it’s interesting reading what anthropologists think about something you know well. i never knew the pub was such a mine of coded language and complicated customs. i still don’t think that pub etiquette is quite as complicated or tourist unfriendly as it’s portrayed here but most of it seems to be along the right lines to me.

the guide puts a spotlight on things i’d never even thought of. i didn’t realise how much we avoid talking about the fact that we pay for drinks (but we do avoid it). i especially like the who drinks what section which lays out a hierarchy of who gets to drink the widest range of beverages in a pub. working class women top the hierarchy being able to drink nearly anything except pints and working class men are at the base of the hierarchy being almost unable to drink anything but pints. middle class women are constrained from ordering some of the more sickly drinks that their working class counterparts can get away with and middle class men can drink more wine and spirits than theirs.

Female pint-drinking, however, is now acceptable, particularly among students, the under-25s and the aristocracy. Among students, our researchers found that females often felt they had to provide an explanation if they ordered a half rather than a pint. i’m not a student or under-25 or an aristocrat (though i guess i’ve been in two out of three categories) and happily drink pints of bitter without turning anyone’s hair, switch to halves without explanations and drink other things (wine, spirits, weird coloured bottled things, hot chocolate…) when they’re what i feel like. this titbit is however exceedingly good pub advice:

Whether you are male or female, and whatever the sex or social background of your native companions, the words “It’s my round - what are you having?” will always be appreciated as a friendly gesture. This line may not be in your phrase book, but it is one of the most useful sentences in the English language. what i really need now is a similar guide to dealing with french bars. how do you get served speedily but still get to sit on the terrace? (you wait ages for a waiter and since the prices are lower for drinking at the bar you can’t just go and get them in yourself) how do you get the waiter to come back within forty five minutes? (we’re used to british law that says it takes 20 minutes to sup a pint so we’ve supped our french slightly less than halves in under ten minutes) is it rude to sit at a table and wait to be waited on when there is only one barman working and people inside the bar? how much should you tip when you’ve only bought a €1.40 25cl kronenburg? i’d like answers to these and many more questions like them.

[found via kottke.org]