Episodes

  • Idiots Still Talking Idioms! Special Reissue

    Idiots Still Talking Idioms! Special Reissue
    Oct 23 2025
    After recently exploring what certain words and phrases say about culture, we thought it time to re-explore what other certain phrases - idioms - say about - yes - culture! With that, enjoy this special reissue of our 47th episode, "Idiots Talking Idioms", from March 2024. (And don't forget: Dean’s newest book, "Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”, will be released Nov. 4th in hardcover and Nov. 6th in Kindle and audiobook. Pre-order it today!) Dean and Tom have truly “fallen down the rabbit hole” in this episode as they explore different idioms across cultures, offering context as well as advice on what to do when faced with unknown idioms on your travels. (A preview: An idiom in another country may feel like it “comes out of left field,” but give yourself some grace - you’re not an ‘idiom idiot’!) We know that you’ll enjoy listening to this idiotic idiomatic episode “as soon as possible” (when is this? that’s up to you!) because you’re all “pieces of bread”, “salt of the earth”, and other figurative fundamental foodstuffs! ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here to find all of Dean’s “Culture’s Consequences” articles, CultureQuizzes, and much much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    35 mins
  • 60: Dean Wrote A Book! & “Moore” Culture Lit (Part 2 of 2)

    60: Dean Wrote A Book! & “Moore” Culture Lit (Part 2 of 2)
    Sep 25 2025
    We’re back for Part 2 and for our 60TH EPISODE! In this even more culture-lit-laden episode, Dean, Tom, and Torin resume poring over Christopher Moore’s book “The Untranslatables”, about terms representing universal concepts that don’t have a direct translation in U.S. English, like the French term “esprit de l’escalier”, the Mandarin word “guanxi”, and the Bantu word “ubuntu”. Dean’s stories, tales, and lessons learned abound (and astound) as the bibliophilic blokes explore why the terms’ original cultures required, and others did not require, the creation and use of these terms in their respective parts of the globe. We heartily thank you sixty times over for laughing and learning with us over sixty episodes! Speaking of Dean’s stories galore and loving books: We KNOW you’ll love Dean’s newest book, "Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”. It’ll be released Nov. 4th in hardcover and Nov. 6th in Kindle and audiobook - pre-order it today! ***Special thanks to Christopher Moore and “The Untranslatables: The Most Intriguing Words from Around the World”.*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    36 mins
  • 59: Dean Wrote A Book! & “Moore” Culture Lit (Part 1 of 2)

    59: Dean Wrote A Book! & “Moore” Culture Lit (Part 1 of 2)
    Aug 28 2025
    Dear listeners: As you’ve enjoyed nearly sixty episodes of Dean’s stories, tales, and lessons learned from working in a hundred cultures around the world (and if not, why are you here? this is what we do!), we know you’re absolutely going to love Dean’s newest book, "Business Beyond Borders: Stories, Tales, and Lessons Learned from Working in 100 Cultures Around the World”. It’ll be released Nov. 4th in hardcover and Nov. 6th in Kindle and audiobook - pre-order it today! In this culture-lit-laden episode, Dean and Tom crack open Dean’s motivations for writing this newest book compared to his previous books, why this book is so important now, and how the stories in this book are the “smallest nuggets” that illustrate culture’s “biggest impact”. Then, the book club continues with the start of a study into Christopher Moore’s book “The Untranslatables”, about words that don’t have a direct translation in U.S. English, like the German word schadenfreude. What does it say about German culture that it required the creation of a specific word for the concept behind schadenfreude - and what does it say about other cultures that they did not? Listen to find out, and because there was far more to discuss before this chapter is closed, stay tuned for next month’s Part 2! ***Special thanks to Christopher Moore and “The Untranslatables: The Most Intriguing Words from Around the World”.*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    40 mins
  • 58: Gossip Gets Things Done?

