Are Americans especially thick?
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#226
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
Desmond Coughlan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> It is as though the best of all the world have left their countries and come to
>> America. And America's power and intellectual acheivements indicate the truth
>> of this.
>
> What has this conversation got to do with the continent of America ?
It's just something to while away the hours until plate tectonic activity creates
such a continent.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
>> It is as though the best of all the world have left their countries and come to
>> America. And America's power and intellectual acheivements indicate the truth
>> of this.
>
> What has this conversation got to do with the continent of America ?
It's just something to while away the hours until plate tectonic activity creates
such a continent.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#227
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
The Oik <[email protected]> wrote:
> "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> The Oik wrote:
>>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right word.
>>
>> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
>
> should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take "were"
rather than "was" - at least in American English.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
> "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
>> The Oik wrote:
>>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right word.
>>
>> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
>
> should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take "were"
rather than "was" - at least in American English.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#228
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
Go Fig <[email protected]> wrote:
> fact that it is comprised of the 'continents' cast offs.
Wait - are we still allowed to pick on grammar errors in this sub-thread? Because I
score three in one line here.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
> fact that it is comprised of the 'continents' cast offs.
Wait - are we still allowed to pick on grammar errors in this sub-thread? Because I
score three in one line here.
miguel
--
Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#229
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
Le Wed, 08 May 2002 18:41:39 GMT, Miguel Cruz <[email protected]> a écrit :
>>> It is as though the best of all the world have left their countries and come to
>>> America. And America's power and intellectual acheivements indicate the truth
>>> of this.
>> What has this conversation got to do with the continent of America ?
> It's just something to while away the hours until plate tectonic activity creates
> such a continent.
Oh well ... time for another beer, then ..?
--
Desmond Coughlan |****#1 YGL#4 YFC#1 YFB#1 UKRMMA#14 two#38 desmond @ noos.fr
|BONY#48 ANORAK#11 http://mapage.noos.fr/desmond/ Clé Publique :
http://mapage.noos.fr/desmond/pgp/pubring.pkr
>>> It is as though the best of all the world have left their countries and come to
>>> America. And America's power and intellectual acheivements indicate the truth
>>> of this.
>> What has this conversation got to do with the continent of America ?
> It's just something to while away the hours until plate tectonic activity creates
> such a continent.
Oh well ... time for another beer, then ..?
--
Desmond Coughlan |****#1 YGL#4 YFC#1 YFB#1 UKRMMA#14 two#38 desmond @ noos.fr
|BONY#48 ANORAK#11 http://mapage.noos.fr/desmond/ Clé Publique :
http://mapage.noos.fr/desmond/pgp/pubring.pkr
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#230
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
On Wed, 08 May 2002 18:28:26 GMT, [email protected] (Miguel Cruz) wrote:
>Desmond Coughlan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> An ex of mine, from Germany, got stopped for speeding in the United States. The
>> officer asked them (she was with a girlfriend) where they were from. One said
>> 'Germany', and the other one said at the same time, 'Europe.'
>>
>> The cop sighed, and said, 'OK, now which is it : Europe, or Germany ?'
>>
>> How many Germanies are there ?
>
>A lot of the American police take a deep interest in the progress of European
>federalization and sometimes their despair over unresolved issues of Continental
>social identity tends to slip out through subtle, slightly sarcastic commentary.
I assume they let you off you fine if you tell them your exceeding the speed limit
was due to existential angst?
>Desmond Coughlan <[email protected]> wrote:
>> An ex of mine, from Germany, got stopped for speeding in the United States. The
>> officer asked them (she was with a girlfriend) where they were from. One said
>> 'Germany', and the other one said at the same time, 'Europe.'
>>
>> The cop sighed, and said, 'OK, now which is it : Europe, or Germany ?'
>>
>> How many Germanies are there ?
>
>A lot of the American police take a deep interest in the progress of European
>federalization and sometimes their despair over unresolved issues of Continental
>social identity tends to slip out through subtle, slightly sarcastic commentary.
I assume they let you off you fine if you tell them your exceeding the speed limit
was due to existential angst?
May 8th 2002, 7:22 am
#231
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
"Miguel Cruz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> David Gascon <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Anders Svensson wrote:
> >> David Gascon wrote:
> >>> [email protected] wrote:
> >>>> That reminds me. Can someone just explain this to me. Recently on the news it
> >>>> was reported that an Arab American was arrested for being involved in some
> >>>> organization that was collecting money to fund Al-Qaida(sp?) terrorism. Seems
> >>>> reasonable to arrest him, but when
will
> >>>> the US authorities be arresting all the Americans involved in collecting money
> >>>> to fund IRA terrorism?
> >>>
> >>> When Irish-American voters & politicians have a less romanticized
notion
> >>> of the Struggle?
> >>
> >> Or collecting money to Israel????
> >>
> >> Same shit.
> >
> > Only if you equate the state of Israel with a gang of terrorists. Some of us
> > don't.
