American Accents

<<to speak of them as "British accents" is just an arbitrary geographical grouping which says nothing meaningful about such in practice.>>

Yeah that's true. I think it's due to some lack of geographical knowledge leading people to believe that England is Britain and the rest are Scotland and Ireland, thinking always of English things when they hear 'British'. That's very common all over the world due to the confusing situation of the UK. I mean, God we're not really obliged which country is part of another one and what's the political-geographic congifuration in a particular region. It's what I call the 'I-don't-know-what-the-hell-is-out-there-not-within-my-country' sindrome. Here in Peru it's very common, when they here someone speaking English they say 'Oh, you're American', when they see someone with Asian appearance they go 'Oh you're Chinese'... But this problem is more chronic in other countries, I reckon...

<<One of my mates is a Guide at Edinburgh Castle now and he's used to being asked mega dumb questions. One woman tourist (again no prizes nationalitywise.....) looking out over the cityscape below and before her asked where the Eiffel Tower was. "Och no, madam....it's Tuesday today and this is Edinburgh, Scotland.....Paris, France was yesterday.....">>

Lol, I guess that marked the start of a new era, Damian. I've read that in the Internet, too. He was very kind... suave... like to answer that lady's question, he must have been. That was like being in Macchupicchu, in Cuzco-Peru and say 'Hey, why can't I see the Sugar Loaf Mountain with the Christ statue on it???'

I'm afraid that here in the Peruvian mountains tour guides tend to be very ... bold sometimes. A bit cheeky, I'd say.

<<God we're not really obliged which>>

It should say 'God we're not really obliged to know which...'

Actually, that guide must have read her mind.

Look at that. I read it and think 'God, that's mental!'

***Lol, I guess that marked the start of a new era, Damian. I've read that in the Internet, too. He was very kind... suave... like to answer that lady's question***

Pete:

Well, it was certainly the start of a new era for my mate who took that job up at the Castle.....the incident with that particular American lady happened last year sometime. Of course he has to answer everybody's questions and to be "kind and suave" however idiotically bizarre the questions chucked at him. According to him the most difficult part of the job is not being mega patient and polite but maintaining composure and not collapsing into a chronic laughing fit. That waits until he tells us about it all down the pub later. LOL

That goes for any tourist guide at any tourist spot worldwide I reckon. I bet there are some loopy Brits asking loopy questions on the Peruvian Inca trail!

Best regards from Scotland.

It is understandable if people from other countries don't understand the make up of the United Kingdom, after all I couldn't tell you all the different component parts of the Netherlands etc.

Back to tourist spots, I saw a programme about American tourists house swapping with British ones. The American family took a trip to Stonehenge, their moody teenage went in a right huff, because she couldn't see the sea! nevermind the fact these big massive stones that were dragged from Wales! She was actualy looking forward to it before she got there, but just because it didnt look like some rubbish poster she had at home, she went and had a paddy. Can't please them all I suppose.

<<I heard that railway/castle one from my cousin, very funny. I also heard a good one (which for a little while I believed to be true) about a Brit showing an American round a town, and them coming up to a crossing. When the little green man turned on, the American asked “What’s that beeping?”, the Brit replied “Oh that’s just for blind people”, the American proclaimed in shock “WHAT! You let blind people drive over here!” >>

But ... we have the same thing here.


<<Now tell us about stupid Engl...sorry - Brits over there..... :-) >>

Seriously, if ya'll would come visit, we'd be happy to make fun of you. But alas....

<<Anyway it became pudding time, so my cousin goes and gets him self a brownie type affair, and spots the custard next to it, he ladles a healthy dollop into his bowl and sits down. We suddenly see his face turn a shade of green, he'd only gone and put cheese sauce on his pudding! Seemingly it happens alot with British tourists in their resteraunt, I think they do it on purpose! otherwise they would move the cheese sauce away from the puddings!>>

Yeah. They wait all year for that kind of fun. But it's worth it when it finally happens....

Now explain to me why you would put custard on a brownie *in the first place*?

Another thing — restaurants. I don't actually know what the conventions are in restaurants in the US, but from having often seen Americans in restaurants in Europe generally, I've come to the conclusion that expectations are somewhat different.

It seems that we're a bit slower here, since I've often seen Americans complaining about meals which they see as slow to arrive. Expect significant waits and gaps between courses.

Equally, we don't tend to complain about the food unless there really is a genuine problem, but I've often seen American tourists sending things back to the kitchen if they're not completely satisfied. Instead, we usually prefer not to make a fuss at the time, but then complain to everyone we know about it for the next month afterwards.

And yeah — everyone who's said that Northern Europeans look gloomy is so right. We seem to charge about staring at the ground, avoiding any eye-contact.

