To my UK friends: don't lump all us americans together.

[Little Duck]

We don't rope you all together. Just the majority. Easier for us to make jokes.

I'd put money on most Brits not going to America, so our experience of you lot consists entirely of media, which is normally someone from california, the deep south, or a yank. That and most people who would flag you out are normally twats. The regualar Brit is quite, how shall I put this, personal zone obsessed. They're overlly cautious about new people and try to be Jimmy Carr, who is intelligently and ironically racist, but end up being just plain racist. I've known my best mate for 25% of my life and we still haven't stopped talking about the weather. Tomorow, we plan to move on to what we like and dislike (I jest).

As for accents, again, see media. I was surprised there were other accents.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Yours walk round castles open mouthed, making comments like and this is an actual quotation "Gee why did they build the castle so far from the freeway?" I simply could not answer that question.

You couldn't?

Castles were built away from freeways so that they couldn't be surprised by enemies taking advantage of the increased rapid transportation opportunities of the freeway system, instead the distant location would force them to split their forces in order to advance along the system of secondary roads.

 

[ottenni]

Kangaroos exist to be shot, eaten, and occasionally fuck up the front of your car when you hit them.

And aren't the bloody things so delicious.

 

[Stephanos132]

Sorry matey but the English language has been evolving in England for about a thousand years or so, something that it is continuing to do today. That means that however it evolves in England is correct.

I'm not trying to be confrontational or arrogant but america wasn't our only colony, it's just the biggest and one of the youngest, the only one that won't accept second place for anything.

I respectfully disagree, I fail to see words like ''Innit' that as an 'evolution' ;-)

Evolution of language doesn't necessarily occur in a positive direction, particularly when ignorance and stupidity are the social norms of the day.

It may not seem like it but I believe people are less stupid and ignorant today than they ever have been. And how can you decide whether evolution of language is positive or negative? It usually works towards verbal economy, which is a good thing, but for the most part language change (change, that is, not extinction, which is another matter entirely) is neither negative nor positive - it just is, although many seem reluctant to accept that.

I didn't really say this was a negative change, but yea, it's just change.

Regarding people, I suppose it depends what timescale one uses. It doesn't help that the MSM highlights pretty only the worst cases of anything (being woefully, and often unrepentantly, inaccurate as well), and I try to ignore it but, I always seem to find a plentiful supply of morons wherever I tread, and I doubt that's due to me keeping bad company.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

Kangaroos exist to be shot, eaten, and occasionally fuck up the front of your car when you hit them.

And aren't the bloody things so delicious.

Well, yes... but I wish people would stop making such a fuss about using kangaroo meat these days. Claiming 'we used kangaroo for this' about some dish or another these days is about as surprising as 'we used salt'.

 

[SeanTheSheep]

Its a neighbourly thing too, the English rib on Scots/welsh and Irish, the Yanks (ho ho, generalisation!) rib the Canadians and in France its a legal requirement to take the piss out of the Belgiums.

Oh aye, there's not a day when I don't take the piss out of the English. Mostly while talking to my English friends.

Then they call me a potato farmer, and we all laugh. I think once you know the person well enough, it's alright.

Quiet potato boy!
Go back to your Guinness and play with a shamrock, then do a car bombing.

OT: I don't lump all Americans together, though I do lump various parts of America together, but having stereotypes for various areas of the country is simple how people work.
Heck, even in the UK/Ireland we have stereotypes for each other, I found a short documentary thing in three parts, about Birmingham the other day on Youtube [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxyBvYtJpl0], and people from outside the area have stereotypes for Birmingham, just like we have stereotypes for them, and if you ask most English people about anywhere else in the UK or France, we could go on and on about how they're all sheep shagging, or potato farming, or kilt wearing, or cheese eating bastards.

Stereotyping is just what people do.
We do it, the Yanks do it, the Aussies do it, people from all over the world do it.
It's probably one of the few things most of the world has in common, that we all lump people from other places together.
The thing is, everyone knows that it isn't necessarily true, but it's a vague representation of a culture you don't know about.

I actually quoted young Furby here, to highlight the fact that we stereotype, because he's likely to come back with a snip and a crack at the English.

 

[Stranger of Sorts]

I whole heartedly endorse stereotyping of any kind, why? Because it is always hilarious, especially if it's wrong.

 

[Camembert]

I didn't really say this was a negative change, but yea, it's just change.

Regarding people, I suppose it depends what timescale one uses. It doesn't help that the MSM highlights pretty only the worst cases of anything (being woefully, and often unrepentantly, inaccurate as well), and I try to ignore it but, I always seem to find a plentiful supply of morons wherever I tread, and I doubt that's due to me keeping bad company.

There's always been a plentiful supply of morons in this world, I am sure of that.

 

[yeah_so_no]

right 1) as i live in ENGLAND and speak ENGLISH surely my country as it is our language has right to say what is proper english and what isnt u americans say it is ur language too but no if u want to speak it how u want u prob shud have not bin lazy and nicked our language (im not racist im just saying) 2) i dont do any of that south is farmland thing people just get that from stuff like family guy but i do belive that americans could be a little less fat and less agrresive i went to america last year i belive only 6 people i spoke to didnt tell me to p*ss off

Well, I certainly hope you don't think any of what you just wrote was "proper English," because I can assure you as a former EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teacher that what you just wrote would have been failed and failed so fast it would have been like a time warp opened up.

