Q. Since acquiring a property in Switzerland, I have become
an enthusiastic `Swiss kisser' — i.e., I greet ladies with whom I am moderately familiar on an equal or quasi-equal basis with three proper kisses on the cheek, in the sequence right-leftright. While this practice works splendidly in Switzerland, where the 'how' is clear and the 'when' seems to be somehow instinctive, having imported it to the UK I have encountered certain difficulties. Some ladies, once `Swiss-kissed', have embraced the practice enthusiastically and expect to be so greeted on each and every encounter, however frequent and irrespective of the occasion. Others are clearly uneasy, and I find myself obliged for the sake of civility to revert to a more formal handshake (another Swiss custom). In both cases, British inhibitions and lack of instinctive judgment are at fault. Advice please, Mary.
A. C., Hope Valley', Sheffield A. Clearly you are prompted by an unconscious desire to remind your English kissees that you have 'acquired a property in Switzerland'. There is no more reason to adopt the Swiss system of kissing in this country than vice versa, Simply revert to traditional British inhibition when greeting people in this country and you will see
a swift end to the unease that your mild pretension has generated.
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