Americans - What's your perception on them?

124678

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 949
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Yes that is usually correct. It is supposed to be a sign of respect to your elders. I believe it is more prevalent in the southern states.
    Sir for men; as in yes sir or nor sir.
    Ma'am for women; as in yes ma'am or no ma'am.

    Thanks for answering. :) That's so well mannered. I'd feel embarrassed to call my friends parents ma'am/sir or even Mrs/Mr ____.

    The differences in culture are interesting I think.
  • Old EndeavourOld Endeavour Posts: 9,852
    Forum Member
    LOL!! TBH I do say man, a lot :blush: I have been known to throw a dude out there, every now and again too :blush::D

    I will work on being loud ;-)

    I have a friend (from Virginia now in LA) who slips in a "Dude" randomly at the end and everywhere else in mostly every sentence. I find it endearing and amusing and of course I over-do it back at him but he doesn't get that I'm taking the piss. :D

    I usually meet him with a massive DUUUUUUUUUUUDDDEEEEEE!!!!!!! as big as a Englishman can muster and he just sees it as normal. :D
  • Bad Wolf 525Bad Wolf 525 Posts: 5,552
    Forum Member
    I have a friend (from Virginia now in LA) who slips in a "Dude" randomly at the end and everywhere else in mostly every sentence. I find it endearing and amusing and of course I over-do it back at him but he doesn't get that I'm taking the piss. :D

    I usually meet him with a massive DUUUUUUUUUUUDDDEEEEEE!!!!!!! as big as a Englishman can muster and he just sees it as normal. :D

    LOL!!


    Yeah some people really over do it with the word dude. My guess, it's gotten worse now that he's in California ....bunch of surfer dudes, man :p:D

    Really though, he sees it as normal, because we do say it. Not really any different from you all saying mate :)
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    And what the hell are refried beans?
  • BrooklynBoyBrooklynBoy Posts: 10,595
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    barbeler wrote: »
    And what the hell are refried beans?

    http://lmgtfy.com/?q=Refried+beans
  • kiviraatkiviraat Posts: 4,634
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Boofie wrote: »
    Thanks for answering. :) That's so well mannered. I'd feel embarrassed to call my friends parents ma'am/sir or even Mrs/Mr ____.

    The differences in culture are interesting I think.

    We get American tourists all through summer and it's really weird at work when a lot of them call me ma'am. I like it though. A lot of them seem to be polite, chirpy and talkative (it's always Americans that make me late when I'm doing a tour because they yap to me so much!) but there are many that are abrupt, rude and even abusive. It happens with any nationality so it would be disrespectful for me to single them out. Then again, I hate douchebags of any form :D
  • Mark1974Mark1974 Posts: 4,161
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Nah he went down the "some of my best friends are...." route.

    Nah, all my best friends are English, have a sense of humour, and don't mind a bit of banter.
  • kieranyeah123kieranyeah123 Posts: 1,157
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    When I've been to the US, quite a few of the people I met were fascinated by my accent and I could do no wrong it seemed simply because I was British! I got the impression that some had never met someone from the UK before but there's 60 odd million of us?!
  • geosgeos Posts: 1,067
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I used to live with a bunch of American when at Uni, and they were just really lovely people.

    I was kinda overwhelmed at first, as they are loud and brash and very confident in their skin, but yes very friendly and they knew how to celebrate holidays!
  • cessnacessna Posts: 6,747
    Forum Member
    British troops had cause to resent US troops who mostly had wads of money, smart clean uniforms, were very polite and each seeming to have their own private jeep, leaving Brits with some shortages on the girl market. Culminating in near riots at cinemas when Errol Flynn was portrayed as having done all the fighting in Burma.
    But that was years ago. I dont think we look upon Americans in quite the same awe today.
  • BrooklynBoyBrooklynBoy Posts: 10,595
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Wonder when the predictable "they've no sense of humo(u)r" remark will come?
    Mark1974 wrote: »
    Nah, all my best friends are English, have a sense of humour, and don't mind a bit of banter.

    Yep, there it is. Here's a good test of whether something is bigoted or banter, replace the target nationality with other nationalities and insert a bunch of cliches and stereotypes about them. Still sound like banter? Probably not. Banter is the usual excuse and if you're best friends are all English and enjoy the bigotry, keep it to them.
  • ACUACU Posts: 9,104
    Forum Member
    Generally speaking, bunch of arrogant, self-centred, gun waving, flag waving, burger eating pricks.

    But I am sure there are a few gooduns.
  • Trsvis_BickleTrsvis_Bickle Posts: 9,202
    Forum Member
    FIN-MAN wrote: »
    Yes that is usually correct. It is supposed to be a sign of respect to your elders. I believe it is more prevalent in the southern states.
    Sir for men; as in yes sir or nor sir.
    Ma'am for women; as in yes ma'am or no ma'am.

