American-British Q&A

[Agayek]

Here is a question as a British Scottish person how would an average American (if such a thing exists which I doubt) differentiate me from an English person?

I understand the whole English accent = snarky comic relief/villain thing but that is used so commonly in conjunction with "British" it leaves me curious.

Especially since I think Scotland has quite a strong and recognisable national identity for our size.

In America, there's 3 accents from the UK: British (mostly London, occasionally cockney), Irish (ie, the main characters in the Boondock Saints), and Scottish (ie, Sean Connery). We completely disregard everything else, especially Welsh accents. They don't exist for most Americans.

If you sound like Sean Connery, we'll assume your Scottish, otherwise we'll default to English.

 

[JDKJ]

I'm from north east America and I like the Canadians just fine. I find i have more in common with them than southerners. It may be stereotyped but the schools down south are just not as good as those up north. The fellow from Texas is right about regional accents. New York City has many different accents based on what part of the city you are from, and is different from the rest of the state, something similar for Boston and the rest of Massachusetts. People in Wisconsin drink more per than any other state (moved there with hubby). One town, La Crosse Wisconsin has 375 bars for 51,818 people. A bar for every 12 people with things like double or triple bubble, buy one get 2 or 3 drinks. Drinking is so popular since winters are cold and long and all we have is American football.

My question is how much is a quid? The money over there confuses me. I love many UK accents.

A pound.

 

[liquidangry]

OH SNAPS MY ANSWERS ARE TEH LONGZ!

I have a question for American's, how many of you have visited the UK?

Lived there for 3 years. Cool place, I have no bad memories to speak of. Too bad I was too young to experience the "pub culture" while there though.

Spoiler: LMFAO, chavs

Classic pic.

Again, that depends on where you're doing the asking. If you ask in East Los Angeles (where there's a huge Mexican and Central American population) they'll know more about "futbol" than they do hockey.

Oh come on now JDKJ, immigrants aren't Americans. *note to the mods and dense people so I dont get put on probation again, THIS IS SARCASM... I AM POINTING OUT THE ETHNOCENTRISM [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethnocentrism] OF SOME OF THE POSTERS THROUGH SARCASM.
Also, Soccer BLOWS LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL

Why do some American (90% of those I've met) either assume I'm either extreamly posh or some kind of anti-social, chavish dick? Is it how us Brits are depicted on Tv or is it just something Americans tend to assume unless they get to know someone from England?

Eh? Considering I've met many brits in my youth and then during my college years working at an international company when half the staff were from the UK, I've never assumed that, or felt like I gave the impression that I assumed that. Maybe you shouldn't judge a country by it's lowest common denominator? Try talking to people you would normally blow off. Birds of a feather...

To americans: Why are you letting your government throw in the towel for manned space missions, instead now relying on the russians for transport?

Because we need to spend over 700 billion a year on military costs, but can only allocate 10 for space based endeavors. Also, this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7tWHJfhiyo]
You have less say in a democracy than you think.

to be honest, I'm not sure why we even need to keep exploring space when our problems on earth are pretty big

And people who use this argument.

Not getting roped further into the pedantry Olympics with you.

But that's the whole reason why I come to forums!

Ok heres a question for t=you Americans.

Why are you so crazy for guns? and why are you so resistant to gun control reforms that might help prevent repeats of the Arizona senetor gettin shot, Virginia tech shootings, or Colombine. I realise that not everyone over there is a gun nut or a member of the NRA (I also know these guys have some serious lobbying muscle). Its just strange to see so much gun crime and such a Laize fair reaction to it

I have been to America and fired a gun, it was great fun! but still just wondered is all.

It's in the constitution. It made sense before tanks and airplanes, but it has extremely little relevance today. Other than that, It's EXTREMELY hard to change something in the constitution. You need virtually unanimous support which they're not even close to. Gun lovers have nothing to worry about.

The drinking age in Britain is 18 But my friends and I began drinking when we were around 14/15.

My question is to Americans: At what age do you lot (in general- or atleast in your friendship groups) start to drink?

AND

To Southern Americans: Do you get annoyed by the steriotyping? (as in hillbilly) and are there people that actually fit the bill that you know?

AND AND!!

