10 things Americans do that drive Brits nuts

Kind of funny. I can get the over-patriotic thing but the rest are a bit petty. Every Brit I know loves turkey and they eat it more than I do. How do they treat their animals? BTW, what are those huge metal scaffolding things I was in the horizon in every movie scene in London? They look semi-circular.

http%3A//www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2012/05/15/10-things-americans-do-that-drive-brits-nuts/

4, 5, 8 and 9 annoy me. As does the habit of saying "folks" or "we reached out to". But, what really annoys me is this habit of saying "God bless America" or mentioning God in political discussions, and I don't just mean the hardcore religious freaks.
And the reverse.
http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2012/05/17/10-things-brits-do-that-drive-americans-nuts/
[quote]In America, actual humans say things like “Ma’am, you have been an awesome customer today,” just because I bought a box of tampons from their store. Someone needs to introduce him to the bitches at any drug store like Rite-Aid or Duane Reade.
[quote]. No matter how many saltwater baths you give your bird, turkey meat is dry, insipid and stringy. Well, i'm sure this can happen if you let a Brit cook one.
[quote]10 things Americans do that drive Brits nuts Go to the dentist regularly.
R1 why would our spelling and pronunciation bug you? I don't know why we dropped the "u" in some words but it's pretty harmless. We pronounce herb and filet the French way because they are French words and are pronounced that way. Like one commenter said we say fajita and quesadilla the Spanish way too. They would sound ridiculous anglicized.
That person did not go to school.
Being unaware of American pronunciation norms and being hassled by them ("erb") is an unfortunate tip-of-the-iceberg for a sullen, confused people living on a used-up island who have nothing going for them except a long history of tyranny over others and some good writers. Having lived in London (and invariably being mistaken by the English for a German because I lacked a Hawaiian shirt and didn't touch strangers), the notion that any sort of standard or commonality of decorum exists there is ludicrous. A fouler, dirtier, dumber, meaner, more arrogant, or ruder group of nationals I have not encountered. Every time I met someone who seemed pleasantly normal, the person proved to be from Ulster, Scotland or Wales. My 10? 1. Rudeness. 2. Coldness in manner that betrays coldness of heart but pretends merely to be "appropriate." 3. The lack of interest in dental care. 4. And for everyone who DOES see a dentist, the teeth are so blindingly bleached you could stand one on a post in the fog and have them smile and clench towards the sea, and it would have the same effect as a lighthouse beacon. 5. Hatred of immigrants. 6. Among the lower classes, rage and hurtfulness. 7. Among the middle classes, insipidity and materialism. 8. Among the upper classes, fossilized pride. 9. Their envy. 10. Their constant ridicule and complaints about Americans, as they adopt every fad, style and fashion across the spectrum of life. And an 11th is their horrid little refrigerators and the fact they never clean their stovetops and ovens. I'm surprised the whole of London hasn't burned down from kitchen grease fires.
If you hate they way we pronounce fillet then I bid you two restaurants with a nasal French n and no t. Maude, lets skip the cafe (hrymes with chafe)and find an Indian restaurann. I could kill for curry.
They still haven't gotten over that little independence thing.
[quote]Go to the dentist regularly. Brits have better teeth than Americans do. Do your research.
Brits can't pronounce any word with an 'a' at the end. They us 'er' in place of the 'a.'
What's with this myth you can't get curry here? I have about 5 or 6 Indian places near me?
When I was a kiddie from England, my brother and I used to grin when they'd come over and tell you the specials in restaurants. Hi, my name is Cooper and I'm your captain...& always things like: 'Egg Plant Parmeee-jarn' (WTF?) and the endive salad comes with a creamy 'erb dressing. But, actually, it was sweet. I remember going to an uptight business lunch with my father and my brother ordered 'Buttermilk' (why would that be on the menu?) and he took one sip and looked like he wanted to 'throw up' and trying to maintain our giggles for the rest of the lunch. The 'I love your accent' thing is rarer and rarer now, but back in the '70s you'd get it all the time. Why that should bother anyone I do not know.
Adding the letter U to words like colour is a fairly recent innovation in written British English. "Color" is closer to the Latin original anyway.
R8 sounds like he's describing America -- every single one of those things reads true of Americans, except they're "fake" instead of "cold" (No. 2) and of course No. 10, which you could probably replace with Americans thinking everything they do is original. I lived in the UK just two years ago. Very modern, clean, and my neighbors were fastidious about it. And they were extremely warm and friendly.
I say par-me-zon R14. How do you say it? Cooper was definitely odd in putting an "r" in the last syllable.
Oops, should have been "par-ma-shon". What do British waiters/waitresses say?
R17
Have to agree with the over-the-top patriotism. I have neighbors whose homes look as if a production of "Yankee Doodle Dandy" is set to begin. After living in London, what bothered me most about the English was their unrelenting cynicism that they attempted to pass off as sophistication.
