Why a Pole's politeness can be lost in translation

If your Polish plumber curtly tells you to pass the spanner, don't worry, he isn't being rude.

And if the Polish assistant in the coffee shop seems unnecessarily brusque when she tells you where the milk is, she's not trying to be offensive either.

In reality they are trying to be polite, but their intentions get lost in translation, according to a state-funded study.   Read Full