Do you Southerners believe that you have a different culture compared to the rest of the United States? Always wondered.

Yes, there is a distinct southern culture, but it isn't like the rest of the States are all homogeneous and we're outliers. There's an overall American culture, and each region has its own flavor to add to that. For example, here in Texas we've got a curious blend of your basic American plus Southern and Western subcultures, with significant Mexican influence.

Texas isn't even what comes to my mind when I think of the South. That's more South-West. The South to me is Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, the Carolinas, etc. The "Deep South."

This pretty much. Having lived in both, it's a night and day difference imho. The people act different, they talk different, they value different things. For instance, the gun control thing, that's a southern thing. Most people in the north would rather them gone. Differneces are between north and south, and even east and west. Californians are much different than Virginians culturally.
Also, you consider Virginia the "deep" south? Where the hell is the regular southern middle then lol? I take it you're from New England/Great Lakes region since your profile just says you're American.

 

[Deadjim]

My question is how much is a quid? The money over there confuses me. I love many UK accents.

A quid is just a pound and its all decimilised like the US currency is.

 

[aashell13]

Ok heres a question for t=you Americans.

Why are you so crazy for guns? and why are you so resistant to gun control reforms that might help prevent repeats of the Arizona senetor gettin shot, Virginia tech shootings, or Colombine. I realise that not everyone over there is a gun nut or a member of the NRA (I also know these guys have some serious lobbying muscle). Its just strange to see so much gun crime and such a Laize fair reaction to it

I have been to America and fired a gun, it was great fun! but still just wondered is all.

Well, it's explicitly in our constitution that the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Exact interpretations differ, but this clause makes any gun control measure open to challenge unless it is very very carefully constructed.

Specifically most of the objection to gun control centers on its ineffectiveness. without opening a new debate on the topic, suffice to say that large percentages of the population, especially in certain regions, believe that tight regulation of guns would only serve to keep them out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, while doing little or nothing to curtail the criminal use of weapons.

 

[trooper6]

Ok heres a question for t=you Americans.

Why are you so crazy for guns? and why are you so resistant to gun control reforms that might help prevent repeats of the Arizona senetor gettin shot, Virginia tech shootings, or Colombine. I realise that not everyone over there is a gun nut or a member of the NRA (I also know these guys have some serious lobbying muscle). Its just strange to see so much gun crime and such a Laize fair reaction to it

I have been to America and fired a gun, it was great fun! but still just wondered is all.

You have to think of some context.

When I was a small kid, I lived with my hippy god-parents in the mountains of California. Hippy god-parents are not the type that you'd think of as being gun nuts...but they had guns. Why? Because there are wild and dangerous animals in the mountains of California. There were coyotes that tried and did kill our livestock. There were rattlesnakes, and sometimes we needed to kill squirrels for dinner.

While the UK and Europe are basically devoid of dangerous predators, great parts of the US still have bunches of dangerous animals. Heck even in an urban place like Los Angeles, in the Hollywood Hills, sometimes mountain lions come down from the hills and attack things. So there are still practical reasons to need guns in many parts of the country.

The second thing is that we are much closer to a time when guns were generally carried everywhere and necessary as a sidearm. I mean, the "Wild West" was only 120 years ago--and still carries on in different parts of the country. This country still has cowboys and the like. Nature is still not "civilized."

There is protection from large predators, there is hunting, and there is general violence.
The UK has a lot of knife crime, we have a lot of gun crime.

Also, because we are a country borne out of a revolution...out of people using guns...it is quite important to our country's genetics.

And also, we are a young country. When England was 230 years old it was quite violent as well...just that people were attacking each other with swords.

 

[JDKJ]

Here is a question as a British Scottish person how would an average American (if such a thing exists which I doubt) differentiate me from an English person?

I understand the whole English accent = snarky comic relief/villain thing but that is used so commonly in conjunction with "British" it leaves me curious.

Especially since I think Scotland has quite a strong and recognisable national identity for our size.

In America, there's 3 accents from the UK: British (mostly London, occasionally cockney), Irish (ie, the main characters in the Boondock Saints), and Scottish (ie, Sean Connery). We completely disregard everything else, especially Welsh accents. They don't exist for most Americans.

If you sound like Sean Connery, we'll assume your Scottish, otherwise we'll default to English.

