We had pizza together and, seeing so many tired faces, I casually asked:
"when do we close for summer?".
-People look at me puzzled: "What do you mean exactly by 'close'?".
+People look at me puzzled: "What do you mean exactly by ''close''?".
"Err... companies don't close for summer here in the States?".
They look at each other, trying to guess if it's some kind
-of joke: "Why would companies /close/? They're not schools."
+of joke: "Why would companies ever ''close''? They're not schools."
I quickly added: "Oh, I'm asking because, you know, most
companies in Italy do close a few weeks for summer".