job questions (was From Viggo to Venison)

[lupinesque]

Tabouli wrote:
 
>I also heard a similarly curious comment from a friend of mine who 
>recently spent two years in England.  She said the English always 
>started conversations by asking people what they did for a living, so 
>as to estimate their "rank" (she theorised), whereas the lefty French 
>dismiss such talk as dull and irrelevant to what sort of person they 
>are getting acquainted with.  

Interesting.  I've been told that the British seldom ask this, at 
least in comparison to USAmericans (and that within the U.S., 
Northeasterners are more likely to ask this than, say, West Coast 
dwellers, though I haven't observed this myself; I *have* observed 
that Northeasterners are much more likely to ask where one went to 
college).  John or other frequent floaters-between, care to comment?

Amy