BonniePrinceCharlie
Not cleaning the stove top is a WASP thing seen on both sides of the Atlantic. In the US, it is a sign of "old money."
R11 considers dentures at 33 a sure sign that someone has been to the dentist. Ass.
Being old money in the US means living in filth? Dirty stoves are disgusting.
Aussie here - just wanna say: I LOVE turkey! Dunno what that idiot Pom (as we call the British) is on about... (none of the other things on his list really bug me either - been to the US many times and love it!) Honesty - he sounds appalling and like someone you'd cross the road to avoid. And I just know he's got an equally petty and silly list of hates about Aussies and other former colonial countries. So have at it Yank DLers - more Pommy-bashing please! What are your top things that they do that drive you guys nuts?
All i know is the UK and US need to get a room and stop inflicting the rest of the world with their mutual obsession with each others turns of phrase and such. Although the fascination often seems somewhat lop-sided in favour of the UK.
Canada
R20, old money and true WASPS have people clean their stoves, and they trust it is done because they do not enter the kitchen themselves to check. They live foully only if they are required to do domestic work themselves, but if you are citing the habits of failures and alcoholics as the norm, you have a bit of selection bias. If you must make things up, why not start with a description of your impeccable credentials and keen habits of observation? For veracity, throw in the hovels you have spent your time in.
[quote]Brits have better teeth than Americans do. If YOU say so, then it must be true. LOL!!!!
Worked in British office. British management is very evasive and does not take responsibility for decisions. My boss drank heavily and snored n meetings. Acted as though Americans were "thick" although he made some very bad choices for the company.
[quote] What do British waiters/waitresses say? Parme-ZANN, but if the cheese was really made in that part of Italy, it can be called Parmigiano. [quote]Cooper was definitely odd in putting an "r" in the last syllable. I think the "r" was an English way of indicating that the vowel was a long "ah" sound, not that Cooper was inserting an "r" sound.
Watch it, Aussie. Plenty about you racist convict twats we both hate.
We%20sent%20you%20to%20Gallipoli%20on%20purpose
There's also a BBC Canada, you know, but you never see articles like these posted on its website.
http://www.bbccanada.com/
What is it with people in the UK that they'll let their teeth turn to Indian corn? Glasgow was particularly frightening in the tooth decay department.
I'll go R23. I knew a lot of British ex-pats at one time and all of them would bitch about not having "their" food available easily and things being different from home. There were several supermarkets that carried UK products like Tetley tea, Hobnobs and Patak's Indian sauces, etc. and lots of pubs they could get steak and kidney pies at but they still bitched. I used to get fed up and ask them why they didn't go back. I don't go to foreign countries and expect the same thing. That's the fun of travel. Don't even get me started on the ones that would go to Spain and hang out in British pubs the whole time. Forget cultural experiences, they would sit and drink all day in a pub.
That's hilarious, R30. 'It's the BBC, but made dull enough for Canada'
Oh, and of course a waiter in the UK wouldn't call it "eggplant" anything; it's called aubergine there.
Oh r25 -- pull the stick out of your ass (and remove you mom's hand from your penis) and read Florence King.
R24, poor Canadians, always on the periphery. Face it, Aussies are much more interesting than you lot. Canadians rank among New Zealanders on the Anglo interest-meter.
OP, is the "metal scaffolding" thing to which you're referring the London Eye, perhaps? Comments on the thread (by comment #): 2) The American upper class have been bestowing their children with family names as first names for centuries; it's only recently that the middle classes have done away with tradition and started naming their children "Madison" and the like when there isn't anyone with that last name in the family. 4) Move to NYC or Boston. Problem solved. No "relentless cheer" of any sort there! 5) Isn't "overzealous patriotism" totally a red-state thing? In any event, the British counterpart is overzealous obsession with its local footballers, including football hooligans, entire magazines and television shows dedicate to the over-the-top exploits of footballers and their wives (including, of course, the legendary "Footballer$ Wives"), and literal rioting when a team does or doesn't win against a certain rival. 6) Treating pets like people - well, I can't argue with that one. Anthropomorphizing is the technical term for what people do in terms of both pets and animals in general, projecting their human feelings onto them. This is most annoyingly done IMO in terms of defending their vegetarianism or veganism on the fact that "cows are just so *cute*!", never mind that cows have brains only slightly larger than a turd. 7) WTF? Only a *tiny* fringe of the population uses turkey as anything other than a Thanksgiving/Xmas dinner dish or as a lunch meat. 8) Spelling the "wrong" way. How fascinating. Can we, praytell, next argue about which of us is driving on the "wrong" side of the road? 9) Right. All those aristos on "Downton Abbey" calling for their valet and pronouncing it "VAL-it" instead of "val-A" are *so* much simpler than we pretentious Yanks. 10) No one in the U.S. says "fanny" on a regular basis, except perhaps older women in the rural South. Otherwise we invariably say "butt" or "ass." American women also *loathe* the word "panties" by a substantial majority and say "underwear" instead.