Oh, and "racist" doesn't mean what you think it does. Unless, of course, I missed it when "American" became a race or ethnicity.

Protip! Next time you try to tell someone you get to decide what is or isn't proper English, make sure you actually know what proper English is.

 

[ottenni]

Kangaroos exist to be shot, eaten, and occasionally fuck up the front of your car when you hit them.

And aren't the bloody things so delicious.

Well, yes... but I wish people would stop making such a fuss about using kangaroo meat these days. Claiming 'we used kangaroo for this' about some dish or another these days is about as surprising as 'we used salt'.

People make a fuss about kangaroo meat? Well i'm sure you would if you have to buy it, it is so bloody expensive. And anyway, its really healthy. And the bloody things constantly overpopulate.

 

[Silva]

Too right, mate. Bloody true blue, fair dinkum. Streuth!

I see you've taken Introduction to Strine.

I went to a school that had less than 30 students. I know my Strine, even though I have a more cultivated/general family accent.

If you know your Strine then how come you can't spell strewth?


Most people have trouble picking my accent unless they know what an old school Northern Suburbs Adelaide accent sounds like. Back when it had a heavy British influence rather than the 'city strine' accent it has now.

I can spell it just fine to my satisfaction. It's slang. The spelling isn't canonised.

 

[Camembert]

I can spell it just fine to my satisfaction. It's slang. The spelling isn't canonised.

I'm not going to argue about how spell strewth/streuth, but even slang is standardised. So no excuse

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I can spell it just fine to my satisfaction. It's slang. The spelling isn't canonised.

My great-grandfather didn't die twice at Gallipoli just so you could take liberties with the spelling of strewth.

 

[Mr.Petey]

I'm one of those Brits who's actually been to the States and found it to be an incredibly hospitable nation. I'm proud of the "special relation" that the UK and the US share, unlike a lot of people I know here, who'll categorise Americans as loud, fat and other derogatory examples I'm sure you can imagine.

At the end of the day, we've both got variances on spelling, grammer, lifestyle amd heritage. However last time I checked we were all the same species of human right? Something that people seem to forget and, as the aforementioned title of this threat announced, some of us unfortunately stereotype with an incredible amount of sheer blindless and gall.

 

[MrDarkling]

As much as stereotypes can be a ***** or inappropriate at time it's just a thing all humans do.
I do my best to respect and understand individuals plus the background they came from but even then I can't resist the odd joke now and then....and sometimes those jokes can spread and then people get offended.

 

[KimberlyGoreHound]

I get confused when, down in America, once they find out I'm Canadian, they mention my 'accent'. Anyone care to explain what a Canadian accent is?

Other than that, my experience with Americans has been quite fine, other than a few people (on a trip down to Florida) who quite seriously asked me if we actually lived in igloos (in southern fucking Ontario). I suppose I can get blamed for that one, as my brother and I decided to convince the daft bastards we lived in igloos, rode dogsleds to school, and had to leave our dogs guarding our igloo while we were on vacation, to stave off the polar bears.

Perpetuation of stereotypes, yeah!

 

[SantoUno]

Personally I hate the use of the word "Yanks". Where the fuck is that supposed to come from? Yankees? Wow, calling all people from a country a name that originated from a single state is very productive.

Another thing that bothers me is that I live in Souther California where it is pretty much hispanic ethnicities, trust me we are VERY different than "white" Americans, but in a good way.

 

[RhombusHatesYou]

I get confused when, down in America, once they find out I'm Canadian, they mention my 'accent'.

They don't mention it until after they find out? Maybe you have an inverse psychosomatic accent - people don't perceive one until they realise that maybe there should be one and then project it onto you.

 

[joshthor]

everyone makes stereotypes of everyone. sure, its rude. but its also awesome and sometimes hilarious. now, i gotta say 2 things cause its bothering me. 1: YOU ARENT GOING TO CHANGE ANYONES OPINION OF AMERICANS. we tend to be jackasses. thats ok, cause we have more fun and we have a stronger army. 2: if you say snog you probably arent an american. horrible word. it sounds ridiculous.

 

[TheDist]

I'm one of those Brits who's actually been to the States and found it to be an incredibly hospitable nation. I'm proud of the "special relation" that the UK and the US share, unlike a lot of people I know here, who'll categorise Americans as loud, fat and other derogatory examples I'm sure you can imagine.

At the end of the day, we've both got variances on spelling, grammer, lifestyle amd heritage. However last time I checked we were all the same species of human right? Something that people seem to forget and, as the aforementioned title of this threat announced, some of us unfortunately stereotype with an incredible amount of sheer blindless and gall.

I was about to say the same as quoted here. As a Brit who has spent a lot of time in the USA ive noticed the more time I spend with people there the more they infact pick up and start to use british slang or language use, infact to the point that they apologiise when they don't.

One of the best things though, in all my time in the USA nine times out of ten I never have to buy my own drinks, you guys (and oh the ladies) LOVE an accent. Ive never felt anything other than welcome anywhere ive been over there.