Correct form of greeting
 

Can someone kindly advise me whether i should say "Guten Tag" or "Gruss Gott" when greeting someone formally in the Black Forest region. In Bayern i have always used the latter and as a teenager, the former in The Black Forest.

In addition, i am seeing an old school friend for the 1st time in 14 years. Do i use "du" or "sie" as a form of address now that we are both in our 40's?

I'll be interested in the answers you receive. In my experience, the Germans are becoming less formal than in the past. I have a business colleague who I'll call Gunther Schmidt.

When I first began to work with him he ALWAYS signed corrrespondence and e-mails "Herr Dr. Schmidt". A few years ago he switched to "Gunther" one day, and never changed back, so I took the cue and started to address him as "Gunther". I thought it was because of some subtle change in our relationship.

I was VERY surprised when visiting him at his office to discover that the staff was ALSO now calling him "Gunther", when he had always been addressed much more formally in the past.

I asked, and he sort of shrugged and said "times change."

I see no reason for you not to use "du". I just came back from Baden and Bayern and it was "Grüss Gott" the whole way.

Just stick to " Guten Tag" and you´ll be fine everywhere in Germany !
(even in Bavaria - where Gruss Gott basically is the "norm")

In the Black Forest region Gruss Gott is common in the southern part but Guten Tag is considered as equal everywhere!

So, it´s always correct to say Guten Tag !
You may not be able to recognize which phrase is the common one in the town you´re in (unless you get into a shop and the staff greets you with their local phrase)
Even for me as a native German "Guten Tag" is the norm !!!

You would always use "du" with someone you went to school with.

In fact one could almost say that the rule is "once du - always du"... with one notable exception, which is the non-reciprocal "du" from an adult to a child.

"Howdy", recognized everywhere, works quite well for The Kohoutek.

Well, I wouldn't try that in Southern Germany. It could be misconstrued as a threat to hit someone.

Oh. yeah !!!:D
The closer you get to Bavaria the higher the danger in that case ...;)

It literally means "beat you"

And there will be the answer: Hau ju mi, ei hau ju... :p

Or you could just say servus (pronounced like service).

Might as well say "bonjour".

I agree. "Guten Tag" is certainly the most appropriate approach. Even I as a native (western) German speaker refrain from using "Grüaß Gott" all the time. And "Du" is certainly perfectly all right under the circumstances you described.

I understood you wanted to be polite so "Howdy" certainly not on the agenda and no native German speaker would use it.

Though if you say "Guten Tag" in Bavaria you'll immediately out yourself as a Prussian!! ;):D

Do you think this if different if a foreigner tries to pronounce "Grüaß Gott" :D