I love Brits. I was born in the wrong country.
American%20Anglophile
I find the use of "folks" in America odd. I thought maybe it was just a regional thing but then I heard Obama say it in a speech. Do people really use that word in everyday speech?
[quote] What's with this myth you can't get curry here? I have about 5 or 6 Indian places near me? Plus you can buy Indian food in any Trader Joe's. I don't know if it's regional, but the freezer cases at all of my local supermarkets have samosas, saags, paneers, masala, pakooras, biryani. We have sauces, basmati and jasmine rice, chutneys, etc. The bread is a bit more difficult to find but you can get naan at Trader Joe's. I wish I could get papdum easily.
R36 Canada is like a mix of the least interesting parts from each of the UK, Australia, and the U.S.
"A fouler, dirtier, dumber, meaner, more arrogant, or ruder group of nationals I have not encountered." Project much, Americans? The most entertaining thing about this read is watching the yanks leap to their own defense and cite age old stereotypes as to why they are 'better' than the nation that gave birth to them. Oh, and no one gives a shit about your 'personal top 10' list R8. England's just jealous! Along with virtually every other country on Earth? I see.
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R42 = Brit who can't stand taking the piss when it's being done to him
[quote] In any event, the British counterpart is overzealous obsession with its local footballers, including football hooligans I couldn't believe that imdb and Wikipedia entries tell which football club an actor supports. "John Doe Is a supporter of the Blackburn Rovers." "Joe Schmoe supports Sutton United." WTF?
"British Kids Have The Best Teeth, New Study Shows" Americans needs to keep their collective mouths shut about the British and their teeth. Turns out that kids in England have better dental hygiene than kids right here in the United States. The Economist reports that Britain's children, along with the Germans, have the healthiest pearly whites of all, according to a new study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. In contrast, Poland came in last -- a 12-year-old in that country has nearly four teeth that are missing, decayed or have fillings. Where do American kids fall on the dental-heath continuum? Each child has at least one decayed or missing tooth. Other countries that need to do better brushing include Hungary, South Korea and Greece. Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden can also claim toothy grinned bragging rights, according to the OECD, as kids there have fewer than one missing or decayed tooth. Still looking for a great stocking stuffer? Consider a toothbrush.
http://www.parentdish.com/2009/12/15/british-kids-have-the-best-teeth/
I knew DL couldn't handle this. Why are people getting so defensive? It's a stupid throw-away list, and attempt at humor. [quote]confused people living on a used-up island who have nothing going for them except a long history of tyranny over others and some good writers. Seriously, this list provoked that reaction?
Graph: "Average number of decayed, or missing or filled teeth in a 12 year old." Sorry, Americans.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_CQyU4ayBifw/SyJ2gRZdeVI/AAAAAAAACjM/KykJHFha47Y/s1600/Teeth2.jpg
Hey Canada, does your version of the BBC air 100 hours a week of Top Gear? I swear to fucking god bbc America does...
If Americans are so horrible, so dumb, so lazy, then why does it own nearly everything, and is the richest country on the planet?
this does not drive me nuts, but I never understood the Brit pronunciation of pasta (pass-tuh, rather than pah-stuh). also their use of the word 'horny'... I lived in London for seven months and while (ok, 'whilst' is pretty annoying, and while we're on it, 'snog' sounds like an exchange of mucosa) the weather was crap, and some of the council residents horrid, I truly loved it and would go back for another run.
Heath%20Hamstead
R49 because it's a bully who will take whatever it wants
I don't believe lack of tooth brushing is the cause of all dental loss. Sugar intake, dry mouth, good protein intake and genetics play into it. The Japanese are quite fastidious in their dental hygiene. They used tongue scrapers before we did.
[quote]Canada is like a mix of the least interesting parts from each of the UK, Australia, and the U.S. Canada seems so boring. They don't have the political power and cultural influence that the US and the UK do, nor the exotica that Australia possesses. It seems like such a wasteland.
Nobody says "panties," except on Seinfeld. We say "underwear." "Knickers" sounds so 19th century.
British Columbia, the Canadian Rockies and the Yukon are cool.
To settle the teeth issue once and for all: we're not arguing that the Brits don't brush their teeth or have more cavities; we're arguing that a) they don't believe in orthodontics and b) have smiles that look positively *busted* as a result.
R53! Stop being dumb! Canada is a huge economic power to the rest of the world and leads the world in peacekeeping efforts. It's also stunningly beautiful; why do you think so much American film and television production actually takes place there? Because it looks great, has a pleasant educated workforce and doesn't have the collapsing infrastructure you find in America.
