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How have you been treated here as a Brit?

How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Old Apr 20th 2014, 12:28 am
  #76  
 
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Mallory
Wonder what would happen if an American couple displayed the Stars and Stripes in their front garden on an estate in the UK? How long would it last? .....
Well for starters you need planning permission for the sort of 12'-15' pole that is fairly common in the US, and you are unlikely to get permission, so thd question is moot.
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Old Apr 20th 2014, 1:56 am
  #77  
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Cool Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Well for starters you need planning permission for the sort of 12'-15' pole that is fairly common in the US, and you are unlikely to get permission, so thd question is moot.
I wasn't exactly talking about a full-fledged flag pole! I was talking about a little yard flag, more like a banner!
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Old Apr 20th 2014, 2:15 am
  #78  
 
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Mallory
I wasn't exactly talking about a full-fledged flag pole! I was talking about a little yard flag, more like a banner!
I did realise that. I was meaning to introduce the fact that many Americans like their full-fledged flag poles.
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Old Apr 20th 2014, 3:02 am
  #79  
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

I can't recall a single occasion in almost 30 years where I've had a negative reaction here for being British. The closest I've come is having to correct some crazy assertions regarding the NHS at the height of the "debate" on the ACA.
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Old Apr 20th 2014, 3:33 am
  #80  
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Giantaxe
I can't recall a single occasion in almost 30 years where I've had a negative reaction here for being British. The closest I've come is having to correct some crazy assertions regarding the NHS at the height of the "debate" on the ACA.
I've had a couple of women who've made assumptions about me because of my accent, most notably, when someone thought I thought I was superior.

Someone told me it was because the British accent is perceived to be posh and intelligent.
(in fact, the way in which one woman behaved did reveal that I did have more intelligence and class than she could ever hope to muster -I'm not sure if that was a self fulfilling prophecy or serendipity.)
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 2:02 pm
  #81  
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

'As a Brit', I'm not treated in any special way. As a reasonably unfriendly, surly type bloke, I'm treated surprisingly well by the generally quite friendly (bless them) Americans I run into. I put that in a weird way - but I do have one of those tones where I can come across as very sarcastic even if I don't mean to be and in general it still doesn't bother the locals, plus when I am in a mood where I don't want to be bothered by people I'm really bad at hiding it.

Anyway, as far as the being a Brit aspect - a lot of times, people don't bring it up. Occasionally I'll get the 'Are you Irish/Scottish/English/etc' asked but most of the time if someone is curious, they just ask what my accent is, so I tell them, then they ask why I moved out here because they'd love to live there. You can't win. I also get a worrying amount of 'women of a certain age' who tell me how lovely my accent is and how they love to listen to me talk. It makes for some uncomfortable phone calls at work

On the other side of the coin, in Scotland when we were over the last time, some nice old lady asked my wife at a bus stop what part of Canada she was from and it was all I could do to stop myself pissing my pants laughing
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 2:34 pm
  #82  
 
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by SultanOfSwing
...... I also get a worrying amount of 'women of a certain age' who tell me how lovely my accent is and how they love to listen to me talk. It makes for some uncomfortable phone calls at work. ....
Having women colleagues tell me they "luuurve" my accent are perhaps the more bizarre episodes, but among the most common are waitresses who go all gooey about my accent when I sitting there with Mrs P! ..... And IME it's not just women "of a certain age", it extends from about sixteen to sixty.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 2:39 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Having women colleagues tell me they "luuurve" my accent are perhaps the more bizarre episodes, but among the most common are waitresses who go all gooey about my accent when I sitting there with Mrs P! ..... And IME it's not just women "of a certain age", it extends from about sixteen to sixty.
I'm sure by this time Mrs. P just probably
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 2:42 pm
  #84  
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Having women colleagues tell me they "luuurve" my accent are perhaps the more bizarre episodes, but among the most common are waitresses who go all gooey about my accent when I sitting there with Mrs P! ..... And IME it's not just women "of a certain age", it extends from about sixteen to sixty.
I have had all ages making reference to it as well, but there is a definite pattern as far as where the majority of cases fall.

That is one I'll admit makes me uncomfortable though, I never know how to handle myself when a woman starts doing the 'ooooo, I just love to listen to you speak' routine. I never know how to handle myself after that. Especially because at home I'm usually told to shut up
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 2:57 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by AmerLisa
I'm sure by this time Mrs. P just probably
Sadly, for her as much as for me, she (herself says) she has got used to my accent and rarely notices it any more.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 3:00 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Sadly, for her as much as for me, she (herself says) she has got used to my accent and rarely notices it any more.
That is to be expected with daily exposure. I don't even notice that everyone has an American accent here anymore.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 3:38 pm
  #87  
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Sally Redux
I'm trying to remember if I said, "You're American!" or similar when I met Americans in the past back in England.


This deceptively simple, 1 sentence of self-reflection jumped off the page when I read it.

I can't recall anyone here ever asking themselves that before.

IMO: It might be a worthwhile activity
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 3:45 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Sadly, for her as much as for me, she (herself says) she has got used to my accent and rarely notices it any more.
I have to admit it's the same with my husband. He didn't have a really thick accent to begin with anyway.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 4:13 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Pulaski
Sadly, for her as much as for me, she (herself says) she has got used to my accent and rarely notices it any more.
Yep, that's to be expected with time. OH and I are the same way. There's only an occasional word every now and then that I have to ask him to repeat himself. I really don't hear his accent too much anymore either.
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Old Apr 21st 2014, 4:17 pm
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Default Re: How have you been treated here as a Brit?

Originally Posted by Bluegrass Lass
Yep, that's to be expected with time. OH and I are the same way. There's only an occasional word every now and then that I have to ask him to repeat himself. .....
I can't tell Mrs P's "pin" and "pen" apart.

Last edited by Pulaski; Apr 21st 2014 at 4:37 pm.
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