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Have British people always kissed each other on the cheek?
Comments
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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!0 -
Lol. It seems there's a lot of stiff-upper-lipped British here.0
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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!0
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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...0
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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'.0
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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.0
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Soundgirlrocks wrote: »But its about gaging the situation,
Do you mean gagging?0 -
Maybe it depends on who's offering the kiss?Gloomendoom wrote: »Do you mean gagging?
(I suspect she meant gauging)Everything will be alright in the end so, if it’s not yet alright, it means it’s not yet the endQuidquid Latine dictum sit altum videtur0 -
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.0
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