R54 is correct. Knickers are like long underwear or bloomers our great-grannies wore.
None of you know "boring shithole" until you've been to Central Asia.
R45, posting a link to an article about an alleged scientific study that cannot be seen because the article has a dead link....not impressed.
R43 = unable to string a sentence together. go figure! Also, do Americans still believe they are the richest country on Earth? Adorable!
gdp%20to%20debt%20ratio%20says%20hello
R53, I'm seriously cringing in embarrassment for you. I know for a fact that not all Americans are as myopic about the world outside your borders. Canada is now to the rest of the world what the US was 100 years ago.
R53, the only reason Australia seems "exotic" is because it's so far away. Clearly you've never been there, otherwise you'd know the solitary part of it that's even *remotely* exotic is the rainforest in and around Daintree National Park in Queensland, which covers about 1% of the continent. 80% of the rest of it, however, is barren desert. Geologically speaking, New Zealand, though much smaller, is *vastly* more intriguing, hence the reason they filmed all the LOTR films and many others there. I'm no ra-ra Canada fan, and I think the stretch between the Canadian Rockies and Great Lakes is as big a wasteland as the American Midwest, but I certainly would never argue that British Columbia doesn't have some stunning vistas, and I absolutely adore Nova Scotia, particularly PEI. Also, Montreal and Quebec City are as close to a true European city as it gets in North America, EPCOT fakery notwithstanding. R57, however, let's be real: the reason Canada subs for America in film and television is because a) it's cheaper and b) you can find locations resembling 90% of America, where these productions are invariably set, within an hour's drive from either Vancouver or Toronto.
The other night I went into my local big Tesco ( a very mainstream supermarket) in West Kensington and they were installing an American section!! I'm dying to go back, when it's ready. That's something you used to have to go to Harrods or somewhere very expensive for. I could see they had Bazooka, but I'm hoping for Dubble Bubble and Big Red. Above the entrance it said 'A little taste of home'...shows how many Americans live in London now.
[quote]Canada is now to the rest of the world what the US was 100 years ago. Oh? You're opening up your own Ellis Island to welcome the millions of refugees and immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and can't find it in places where they're barred from entry? Is PM Harper aware of this?
[quote]Bazooka, but I'm hoping for Dubble Bubble and Big Red. Quelle horreur! I don't even buy that stuff. Do they have a lot of tex-mex and Cajun ingredients over there. I'm afraid I couldn't survive without those.
American%20Pie
I am an American living in Northern England. I have to say that journalists here just love to go on these bitter rants that they think are very witty. I've noticed it's an upper middle class thing here, you have to slag on everything to prove you're educated and in the know. In fact, slagging on everything is key form of humo(u)r here. Sometimes it is very funny. Most times it is tedious. I really like the English in general. Most of them have a good social conscience and a strong drive towards decency. But most are very embarrassed by their own good natures, so they make all these attempts to cover them up by acting snarky and cynical(ooo sounds like DL), and I accept that. The thing that Brits miss about America and Americans is that in some ways we are more sophisticated than them by virtue of having grown up in such a big melting pot. Sure the UK is becoming a melting pot itself, but it is still relatively new. Most of the educated, white English I know, are not as culturally fluid as the educated Americans I know. It has to do with this fear of embarrassment they have which informs all social interaction. For example, picking up on foreign languages and foreign words. In America, so many foreign words have become part of daily language very naturally. Here people are so afraid that they will sound affected or wrong that they deliberately mispronounce almost every foreign word they can. Then they act all smug when somebody says it the right way! Maddening. The English people I've met know WAY more about history than Americans and are usually much more saavy about political affairs. But they lack that sort of ease and kinship that many Americans have with different cultures.
Long%2C%20I%20know.%20%20Sorry
Knickers are synonymous with bloomers over here.
I worked with an Englishwoman who loved to tell me that the U.S. had not had good tea since the Revolution. I have no idea why anyone would say that more than once. I finally told her it was a small enough price to pay.
The fact that the British don't bathe or brush their teeth offends me more than anything...
What%27s%20good%20for%20the%20goose%2C%20limey%20bastards
R67 Very thoughtful and well said.
Brits have much healthier teeth than Americans, but orthodontic care and whitening is uncommon except among certain groups (younger people, media types, upper middle class Londoners, etc.). This is because dental care is free in the UK, but orthodontic/cosmetic dentistry is considered to be a cosmetic treatment like botox, not standard. I've lived in the UK and the US (London and Philadelphia) and never saw an adult with missing or visibly decayed teeth in the UK, apart from maybe elderly people. In Philadelphia I saw tons of adults with half their teeth missing or decayed. I'd never seen anything like it.
R72, dental care in the U.S. is expensive. Most people don't have dental insurance coverage so they have to pay out of pocket for dentists' visits.
