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Faux pas

A faux pas (French: false step; pronounced foh-PAH) is a violation of accepted, although unwritten, social rules.

Faux pas are very culture specific; what is considered good manners in one culture can be considered a horrible faux pas in another. For example, in America it is usually considered good manners to bring a bottle of wine when coming to someone's house for dinner. In France, however, this is considered insulting, as it implies that the hosts can't provide their own good wine.

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