boy_Recon Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 The 17th Century Class System helps us all to remember our place, ho yus, Gawd bless us all Mr Scrooge. British sanitary arrangements are a private matter between a gentleman and his plumber. What exactly domost Americans think England is like? The ones who've been here less than three times, of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by boy_Recon: The 17th Century Class System helps us all to remember our place, ho yus, Gawd bless us all Mr Scrooge. British sanitary arrangements are a private matter between a gentleman and his plumber. What exactly domost Americans think England is like? The ones who've been here less than three times, of course.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I don't know about MOST, but many Americans couldn't find England on a map, so asking them what they think its like is going to get you some interesting responses, probably based mainly on Hollywood films, postcards of Big Ben and Beefeaters, details dimly remembered from the Princess Diana story a couple years ago, and some snatches of Saturday morning cartoons--Scooby Doo in Lower Houndstooth-Tewksford. Or to put it another way, the people who don't know, often are ignorant in embarrasing ways. Of course, sometimes its not really their fault. My wife teaches English as a second language to a lot of American citizens who come from other countries, some of whom are barely literate in their own languages, and some who aren't even that. So expecting them to describe a third country where they have not been is a little much. On the other hand, the ones who know what England is like, know. [ 06-13-2001: Message edited by: Terence ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Speedbump Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 Whoa folks. Don't you know there is no national characteristics in CMBO?? Lets all hug and make up. Speedbump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Speedbump: Lets all hug and make up. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Easy there, big fella. We aren't fighting. This is sociological inquiry into national perceptions as altered by mass media and other portrayals. All very civilized. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boy_Recon Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> This is sociological inquiry into national perceptions as altered by mass media and other portrayals. All very civilized <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No, I seriously agree. I think, well sometimes when I think what Americans pick up on in the media as being "English, I do wonder what on earth they make of it. I'm not patronising but if i were a US citizen with as little interest in the UK as I curently have in, say, the Sandwich Islands I wonder what little scraps and gems would filter through to my subconcious. Sarah Fergusson, The Full Monty, and soccer violence? Mind you, thats a recongisable snapshot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enoch Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 Bad teeth, bad weather, bad food, good beer, funny accent. Oh, and the women are all either really hot like Liz Hurley or homely. I think that Austin Powers covers most of these. Since I haven't been to England since I was 1981 when I was 8 I can't remember how bad English teeth actually are, I do rememeber it being rainy and overcast, I don't remember the food, my parents didn't let me try to beer, but I do remember the funny accent. Edit: thought of a few more things. Brits like Tea. They say funny things like bloody, jolly, tally-ho, etc. They like to wear wigs. That's all I can come up with for now. [ 06-13-2001: Message edited by: Enoch ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blenheim Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 Terence, are you Spanish? Just because of your description of Britton hordes coming down to the beautiful mediterranean coasts... Damm Brits... They beat us with the Armada Invencible (what a name to sink!!!) and in Trafalgar, they spank us badly everytime we meet in a football field, and after all that, they send barbarian hordes to sack our coasts and finish our precious booze reserves. And even more, I lost my first PBEM to a brit!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boy_Recon Posted June 13, 2001 Share Posted June 13, 2001 Ah, the teeth thing. Seen that on the Simpsons. Well, its true. We consider a rich "Van Dyke" brown to be the appropriate colour for teeth. Green was briefly in during the Punk era. Of course, the American habit of wiring emotionally suscebtible adolescents' jaws together with huge gleaming contraptions in order to correct a putative 1 degree infraction from the perpendicular says more about the financial acuity of your dentists rather than anything about comparitive standards of oral hygene. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by boy_Recon: Ah, the teeth thing. Seen that on the Simpsons. Well, its true. We consider a rich "Van Dyke" brown to be the appropriate colour for teeth. Green was briefly in during the Punk era. Of course, the American habit of wiring emotionally suscebtible adolescents' jaws together with huge gleaming contraptions in order to correct a putative 1 degree infraction from the perpendicular says more about the financial acuity of your dentists rather than anything about comparitive standards of oral hygene.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Hee hee hee. Good one. I'll tell you what the biggest problem -- especially on the Internet but F2F as well --between the US and Britain is: most Americans do not realize that the British love to take the piss out of eachother and everybody else. And that much of the mocking commentary from the British is well meant, friendly piss taking. Personally, I take it as a compliment when the Brits mock the Yanks, as its a way of saying "you fellows are a little funny, but you're on the radar screen and not bad guys for the most part." And you can see from our exchange, where Boy_recon and I tease eachother about class and teeth and so on without getting in a rage that this can be fun and low key. But I think that a lot of Americans get angry when confronted by this friendly banter, and don't understand that the response is to laugh like hell and fire back about stupid European phones that go 'squeek sqeek" or 'blat blat' and how you can't find a decent-sized icecube in the entire country. We have a hell of a lot more in common than we do keeping us apart. Im sure Liz Hurley has something to do with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 sorry. double post. duh. [ 06-13-2001: Message edited by: Terence ] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Blenheim: Terence, are you Spanish? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> No, I'm an American. But as my dad was a reporter for Time Magazine, I grew up moving around the world from country to country every three years or so. So that makes me from the United States, but not really of it, if you catch my drift. Im living in New York City right now, which is in the United States but is about as much like "Average America" as, say, Chad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daft Posted June 14, 2001 Author Share Posted June 14, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>But I think that a lot of Americans get angry when confronted by this friendly banter, and don't understand that the response is to laugh like hell and fire back about stupid European phones that go 'squeek sqeek" or 'blat blat' and how you can't find a decent-sized icecube in the entire country. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> What does American phones sound like? And how big are your ice-qubes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terence Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by daft: What does American phones sound like? And how big are your ice-qubes? <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> They go "ring ring," or "burble burble" as proper phones created by correct thinking people should go. And the ice cubes are of an acceptable normal size. Not tiny miserable little things useless for cooling large glasses of, say, gin and tonic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blenheim Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 Come'on... a country like US, that invented whisky on the rocks (bleurg... heresy!!!) can not give lessons to our superior ice shaping technology and experience !!! And believe me, nobody beats the craftmanship of Spanish ice used for Sangria... Nobody !!! (BTW, Terence... nice past you have, don't you? Hope you had a good time while in Spain. And NY is a strange city, yes... but I loved it) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boy_Recon Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> And that much of the mocking commentary from the British is well meant, friendly piss taking. Personally, I take it as a compliment when the Brits mock the Yanks, as its a way of saying "you fellows are a little funny, but you're on the radar screen and not bad guys for the most part." <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> I'm very definitely not going to get Disneyish about this, but I think I agree. Despite the ever changing political ground between our two countries, I think American still equals "cousin", in a funny kind of way. On the other hand, we could just be being polite around the only foreigners who can understand what we're actually saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyrene Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 YES!!!!! The Happy Thread has turned into a flame fest!!!! Congratulations to the first a-hole to fall for the bait and take the plunge! (Scroll back and see for yourselves!) Mr. Cash, the stage is ready for you. Gyrene Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stalin's Organ Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 Once upon a time there was a synonym for happy...the word was "gay" - so what dingbat is really saying is that we'er all poofters!! As my now deceased dear maternal grandmother once remarked - "gay used to be such a nice word!" Well there's some here who undoubtably resemble that remark, it is unconsionable to say that the whole "community" is "happy". Everyone knows that only 10% of people are gay - and that means Panties and GI-cream, who are, after all, always at each others throats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmatt Posted June 14, 2001 Share Posted June 14, 2001 Okay, moving to General Forum. This topic is giving me an aneurism. Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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