Fewer and fewer people can afford dental care in the US thanks to lack of insurance, shitty jobs with shitty pay. It's really difficult to get a dentist to pull all your teeth do you can get dentures. They want to do all kinds of implants and coveyings and each tooth is $5,000. That's a fixking ridiculous price. So be careful who you make fun of. You may wind up losing your job, your home, your savings and your teeth one of these days.
But what about the B.O.?
Or you can go to Mexico and get it done more cheaply.
I am not making fun of anyone, r74. Simply trying to point out the endless barrage of Brit-bashing and bragging about how Americans have perfect teeth and Brits all have terrible rotten teeth is a myth.
[quote] they deliberately mispronounce almost every foreign word they can. Then they act all smug when somebody says it the right way! This has always puzzled me. You are right, they deliberately mispronounce foreign words. I assumed it was because they feel superior to foreigners and refuse to kowtow to foreigners by incorrectly pronouncing inferior foreign words Also, do they call all Indo/Pak food "a curry"? Vindaloo, tandoori chicken, pakora -- are these all referred to as "a curry?" . ("I got a take away curry on my way home.")
[quote]In Philadelphia I saw tons of adults with half their teeth missing or decayed. I'd never seen anything like it. I've never been to Philadelphia. Is it really a city where tons of adults are missing half of their teeth?
Rocky Balboa punched them all in the mouth.
The weird thing about Philadelphia is that not only are tons of adults missing their teeth or have badly rotting snags, they go around with their mouths open so that any stranger will see their rotten snagglemouths. That's how I could tell! No one even tries to hide it! Philadelphia is a city of rotten-toothed mouth breathers. In the UK, everyone has perfectly healthy teeth.
R72
I hate the estuary accent. It's so foul-sounding. It sounds so very deliberate when they swallow their Ls.
Thanks, Aussie @ r23. I don't mind having the piss taken out of us, but it's so rare that we Americans are complimented about anything, it means a lot when it happens.
My supermarket has a British section, R64 -- Lucozade, Hobnobs, John West tinned fish (which I found a bit strange to get used to being my cousin's name), spotted dick, etc. Putting warm (hot) milk in coffee seems rather strange! Isn't the idea of the milk to cool the beverage so it's at an easier temp to drink? And milk in tea ... PASS!
I always laugh when I hear a brit say spaghetti bolognese. They pronounce it ball-ag-nah-si
A 15 years old Simpsons joke about teeth should not be confused with fact. The OECD reported that British dental health is the best in the world. This is true, it's a verifiable fact. Universal healthcare plays its part, but dentistry services are not free to all in the UK, so we have to pay part of the cost, but my last checkup and polish was £11. A lot cheaper than the US, and that would explain a lot about the relationship between appalling dental health issues and poverty in Kentucky. There are many great things about the US but your healthcare, dental or otherwise, is not one of them.
[quote]This has always puzzled me. You are right, they deliberately mispronounce foreign words. I assumed it was because they feel superior to foreigners and refuse to kowtow to foreigners by incorrectly pronouncing inferior foreign words I think you've got it absolutely right. It's also a class thing. The Upper Classes abhor the use of French words...lower classes use the word toilet, the upper classes say lavatory or loo. Lower classes say serviette, upper classes say napkin. [quote]Putting warm (hot) milk in coffee seems rather strange! Isn't the idea of the milk to cool the beverage so it's at an easier temp to drink? And milk in tea ... PASS! Warm milk in coffee is more of a continental European thing. The English don't usually do it. Milk in tea...we wouldn't drink tea any other way.
[quote]Oh? You're opening up your own Ellis Island to welcome the millions of refugees and immigrants seeking a better life for themselves and can't find it in places where they're barred from entry? If you're asking if Canada receives many, many immigrants and refugees, the answer is yes.
Re: the patriotism thing: Were any British people around during this past summer? It felt like Germany circa 1936.
I agree with the accent thing. Sometimes I hear, 'say ____' a dozen times a night. If you want to hear my accent, just have a conversation with me and you'll hear it.
Ciaran
I lived in London and I did not see the famous bad teeth. I think this is a myth based on something from pre-WWII or something. I'm sure there are lots of problems with teeth in the US with everything being private and expensive. I'm Canadian, and yes, it is boring. The only kind of interesting, fun place is Montreal, and I'm sick of that (esp the English-French divisions). I'd love to live in London again or some parts of the US (esp cities: NY, Boston, SF). I love nice, intelligent people.
This from a nation of people that eats baked beans for breakfast?
[quote]This from a nation of people that eats baked beans for breakfast? ... or eats french fries out of a newspaper?!
This from a nation that hyphenates last names to appear posh? Camilla Parker-Bowles Catherine Zeta-Jones Trevor Rees-Jones Helena Bonham-Carter
"... or eats french fries out of a newspaper?!" And calls them "chips". THe first time I heard a guy say "I eat chips" I thought Erik Estrada and Larry Wilcox were awfully lucky.