>
> But some undeniably do. Hence the complexity of the issue and the unavailability of
> black-and-white answers to why X is allowed here or Y is allowed there.
>
which gang of terrorists? As far as I can see, this is putting the IRA in the same
place as the Israeli government, but a different one to OBL. Which might explain some
of the exasperation with US policy felt in Europe. As an American accountant once
said to me, 'shades of gray'?
news:[email protected]...
> David Gascon <[email protected]> wrote:
> > Anders Svensson wrote:
> >> David Gascon wrote:
> >>> [email protected] wrote:
> >>>> That reminds me. Can someone just explain this to me. Recently on the news it
> >>>> was reported that an Arab American was arrested for being involved in some
> >>>> organization that was collecting money to fund Al-Qaida(sp?) terrorism. Seems
> >>>> reasonable to arrest him, but when
will
> >>>> the US authorities be arresting all the Americans involved in collecting money
> >>>> to fund IRA terrorism?
> >>>
> >>> When Irish-American voters & politicians have a less romanticized
notion
> >>> of the Struggle?
> >>
> >> Or collecting money to Israel????
> >>
> >> Same shit.
> >
> > Only if you equate the state of Israel with a gang of terrorists. Some of us
> > don't.
>
> But some undeniably do. Hence the complexity of the issue and the unavailability of
> black-and-white answers to why X is allowed here or Y is allowed there.
>
which gang of terrorists? As far as I can see, this is putting the IRA in the same
place as the Israeli government, but a different one to OBL. Which might explain some
of the exasperation with US policy felt in Europe. As an American accountant once
said to me, 'shades of gray'?
May 8th 2002, 8:21 am
#232
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
"Miguel Cruz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Oik <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> The Oik wrote:
> >>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right
> >>> word.
> >>
> >> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
> >
> > should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
>
> A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
> "were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
>
if I'd ever been able to say that to my English teacher, he'd have been in shock for
a week! so, 'if one were to be picky' is good English
news:[email protected]...
> The Oik <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> The Oik wrote:
> >>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right
> >>> word.
> >>
> >> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
> >
> > should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
>
> A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
> "were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
>
if I'd ever been able to say that to my English teacher, he'd have been in shock for
a week! so, 'if one were to be picky' is good English
May 8th 2002, 8:21 am
#233
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
"Miguel Cruz" <[email protected]> skrev i meddelandet
news:[email protected]...
> Lennart Petersen <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I would guess the most far away point is in Kansas or so, some 750miles
from
> > Mexico/Canada ? As for Hawaii there's a border line to the water territory of
> > Kiribati
about
> > 1000miles away.
> Hawaii's border is 12 miles from the shore.
But doesn't mean it's 12miles from Kiribati ?
L.P
news:[email protected]...
> Lennart Petersen <[email protected]> wrote:
> > I would guess the most far away point is in Kansas or so, some 750miles
from
> > Mexico/Canada ? As for Hawaii there's a border line to the water territory of
> > Kiribati
about
> > 1000miles away.
> Hawaii's border is 12 miles from the shore.
But doesn't mean it's 12miles from Kiribati ?
L.P
May 8th 2002, 8:21 am
#234
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Driving on the right (was Re: Are Americans especially thick?)
"Harvey V" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> > The "mainland"??????????
> >
> > What on earth do you mean by that?
>
> That sort of went "CLANG" on my ear, too......
>
> I've never come across it, but maybe there's some region in the UK that says "the
> mainland" when they refer to the countries on the other side of what the French
> insist on calling "The Sleeve"......
Not a regional thing as such, but just the thinking man's way of describing that
part of Europe that isn't one of the two largish offshore islands. I could say "the
continent" or "Europe", but both of those expressions imply that the UK isn't part
of Europe.
All the best
Jonathan
news:[email protected]...
> > The "mainland"??????????
> >
> > What on earth do you mean by that?
>
> That sort of went "CLANG" on my ear, too......
>
> I've never come across it, but maybe there's some region in the UK that says "the
> mainland" when they refer to the countries on the other side of what the French
> insist on calling "The Sleeve"......
Not a regional thing as such, but just the thinking man's way of describing that
part of Europe that isn't one of the two largish offshore islands. I could say "the
continent" or "Europe", but both of those expressions imply that the UK isn't part
of Europe.
All the best
Jonathan
May 8th 2002, 9:21 am
#235
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Driving on the right
Henry wrote:
>
>
> > >> Most people from the UK will tell you it's no problem taking their own car to
> > >> the mainland on holiday, for example.
> > >
> > >Except perhaps for overtaking? That can be tricky.
> > >
> > Not at all when you have good wing mirrors.
>
> How the hell are wing mirrors going to help you see around the _left_ side of the
> lorry in _front_ of you, to know if it's clear to overtake???
I drove a RH drive car on the mainland of Europe in the 60s. It was the only time and
I found it distinctly nervewracking since I had to depend on the passenger's opinion
on two lane roads. I was not too sure I could trust even my father then!