    58: Gossip Gets Things Done?
    Jul 24 2025
    Listen to this juicy rumor: In this episode, would you believe that Dean and Tom ‘spill the tea’ on the value and function of gossip and secrecy across cultures? From investigating the use of tsismis in Manila, to eyeing gossip’s impact on decision-making in sub-Saharan Africa - plus secrecy’s impact on drapery in Brussels - they manage to make a splash at proverbial water coolers in both the Global North and Global South in just thirty minutes…all while serving up some fresh scuttlebutt of their own. Don’t believe it? Well, you’ll just have to listen for yourself, lest the rumor mill pass you by! ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here for all of Dean’s CultureQuizzes, “Culture’s Consequences” articles, and much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Deepest Apologies! Special Reissue

    Deepest Apologies! Special Reissue
    Jun 26 2025
    While we're sorry to possibly offend, we're not at all sorry about reissuing our apologies-across-cultures episode, "Sorry?", from June 2019. We hope that you enjoy it, and if you don't, what else can we say but...sorry? We’re very (not) sorry to say that Dean and Tom are talking apologies across cultures, particularly in the U.K. and East Asia, in this episode. Also, Producer Torin brings in a recent New York Times article about apologetic tweets from British railway companies (sorry if you missed the article), while Dean and Tom chat about how the train system in New York doesn’t seem to want to apologize for anything. (Sorry, New York!) ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here for all of Dean’s CultureQuizzes, “Culture’s Consequences” articles, and much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    41 mins
  • Back To Japan! Special Reissue

    Back To Japan! Special Reissue
    May 22 2025
    Last month, Dean entered a ryokan in Japan, so this month he - and we - are re-entering the Japanese bathroom in the FIRST-EVER episode of the "Oops, Your Culture's Showing!" podcast. Enjoy this special reissue of our March 23rd 2018 premiere episode, titled "Shaving & Japanese Toilets"! World cultures expert Dean Foster and longtime friend Tom Peterson dive into bathroom habits around the world in this episode, with the act of shaving and, yes, using the toilet. Join them as they dissect the features and cultural origins of the Japanese toilet, and why perhaps it isn’t catching on in the U.S. (Or is it? No!) So relax, heat up your toilet seat, and turn down your 1812 Overture, because you’re going to want to hear this. ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here for all of Dean’s CultureQuizzes, “Culture’s Consequences” articles, and much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    49 mins
  • 57: Cherry Blossoms And Ikigai In Japan

    57: Cherry Blossoms And Ikigai In Japan
    Apr 24 2025
    Happy spring! With cherry blossoms blooming all around, Dean and Tom float into an exploration of ikigai, a concept for finding happiness and purpose in everyday life, in Japanese culture. Along the road of their discussion, they also stay at a ryokan and relish wabi-sabi - all while occasionally being interrupted by the Licensing department. Whether you’re subtly finding beauty in the imperfection of this episode (there’s plenty here!), or you’re taking the “full-blown, get-in-the-van” approach to finding pleasure here, we hope that your listening experience with this episode leaves you feeling quite content! ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here for all of Dean’s CultureQuizzes, “Culture’s Consequences” articles, and much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    29 mins
  • 56: A Toast To Speaking Across Cultures

    56: A Toast To Speaking Across Cultures
    Mar 27 2025
    Clink clink! Dean and Tom would just like to take a moment (actually, several moments across this episode) to toast toasting and public speaking across cultures. After toasting all night long with a tamada in Georgia, they toast Dean’s May 2024 article for Toastmasters - Speaking Across Cultures: Top 10 rules for communicating around the world - and Tom tries to guess some of the top 10 rules before Dean reveals them. If you can guess them correctly, dear listener, we’ll happily toast you all night long as well! Enjoy and cheers! ***Subscribe to Dean’s Substack here for all of Dean’s CultureQuizzes, “Culture’s Consequences” articles, and much more!*** Have a cultural question or episode idea? Reach out on X/Twitter & Facebook (@OopsCultureShow) or by email at oopscultureshow@gmail.com. Hosts: Dean Foster & Tom Peterson Audio Production: Tom Peterson & Torin Peterson Music: “Little Idea” – Bensound.com
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    39 mins