[quote].. or eats french fries out of a newspaper?! We haven't done that for years...decades, even. But we do still add salt and vinegar to our Fish & Chips, don't you?
This from a country that drinks beer mixed with soda?
Shandy
r8, I know you're Paul Theroux, you can't hide behind "anonymous". Does this post mean that you're still pissed off at your ex-wife?
anonymous too
God what an annoying nitpicky article. It points out why I hate the Brits.
But Americans ARE all gun totting fat Jesus freaks.
r84 the point of milk in coffee is that it changes the taste. Those who warm it do it so the coffee will stay hot to warm longer.
So, when a British person says they are going to "have a curry," they don't mean an actual dish with curry in it but rather mean any sort of Indian food? Isn't that just a little bit vague? Is Thai food also called "a curry"? Also, it seems that the things that Brits most detest about America (according to the BBC article) really pertain mostly to the South.
Everyone in Europa is jealous of America, they'll say how they hate us, yet expect us to help them every time they need it. "America is a big bully" oh yes, because europe hasn't had bullies in the past 100 years who tried to take away freedom, right? Give it a rest.
American.%20Is%20that%20a%20problem%2C%20bitches%3F
The eternal 'bad teeth' shtick here must be made by losers who don't own a passport. Brit teeth haven't been shit since the 60s. But the lack of obsessional teeth straightening is a cultural thing: few are bothered by slightly angled teeth: it's considered normal and individual. [quote]Geologically speaking, New Zealand, though much smaller, is *vastly* more intriguing, Best be a geologist if you visit, because geology would be the only fucking thing remotely intriguing about New Zealand: one of the most boring, small-minded, and smuggest countries on earth. The things that bother me about Americans: 1. Their stomach-turning sentimentalism. 2. That even the most sophisticated are breathtakingly niave in various ways. 3. Their assumption that they know everything and are always right.
r104 are you British? I've noticed the British (English and Welsh especially) are incredibly bitter about New Zealand. Pathologically so. Why is that exactly?
Australian
Does this finding annoying things about the Brits thing also extend to BBC America?
I wonder which one r104 resembles?
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0sz3pUtGd1r02fsfo1_500.png
Testing. Testing.
Anonymous
I expected gay content here. I am confused.
(R104) As an American living in the UK, I could absolutely say the same about most English people. Brits pretend not to be sentimental but they tear up like big softies at anything patriotic.(And I'm not especially patriotic, but I don't look down on it either) Furthermore, I've been a little shocked about how little most Brits know or understand about the US and how stodgy and unaware they are about most foreign cultures. It goes both ways.
"I'm Canadian, and yes, it is boring. The only kind of interesting, fun place is Montreal" Montreal is dreadfully boring. And interesting only to the people that live there and who tend to only travel to other places in Quebec and Hollywood, Florida.
r103, "everyone" in Europe does not say we hate America, nor are we "jealous" of America, particularly its political system, economic inequity and its culture, which allows its loudest, incompetent, and pettiest people to lead discourse. Most Europeans are fascinated by America and it's one of our top tourist destinations. We particularly enjoy New York, San Francisco and your national parks. We love your movies, TV, and pop music. And many Americans are lovely people. Your current President and his wife are hugely popular. You can, however, generalize about us in this way: We see people like you as representative of the ignorant, generalizing, flippant and absurd loons who write or speak without thinking and give Americans a horrible reputation. We laugh at Americans like you. You're "I'm an American bitches" attitude doesn't represent gay Americans well either. and p.s. - we haven't asked for your help in a long time. The last time there was a request between us, you asked us to help you in your recent wars. Most of Europe said no. And European and Asian money kept your banks from collapsing. You're welcome.
American teeth are really weird. They are all bleached and fake and resemble nothing like human teeth.
Met a friendly, creative Bostonian once who told me, in all apparent sincerity, he met a Canadian from Toronto online once who he didn't think he could chat to as he didn't speak French. He truly believed all Canadians speak French. Most Americans are blowhards. I take a Canadian any day.
[R105] I've never known anyone to be anti-New Zealand - I'm British. Is this a new thing? I work with a few Kiwis and quick straw poll here in the office, no-one knows what you mean. For us New Zealand = beautiful scenery and tasty lamb. And Lord of the Rings. And maybe relatives who emigrated. The pathological hatred you describe sounds more like you're drunk or off your meds. Citation needed.
R12 , Some Northeasterners in the US particularly New Yorkers can't pronounce an a at the end of the word it becomes "er" as well.
I drink black breakfast tea with milk. That's how I was brought up. I would never drink a flavored tea with milk. I drink black tea with milk for breakfast and later in the day I have Chinese restaurant tea (i stop in and buy the tea bags every week) without milk. I don't much like coffee, but when I drink it, I put milk in it and don't like flavored coffee. I can drink half and half in coffee if I have to, but not in tea. I drink skim milk in tea, but coffee doesn't taste good with skim milk.
