Germans don't lack a sense of humour, it's just different and expressed at different times. And it doesn't translate very well into English. Many Germans are said to like British humour, though. To a foreigner, German humour can seem serious, which may have to do with the incredible bureaucracy, the many rules and regulations and the almost proverbial orderliness in this country. A number of Britons I asked found that the Germans take life too …showed first 75 words of 396 total…

…showed last 75 words of 396 total…when they invite you for eight, they would be upset at not seeing you standing on their doorstep at that time. The only small allowance is the so-called "academic quarter" ("akademisches Viertel"), which means you can arrive up to a quarter of an hour late to be still within the limits. Foreigners tend to think that the Germans are rude, but actually they're just very direct. A German will almost always let you ------------------------------------------------------------------------ **Bibliography**