T-Shirt Japanese Versus Necktie Japanese: Two Levels of Politeness(1995)

Jay Rubin

Searching for your own place in the Japanese hierarchy? Search no more - at least not in so many words. Sort out once and for all how to put on the conversational T-shirt that's comfortable and right for talking to friends and family, and how to knot the linguistic necktie that gives the proper sense of formality when you speak to your boss, new acquaintances, and even shop clerks.
Each of eight chapters starts with a pair of practical dialogues which shows the same conversation cast in these two politeness levels. An equivalency chart places key casual and formal phrases side by side for easy comparison. Separate sections of T-Shirt and Necktie Notes offer clear, sharply detailed explanations of usage, grammar, and nuance. These useful notes also cover such topics as masculine and feminine speech styles, euphemism, small talk, and the language of the workplace.