Let's not completely discount Tom Jones. "What's new Pussycat? Whoa-a-whoa-whoa-whoa-whoa." He was pretty big back in the day. Then he had a slight comeback. Around the same time Tony Bennett had a slight comeback.

 

[Agayek]

what's the deal with the whole USA/Canada hatred thing? it's in a lot of shows but i don't know what the US ha against Canada. seems like a nice place

The US as a whole is fairly ambivalent about Canadia. The general attitude is "oh yea, the friendly people living in America Jr."

Basically, for whatever reason, it's become ingrained in the US public consciousness that Canadia is our "lackey state", for lack of a better term.

 

[drisky]

Tradition is tradition, It has just had a sense of normalcy generations. Kind of like, "Thats how mine is, I don't see anything wrong with it".

Except as I said later, it's a pretty recent "tradition", only a 2-3 generations old at most. And is in decline. So it's not much of a "tradition" as it really was an extended fad which is falling out of vogue.

Seems like you know more about the the subject than I do, which makes me question why you would ask about it other than to state an outrage about it.

 

[SuccessAndBiscuts]

Here is a question as a British Scottish person how would an average American (if such a thing exists which I doubt) differentiate me from an English person?

I understand the whole English accent = snarky comic relief/villain thing but that is used so commonly in conjunction with "British" it leaves me curious.

Especially since I think Scotland has quite a strong and recognisable national identity for our size.

In America, there's 3 accents from the UK: British (mostly London, occasionally cockney), Irish (ie, the main characters in the Boondock Saints), and Scottish (ie, Sean Connery). We completely disregard everything else, especially Welsh accents. They don't exist for most Americans.

If you sound like Sean Connery, we'll assume your Scottish, otherwise we'll default to English.

Okay but what does "assuming I'm Scottish" mean, I kinda want an idea of what an American would think upon meeting a Scottish person.

 

[JDKJ]

This pretty much. Having lived in both, it's a night and day difference imho. The people act different, they talk different, they value different things. For instance, the gun control thing, that's a southern thing. Most people in the north would rather them gone. Especially between north and south, and even east and west. Californians are much different than Virginians culturally.
Also, you consider Virginia the "deep" south? Where the hell is the regular southern middle then lol? I take it you're from New England/Great Lakes region since your profile just says you're American.

Hell, yeah, Virginia's the Deep South. Maybe not geographically, but certainly culturally and politically. Are you forgetting that it was the seat of the Confederacy? The home of General Lee? And one of the last states in the country to stop resisting the desegregation of its public schools? It's as "South" as the South can get.

 

[Agayek]

Ok heres a question for t=you Americans.

Why are you so crazy for guns? and why are you so resistant to gun control reforms that might help prevent repeats of the Arizona senetor gettin shot, Virginia tech shootings, or Colombine. I realise that not everyone over there is a gun nut or a member of the NRA (I also know these guys have some serious lobbying muscle). Its just strange to see so much gun crime and such a Laize fair reaction to it

I have been to America and fired a gun, it was great fun! but still just wondered is all.

Comes down to two things:

1) Americans are very much a right-wing country (and no, I don't mean in the Republican sense). We, as a whole, are fairly anti-government. It's just the way the culture is. Almost any restrictions are, at the very least, met with skepticism, if not outright challenge.

2) Constitutionality. It says right there in the document our entire government is based off of "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Gun regulation violates that pretty clearly, and we love us our Constitution.

 

[JimJamJahar]

I have a question about America: How big is celeb culture over there? I'd imagine that it's pretty big, but is it as rediculous as it is over here (for some reason our magazines are obsessed with what annoying talentless people's relationship status' are and what they had for breakfast this morning)?

 

[Dags90]

Seems like you know more about the the subject than I do, which makes me question why you would ask about it other than to state an outrage about it.

It was mostly a rhetorical question, I'm American even. It seems like a question more Americans should probably think about on their own. I just think it's really weird to have a lack of foreskin become fashionable.

 

[liquidangry]

what's the deal with the whole USA/Canada hatred thing? it's in a lot of shows but i don't know what the US ha against Canada. seems like a nice place

The US as a whole is fairly ambivalent about Canadia. The general attitude is "oh yea, the friendly people living in America Jr."

