Significance of the «Weather» Concept for the British vs the Russians
There is one thing in the world, which people are ready to discuss with everyone, everywhere and any time. It is the weather. In my composition I am going to speculate about the significance of the weather concept and compare it in Great Britain and in Russia. British people obsessed with the weather. It is a part and a parcel of their life. I suppose that the strongest reason for it is the weather’s uncertainty. «Life at the edge of an ocean and the edge of a continent means you can never be entirely sure what you are going to get» - as Jeremy Paxman said. So people have a ground for discussion and speculating about the weather became the part of the British culture. Nowadays it is a special way to begin any conversation, it is a greeting ritual, which people should follow to help themselves setting a contact with an interlocutor. British weather talkings have its own firm rules. If you want to come across a well-mannered person, you should follow these rules during the weather discussion. At first, comments about the weather always require the response. The reciprocity is the most important rule in this topic. Secondly, in England «you must never contradict anybody when discussing the weather» - as Hungarian humorist George Mikes wrote. So, weather-speak greetings must be not only reciprocated, but etiquette also requires that the response expresses an agreement. English weather conversations have a distinctive structure, an unmistakable rhythmic pattern. Now let’s talk about the significance of weather in Russia. Our country has immense dominions and every part of it has its own weather conditions. Inhabitants of Russia always depended on the climate a lot. For example, in the 19 century the winter was a very hard period for peasants. They suffered from the famine and struggled with it in different ways. Country dwellers tore the thatch from their roofs to feed their livestock, invented special pieces of clothing to get warm (our famous felt boots