warksgirl

While playing tour guide to in-laws some years ago in Stratford upon Avon:

in-law: "Wow! These old buildings are awesome!"
me: "Yes, there's a lot of history here. Many of them go back hundreds of years."
in-law: "But why did they build them so close to the road so that you can't get two lanes of traffic through?"


But I feel it only fair to represent both sides of the coin. There were many Americans who came to visit us open minded and who genuinely wanted to understand things properly.

Again, it's the daft comments that stand out.

PBC_1966

Let's not forget the other side of the equation as well. How many times have you heard questions about U.S. geography in a British quiz show and the contestants have absolutely no idea?

I've heard answers putting Florida next door to (or even within) California, classing Los Angeles as a state, and assuming that New York is somewhere about two blocks from Miami.

Somebody once complained to me that an "ignorant American" he'd met didn't know the capital of Wales. "Why should he?" I asked in return. "Do you know the capital of Iowa?"

What's even more amazing is that some people who have actually visited another country can be incredibly stupid. A few years ago I had an argument with someone who had recently returned from a trip to the U.S. and insisted that speed limits were posted in km/h, not MPH. I tried to convince him that he must have been thinking of Canada, but he wouldn't have it.

Oh, as for my "funny accent" story, I will always remember a 13-year-old girl named Natalie I met in Tifton, Ga. I'd been chatting with her folks a while as she came up and listened intently. Then she asked where I was from. On hearing I was from England, she said in a beautiful Georgia drawl, "Oh, Aaaahh didn't think you was from Georgia - You talk funny!" Made for much laughter all round!

By the way, somebody mentioned not liking Southern accents. Personally, I love the Southern speech. I can't say the same for Glasgow, Newcastle, or Yorkshire.

a lad insane

Whit's wrang wi Glesga, ya bas?

Actually, I agree, the Southern accents are pretty cool!

Wintersong

In February this year, I was sent to South Carolina by my school. We were supposed to be observing good practice in their schools (unfortunately didn't see much, but that's a whole other story)...

Teenage girl called Britney: "Where y'all from?"
Me: "England."
Britney: "What's Boston like?"
Me: "I've never been to Boston. This is my first visit to the US."
Britney: " "
Me: "I'm from the country England, not New England.
Britney: "Country?"

Tone

Asked by a Canadian snowbird, of all people, how long is the flight from NZ, no farking idea mate your guess is as good as mine

NC Penguin

Was this Britney person a blonde by any chance?




NC Penguin

Wintersong

Yep - on her head anyway

Smaug

I am from Boston - Boston, England. Sadly too few Americans have no idea that it exists, nor of the historical importance and link to the Pilgrim Fathers, something which I have explained many a time.

megs

But it's not just Americans. I was in Toronto a while back with my American other half, and we caught a taxi. Once the driver and I had finished the conversation about where I was from, he asked my husband his origins.

Detroit, he replied.

Oh, said the driver, so where'd you get the English accent?

I've never seen anyone look so offended; well, I think it was offended, I was too busy laughing like a drain to really notice.

tony_2003

I'm from the same Island and I hadnt heard of the place until gazza joined their football team.

Yorkieabroad

Maybe they all use the EU's latest map......

Taffyles

Well at least the silly burgers apologised for leaving Wales off the map.

I get the usual "is that in England" "do you hate the brits too, like the Irish" etc when I answer people that I'm from Wales, but the one that irritates the most is "oh you've seen the light have you and got outta there, congratulations"...then I play dumb and answer "what light...where?"

Another one I get often is, the usual "I just love your accent" but followed with "I wish I had an accent" when I answer "you do have one"...the blank look on their faces is classic..

doctor scrumpy

And they would be speaking porper English if it was not for the French.

Commonly people think my accent is Aussie, but the classic was when I was asked if I was German. This despite a guy from Kent working inthe same shop as the bloke who asked me. Still an American who knew differently said in the queue behind me, " German ? Thems fighting words where your from "

g1ant

Just tell them you are over here doing missionary work.

tony_2003

And driving on the left...