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Have British people always kissed each other on the cheek?

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  • tikki999
    tikki999 Posts: 45 Forumite
    No, definitely not. It seems to have become a 'thing' through the 90s...
    I originate from a European culture that does do cheek kissing and I feel very comfortable with it with family and good friends.
    Where I feel it's gone awry in UK is that people I barely know go in for a kiss! Why? No-one in my country of origin would kiss a stranger. It's a handshake only situation - man or woman.
    Each culture has its tradition of one or two or even three or four cheek kisses!
    So, once it started up here I was getting so confused because Brits go for one, but in my culture it's two, cue some confused, startled and red faces. Then I met some people working abroad from another culture who go for 4!
  • Laz123
    Laz123 Posts: 1,742 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Lol. It seems there's a lot of stiff-upper-lipped British here.
  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,499 Forumite
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    Laz123 wrote: »
    Lol. It seems there's a lot of stiff-upper-lipped British here.
    You call it 'stiff upper-lip' others may call it 'appropriate boundaries' :)
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  • Standard thing to do after a round of golf. The hard bit is remembering which ladies like two which like one!
  • trailingspouse
    trailingspouse Posts: 4,042 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts
    I don't mind with family, but find if very awkward in a work setting. OH and I run a business and often visit clients together. OH and client - manly handshake. Me and client - he moves in for a kiss on the cheek, I move away (I'm ready for it these days), he gets a bit miffed. Very irritating.
    No longer a spouse, or trailing, but MSE won't allow me to change my username...
  • sheramber
    sheramber Posts: 22,523 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts I've been Money Tipped! Name Dropper
    Not done in my circle of acquaintances apart from at New Year, but my son has a Romanian girlfriend who does hug but always says 'Can I give you a hug'.
  • Depends on the situation, it's not a new thing, I work and socialise in an artistic environment so kiss on the cheek, normally as a goodbye is normal. But its about gaging the situation, there are some people I would never kiss as it would feel weird.
  • Gloomendoom
    Gloomendoom Posts: 16,551 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    But its about gaging the situation,

    Do you mean gagging?
  • jackieblack
    jackieblack Posts: 10,499 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    Do you mean gagging?
    Maybe it depends on who's offering the kiss? :D


    (I suspect she meant gauging)
    2.22kWp Solar PV system installed Oct 2010, Fronius IG20 Inverter, south facing (-5 deg), 30 degree pitch, no shading
    Everything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the end
    MFW #4 OPs: 2018 £866.89, 2019 £1322.33, 2020 £1337.07
    2021 £1250.00, 2022 £1500.00, 2023 £1500, 2024 £1350
    2025 target = £1200, YTD £690
    Quidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur
  • onlyroz
    onlyroz Posts: 17,661 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    From a work colleague? No way would I accept that. From an elderly relative - I'd probably tolerate it but move away as soon as I could.
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