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dvo4fun
offlineMember
Yesterday in Bruges, near a couple of 'living statues'
American Woman 1: "Oh my goodness it moved! Did you take a picture?"
AW2: "No."
AM1: "Really? Don't you want to?"
AM2": "No, I already got them in Beijing."
Right, and now I've seen a Van Gogh that's painting done and dusted.
charlies_hat
offlineMember
While we are culturally being snobby about America (sorry Rikkor)...
At the British Museum a few years ago, at a (stolen) Egyptian atifact:
AW1: "You take a picture of me pretending to read the plaque, then I'll take one of you pretending to read it".
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
I've been to Bruge, my overriding memory of the place is of the toilets in the train station. I think I spent the bulk of the day 'recovering' from my worst hangover to date there.
In terms of stupid comments overheard has to be the lady who was stopped on the pavement in front of me, map open, asking her companion if they should ask for directions to the castle.
If they'd lowered their map, they would have seen that they were standing about 5 feet to the left of the castle's drawbridge...
bonjonelson
offlineMember
Overheard at a US museum when a bunch of US schoolkids (around 12-13 yrs old) were in.
Kid 1 reading label (+5 points for being able to do this)
"Um, 'Germany'. Is that in the united states?"
Kid 2
"Yeah, I think so".
I am not sure where the general idea that Americans are pig-thick ignoramuses came from. I've honestly no idea.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
A fellow guest at a wedding in New York told me I had 'Such a cute accent."
She then went on to ask where in Australia I was from, and on being told I was Scottish, she told me I spoke, "real good English." and asked if we had English language classes in school.
It was easier, and less frustrating, to just say that we did.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
Sorry, could you repeat that please?
Ironduke
offlineMember
Gratuitous insults temporarily aside, I'm curious...do you have 'English Language' and 'English Literature' as exam topics, or is it titled 'Scottish Language' and 'Scottish Literature'? I believe in Wales the subjects are titled Welsh for Welsh and English for...well, English.
rikkor
offlineMember
Let's get back to the state of your dentistry.
And Bonjo, please remember that Germany was never in the United States, but, it was almost in your country twice in the last century.
Oh, and I tell a lie. Germany (Hessians) were in America. The mercenaries of your Hun overlord George III Hanover of blessed memory.
The way (some) Europeans paint Americans, a person could almost imagine that your countries were stupid people free.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
Id, we study English Lit, English (general) but have the option of studying Gaelic as a language, sitting our exams written in Gaelic or taking Scots as a subject. Scots and Gaelic are two very separate languages. There are different types of Scots too, with, for example, Aberdeenshire speaking Doric Scots. Where I live, we speak a weird Doric, English, Lowland Scots hybrid. Having said that, very few people still speak or understand it, but there is a programme to encourage its use. My Grandfather was 'ferming stock' (came from a long line of farmers) and a 'Teuchter' (person from the countryside) so spoke it with his peers if not at home, and as a result, I can speak and understand it too, which is useful, since my neighbour is from the same area as my Granda' was and only speaks in Scots.
Rikkor, my teeth are fine, thanks to the constant supply of Arm and Hammer Peroxycare toothpaste which isn't available here.
waylandsmithy
offlineMember
I work for a stupid American. Fortunately, a handful of clever Americans make it bearable.
I saw a restored Morris Marina this afternoon. That's the pinnacle of stupid, surely?
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
It's because the media, yours as well as ours, constantly shows us the stupid Americans. The smart Americans, such as yourself, are then seen as being a rarity. It's also partly because I spend time in California and Florida, which seem to be the natural sources of rich veins of stupid.
Waylandy, was it actually restored though? Or had it just been lovingly tended by its original, elderly owner?
Was it beige, by any chance?
Ironduke
offlineMember
"She then went on to ask where in Australia I was from, and on being told I was Scottish, she told me I spoke, "real good English." and asked if we had English language classes in school.
It was easier, and less frustrating, to just say that we did."
...err...wasn't she right then? You did have English language classes in school?
Oh, and Rikkor...we see the Americans that are exported through the press. Whilst Mr Obama does seem to be a rather nice and clever man, I'm afraid he's got a hell of a lot of catch up to play following George Bush, who really didn't appear to be the sharpest crayon in the nursery.
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
It had to be either beige, or that uniquely BL shade of brown.
Id, that's why I wasn't lying to her when I said yes. However, that wasn't quite what she meant.
Quaz
offlineMember
Rikkor, UK dentistry is bad unless you pay a lot, and was certainly worse back in the 70's, hence the US gags about our teeth. My 70's/ early 80's dentist was paid by the NHS on treatments, so I had loads of old mercury fillings to pay for his ski holidays in Switzerland. Ever since, not one except to remove the toxic cr*p he put in. He also totally missed that I had 2 milk teeth that should have been removed to allow the others to come through. My mum suffered under the same guy (he was called "the butcher" locally) and dad survived unscathed only by rarely going.
But now my favourite American story, a mate was in Germany back in the cold war days and was talking to some US troops in a bar. He told them he was from the UK and they complemented him on his English. I have the feeling that things are a lot better now, what with the internet and all. And yes, we have lots of stupid people here. The other month I had to explain to a 20 year old how north and south 'work'. It required the use of a basket ball, and went on to include how the moon fits into the equation. My mate had to do pretty much the same explantion for a 40 something manager in a senior position for a major bank who he knows from the pub. The guy just didn't get the whole "The moon goes round the Earth" thing. Nobody ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the public.
Midfield Diamond
offlineMember
My knowledge of the geography of North America is not all that great, so I'm not just having a pop at the Phoenix waitress who served us. However, on hearing our accents, she asked, "Hey, where you guys from?"
"I'm from Wales" said a colleague before anyone else could answer.
"Is that Wales in England?" she replied. Poor old Gwyn got plenty of stick from all of us after that.
dvo4fun
offlineMember
In a former life and from time-to-time I 'facilitated' alcohol education for offenders and Haywood's example is sadly true to life. One attendee (dreadfully fulfilling the sterotype - sorry Jeni)- I won't attempt the scottish accent - explained that it wasn't beer but whisky that was his downfall. Just 'a glasss' apparently was enough to precipitate mayhem.
How big a glass? 'Och, you know, just a half a pint."
The All New Jeni B
offlineMember
dvo, no offence taken.
Sadly there are many who think that way. My late Mother-in-Law's brother was an alcoholic and an absolute shite of a man.
He claimed that he didn't have a drink problem as he was fine with Guinness, but when he drank spirits, they "didn't agree" with him.
Actually, everyone agreed with him when he drank spirits, it was the only way to avoid a kicking.
And three years ago yesterday, he did us all a favour and literally did take a long walk of a short pier...
Gerontius
offlineMember
wayland - I bet the Morris Marina was an aqua marine & cream hybrid
lots of the kids around here are into ironic pimping...that's taking the least sexy, least cool cars and doing them up.
they go off up the motorway on a Sunday in convoy, it looks great
it's amazing what can be done with a Micra or a Civic
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