Every- fucking- one in Europe would move to the U.S. in a heart beat if they could.
No, you have your stereotypes wrong, R111. Montrealers do not care about Florida (or the other parts of Quebec).
New Zealanders are south Seas Poms really. At least that's what Aussies call them. Translation ,"The British of The South Seas". Kiwis and Brits like each other whereas Aussies and Brits don't! The Welsh,Irish,Scots and English are rather pasty and have bad taste in food. Eating in Sydney or Melbourne is like eating in San Francisco or New York. Yes , I know about the Brit foodie culture but who really eats like that there?
I have a friend from ZA whose brother lives in NZ. He said NZ is beautiful, but unbelievably dull. It's interesting if you are a sheep farmer; otherwise you'd better like hiking and skiing. The cities are small compared to Europe and the Americas.
Everyone in Europe is jealous of America because let's face it, we have the best climate. If you want the cold and snow, it's there for you. If you want warm, sunny beaches, we got it. The USA really does have it all.
Val in Travel
[quote]Everyone in Europe is jealous of America because let's face it, we have the best climate. If you want the cold and snow, it's there for you. If you want warm, sunny beaches, we got it. So does Europe. Do you think the whole of Europe has the weather of London?
[quote]So, when a British person says they are going to "have a curry," they don't mean an actual dish with curry in it but rather mean any sort of Indian food? Isn't that just a little bit vague? Is Thai food also called "a curry"? Curry means sauce, in America we have a spice blend we call curry, but any sort of Indian food in sauce would be a curry.
122 - you really think anyone in Europe is jealous of your horrible cars, lack of healthcare, poor education system, strangely disparate and underfunded emergency services, fundamentalist gun nuts and non-existent public transport network?
R125, the brutal economic crisis will bring all that to Europe sooner than you think
I have heard that there is going to be some sort of referendum on independence in Scotland sometime soon--what could this mean for the rest of Britain and Northern Ireland? Would Northern Ireland just give up and join the Republic? What about Ireland becoming a Commonwealth member, would that help matters in finally uniting that island? If Scotland becomes independent, what would that mean for the status of Elizabeth as Queen of Scotland? Or the idea of there being a "United Kingdom" for that matter? Is there a sentiment afoot in England to encourage Asians and blacks to emigrate? Is there a movement to create an English Parliament if Scotland does leave? There, I think I may have asked about 10 questions that will drive some Brits nuts in trying to answer them.
curious American Queen
R127, some of your questions are so daft there is no point attempting to answer them. If Scotland leaves, which I don't think it will, then it will retain the Queen and various other regalia. More important is what its status vis-a-vis the European Union, which is not a settled matter. It will be many decades before Northern Ireland joins the Republic. Why the hell would Ireland want to join the Commonwealth? Is there sentiment afoot in the US to encourage Asians and blacks to emigrate? England has a parliament, it's in Westminster. R126 does not know much about the economy and society of Europe. Ok, let's forget the funny American spelling, etc. But, why are so many of you people so into God? Is it possible to be elected to public office without going on about God all the time?
[quote]I agree with the accent thing. Sometimes I hear, 'say ____' a dozen times a night. I had this happen to me in London. I'm from TX and had several people tell me to "talk" on command. WTF am I supposed to say? I still want to know how they pronounce quesadilla and fajita.
R128 a lot of us wonder about that god thing too.
I told you my questions would slightly annoy you r128. I meant an English parliament in the sense that Scotland now has its own Parliament and Wales has its own Assembly (I think it's called an Assembly??). It somehow puzzles me that the Parliament in Westminster isn't more of a national, that is, UK parliament and each of the constituent nations also has their own legislative body, or am I thinking too much like an American; the states have legislatures and then on the federal level there is the Congress. OK, for calling me (or rather my other questions) daft I have more questions: does anyone ever want the old money system back in place (I know it will never take place any more than Latin returning to the Catholic Church), that is, pounds, shillings and pence? Is it true that if you're tired of London you're tired of life or is it just tired of spending too much money?
r127
(R128) Many of us in the US absolutely hate the religious nuttery. Much of the US was settled by religious fanatics, looking for new locations to set up their own utopias. It would take that sort of group zeal to be organized enough to settle such a wild and big terrain. Since the land is full of natural resources, many of them found success and concluded that God had rewarded them by making them rich. The idea has never really left the national psyche, unfortunately. And unfortunately, religious groups are still very organized and control a good deal of the political space.
