linakemp

Just last night I was asked if I was Australian, then when I informed him that I was from England he told me we all sounded the same and culturally we werent that different. He then went on to ask me whether we ate horse and carp in the UK cos that is what he had heard were delicassies over there???

Also is using she rude over here? I have often been refered to as "she" whereas I was always told "whos she the cats mother?" and think its pretty rude? am i alone on this one??

jumping doris

My middle daughter has had a bit of that. She is very quiet and her history teacher this year is very patriotic. He has made several very disparaging comments about the British army and I don't think he has realised the quiet girl at the back is from Britain!

I get a bit tired of people telling me how things are done in the UK. Only last week someone who had been reading about Henry 8th would not accept that the Church of England still existed.

Dan B

:curse::curse::curse:

Having served in the British Army (nothing major, just a bit of weekend soldiering) I have witnessed first hand the crapness that is the US Army. Utter cowboys. They couldn't find sand in a desert.

It is fairly well established that a standard British soldier is trained to the same standard as a US Marine!! SAS vs Delta Farce? Please.

\rant.

MsElui

yes frequently asked if i am australian. and assume that i must know every historical detail about william shakespear, York, Edinborrow (at least thats how they say it lol), etc.

mind you - when i worked in Germany they always made some crack about the 'salty butter people' or my personal favourite - 'the island monkeys' - as they like to refer to us!

elfman

doesn't really matter where you're from in England, you'll get the Australian thing. I'm from Suffolk and get it all the time.

I haven't personally had anything that I would call abuse for being british, and my Mrs didn't get any abuse for being American in the 3+ years we lived in Britain together.

The bad teeth thing does annoy me though. I see people with crap teeth all the time here.

linakemp

loving that

ironporer

My wife has been asked if her accent is Irish, German, Italian, Russian (Christ!!), Romanian, and French (never Spanish or Hispanic!).

She has been asked if they speak Spanish in Spain (by a Mexican woman!), if she likes bull-fights, if she knows how to make Paella (by a more educated American...seems he knew more than the average bear) and if she know Antonio Banderas (she does not) and if Catholics really think the Pope is God.

There are idiots all over the world...we just seem to have more than our share.


PS- I never got the secret decoder ring for certain Oz/Brit accents either.

chicagojlo

My funniest stupid American story is the guy who accompanied my husband on a business trip to Japan, they'd never met or worked together at that point (we still lived in Holland at the time). The guy was telling my husband about these neat little yellow squares of paper with glue on the back called Post-its...
And they all think you know that one person they know who went to live in London or wherever.

BritGuyTN

Roland, did you get a new enhanced prescription rose-tinted specs after your rants this morning?

u.k. lady

My teenagers are the ones who cant stand American history, the teachers have been very patriotic in middle and high school to the point that my daughter just puts her head down on her table and her teacher knows she is British , other kids look at her and say mean stuff when the teacher has been very biased about the british.
I guess most countries teach their point of view of history but its pretty hard when your a kid and your trying to fit in.
we have an american friend who is a dentist and he has commented on British peoples teeth with his practise partner while we have been socialising. In the end I was like " Im here ,its kinda rude to say that"

u.k. lady

We have friends who are Australian and we were hanging out at the weekend when they told us that someone asked if they were English ,they replied no and that they were Australian. The answer they got was " same difference". I think they were as offended as we were
As to the "she" term , I think its rude but then again none of the kids say please and thankyou except ours and then everyone comments on what polite kids we have, its just another culture difference.

Elvira

Rolly needs bifocals...

Thydney

No it was some cowboy film withe Robert Duval and Kevin Costner the baddie was Michael Gambon

ElaineQ

NO! You are not! I find it incredibly rude. Whilst I realise it might be a cultural thing and no harm is meant, it still makes my hackles rise!

jumping doris

Luckily my daughter likes history and she is interested in US history, it's just the anti british comments that get to her.
I have seen plenty of bad teeth here and good ones in the UK. My two eldest had all their ortho work done in the UK and it looks lovely.

I have crooked teeth because I wouldn't have a brace when I was a teenager. I do regret that but it has never really bothered me until we moved here and at first I was very self concious. Then I decided that my teeth are part of me and I don't bother about it so much because I like myself.
Anyway I don't want to look like a horse.
I've said this before...I think a lot of people here look like extras from a Wallace and Grommit film.

One of my friends here has really, really white teeth and it looks a bit odd. I find myself focusing on her teeth all the time.