Jim.
--
James V. Silverton Potomac, Maryland.
>
>
> > >> Most people from the UK will tell you it's no problem taking their own car to
> > >> the mainland on holiday, for example.
> > >
> > >Except perhaps for overtaking? That can be tricky.
> > >
> > Not at all when you have good wing mirrors.
>
> How the hell are wing mirrors going to help you see around the _left_ side of the
> lorry in _front_ of you, to know if it's clear to overtake???
I drove a RH drive car on the mainland of Europe in the 60s. It was the only time and
I found it distinctly nervewracking since I had to depend on the passenger's opinion
on two lane roads. I was not too sure I could trust even my father then!
Jim.
--
James V. Silverton Potomac, Maryland.
May 8th 2002, 10:21 am
#236
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
In article <1fbvnzm.1t89sdkstm9z4N%[email protected]>, Henry <[email protected]> writes
>David Lewis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>> I think I would classify her as a popular (not pop) singer.
>
>What do you think 'pop' means?
>
>cheers,
>
>Henry
"Pop" in this country at least refers to "pop" music, the sort that appears in
"the charts."
Charlotte sings popular classics like Ave Maria and so on. She is popular, meaning
people like her and buy lots of her records.
I do not understand why you cannot disriminate between "pop" and "popular."
M
--
[email protected]
>David Lewis <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
>> I think I would classify her as a popular (not pop) singer.
>
>What do you think 'pop' means?
>
>cheers,
>
>Henry
"Pop" in this country at least refers to "pop" music, the sort that appears in
"the charts."
Charlotte sings popular classics like Ave Maria and so on. She is popular, meaning
people like her and buy lots of her records.
I do not understand why you cannot disriminate between "pop" and "popular."
M
--
[email protected]
May 8th 2002, 10:21 am
#237
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
In article <[email protected]>, Miguel Cruz
<[email protected]> writes
>
>A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
>"were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
It is so in "original" English as well.
M
--
[email protected]
<[email protected]> writes
>
>A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
>"were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
It is so in "original" English as well.
M
--
[email protected]
May 8th 2002, 10:21 am
#238
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
"ArtKramr" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> >I wouldn't say that Americans are 'thick'. They're just not as bright as
> >Europeans. Then again, when their education system functions on the principal that
> >the richest get the best education, that's hardly surprising.
>
> More Nobel prizes have been won by Americans than all other nations. combined.
> Jealousy and backbiting are terrible things.
>
Not true.
news:[email protected]...
> >I wouldn't say that Americans are 'thick'. They're just not as bright as
> >Europeans. Then again, when their education system functions on the principal that
> >the richest get the best education, that's hardly surprising.
>
> More Nobel prizes have been won by Americans than all other nations. combined.
> Jealousy and backbiting are terrible things.
>
Not true.
May 8th 2002, 10:21 am
#239
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Are Americans especially thick?
All this is really interesting to those of us who want to discuss and read
about travel.
"Miguel Cruz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Oik <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> The Oik wrote:
> >>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right
> >>> word.
> >>
> >> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
> >
> > should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
>
> A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
> "were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
>
> miguel
> --
> Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
about travel.
"Miguel Cruz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Oik <[email protected]> wrote:
> > "David Gascon" <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> The Oik wrote:
> >>> 'course, if one was being picky, its was *spelt* right, just not the right
> >>> word.
> >>
> >> Or even if one WERE being picky. (How's that for picky?)
> >
> > should it have been 'if one was to be picky'??
>
> A hypothetical introduced by "if" is in the subjunctive mood, which would take
> "were" rather than "was" - at least in American English.
>
> miguel
> --
> Hit The Road! Photos and tales from around the world: http://travel.u.nu
May 8th 2002, 10:21 am
#240
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Driving on the right (was Re: Are Americans especially thick?)
Most 'island-dwellers' refer to a larger continental land mass (usually within the
same country) as 'the mainland'. I must admit I haven't heard many Brits use the word
to refer to the continental european land-mass - although since the creation of the
EU it could be appropriate. The (Spanish) Canary Islands refer to the Spanish
mainland as 'the peninsular'.
Brian www.islalapalma.com
"David Lewis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Jonathan Morton
> <[email protected]> writes
> >Most people from the UK will tell you it's no problem taking their own
car
> >to the mainland on holiday, for example.
>
> The "mainland"??????????
>
> What on earth do you mean by that?
>
> M
> --
> [email protected]
same country) as 'the mainland'. I must admit I haven't heard many Brits use the word
to refer to the continental european land-mass - although since the creation of the
EU it could be appropriate. The (Spanish) Canary Islands refer to the Spanish
mainland as 'the peninsular'.
Brian www.islalapalma.com
"David Lewis" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Jonathan Morton
> <[email protected]> writes
> >Most people from the UK will tell you it's no problem taking their own
car
> >to the mainland on holiday, for example.
>
> The "mainland"??????????
>
> What on earth do you mean by that?
>
> M
> --
> [email protected]
