Americans? Opinions?

Angel1971

What preconceived ideas do you have about Americans?
Positive?
Negative?
What's the first thing you think of if you know you'll be meeting someone from the US?

Deja Boo

*awaits responses with baited breath



















*NOT :rolleyes:

jcorr

Angel1971 wrote: »

What preconceived ideas do you have about Americans?
Positive?
Negative?
What's the first thing you think of if you know you'll be meeting someone from the US?

They're alright, the ordinary ones. I worked with a few and they were fairly personable.

I don't like the loud ones though, or the federal types who like to bully other countries.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

What do you think yourself?

odyssey06

Dallas.
I grew up in the 80s.

As individuals they are individual.

Their corporate culture though... yikes.

It is vast and contradicts itself. It is the NRA and National Geographic.

Thelonious Monk

Really boring f**kers for the most part but that's a big generalisation. I suppose I met the boring ones because I used to work in software and they'd come to our offices and maybe out for a beer sometime and just bore you to death. All dress the exact same too. Those stupid body warmer things and chinos.
I've also met some of the coolest people ever that are yanks. Plus black Americans are a totally different culture and way less boring.

Cee-Jay-Cee

Fat with no sense of humour is a slight generalisation but pretty much sums them up.

Angel1971

Mariana Uptight Surf wrote: »

What do you think yourself?

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

Boxing.Fan

Naive, dumb.

Most Americans are like anyone else, perfectly average people getting by as best they can.

jcorr

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

You'll be alright.

Angel1971

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

Fat with no sense of humour is a slight generalisation but pretty much sums them up.

Dang. That's sucks.
I need to stalk all your posts to show you how funny and clever I am. ðŸ˜

odyssey06

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

You should introduce yourself sometimes as Canadian to a new set of people. See if theres a difference. Social experiment.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

As they live in the greatest open air asylum in the world, there's bound to be a fair share of headers.

Yester

They are really good at building barns.

Angel1971

odyssey06 wrote: »

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

You should introduce yourself sometimes as Canadian to a new set of people. See if theres a difference. Social experiment.

Oh, good idea.
However the problem with that is as soon as I start to speak and the "y'all" and 'fixin' starts flowing, it will be obvious I'm from the south.

Angel1971

Yester wrote: »

They are really good at building barns.

Ok... that made me giggle

GRACKEA

I associate Americans with being too friendly, borderline intrusive. My experience visiting the US and working on the grounds of a big tourist attraction in Dublin has been that they'll make unnecessary conversation, and have no concept of me not being interested. Also loud.

Thelonious Monk

You drive ridiculously big cars, especially pick up trucks, for no apparent reason except to pollute the air and burn as much fuel as possible. Last time I was there nearly every vehicle was a 8 litre enging GMC truck with one dude driving it.

Mad_maxx

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

Really boring f**kers for the most part but that's a big generalisation. I suppose I met the boring ones because I used to work in software and they'd come to our offices and maybe out for a beer sometime and just bore you to death. All dress the exact same too. Those stupid body warmer things and chinos.
I've also met some of the coolest people ever that are yanks. Plus black Americans are a totally different culture and way less boring.

Have always found them quite boring too, sisters partner is American and very boring

Cee-Jay-Cee

Yester wrote: »

They are really good at building barns.

That’s the Hamish your thinking of, nice people, weird dress sense though.

odyssey06

Angel1971 wrote: »

Oh, good idea.
However the problem with that is as soon as I start to speak and the "y'all" and 'fixin' starts flowing, it will be obvious I'm from the south.

I wonder if you said you were from Alberta or Calgary how many Irish people would cop on you are spoofing...

For Forks Sake

Absolutely no concept of sarcasm.

Angel1971

GRACKEA wrote: »

I associate Americans with being too friendly, borderline intrusive. My experience visiting the US and working on the grounds of a big tourist attraction in Dublin has been that they'll make unnecessary conversation, and have no concept of me not being interested. Also loud.

