Interesting/annoying things about the USA

I swear most of The Guardian these days is made up of opinion pieces. We’re really not that far behind, although their TV news is far more obvious. At the very least their bias is transparent.
 
dUb said:
Would you say "ABBA is great"? I get that it's correct, but it would and could NEVER pass my lips

And not just because to me ABBA's music is mainly for aunties to dance to at weddings
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In Spanish you definitely use singular for a group, unless the name is plural, but I think both are acceptable.
 
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I'm gonna get grilled for this, but after living with lots of kiwis and Brits for decades, I do find Americans generally 'warmer'. I've found them to be more open and more willing to spark conversations. Which can be just as annoying obviously.
 
Kate said:
@RJN feel free to start a retaliation thread

I imagine TABLOID NEWSPAPERS and NON-MIXER TAPS (faucets sorry) would be on the list
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Well I agree with most of the things in this thread!
 
KindaCool said:
I'm gonna get grilled for this, but after living with lots of kiwis and Brits for decades, I do find Americans generally 'warmer'. I've found them to be more open and more willing to spark conversations. Which can be just as annoying obviously.
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Whenever I’m abroad, I find Americans (and Canadians) to be so much easier and nicer to communicate with than most Europeans.
 
RaspberrySwirl said:
Whenever I’m abroad, I find Americans (and Canadians) to be so much easier and nicer to communicate with than most Europeans.
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It’s true, but there’s also a hell of a lot of insincerity in it. When you meet a lovely European at least you know it’s genuine.
 
Tisch said:
I have looked it up and it varies depending on the ingredient. Actual INSANITY. I always make sure to type the word 'uk' if I'm ever googling a recipe.
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Cups are a standard size :D

dUb said:
NOT to bash the place and especially not our treasured :america: friends but there was a recent trend on TikTok where people were sharing some :side-eye: things that Americans had said to them, and there was one where a couple were in Marrakesh at the start of July and were asking people in the hostel they were staying in if they were all going to go onto the roof to watch the fireworks, and just couldn't compute that there wouldn't be any :side-eye::side-eye::side-eye::side-eye:
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These people are clearly idiots though. I think almost all Americans recognize that the rest of the world doesn't celebrate July 4?

I promise I won't get defensive about anything else
 
RaspberrySwirl said:
Whenever I’m abroad, I find Americans (and Canadians) to be so much easier and nicer to communicate with than most Europeans.
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It's not necessarily that They're 'nicer', but they're more CURIOUS to know you. Neighbors will say "good morning" to you, strangers will compliment you or start a conversation with you. They're more excitable.

Sorry Brits, but you do come across as more cold and stuffy.
 
I suspect Americans tend to use their vocabulary more. There's something in the Irish (and maybe British?) sensibility I think where you don't want to sound like a twat for using big words, whereas my American friends are really well-spoken. It could just be my friends, but I think it's a thing... anyone?
 
Ellie said:
It’s true, but there’s also a hell of a lot of insincerity in it. When you meet a lovely European at least you know it’s genuine.
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I know what you mean, but sometimes a smile and a kind response is all you need.
 
dUb said:
I suspect Americans tend to use their vocabulary more. There's something in the Irish (and maybe British?) sensibility I think where you don't want to sound like a twat for using big words, whereas my American friends are really well-spoken. It could just be my friends, but I think it's a thing... anyone?
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I agree with this too. They all (ie the few we’d encounter) seem to be media trained compared to the rest of us.
 
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Generally speaking they're VERY loud as well, I won't be backing down on that.

It's not hard to see why when you see elementary classes YELLING the pledge of allegiance or whatever. Can we not
 
dUb said:
I suspect Americans tend to use their vocabulary more. There's something in the Irish (and maybe British?) sensibility I think where you don't want to sound like a twat for using big words, whereas my American friends are really well-spoken. It could just be my friends, but I think it's a thing... anyone?
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I would suspect that the Americans that you are meeting are more well-spoken than the average. Even having been to Europe is fairly rare for Americans
 
Gangsta Nancy Lam said:
One cultural difference I've always assumed from US media is that celebrities always seem to be thanking God and talking about how #blessed they are.

It always felt a bit alien growing up, as even the Christians I knew didn't seem to talk about their faith at all.
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THIS

I hate how it is assumed that we are all Christian/religious at all. At work, I mentioned that I didn't believe in God, and some of my coworkers were shocked. A few suggested that I would believe in God when I had kids, which really annoyed me
 
I do personally want kids, but I think its rude to assume that everyone does (or CAN). And the whole god thing is even worse. I just had to basically change the subject to not get heated
 
It's more rubbish Parent Prejudice. What, my spirituality is less LEGIT because I don't have kids?

What's Parent Prejudice like in UK/Ireland/Europe?
 
Calling jam jelly.

It doesn't even WIBBLE WOBBLE.
 
Yes because sticking your dick in a vagina or getting knocked up is just such a HIGHER CALLING.
 
RJN said:
Jelly is cheap shit I buy at the grocery store

Jam is the same thing but fancy and from a nice brand or the farmers market
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I find Jelly is mostly synthetic powdered stuff loaded with artificial colors while Jam sometimes even has real fruit bits in it.
 
Ooh ooh. If you live in a block of flats you have a laundry room, right? And you have to reserve your slot to use it or something?!

On the other hand, I gather you think we're weird for keeping our washing machines in the kitchen.
 
Kate said:
Ooh ooh. If you live in a block of flats you have a laundry room, right? And you have to reserve your slot to use it or something?!

On the other hand, I gather you think we're weird for keeping our washing machines in the kitchen.
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my washing machine and dryer are in my kitchen actually

Some apartments have communal laundry rooms like that, but usually just in older cities like New York or Boston. When I lived in New York I had to go to a laundromat

my parents house has it’s own laundry room
 
Kate said:
Ooh ooh. If you live in a block of flats you have a laundry room, right? And you have to reserve your slot to use it or something?!

On the other hand, I gather you think we're weird for keeping our washing machines in the kitchen.
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No that's just KIRSTY ALSOPP.
 
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