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Usenet Posted 21 years ago
Usage
An apology
I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, in particular, Bellingham. I meant no disrespect for the country, and I still feel that I couldn't have made a better choice than Bellingham for my stay.
There *is*, however, a cultural shock when changing your country of residence, even if only temporarily, much as some friends warned me there would be. I hadn't realized I'd become so acclimatized to Ireland, even to the extent I much prefer the food there over what I had thought would be nearly identical food here.The taste of food wasn't the first thing I noticed, and it hardly could be called the most significant thing. People here are very large. That hit me as soon as I arrived at O'Hare. People here are very loud and often quite rude: rude in the sense that they seem far more hurried than the Irish. One gets used to the volume, but I still miss the time and consideration people in Ireland show for each other. You find it here too, but it shows up in different ways.
Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'. That strikes me of insincerity, but that may not be what they're feeling. I'm not used to hearing the expression, except when hearing the Irish making fun of it, but resident Americans obviously are. They don't blink an eyelash when saying it. I can't say it with a straight face.
The Irish are often said to be the friendliest people in the world. Friendly as they are, I find Americans to be friendly. There's no question they are more outgoing. Americans are less shy, whether with friends or talking with strangers. Related: I know British people often say we're too open with our feelings, but I still find this to be a positive attribute, just as I did when meeting American tourists in Westport.
To be continued. I'm still sorting out my impressions of 2005 America and trying not to always be contrasting them with what I know of Ireland, even though it is inevitable I do it some of the time.
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address
There *is*, however, a cultural shock when changing your country of residence, even if only temporarily, much as some friends warned me there would be. I hadn't realized I'd become so acclimatized to Ireland, even to the extent I much prefer the food there over what I had thought would be nearly identical food here.The taste of food wasn't the first thing I noticed, and it hardly could be called the most significant thing. People here are very large. That hit me as soon as I arrived at O'Hare. People here are very loud and often quite rude: rude in the sense that they seem far more hurried than the Irish. One gets used to the volume, but I still miss the time and consideration people in Ireland show for each other. You find it here too, but it shows up in different ways.
Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'. That strikes me of insincerity, but that may not be what they're feeling. I'm not used to hearing the expression, except when hearing the Irish making fun of it, but resident Americans obviously are. They don't blink an eyelash when saying it. I can't say it with a straight face.
The Irish are often said to be the friendliest people in the world. Friendly as they are, I find Americans to be friendly. There's no question they are more outgoing. Americans are less shy, whether with friends or talking with strangers. Related: I know British people often say we're too open with our feelings, but I still find this to be a positive attribute, just as I did when meeting American tourists in Westport.
To be continued. I'm still sorting out my impressions of 2005 America and trying not to always be contrasting them with what I know of Ireland, even though it is inevitable I do it some of the time.
Charles Riggs
There are no accented letters in my email address
Top answer
[nq:1]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, ... [/nq] [nq:1]Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'. resident Americans obviously are.
- [nq:1]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, ...
- [/nq] [nq:1]Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'.
- resident Americans obviously are.
- They don't blink an eyelash when saying it.
- [/nq] I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the phrases we use in the US to lubricate daily fleeting interactions are no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.
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12 Answers
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[nq:1]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, ... for the country, and I still feel that I couldn't have made a better choice than Bellingham for my stay.[/nq]
[nq:1]Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'. ... resident Americans obviously are. They don't blin
[nq:1]Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank you', she's more likely to say 'Have a nice day'. ... resident Americans obviously are. They don't blin
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[nq:1]The taste of food wasn't the first thing I noticed, and it hardly could be called the most significant thing. People here are very large. That hit me as soon as I arrived at O'Hare.[/nq]
Well of course. The first Americans you saw were beefy Chicagoans. Imagine if you'd flown into STL.
Steny '08!
Well of course. The first Americans you saw were beefy Chicagoans. Imagine if you'd flown into STL.
Steny '08!
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[nq:1]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, ... the first thing I noticed, and it hardly could be called the most significant thing. People here are very large.[/nq]
Probably some interbreeding with those giants of Patagonia that Magellan and Darwin kept going on about.
[nq:1]That hit me as soon as I arrived at O'Hare
Probably some interbreeding with those giants of Patagonia that Magellan and Darwin kept going on about.
[nq:1]That hit me as soon as I arrived at O'Hare
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[nq:1]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the past few months in some critical remarks about America and, ... for the country, and I still feel that I couldn't have made a better choice than Bellingham for my stay..[/nq]
You may have made up your mind on this subject, but I'd like to offer you some advice. You could think before you post, "Am I saying something I'll have to apologiz
You may have made up your mind on this subject, but I'd like to offer you some advice. You could think before you post, "Am I saying something I'll have to apologiz
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[nq:2]Instead of a shopkeeper saying 'Thank you' to my 'Thank ... saying it. I can't say it with a straight face.[/nq]
[nq:1]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the phrases we use in the US to lubricate daily fleeting interactions are no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
This is a bit much.
Who the **** are you to be so patronizing? You're glad to see I'v
[nq:1]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the phrases we use in the US to lubricate daily fleeting interactions are no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
This is a bit much.
Who the **** are you to be so patronizing? You're glad to see I'v
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(snip)
[nq:1]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the phrases we use in the US to lubricate daily fleeting interactions are no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen that the person thus spoken to has had, or knows he is going to have, a terrible day. There
[nq:1]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the phrases we use in the US to lubricate daily fleeting interactions are no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen that the person thus spoken to has had, or knows he is going to have, a terrible day. There
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[nq:1](snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the ... no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
[nq:1]How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen ... There might have been a sudden death in the family, or he might be on his way to a divorce-hearing.[/nq]
Is it really any different
[nq:2]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the ... no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
[nq:1]How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen ... There might have been a sudden death in the family, or he might be on his way to a divorce-hearing.[/nq]
Is it really any different
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Good point. I didn't grow up with the phrase and so may be unable to apply to it the necessary degree of ritualization. Of course it can't similarly be whittled down to 'Nice day' because that could be taken as a comment on the weather. (And I'm sure 'You have a good night now' or 'You have a good morning' may not go down too well in the respective instances alluded to.)
...g
...g
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[nq:2]I realize I've been coming on pretty strong in the ... have made a better choice than Bellingham for my stay.[/nq]
[nq:1]... You may have made up your mind on this subject, but I'd like to offer you some advice.[/nq]
That's a phrase that never fails to raise the bristles on my back. No need to apologize though, for you didn't know.
[nq:1]You could think before you post, "Am I say
[nq:1]... You may have made up your mind on this subject, but I'd like to offer you some advice.[/nq]
That's a phrase that never fails to raise the bristles on my back. No need to apologize though, for you didn't know.
[nq:1]You could think before you post, "Am I say
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[nq:1](snip)[/nq]
[nq:2]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the ... no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
[nq:1]How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen ... There might have been a sudden death in the family, or he might be on his way to a divorce-hearing.[/nq]
The phrase "Have a nice day
[nq:2]I'm glad to see you've begun to realize that the ... no more or less insincere than those used in Ireland.[/nq]
[nq:1]How can the phrase 'Have a nice day' not, occasionally, go down with an awful clunk? It must sometimes happen ... There might have been a sudden death in the family, or he might be on his way to a divorce-hearing.[/nq]
The phrase "Have a nice day
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