Re: stereotyping

[Lucy C Trumbull <elsie@calweb.com>]

Mary writes:
> As he dropped me off at my hotel after work
> one day, he said "I'll knock you up in the morning"...I'm still waiting. 

Ah, my speacialty - after being here nearly five
years...

You know, it's usually the really subtle culture
differences that offend - so subtle that neither
party realises they've offended.

Most English people get very alarmed when approached
chattily by an American - say when they're queueing 
for something - they kind of lean away, assuming the
person approaching them is some sort of weirdo and
waiting until they get outside in the car park to
attack them. I think that's one of the main reasons
that English people decide they dislike Americans -
"they are too gushing and false". The fact that the
American may actually *want* you to have a nice day,
hasn't actually occured to them.

On the other hand, Americans are offended by the British 
"avert your eyes and pretend you haven't seen the other person
and on no account speak to them" approach. Saying hello
or "how are you doing" to a complete stranger while out
walking the dog is just not done. Which Americans find
very rude.

The strangest thing I've come across is the usage of
"quite". Americans say "I'm quite pleased with the
result" in such a dead-pan way, that, to an English
person, it sounds like they only think the result is
"so-so". The word "quite" *can* have the same usage in 
English as it does in American, but only if the inflection 
is enthusiastic. Very odd, but very subtle - the English
person takes mild offense for something that the American
is actually *really* pleased about.

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Lucy Chaplin Trumbull - elsie@calweb.com
Repotted english person in Sacramento, CA

http://www.calweb.com/~trouble
http://www.calweb.com/~elsie
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