I'd say the custom in Argentina with friends works more or less in
the same way that Lynn says for USA; if the visitor is a laborer…
well… in this case I don't think in Argentina we have a homogeneous
way of procedure (how Tony suggests for UK). You can come across with
any kind of people and therefore you'll get any kind of behavior.
As a generalization (just a rough generalization) I'd say people from
small towns are willing to be kinder than people from big cities.
Luis




--- En Espanol-Ingles@..., CLHW@I... escribió:
>
> > No, there is not such a custom as such here in the USofA.
Buiscuits or
> cookies and milk are pretty much reserved for an after school snack
for
> young children. Generally, unless the worker is in my home for a
long time
> (which doesn't happen), I would not offer anything to a paid worker.
> However, I would willing furnish cold water, and if they were here
an
> extended time, possibly coffee and/or tea or a soft drink.
>
> When the laborer is a friend, and doing it for friendship rather
than
> money, it is customary to serve a meal for every 4 hours or so of
work. It
> would be a big, complete meal, with salad, veggies, meat, bread,
drink and
> dessert. And maybe some "tote" where they took some food or other
things
> home. This last was especially true when a homeowner could afford
someone
> who came once a week or more to clean, iron, prepare meals, what
have you.
> The "tote" was an unspecified part of the pay.
>
> My Russian friends told me when a friend came calling, they would
say,
> "Chai peet ho-chesh?" Translated: "Do you want some tea to drink?"
>
> For visitors, treats and drink are usually offered.
> Lynn
>
> >In Britain if a visitor arrives at one's home unannounced, out of
the
> >blue, without appointment then they are routinely offered tea and
> >biscuits. This also applies to tradesmen who come to do jobs in the
> >home; it is good manners to offer them tea and biscuits upon
> >completion of their work.
> >I had a heating engineer in my home yesterday for three hours who
was
> >renewing all the elements in my "storage" heaters as part of an
> >upgrade programme. He gladly accepted the "tea and biscuits" and
> >indeed was most grateful as his work had made him quite dry in the
> >mouth.
> >I wondered whether this custom was uniquely British.
> >Also for decades there has existed a certain range of biscuits that
> >one traditionally offers to visitors. These include Custard creams,
> >Digestives, Ginger snaps, Fig rolls, Bourbons, Shortcake etc.
> >There is also a more exclusive range such as Garibaldi, Nice, Milk
or
> >plain chocolate digestives, Shortbread etc.
> >Children like Jammy dodgers or Chocolate fingers.
> >More exclusively still there is a range of larger individually
> >wrapped biscuits with particular names e.g. KitKat, Blue Riband,
> >Penguin, Orange Club, Viscount Mint, Twix etc. etc.
> >I wondered if there was any equivalence anywhere else in the
Spanish
> >or English-speaking world to this tradition?
> >
> >Best wishes
> >from
> >Tony.
>