R128, I live in Madrid, where I see every day "the economy and society" crumbling down with my own little eyes
r128 and r130, I think part of the reason why Americans (some of them) tend to look for the god thing in their politicians is because of the Puritan strain which, once again, we inherited from you. It has been said as well that Americans like to see the spouses of the candidates running for office, also as a result of the Puritan idea of God and family whereas many Europeans would never put their spouses "on display" while running for office. Having said that however, I think that nowadays, at least outside the South where I'm sure it is still taken seriously in a general way, the old Puritan reflex of referring to God in politics is more a habit of the media and what the politicians think the media expect them to say in that regard. I agree though that the less said about God and religion in general in American politics the better. Please bear in mind that alot of what you hear about the loud mouthed, know-it-all Americans who strain at a gnat for God applies largely to Southerners and there has been a certain amount of neo-secession sentiment among them lately as a result of Obama's re-election. Someone else also pointed this out. And it might be well to bear in mind also that American southerners are the one segment of the American population who culturally bear the most resemblance to their "Mother", not those in "New England". So it might be well to look to yourselves as a parent does with his own offspring to explain the quirks and fancies of their sons and daughters.
anonymous
PS-I have heard a number of southern Americans use the term "whilst" for while, some of them younger as well--Americans outside the South would never say it unless he or she were trying to be cute or funny. I don't think you have to look very far, those of you who are English, to find those who also use that term instead of "while"--nothing wrong with it, just different, don't change to saying "while" instead of "whilst" just because the Americans generally don't use it. And while I'm at it, keep calling it petrol and call trucks lorries--variety is the spice of life. If you start calling them trucks generally over there, I'm going to start calling them lorries over here.
anonymous
R133, I live in Athens and I still haven't seen anywhere in Europe such income disparities or levels of poverty as I've seen in the US.
PS-A further thought about God in politics: I know it isn't mentioned much in political discourse in Britain, but the idea of there being a "Defender of the Faith" is enshrined in the office of your head of state, namely the Queen herself. I have heard and read that she regularly attends church services every Sunday, probably more as a matter of state duty. This is unlike her subjects who, the last I read, attend services on Sunday to the tune of maybe 10% of the population at best. This is not to defend or detract from the generally higher attendance at church that more Americans by comparison habitually continue. There is still, officially, a "wall of separation" between church and state in this country unlike, officially, in Britain.
anonymous
[quote]The eternal 'bad teeth' shtick here must be made by losers who don't own a passport. Brit teeth haven't been shit since the 60s. But the lack of obsessional teeth straightening is a cultural thing: few are bothered by slightly angled teeth: it's considered normal and individual. R104, there are a few posters on DL who are obsessive about the appearance of other people's teeth. Most of us aren't like that and consider it superficial. If the lights went out at Kennedy Airport, I'm sure they could line up on the landing strips and guide planes to a safe landing with their blinding white, perfect choppers. Other than that, there's not much use for them. The rest of us think their Chiclet teeth look strange and terribly artificial, as bad as too much plastic surgery and overdone botox.
(R138) I don't know when things got so twisted in the US concerning individual appearance, but it did. I can't stand how every one just picks apart perfectly attractive or plain normal people for not looking all plastic perfect. There is less vanity in the UK in general, Simon Cowell aside.
If you look closely at the crown the queen wears on state occasions, you will see a cross more in the form of a plus (+) sign. I think this is an oblique reference to the cross of Jesus Christ and Christianity, the more official status of which is related to what was inherited from the late Roman Empire.
anon
I'm sorry, but the author seems to be a complete dunce. Those are just cultural differences and only a pretentious fart would get bent out of shape about differences in spelling and pronunciation. Lastly, how can a person not tell the difference between different American Bills? The faces are different, but beyond that even if you didn't feel like memorizing faces, the number amounts are printed in bod font on four corners of the bill. I know we spell things differently, but I am fairly confident our numbers, at least 1-100, are the same.
I wonder if Kate would ever demand everyone to eat the royal pussy.
Curious%20American
Why do we care? Nasty unhappy people. Which is why the.sun never shines there.
r64, I was shocked to see Krispy Kreme donuts the last time I went to London. Off all the things to import from America, why Krispy Kreme donuts?
"But, why are so many of you people so into God? Is it possible to be elected to public office without going on about God all the time?" r128, the American POTUS isn't styled as the "Defender of the Faith" like the Queen/King of England. Now who's the Jesus freak?
Billy Graham Cracker
The monarch of the United Kingdom does not play a role in the political life of the country and only mentions God on rare, very specific occasions (e.g. Christmas). The title "Defender of the Faith", stupid as it is, is a historical one, going back several centuries. The prime minister of the UK, and prime ministers of other European countries, who are the heads of government, which is different from the ceremonial heads of state, do not go on about God in the way in which the POTUS does. Would it be possible for anyone in the US to be elected president without declaring their religious "beliefs"? What about Congress and local government? if you can't see that religion plays a far more prominent role in US political discourse than it does in the UK/Europe, then you're an idiot.