become equals in the pub, but we have a licence to poke fun at workplace hierarchies, to show that we do not take them too seriously. The rules of after-work drinks, and of pub-talk generally, are deeply ingrained in the English psyche. If you ever find that a business discussion or interview you are conducting with an English person is somewhat stilted, over-formal or heavy going, ask the person to ‘just talk as though we were in the pub,’ or ‘tell me about it as you would if we were in the pub’. Everyone will know exactly what you mean: pub-talk is relaxed, informal, friendly talk, not
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