Etiquette & Languages
Etiquette and Languages observes how people relate to each other through behaviors and speech. Find information on topics like tipping, sign language, good manners and slang.
Inside LA's Forest Lawn, Where the Biggest Celebrities Rest in Peace
Is Human Composting the Greenest Burial Option?
What's With Germany's Strict Burial Regulations?
Why Were Fake Eyelashes Invented?
Try a Tattoo Without the Commitment
Ways to Keep Your Old Tattoos Looking Fresh and New
Every Celtic Knot Holds Meaning Within Its Intricate Design
What in the World Is a 'Shoey'?
Did You Know It's 2016 in Ethiopia Right Now?
What's the Science Behind Mood Rings?
10 Things We Love to Hate About the '70s and '80s
Celebratory Yard Signs Are Having a Major Moment
5 Family Traditions for New Babies
5 Family Anniversary Traditions
5 Family Traditions for Daughters
Are Mermaids Real? A Look at Mermaid Myths Across Cultures
All About the Mythical Phoenix: Bird of Fire and Eternal Life
Bad Luck Comes in Threes: Separating Superstition from Reality
What Are the Most and Least Popular Birthdays in the U.S.?
The Firm vs. the Family: How Does the British Monarchy Really Work?
What's the Difference Between a Duke and an Earl?
Deciphering Generation Names, Birth Years and Stereotypes
How the Millennial Generation Works
Millennials Are Making Birthday Cards a Thing Again
How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph, Really?
All About Adjectives: Examples, Types and Uses
Simile Examples in Literature and Everyday Language
How to Keep Your Jack-o'-lantern From Rotting
What Does the Poinsettia Have to Do with Christmas?
The Joy of the Holiday Poinsettia
American Culture: Symbols, Social Dynamics, Holidays and More
12 Countries With Red and White Flags
9 Countries With Blue-Yellow-Red Flags
Kindness Quotes to Inspire Positivity and Connection
Who Keeps the Ring if the Engagement Ends in a Breakup?
7 Reasons Sleep Divorce Might Be Good for Your Relationship
Who Is the Snake Goddess? Depends Where You Ask
What Does a Biblically Accurate Angel Look Like?
Why Did Jesus Curse the Fig Tree? It's Complicated
Mennonite vs. Amish Communities, Values and Beliefs
The Life and Death of Timothy Treadwell, the 'Grizzly Man'
The Yellow Deli Cult: All About the Twelve Tribes
Quiz: Finish That Jingle!
How One Woman Unexpectedly Became the Voice of Siri
There's a Healthier Way to Consume Your Media
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Rudeness is not just a personal annoyance. It can actually affect health and safety. Why is that? And why do we replay a rude interaction over and over in our heads?
It doesn't get more awkward than the check arriving and no one knows who's paying for what. Is it rude to expect birthday guests to pay for their own meal?
By Alia Hoyt
Middle names aren't a purely modern invention, so why do we still have them?
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What does Boston have against the letter R? Why do Minnesotans sometimes drag out the 'O' sound? And what about the Noo Yawk accent?
By Mark Mancini
The world boasts about 7,000 languages. Close to half are threatened with extinction.
By John Donovan
Despite what you might think, everyone has an accent. It just becomes noticeable when it's different from others in the same community. How do accents develop and why is it so hard to lose one?
By Alia Hoyt
Surely a level of Hell is reserved for inconsiderate parkers. But can the police actually write them a ticket? Well, it depends...
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There are two main factors that influence the development of unique accents within a language: human nature and isolation.
And his name Is Robert Newton.
When there's a big influx of Northerners into a Southern city, why do the locals begin to lose their Southern accents, as opposed to the other way around?
By Dave Roos
Ever dialed up or down your accent depending on whom you're speaking with? Or switched from one language to another mid-sentence? Even if you haven't, you've seen it done. Why do people do that — and is it conscious?
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Ever met a person who wouldn't hand over an item until the receiver said "the magic word"? As it turns out, that person may be rude too.
There are plenty more troublesome public behaviors to discourage, but knitting can be a distraction all the same.
A friendly gesture in one country might be a highly insulting one in another. Here are 10 rude gestures that you'd better be sure you're using correctly before trying them out.
Kicking someone out of your social media territory is necessary sometimes, even if you feel it's a breach of etiquette.
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The good news: Sometimes you can ignore that text message you really don't want to answer. The bad news: The rules on when it's acceptable to do so are vague.
If you've got a runny nose but your spaghetti is just too good for you to leave the table, don't fret: It may be OK to blow your nose without stepping away.
The grammar-correcting pedant is a ubiquitous character in the strange and sometime cruel realm of social media and comment sections on the Internet. Are these "grammar police" helpful or just plain rude?
Let's face it: Free champagne and food are huge incentives to attend a wedding reception. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't go to the ceremony, too.
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Normally, it's extremely rude to point out flaws in somebody's appearance. One big exception: the very embarrassing, but easily fixed, case of food stuck in someone's teeth.
By Susan Sherwood
It's an awkward task that most often falls to bosses, teachers and very close friends. So what's the best way to tell someone about an unpleasant body odor?
By Susan Sherwood
You should never assume you're invited to someone else's wedding ... but someone is sure to assume they're invited to yours. What do you do when that's not true?
By Susan Sherwood
It's hard to get a good whiff of your own breath, so if someone close to you doesn't smell a problem, it may fall to you to break the awkward news.
By Susan Sherwood
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If somebody on your neighborhood bus has a booming, not-to-be-ignored voice, it's best to just leave it alone. But what do you do if that same voice thunders around your transatlantic flight?
By Susan Sherwood
Not speaking up when witnessing racism sends a message that racism is OK — and even that you agree with it. Here are some tips for confronting racist language.
By Susan Sherwood