GB/USA v Austria/Germany

At first sight, it seemed strange for me as an Englishman to be sitting in the News Café on South Beach Miami working on an article for Business Spotlight about German-Austrian differences. On reflection, it made a lot of sense, as it’s all about thinking you are speaking more or less the same language.

It takes a bit of getting used to for me to say “restroom” or “bathroom” instead of “toilet”, as I am not planning to have a rest or take a bath. Even if I theoretically knew that there are differences, you can easily forget about them when you are jet-lagged after a nine-hour flight. This meant that I found myself ordering “chips”, expecting what the Americans call “French fries”, but getting what I call “crisps”.

It was even stranger for me when the waiter asked, “How is the curry working for you ?” — as I didn’t realize that it was working for me at all. Shortly after my 50th birthday, it seemed flattering to be asked for my ID when ordering a glass of wine in a restaurant. The waitress , simply following procedures, didn’t seem to understand my remark: “You’ve made my day.”

I also missed the cues completely when, on asking the hotel to look after my suitcase for a few hours before the flight home, the porter asked, “When are you coming to pick up your bag?” When I replied, “About 2.00,” he said: “I won’t be there then.” Only when he repeated this, saying, “I said, I won’t be there then” did I realize that a tip was required if I wanted to save my laptop from a fatal accident.

Do Austrians and Germans have similar experiences?