I've not yet been to America although a few of my mates have. I thought that was funny the Ameicans taking the piss out of the Brits by putting the cheese sauce where the custard should have been. The Americans must have known that Brits like custard on their puddings. Brit guys love pouring custard over their dicks:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/2249273.stm

Och...I forgot to say...... the dicks must be spotted.

Yeah Uriel, you do have that beeping thin in the USA, once I realised that, I knew it wasn't a true story (I'm gullible).


Why *wouldn't* you want custard on a brownie??! Childhood staple pudding on the cheap. Lovely! You seriusly should try it some day.


Benjamin, I completly agree, do you ever see people trying to do the double kiss thing when greeting someone?

In warmer (weather and people) countries, they propperly go infor it, two big smackers on each cheak (sometimes a third on the motuh...even between blokes!). Here, somthing is still uncomfortable, and you can see it! They do air kissing about four inches away from the face...and do that horrid "mmwwaa mwwwaa" noise, all for fashion!

Nowt wrong with a handshake, or a single peck on the cheek for a lass, or on the hand even! Yeah they should bring that back (but not in an Adams family way ;)

« Benjamin, I completly agree, do you ever see people trying to do the double kiss thing when greeting someone? »

Sometimes, but not very often.

<<Equally, we don't tend to complain about the food unless there really is a genuine problem, but I've often seen American tourists sending things back to the kitchen if they're not completely satisfied. Instead, we usually prefer not to make a fuss at the time, but then complain to everyone we know about it for the next month afterwards. >>

Haha. I think we as Americans are raised to expect (especially by places like restaurants and other service places) perfect customer service and if we don't get it we're encouraged by most establishments to comment on it. For instance many restaurants and service places in the US have policies that if you're not completely satisfied you can get a full refund or a return. Unless you truly make an ass out of yourself in complaining it's generally not considered an insult to the product or food but a normal facet of the consumer world. Of course it's not something the average person takes advantage of that often but it's nice to know it's there if you need it. However when people go to other countries they shouldn't necessarily assume the same rules apply because they don't.

This reminds me of several Europeans (particularly Germans for some reason) I've known here who seem to love Denny's, which is an (to an American) unremarkable sit-down restaurant chain with standard (and unexciting but usually not bad) American food. However, just like any other place in the US, they tend to have good customer service. I've known several Germans who love Denny's because they said to them it embodies the expected excellent customer service Americans expect (and don't think much of, really). Refills on coffee are endless and free (which is practically expected in any American restaurant--we expect our free refills), the servers are generally friendly and always smiling (if they aren't they're not as likely to get a nice tip), and most Denny's are open 24 hours a day so it's convenient (just went clubbing and it's 3am in the morning and you're really hungry? You can go to Denny's if nothing else is open). I personally don't find Denny's that great of a place or anywhere I'd often desire to go but I do understand why the Germans I've spoken with like it.

The important thing Europeans need to remember is that tips are generally not included in the bill and I've heard more than one waiter/waitress here complain about groups of Europeans coming in to restaurants and either neglecting to leave a tip or leaving a very small one (5% or something) which is considered almost worse than nothing at all (because it shows rather than absentmindedly forgetting the tip you chose to put down a purposely small amount. Such insulting behavior is only done in extreme cases by Americans when the service is really bad. I think this applies to Canadians as well as I remember being with my Canadian great aunt once and the service we got at a restaurant was pretty bad. She left a penny tip...hehehe). I don't think such Europeans are stingy and mean-spirited but they're just not aware that tips aren't included in the bill here.

That does sound like good service — unlimited free refills — wow!!

Hey, you know that the British are really really similar to the Germans?! That's what I've been repeatedly told by numerous random French people today anyway... LOL.

I've only sent one plate back in a restaurant, ever. It was an expensive dish, sadly riddled with cumin, which I despise. and I didn't want to be saddled with a big bill for a plate I wasn't going to be able to choke down. Other than that (and I felt bad -- not the restaurant's fault I don't like that particular spice) I think it's rude, unless the food is undercooked or something like that.

My German stepbrother has said that the one thing he misses when he goes back to Germany after visiting here is the wonderful customer service, which we of course take completely for granted.

An hour for dinner is usually plenty in the US. We don't sit there all night.

Since we don't usually put custard on desserts (and we would mean something different by the word "custard" anyway, just as we mean something different when we say "pudding"), there was really no element of "taking the piss" out of foreign customers on the part of Ponderosa; it was just an accident -- an American would never have confused cheese sauce with some sort of runny dessert sauce in the first place. When in doubt, sniff. Or dab some on your plate and lick with a finger.