Other Definitions
faux pas (dict)
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Faux Pas - For the web comic, see Faux Pas (web comic).
A faux pas (IPA /ˌfoʊˈpɑː/) is a violation of accepted, although unwritten, social rules. Faux pas are very culture-specific; what is considered good manners in one culture can be considered a horrible faux pas in another. For example, in English-speaking Western countries it is usually considered good manners to bring a bottle of wine when coming to someone's house for dinner. In France, however, this is considered insulting as it seems to imply that the dinner hosts are unable to provide their own good wine ; instead, bringing flowers to the hostess is never a faux pas. The expression come from French: false step. Interestingly, 'faux pas' is not a common expression in French, it is high-level language. It is occasionally employed to describe a physical loss of balance or the general mistakes (for instance : mes faux pas dans la vie, the mistakes I made in my life) ; but it is hardly used in the figurative meaning applied to it in English. If you mention faux pas in this context during conversation in France, your interlocutor may think you are making a slight grammatical mistake with faut pas, colloquial pronounciation of il ne faut pas, meaning must not in English. To express faux pas' English meaning, the French usually would say gaffe, erreur. Note that faux pas is both the singular and plural, pronounced identically in both cases. A common mistake is to add a /z/ sound when referring to the plural. Examples in various cultures African Regions - A right-handed handshake.
Arab countries - Displaying the soles of your feet or touching somebody with your shoes.
- Eating with your left hand. Throughout most of the Middle East the left hand is reserved for bodily hygiene. Thus, the right hand should be used for eating.
Australia - Refusing a glass of beer when offered, for any reason, is considered akin to stating that one is too good to drink with the offeror.
China - Clearing your plate. Contrary to most countries, finishing your food is considered to be an insult to the generosity of your hosts.
Czech Republic - Shaking hands while wearing gloves.
Europe - Using a bidet as a toilet, a faux pas common with first-time visitors to Europe.
Finland - Not taking your shoes off when you enter somebody's home.
- Not finishing your food. This implies that food is so terrible that you couldn't eat it. Explanation and apologies should be provided in case of uneaten food.
France - Giving chrysanthemums to a host or hostess; in France, chrysanthemums are given to mourners after a death, and to give them at any other time is in bad taste.
- Bringing a bottle of wine with you when coming for a dinner in somebody's home suggests that the hosts are unable to provide their own good wine.
- Entering a house without being invited to do it ; in the house, leaving your coat without being invited to do it (you can ask : "May I ... ?")
- Asking for cheese after taking the dessert
- In private dinner, not finishing your meal : this implies the food is so poor you can't finish it, or your host doesn't balance correctly the quantity of food you need
Japan - Not taking your shoes off when you enter somebody's home.
- Nudging someone with your foot. (This may be taken as an indication that you regard the person you nudge as a social inferior.)
Romania; Russia; Slovakia; Hungary Sweden - Placing a phonecall to somebody after 10 p.m.
Spain - Giving money (for the petrol) to someone who gives you a ride home.
- Only students pay their own bill when going out for a drink. People in friendly terms routinely pay a round each (no accountants needed).
- People don't take their shoes off in public places, unlike other countries where it is more acceptable.
United Kingdom - Not offering a cup of tea to visitors.
- Not keeping your place in line.
- Not apologising if you and a stranger bump into each other, even if it was not your fault.
- Not finishing your food. This is considered an insult to the quality of the host's food.
- Signifying "two" of something by holding up two fingers with the back of the hand pointed towards the listener can be mistaken for an offensive gesture. Holding up two fingers with the hand held the other way (palm of the hand towards the listener) is perfectly acceptable.
United States - Significantly overestimating a person's age (underestimation, even to an implausible degree, is generally regarded as a sign of politeness).
- In Alaska and much of the Pacific Northwest, not taking your shoes off when you enter somebody's home.
- Not looking someone directly in the eye when speaking can be seen as evasive; this is in contrast to much of the rest of the world, where looking someone directly in the eye may be rude.
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