Hi all,
I need help with my master thesis in English Linguistics which I'll be writing at the University of Basle in Switzerland. I hope I'm in the right forum section for this. This will only take a minute.

Please be so kind as to write down as many words or phrases or sentences or essays that come to your mind when you think about Switzerland. This should not be restricted to politics, just jot down whatever you think when you hear Switzerland. Please do not do any research or look anything up.

In addition, it would be extremely helpful if you could provide me with nationality, age and gender - if you prefer not to tell in public, I would be very grateful for a pm. I know I'm asking a lot and I am thankful for every reply I get. Of course none of the information given will be used for anything but my thesis paper.

Thank you very much for your participation.

Mike

Switzerland is without a doubt the best example of responsible government and cooperative federalism in the world.

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"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. " — John Stuart Mill

When I hear "Switzerland" I think of political neutrality, confidential banking, mountains and really handy knives. Hope that helps.

cows in mountain valleys

chalets

alpen horns

Gstaad

Zermatt

Jungfrau

neutrality

avalanches

interned american WWII pilots

nazi gold

dictators' numbered bank accounts

William Tell

fondue

Zurich Institute of Technology

Rolex

yodeling

Einstein at the patent office in Berne

Rosti

swiss guards at the vatican

American phrase "built like a swiss watch" ie, built very well.

funicular railways

(male, american, getting toward middle age )

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Blade: "more educated and literate people than Justabubba"

Justabubba: "that would include everyone"

http://politicalforum.com/showthread.php?t=27847

Pocketknife


and...uh.....

pocketknife.

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"I should be calling collect from jail for the things I commit each night in my head" - D. Mustaine.

Thanks for the answers so far. Anyone else care to comment?

territorialism, mandatory military service, language diversty are also things that come to mind.

__________________
"The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. " — John Stuart Mill

snowy hills, europe, soft, wierd, odd, gingerbread house??

Helping the Nazis so it can stay "neutral"
Good chocolate, cheese, and knives
banking and wealth
Extremely high gun ownership, but people manage not to kill each other with them.