Proverb about cultural differences [closed]
There is a Czech proverb which translates roughly to "different countries, different customs".
Is there an English equivalent?
Thanks!
"When in Rome", as @Josh61 says, but there are others. One that comes to mind is the American English idiomatic saying that goes like this:
Different strokes for different folks.
Which comes from the English used by many black Americans.
I think this is the most common adage that suggests the idea of cultural differences and the fact that you should conform to them:
When in Rome, (do as the Romans do):
Prov. Behave however the people around you behave. Adapt yourself to the customs of the places you visit.
- Jill: Everyone in my new office dresses so casually. Should I dress that way, too? Jane: By all means. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms)
When in Rome:
Follow local custom, as in Kate said they'd all be wearing shorts or blue jeans to the outdoor wedding, so when in Rome—we'll do the same.
- This advice allegedly was Saint Ambrose's answer to Saint Augustine when asked whether they should fast on Saturday as Romans did, or not, as in Milan. It appeared in English by about 1530 and remains so well known that it is often shortened, as in the example.
(AHD)
A certain joke might make an Englishman laugh to tears whereas a Frenchman might see nothing funny at all. Some dishes are considered a delicacy in a certain country but a foreigner might look at them with disgust. Baseball is a very popular game in the U.S. but not in several other countries. I would therefore suggest you use
- One man's meat is another man's poison
You might consider, different ships, different [long] splices
A colloquial nautical variation, mid-C.19–20, of the landsman's different countries, different customs.
Routledge
On deepwater sailing vessels in the 19th century sailors used the expression "different ships, different long splices," meaning that there's more than one single correct way of interweaving two ropes to form a single line.
catfeather.com
splice
: the place where two things (such as two pieces of rope or film) have been joined by being spliced together
M-W