Basically, for whatever reason, it's become ingrained in the US public consciousness that Canadia is our "lackey state", for lack of a better term.

Well, more or less there's nothing notable about Canada to Americans that's why. Canada is considered virtually the same culturally with a few twists and quirks. (whats with the hockey fanaticism? and that whole eh thing? [joking]) Most Americans don't really see Canada as having that distinct an identity. Although, coming from a heavily ethnocentric people it's actually kinda a backhanded compliment.

 

[Agayek]

Okay but what does "assuming I'm Scottish" mean, I kinda want an idea of what an American would think upon meeting a Scottish person.

Alright, that's a fairly simple answer, and it comes in four parts:

1) You wear a skirt. Yes, I'm aware you call it a kilt and think it very manly, but that doesn't change the fact that it's a skirt.

2) You have at least passable skill in playing the bagpipes, and you whip the thing out and play it whenever the fog rolls in, or there's a funeral nearby.

3) You make a sport out of taking 2/3 of a tree (apparently called a caber) and seeing how far you can chuck it.

4) You can kick the ass out of the entirety of our military armed with nothing more than a longbow, claymore and your bagpipes.

 

[JDKJ]

what's the deal with the whole USA/Canada hatred thing? it's in a lot of shows but i don't know what the US ha against Canada. seems like a nice place

The US as a whole is fairly ambivalent about Canadia. The general attitude is "oh yea, the friendly people living in America Jr."

Basically, for whatever reason, it's become ingrained in the US public consciousness that Canadia is our "lackey state", for lack of a better term.

Well, more or less there's nothing notable about Canada to Americans that's why. Canada is considered virtually the same culturally with a few twists and quirks. (whats with the hockey fanaticism? and that whole eh thing? [joking]) Most Americans don't really see Canada as having that distinct an identity. Although, coming from a heavily ethnocentric people it's actually kinda a backhanded compliment.

You know how Canada got its name? The Founding Fathers decided to pull from a bag of Scrabble tiles:

"C, eh." "N, eh." "D, eh."

*rimshot*

 

[Agayek]

I have a question about America: How big is celeb culture over there? I'd imagine that it's pretty big, but is it as rediculous as it is over here (for some reason our magazines are obsessed with what annoying talentless people's relationship status' are and what they had for breakfast this morning)?

It's just as bad. I make it a point to stay far away from that kind of bullshit, but I see at least a dozen different magazines covering the latest celebrity gossip and fashion every time I walk by the checkout counter at the grocery store.

It gets even worse with reality TV "stars".

 

[liquidangry]

This pretty much. Having lived in both, it's a night and day difference imho. The people act different, they talk different, they value different things. For instance, the gun control thing, that's a southern thing. Most people in the north would rather them gone. Especially between north and south, and even east and west. Californians are much different than Virginians culturally.
Also, you consider Virginia the "deep" south? Where the hell is the regular southern middle then lol? I take it you're from New England/Great Lakes region since your profile just says you're American.

Hell, yeah, Virginia's the Deep South. Maybe not geographically, but certainly culturally and politically. Are you forgetting that it was the seat of the Confederacy? The home of General Lee? And one of the last states in the country to stop resisting the desegregation of its public schools? It's as "South" as the South can get.

Funny I've lived there almost my whole life and no one talks with the stereotyped southern accent or says y'all ever. Actually, saying "y'all" would have gotten you laughed at in school and was commonly used as a joke. Then again, so was "yous" so we're probably just elitest douchebags where I come from lol. Unless of course you travel out to the rural areas in the southern part of the state closer to North Carolina. Richmond and DC are only 2 and a half hours apart. Also, politically they voted for the party typically favored by the north, and culturally, well most people live near DC where I am and we are NOT like the people living in the Appalachian Mountains. Well, culturally, Eastern VA is much different from Western VA (im not including west virginia)

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

To americans: Why are you letting your government throw in the towel for manned space missions, instead now relying on the russians for transport?

Because the government is half moronic bigots who want to go back to the good ol' days, where this thing called 'science' is just a thing dreamed up by madmen and homosexuals, and half incompetent old men who get beaten up for their lunch money by the former group on a regular basis.