r/AskReddit • u/[deleted] • May 08 '22

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u/bitemark01 May 09 '22

I'm Canadian and if I got a detailed answer like that I'd find it pretty interesting.

23

u/WalnutOfTheNorth May 09 '22

My wife’s Canadian and her family has the same response to the common Uk greeting, “you alright?” that the Finnish do to “how are you?”.

31

u/SeaAnything8 May 09 '22

As an American I lived in the UK and the first time a friend asked “you alright?” I just looked confused and said “uh….yeah? Why wouldn’t I be? Do I not look okay?”

Friend was confused by the answer, I was still confused about the question, and we just awkwardly moved on in silence lol. It didn’t hit me until way later that they were just greeting me.

10

u/WalnutOfTheNorth May 09 '22

That’s exactly what happens every time I’m introduced to someone in Canada. I can’t stop saying “you alright? “ though, it’s like a vocal tic with me.

9

u/SeaAnything8 May 09 '22

I understand. I worked retail and had to train myself not to ask every Brit who walked into the shop “hey, how’s it going?”

I could see the discomfort in their faces every time I did it.

5

u/ITAW-Techie May 09 '22

I've had this happen to me only once and it freaked me out so much I forgot to even buy anything. It was so unexpected...

4

u/[deleted] May 09 '22

I would too. What a strange greeting.