A common language

[frequent]

This weekend's Financial Times includes a short discussion about the faux pas that follow from using a common language in foreign settings (https://app.ft.com/content/997ec572-8ffe-11e8-b639-7680cedcc421?sectionid=columnists). The first example is about the America intolerance for British irreverence: "On evenings out eating, drinking and laughing with corporate types, I have occasionally extended the jokes to their own organisations and bosses. Stony silence. Once I appeared on panel at a New York conference on corporate social responsibility. During the discussion someone asked how we could get across that responsibility was good for the bottom line. I said much as I was in favour of corporate responsibility, there was no consistent evidence that it was good for the bottom line. As I stepped from the stage it became clear that this had not gone well. The organiser mouthed a frosty "thank you", and everyone else avoided my gaze. I had expressed disbelief to a community of believers."

It reminds me of the time when I attempted to run a workshop on documenting Monty Python's Ministry of Silly Walks to the assembled believers in the value of the quality standard ISO9000. There's an interview with Jennifer Saunders I saw once where she reminisces about the faux pas she almost committed attending a conference in New York with Joanna Lumley to honour them for their support in Absolutely Fabulous for gay people - despite the manic disrespect for everything that AbFab stood for, she was expected to be serious

[scottish-guy]

Does the Financial Times sell many copies in Pattaya?

Maybe if they included an index of currency exchange booth rates on Walking Street, Viagra prices at various pharmacies, and a breakdown of where you can buy breakfast for under 120B .....

[paborn]

Here's an idea. As you're always complaining that English is a "foreign language" to Americans; perhaps you failed to communicate. Did you know that the largest secondary market for BBC programs and comedy shows is the US Public Broadcasting System (PBS) ? There is a huge audience for British comedy and irreverance. There are even several purely British streaming services.

I have a feeling the failure was all yours.