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Introductions and Opening Conversation Gambits

In formal situations, a man is introduced to a woman, unless he is much older and more senior. Young men are introduced to older men and young women to older women.

А: Wendy, I'd like you to meet my brother, Sam.

В: How do you do?

С: How do you do?

В: What do you think of life in England?

С: I'm still feeling pretty homesick.

В: It's bound to¹ be strange at first.

_________

¹ bound to: sure to

***

— Mrs. Hughes, this is Peter Brown.

— How do you do?

— How do you do?

— How do you find things over here?

— If it wasn't for the climate, I'd like it very much.

— It won't take you long to settle down.

***

— Mother, this is Joe's brother, David.

— How do you do?

— How do you like London?

— It's quite different from what I expected.

— Don’t worry; you’ll soon get used to it.

***

— Mrs. Stacey, I'd like to introduce my Greek friend, Milos.

— How do you do?

— How do you do?

— What are your first impres­sions of England?

— Of course, it's much colder here than it is at home.

— Never mind; you'll be all right in a week or two.¹

The Weather

Foreigners are often amused that the English spend so much time discussing the weather. The reason for this is not simply that our weather is interesting and variable, but that the English are reluctant to converse about personal matters with people who are not friends. Mentioning the weather can be a useful and inoffensive way of starting a conversation with a stranger at a bus stop or in a train.

A: Fairly mild for the time of year.

В: Yes. Quite different from the forecast.

A: They¹ say we're in for snow.²

В: Let's hope it keeps fine for the weekend.

__________

¹They: the forecasters

²we're in for snow: snow expected.

***

— It seems to be clearing up.

— It makes a change, doesn't it?

— Apparently it's going to turn colder.

— Still, another month should see us through the worst of it¹.

__________

¹see us through the worst of it: find us through the worst of the winter and into spring.

***

— Nice and bright this morning.

— Yes. Much better than yesterday.

— The wind`ll probably get up later.

— As long as it doesn't rain¹.

__________

¹as long as it doesn't rain: I don't mind what happens pro­vided it doesn't rain.

***

— It's good to see the sun again.

— A big improvement on what we've been having.

— It's supposed to cloud over this afternoon.

— I didn't think it would last.

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