    Now, I like that. All the Americans I've met have been unfailingly polite and courteous. They do seem to take their jobs and business in general, very seriously but that could be because I'm a lazy git. :blush:

    Some of the things they are known for, like simplistic patriotism and religion, do seem a bit naïve to us cynical Brits but I find them endearing qualities. The US has also given us some of the English language's cultural treasures over the years.
  • Trsvis_BickleTrsvis_Bickle Posts: 9,202
    Forum Member
    Jefferson wrote: »
    Americans give twice as much to charity as we do.

    That's because they pay hardly any tax compared to us, so more stuff is financed by charidee.
  • epicurianepicurian Posts: 19,291
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I've never called anyone Sir without being sarcastic. :blush: It's definitely a regional thing.
  • Will2911Will2911 Posts: 464
    Forum Member
    America is a country I am frankly frightened of, with it's cultural imperialism, guns and obesity epidemic...
  • whitecliffewhitecliffe Posts: 12,006
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    That's because they pay hardly any tax compared to us, so more stuff is financed by charidee.

    Thats not true. Local and property taxes can be quite high and these are payable on top of national taxation. When we moved to the US we had to work to a dual tax arrangement Our UK tax bill was higher but not by much and certainly this was more than offset by health insurance we needed in the USA

    In the south where I lived I was amazed about the sense of community and the need to help others less fortunate in the community. In general I thought the people less selfish than us Brits

    But hey does seem those who never lived there always know better
  • cessnacessna Posts: 6,747
    Forum Member
    A Croydon resident was puzzled when approached by some Americans asking if they were anywhere near Fort Onneth. After some deep thinking it appeared they had been given directions involving Thornton Heath Rail station.
  • barbelerbarbeler Posts: 23,827
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    I think there are at least two very different Americas. When I was at college we had exchange students from two different colleges; St Clouds in Minnesota and Hiram in Ohio.

    The St Clouds bunch were all very cleanly presented, like extras from Happy Days, yet the Hiram contingent all looked rather unhygenic and appeared to be wearing fancy dress. You would think they came from two different planets rather than two different states.
  • epicurianepicurian Posts: 19,291
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    barbeler wrote: »
    I think there are at least two very different Americas. When I was at college we had exchange students from two different colleges; St Clouds in Minnesota and Hiram in Ohio.

    The St Clouds bunch were all very cleanly presented, like extras from Happy Days, yet the Hiram contingent all looked rather unhygenic and appeared to be wearing fancy dress. You would think they came from two different planets rather than two different states.

    That's nothing. Did you know people from Delaware have tails hidden under their clothes, and Washingtonians all have webbed feet?
  • Jay BigzJay Bigz Posts: 5,338
    Forum Member
    They can't be trusted.....
  • Jambo_cJambo_c Posts: 4,672
    Forum Member
    ✭✭✭
    Most I've met have been nice and they love English people. We spent many hours on holiday just chatting to locals in bars and had a great time. The first time we went to the US we were on honeymoon and we lost count of the amount of drinks we had bought for us, as soon as we mentioned honeymoon the majority of people we spoke to instantly bought us a drink!
    However, I would say that 95% of the ones we met have very little grasp of geography outside of America though, most have only heard of London, Manchester and Liverpool in England!
  • GamerGirlGamerGirl Posts: 623
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    I have two American brothers-in-law.
    Most of them are just the same as most of us British, except with a more positive can do attitude ...and with better teeth! :D
    They're definitely a little louder and have no problem in letting others know if they've done well or badly (as in, say, customer service), which is a much better response than the British way of repressed seething annoyance i.e. "yes, the meal's lovely" when it's actually late, disgusting and or cold.

    Of course, you get the exceptions, but then again look around you here on this fair isle :o . Also their US-centric education and broadcasting systems pretty much condemns them to ignorance about the wider world unless they have the curiosity to learn for themselves.
  • epicurianepicurian Posts: 19,291
    Forum Member
    ✭✭
    Jambo_c wrote: »
    Most I've met have been nice and they love English people. We spent many hours on holiday just chatting to locals in bars and had a great time. The first time we went to the US we were on honeymoon and we lost count of the amount of drinks we had bought for us, as soon as we mentioned honeymoon the majority of people we spoke to instantly bought us a drink!
    However, I would say that 95% of the ones we met have very little grasp of geography outside of America though, most have only heard of London, Manchester and Liverpool in England!

    I've lived in the UK for ten years and I've lost count of the number of people who think I'm from Washington DC when I tell them I'm from Washington State. The last woman I talked to insisted she knew where WA state was as she used to work as a nanny in Virginia and took the train there all the time. :D So it cuts both ways.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,279
    Forum Member
    epicurian wrote: »
    That's nothing. Did you know people from Delaware have tails hidden under their clothes, and Washingtonians all have webbed feet?
    Isn't that the Lousianians?
Sign In or Register to comment.