by Kate Fox
upper class
bogside reading 330
cars 261, 262–4
children 500, 504
Christmas presents 530
class denial 112–14
dress 404, 409–10, 413, 415–17
drinks 378
food and table manners 431, 433, 434, 436, 445, 446, 447
homes and gardens 189, 190, 191, 192, 194, 200, 209, 211
introductions and greetings 50, 54
leisure activities 315–16
money-talk 292
newspapers 332
pets 350–1
pronunciation 101–4
racing 151
rites of passage 542–3, 544
sex 471–2
shopping 344
terminology 105–12
trade prejudice 294
US see Americans
Valentine’s Day 522, 532, 533
van Gennep, Arnold 492, 505, 534
violence
and alcohol 378–83
football 360–1
pub-arguments 146
punishment-beatings 174–5
vowels vs consonants rule 101–5
weather
and dress 386, 388
and social dis-ease 561–2
weather-speak 30, 35–7, 55
agreement 39–42
context 38–9
and Englishness 48–9
Monday-morning moan 301–2
racing 159
reciprocity 37–8
Shipping Forecast 46–8
snow and moderation 44
weather hierarchy 42–4
weather-as-family 44–6
weddings 485, 492, 512–13, 545
and class 539–43
humour 514–15
money-talk taboo 513–14
Welsh 21, 24, 28, 84
Wilde, Oscar 9
William, Prince 103, 472, 504, 517–18
Williams, Dr Rowan 487
Williams, Shirley 408–9
Wilson, David 327
Wimbledon 252–3, 362–4
Winnie the Pooh 43
Winslet, Kate 80
women
bonding-talk 68–70, 72, 73, 76–7
cars 257, 263
cheek-kissing 51
DIY 187–8, 315
dress 391, 393–4, 408–12
drinks 377–8
flirting 465
food 420
funerals 517, 518
gardening 315
gossip 65–7, 76
marrying-up 472, 473
mobile phones 119
page three 480–1
personal ads 96–7
pub-arguments 145, 146
round-buying 373, 375–6
sexual techniques 478
shopping 340, 341, 346
sports and games 358
Women’s Institute (WI) 7, 367, 369
work 274–5
after-work drinks 305–7
business lunch 435
corporate racegoing 163–5
dress codes 387–8
and Englishness 309–12
fair play 299–301
flirting 459–60
humour 90–1, 278–84
introductions 51–2
moaning 301–4
mobile phones 118, 127
moderation 296–9
modesty 284–6
money-talk taboo 288–96
muddle 275–8
office parties 307–9
polite procrastination 286–7
retirement celebrations and leaving dos 537
working class
body language 414
bogside reading 330
car-care and decoration rules 262–4
Christmas presents 530
class denial 112–15
dress 403–6, 408, 409–10, 412, 413, 414–15, 416
drinks 377, 378
food and table manners 430, 431, 433, 434–5, 436, 440, 445
homes 189, 190, 191–2, 194
leisure activities 315–16
marrying up 472–3
money-talk 292
newspapers 332
pets 351
potency myth 473–4
pronunciation 101–2, 103, 104
racing 151
rites of passage 539–40, 544
shopping 344, 346
smoking 230
soaps 320
terminology 105–12
Yes, Minister/Yes, Prime Minister 322
Yorkshire 292–3
Young, Michael 296
Young Foundation 239
ALSO FROM NICHOLAS BREALEY PUBLISHING
“A journalist who now lives in Switzerland, Bewes is a well-qualified guide to a country that, although familiar, requires expertise to understand… Bewes reveals how Switzerland is riddled with contradictions… Informative and entertaining.”
—Harry Ritchie, Mail on Sunday
One country, four languages, 26 cantons and 7.8 million people (but only 78% of them Swiss): there’s nowhere else in Europe like it. Switzerland may be almost 400km from the nearest drop of seawater, but it’s an island at the centre of Europe. Welcome to the landlocked island.
Switzerland is the country that not only gave us triangular chocolate and holey cheese, but also the world’s first Toilet Duck (1980) and Velcro (1955). It’s a country famous for its punctual trains and strict neutrality - but what lies behind these stereotypes? What does Switzerland look like from the inside?
Swiss Watching is a revealing historical journey around Europe’s most individual and misunderstood country. From seeking Heidi and finding the best chocolate to reliving a bloody past and exploring an uncertain future, Swiss Watching proves that there’s more to Switzerland than banks and skis, francs and cheese. In the land of cultural contradictions, this is a picture of the real and normally unseen Switzerland, a place where the breathtaking scenery shaped a nation not just a tour itinerary, and where tradition is as important as innovation. It’s also the story of its people, who have more power than their politicians, but can’t speak to one another in the same language - and who own more guns per head than the people of Iraq. As for those national clichés, well, not all the cheese has holes, cuckoo clocks aren’t Swiss and the trains don’t always run exactly on time. And if you think Roger Federer is the only famous Swiss big cheese, think again!
ISBN 978-1-85788-587-3
eISBN 978-1-85788-991-8
Paperback $19.95
www.nicholasbrealey.com