"Sometimes people hate things that aren't taboo. Taboo things are-- morally wrong or gross or-- I don't know how to explain 'uncool'-- things that make most people go 'I don't want to be that person's friend' even if they don't think it's bad to do."

"I think I know uncool but this is not exactly like Kularan all the times it sounds like it is."

"--okay now I really want to know what 'uncool' means in Kularan."

"I could tell you in Ibyabekan but I do not think that would help!"

"Well, full immersion ought to help eventually. Probably won't make you less frustrating to talk to."

"...I'm sorry."

"Okay, but-- in Cascadia, teenage boys eat a lot because they're growing, so they need a lot of food, so we've developed norms of amused tolerance about how much teenage boys eat. Given your experience as a teenage boy, even though I understand you weren't a parent, can you speculate why teenage boys didn't wind up eating everything in the house on your planet?"

"It's a very hot planet, it's not wise to carry a lot of insulation."

"Anyway, do you want to hang out in the house a bit, learn English by immersion?"

"That sounds like a good way to learn."