“The reasons for our prolific understating are not hard to discover: our strict prohibitions on earnestness, gushing, emoting and boasting require almost constant use of understatement.” — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“...fine love poetry tends to be written when the object of one's affection is at a safe distance; also, it often reflects a love… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“People who insist on calculating in detail exactly who had what when it comes to dividing up the bill are despised, not just because… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“Humour is our 'default mode', if you like: we do not have to switch it on deliberately, and we cannot switch it off.” — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
A truly English protest march would see us all chanting: 'What do we want? GRADUAL CHANGE! When do we want it? IN DUE COURSE! — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“Every social situation is fraught with ambiguity, knee-deep in complication, hidden meanings, veiled power-struggles, passive-aggression and paranoid confusion.” — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“The understatement rule means that a debilitating and painful chronic illness must be described as ‘a bit of a nuisance’; a truly horrific experience… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
Men gossip for just as long and about the same subjects as women, but tend to talk more about themselves. — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“Even the English, who understand it, are not exactly riotously amused by the understatement. At best, a well-timed, well-turned understatement only raises a slight… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
Male and female gossip also sounds different, as women use more animated tones, more detail and more feedback. — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“Many of those who pontificate about "acculturation" are inclined to underestimate this element of choice. Such processes are often described in terms suggesting that… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
“Native speakers can rarely explain the grammatical rules of their own language. In the same way, those who are most ‘fluent’ in the rituals,… — Kate Fox Copy Share Image
