Cultural No-Nos

Meet and Greet
Use only your right hand when greeting someone in Turkey. Don’t accept business cards left-handed in Cairo. It’s rude to leave an Oslo table during speeches: Grin and bear it. Don’t touch children on the head in Delhi. Remember: Rio de Janeiro’s origins are Portuguese, not Spanish, and not all U.K. residents are English—Scots and Welsh will thank you. Accept business cards two-handed in Beijing, Singapore. Leave a card on the table, put it away carefully later; don’t shove it into a pocket.

Hand Jive
As it happens, the “universal” OK gesture of thumb and forefinger circled—isn’t. It’s a no-no in Athens (insulting) and in Rio de Janeiro (vulgar). Signal OK with thumbs-up in Paris or Rio but not in Cairo. For attention in Prague, raise an index finger. But don’t point at anyone with a finger in Mumbai. In Jakarta, use your thumb. For good luck in Ho Chi Minh City, don’t cross your fingers; it’s obscene.

Shake It Up
Meeting folks in Rio? Shake hands all around; women may cheek kiss. Shake in Oslo, too, but keep personal space. In Istanbul, address the oldest member of a group first. Firm handshakes are normal in Sydney, as in Buenos Aires—where you should maintain eye contact. There may be close conversation and perhaps some touching in Madrid, Cairo (but not men to women) and Mexico City. Shake in Shanghai and bow slightly.

Timing Is Everything
In Athens, try not to schedule meetings for Tuesday, especially the 13th—that inauspicious date reminds of Constantinople’s fall to the Turks. In Stockholm, business dinners usually begin around 7 pm. But in Madrid, plan on 9-10 pm—fill the gap before late dinner with small plates of tapas at a cafe. Don’t schedule business for Friday in Cairo, or in any Islamic country—it’s the Islamic holy day.

Say It With Flowers?
Don’t give white flowers in Tokyo, Delhi or anywhere in China—they’re for funerals. In Hong Kong, give red (for luck) and yellow (prosperity). Don’t give four of anything in Tokyo or clocks in Shanghai—they signify death. In Madrid, avoid 13 and chrysanthemums. Roses (never an even number) are for intimate acquaintances in Berlin. Flower gifts in Moscow should also be odd-numbered.

Up Close and Personal
Beckoning someone closer by pointing at your own head is rude in Ho Chi Minh City. In Sydney, give ’em room: Touching is for close friends. But in Paris, there may be polite conversational touching and closer conversations. In Buenos Aires, personal space is close, with back or arm touching. Public hugs or kisses are frowned upon in Mumbai, as in Istanbul, where you address the eldest first.

Eh, Say What?
English may be almost universal, but national variations are wide. In Ottawa, English is an official language—so is French; most people can chat bilingually. In Cape Town, traffic lights are robots. A lift is an elevator in London. But in Dublin, a lift is a ride in someone else’s car; a ride is slang for the f-word. In California, don’t call the city by the bay Frisco. The locals will not appreciate it.

Tripping Over Your Feet
In Istanbul, it’s insulting to sit with sole of foot or shoe exposed. Don’t point with a foot in Mumbai or Delhi. Remove your shoes in a private Tokyo home. Men visiting Moscow should not sit ankle-on-knee; Muscovites consider it slovenly. If visiting a Russian home in winter, bring indoor shoes with you, remove outdoor shoes or boots at the door. If you visit a mosque in Cairo, remove your shoes.

Taboos
Public gum-chewing is bad manners in Paris, as are whistling and winking in Delhi. Don’t smoke indoors in Toronto—in Glasgow, it’ll cost you £50. In Beijing, don’t talk with your hands in your pockets. Standing with hands on hips when talking in Buenos Aires or Istanbul is confrontational. In Jakarta, to receive or give with your left hand is taboo. Don’t point at your host in Ho Chi Minh City—it sends bad energy.

What's In A Name?
A first name in Beijing or Shanghai is the family name, to use with a title. Thus, Wang Jiantao is Mr. Wang. In Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking places, new friends have two family surnames. In Rio de Janeiro, it’s mother’s last name—father’s last name. Reverse that in Madrid or Mexico City, where it’s first name—father’s last name—mother’s last name. A man may be called Bay in Istanbul, instead of Mr.