like this. Americans like to joke around with each
other, and often use sarcasm to slip in the truth in a round-about
way. It makes certain comments less aggressive but can still get
the point across.
I wouldn't say that going into someone's refrigerator is a tradition in America. I think it really depends on who the person is, where you are, why they are doing it, etc. For instance, if a good friend comes into my (dorm) room and they look in my refrigerator, I wouldn't really care. But if the same friend came to visit me at my parents' house, I might think that was rude. And if someone I barely know came into my room and opened my refrigerator, I would think that was rude too.
As far as using irony to get out of this sort of situation,
I think it is fairly common in the US. It seems less confrontational
to make a joke about it being rude than to seriously say something.
The use of irony by Americans, I think depends on who the person
is and what one's relationship with the person is. Personally,
if I have a friend over I don't care if they go to the fridge
to get a bite to eat. Although if they do this, I usually ask
them if I can get them something because they are my guest and
it is my responsibility to serve them. Also, they most likely
wouldn't know their way around or where any thing is. Now, if
my best friend were to come over, she just goes through the fridge
and I let her because she knows her way around my kitchen. I think
the reaction to this situation, similar to the other situations
in the questionaire, depends on several varibles.