Many of the social and behavioral aspects of everyday life vary greatly from country to country. Some students might find it initially difficult to understand the way Americans behave and what they really mean to say when they use certain phrases.

> Greetings
> Use of Names
> Social Invitations
> Friendliness and Friendships
> Personal Hygiene

Greetings
How do you do," "Good morning," "Good afternoon," and "Good evening" are formal greetings; usually people will simply say "Hi" or "Hello."

Upon meeting each other for the first time, men always shake hands, firmly. Women often shake hands with people they meet, but it is not universal. Upon leaving, Americans will usually say "Good-bye" or simply "Bye." More expressive salutations include "Have a nice day," "Nice to see you," or "See you later."

Good friends, family members, or people in a romantic relationship might give each other a hug or even kiss upon meeting one another. This kind of greeting is reserved only for people who know each other very well and share a very close relationship.

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Use of names
First names are more readily used in the United States than in other countries. It is almost always acceptable to use the first name of someone of approximately your same age or younger as soon as you meet the person.

You should say "Mr." (for men) or "Ms." (for women) and the person's last name when talking to people in positions of authority, your professors, or your elders, unless they ask you to call them by their first name.

Some American women prefer to be called "Ms." (pronounced "mizz") rather than "Miss" or "Mrs." This is a neutral form of address that can be used for married and unmarried women and can be useful if you do not know the marital status of the woman you are talking or writing to.

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Social Invitations
Americans tend to be very polite people. This is often expressed in conversations. It is common for an American to end a conversation by saying: "Let's get together sometime," "Come by for a visit when you have a chance," or "Let's meet for coffee." However, these invitations are usually not intended to be taken literally. An invitation is not firm unless a time and place is set.

If you have accepted an invitation or if a meeting has been set, Americans usually expect you to arrive at the agreed location at the right time. It is considered impolite to accept an invitation and not show up or to arrive more than 10 to 20 minutes late. Americans tend to be quite punctual. If you have to cancel an appointment or know that you will not be able to be on time, you should call your friend or host to cancel or reschedule.

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Personal Hygiene
Every culture has accepted standards when it comes to personal hygiene. Foreign visitors should therefore be aware of what Americans consider appropriate and proper hygiene practices. For some, American standards might seem exaggerated, unnatural, or even offensive. However, if you want to fit in more easily, you will want to adopt the practices that prevail in the United States, even though doing so might not be easy.

As a general rule, Americans usually consider that the odors that the human body naturally produces — the odors of perspiration or breath, for example — are unpleasant. Americans usually wash with soap at least once a day to control body odors and brush their teeth with toothpaste at least in the morning and evening. In addition, they use underarm deodorant/antiperspirant to control perspiration odors, and they wash their hair as often as necessary to keep it from becoming oily.

Clothing should not emit bodily odors. The American practice is to wash clothing that has taken on the smell of the wearer's perspiration before it is worn again.

The basic idea is that you should be clean. Makeup, perfume, and cologne are not necessary for social acceptance, but cleanliness is definitely expected.

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