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2004-12-08 Home Front: Politix

Americans on holiday pretend they're Canadians

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Posted by Dragon Fly 2004-12-08 10:10:26 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Dragon fly,
Good for you! Of the most obnoxious people I have met when living over seas, Canadians top my list. Their self-righteous attitude combined with an inferiority complex (always get pay less than Americans) really makes them unbearable.
My husband would rather do tourism at home than pretend that he is a Canadian or any other nationality.
As a matter of fact, that is something that Americans should be emphasizing nowadays: tourism at home!

Posted by Anonymous4724 2004-12-08 10:41:51 AM|| 2004-12-08 10:41:51 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Anyone who has traveled abroad knows that American English is distinctive. You can pick an American out of a crowd a block away by sound. It is exceedingly difficult for an American to pretend to be anything other than an American. That said, I have have worked on more than one occasion with the Royal Canadian Air Force (or as the budgeteers in Ottawa now style them, Canadian Forces, Air), and found them to be good people, but cannot begin to imagine why an American would pretend to be a Canadian. Most people in the world would give their left testicle to be an American. For an American to want to pretend to be a Canadian is like asking to be sent to the minors, to single A ball at that. On the other hand, I have known a few unscrupulous Americans to pretend to be Australian to hustle impressionable young ladies.

Posted by RWV 2004-12-08 12:06:22 PM|| 2004-12-08 12:06:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#3 Anti-americanism today in the two countries I know best, Russia and France, is less overt, widespread and virulent than it was during Clinton's two terms. The French were positively hysterical in the early 1990s because they were terrified of our new dominance. The Russians were enraged by the Kosovo air campaign in 1999.

Anti-americanism has been around for decades. Any American who would cower behind a badge of inferiority like the maple leaf should do himself and us a favor and swap his US citizenship for Canadian citizenship.

Posted by lex 2004-12-08 12:15:45 PM|| 2004-12-08 12:15:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 This is nothing new. A classmate of mine on an archeological dig in Turkey (near Izmir, I think) in the '80s pretended to be both Canadian and married. This saved her bacon, so to speak, when she and a friend, on their way into town, were accosted by a local gent inebriated on his own testosterone. He nearly cried when she showed him a photo of "her little son," and gallantly escorted them the rest of the way. She says he was very belligerent until the girls disclaimed American citizenship... the picture just tied a ribbon around it.

Discretion is sometimes the better part of valour. But I still prefer your solution, Dragon Fly ;-)

Posted by trailing wife 2004-12-08 12:44:21 PM|| 2004-12-08 12:44:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 Interesting. I'm from the center of Michigan and whenever my wife and I traveled to Scotland the folks there thought we were Canadian. It was the accent. A gentleman in Cornwall nailed us once, however. He was hiking as we were. As we were coming from the direction he was heading he asked for some advice. When I told him to "head out that-way (pointing), he said, "ah you're American". When we asked how he knew he told us that it was the "head out".

Posted by Jim K 2004-12-08 12:47:55 PM|| 2004-12-08 12:47:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Yep, head-out is way American!
Paint Your Wagon, Head Out, git off 'en my propity, grab stakes, grub stake, that's not so far..... all dead give aways.

Right Pilgrim?

Posted by Shipman 2004-12-08 1:20:09 PM|| 2004-12-08 1:20:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 Alma area, Jim K?

Posted by docob 2004-12-08 2:32:34 PM|| 2004-12-08 2:32:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Some things are only good in Americano:

"Well, do ya feel lucky, punk?"

Posted by Frank G 2004-12-08 2:40:17 PM|| 2004-12-08 2:40:17 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Somewhat tangential to this thread, there was a reality TV show a few years ago that I thought was terrific. They put groups of tourists from different countries (UK, Germany, Japan, USA and a couple of others) in various situations and see how they reacted. It was fascinating to watch different cultures at work. The Japanese trying to get group consensus before doing anything. The Brits getting drunk for pretty much any reason. And I recall the American's primary concern was what is the 'right' thing to do in this situation.

Posted by phil_b 2004-12-08 5:18:05 PM|| 2004-12-08 5:18:05 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 (I hit the post button before I got to my conclusion) If something bad was happening and I had a choice of people of different nationalities to team up with, I'd choose the American.

Posted by phil_b 2004-12-08 5:21:55 PM|| 2004-12-08 5:21:55 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The only people buying such crap are the "we are sorry" types. Sad thing is the Canadians wont even have them.

Posted by Sock Puppet of Doom 2004-12-08 9:31:00 PM|| [http://www.slhess.com] 2004-12-08 9:31:00 PM|| Front Page Top

#12 I was in India on business a couple of years ago and people (esp kids) would see us and shout "Hi Americans!" and come running over. I saw a fair number of European tourists while there (gave the evil eye to a couple of them in the hotel once), and at the time I wondered if they ever got that reaction. I kinda hope so, since it would probably bug the crap out of them. ;)

Everybody's explanation of the accent is probably on target as to why we got spotted so easily as Americans, especially since they speak the British style of English and all know what it sounds like, and of course we sounded nothing like that (our group being from Texas).

While there we also met a couple of Israeli's, who I mistook as German because that's what they were speaking to each other (of all things).

Posted by Laurence of the Rats 2004-12-08 10:36:42 PM|| [http://www.punictreachery.com/] 2004-12-08 10:36:42 PM|| Front Page Top

#13 They should try paying for their vacations in Canadian Dollars rather than US$. Currently $1 = 1.224 CAD.

Posted by Uleque Glavise4887 2004-12-08 10:54:24 PM|| 2004-12-08 10:54:24 PM|| Front Page Top

#14 Wear a T-Shirt saying: "I tip American" and wait who's more popular: You or the fake Maple Leaf guy.

Posted by True German Ally 2004-12-08 11:00:22 PM|| 2004-12-08 11:00:22 PM|| Front Page Top

#15 Howdy, Okey Dokey, Whoa!,

Posted by 2b 2004-12-08 11:10:09 PM|| 2004-12-08 11:10:09 PM|| Front Page Top

#16 When I've travelled, people asked if I was a Yank. I would say, "Yes, I am from Alaska." Then they start yabbering all about igloos and grizzley bears, etc etc and we would get along great. Always worked that way. They think youre from the moon or something. Heh heh. I haven't tried passing out fatwas yet.

Posted by Alaska Paul 2004-12-08 11:12:35 PM|| 2004-12-08 11:12:35 PM|| Front Page Top

#17 It's not just our sound, it's our dress, carriage, our package.

When I was in Greece I was asked if I was a Brit, but no one really wants to mess w/you when you say you're from Chicago.

Bang! Bang!

Posted by anonymous2U 2004-12-08 11:30:12 PM|| 2004-12-08 11:30:12 PM|| Front Page Top

06:02 reesh
23:52 Carl in N.H.
23:33 Bomb-a-rama
23:30 anonymous2U
23:21 Uleque Glavise4887
23:12 Alaska Paul
23:11 Bomb-a-rama
23:10 2b
23:06 Alaska Paul
23:06 Uleque Glavise4887
23:02 2b
23:00 True German Ally
22:57 gromky
22:54 Uleque Glavise4887
22:47 Uleque Glavise4887
22:46 Alaska Paul
22:36 Laurence of the Rats
22:23 gromky
22:13 Alaska Paul
22:09 Asedwich
22:07 smn
22:04 Frank G
21:43 Uleque Hupavise4887
21:42 Anonymoose