I'd be willing to bet they just wanted to hear your accent ;-)

GRACKEA

Angel1971 wrote: »

I'd be willing to bet they just wanted to hear your accent ;-)

Yeah that's really annoying and intrusive.

GRACKEA

GRACKEA wrote: »

Yeah that's really annoying and intrusive.

But I suppose the willingness to talk to strangers and engage with other cultures is positive, so don't let my crankiness put you off

Angel1971

GRACKEA wrote: »

GRACKEA wrote: »

Yeah that's really annoying and intrusive.

But I suppose the willingness to talk to strangers and engage with other cultures is positive, so don't let my crankiness put you off

Nah, if you want to be cranky-pants that's your choice.
I like meeting new people. Other cultures are fascinating to me.

Tom Mann Centuria

As mixed a bag as any other nationality. Some good, some bad and the rest indifferent. Also thank former servicemen and women way more than any other nationality.

Odhinn

Angel1971 wrote: »

What preconceived ideas do you have about Americans?
Positive?
Negative?
What's the first thing you think of if you know you'll be meeting someone from the US?

I hear they eat human flesh with cheese.

mad muffin

Americans are eating themselves alive. With the Democrats vs Republicans. Blacks vs whites. Americans vs illegal immigrants.

California, the most liberal state is on life support. Now talks of reparations is dividing the country even more.

Angel1971

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

As mixed a bag as any other nationality. Some good, some bad and the rest indifferent. Also thank former servicemen and women way more than any other nationality.

I think that might be because most service members volunteer to serve. Some countries dont give their citizens a choice.
I'm not sure what Ireland does for its military.

odyssey06

Angel1971 wrote: »

Nah, if you want to be cranky-pants that's your choice.
I like meeting new people. Other cultures are fascinating to me.

Something to watch out for thats been hinted at. You get talking to some irish people in pub and getting along great. They may not be there to make new friends... may have lived in Dublin all their lives and already cant keep up with some old friends. They are just happy out having some craic. Dont take it personally.

TeaBagMania

Thelonious Monk wrote: »

You drive ridiculously big cars, especially pick up trucks, for no apparent reason except to pollute the air and burn as much fuel as possible. Last time I was there nearly every vehicle was a 8 litre enging GMC truck with one dude driving it.

Jealous :pac:

Ill have you know each of trucks only has a five liter engine

Angel1971

odyssey06 wrote: »

Angel1971 wrote: »

Nah, if you want to be cranky-pants that's your choice.
I like meeting new people. Other cultures are fascinating to me.

Something to watch out for thats been hinted at. You get talking to some irish people in pub and getting along great. They may not be there to make new friends... may have lived in Dublin all their lives and already cant keep up with some old friends. They are just happy out having some craic. Dont take it personally.

I can respect that.

ILoveYourVibes

Where in America what background etc?

alchemist33

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

Hope you have a great time.

My first time in the US was in LA. It was big and impersonal, then a man in a bus station invited me to watch the basketball on his little pay-per-view TV as he was about to leave.
Since then I've met some great Americans on other forums. They're just the same as everyone else.
You'll find most people in Ireland will forget stereotypes as soon as you get talking to them.

Angel1971

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

Where in America what background etc?

Good question since there are different cultures depending on what area of the country.
For example the west coast can have the reputation of being vain and over indulging, the midwest are friendly hard working family people, the south are hicks with no education and marry their cousins and the east coast are rude and standoffish.
But like a few have said earlier, it all depends on the individual.
I just wasnt sure if there was a generalization made.

branie2

I think they're great

ToddyDoody

Everything is a bit ott with Americans I find. The concept of 'nothing much, seriously' and of keeping to yourself is not in the lexicon.

Angel1971

alchemist33 wrote: »

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think I'm friendly and likeable. I love meeting new people and experiencing new adventures.
I'll be traveling to Ireland soon for the first time and wondered if there was a positive or negative association.

Hope you have a great time.

My first time in the US was in LA. It was big and impersonal, then a man in a bus station invited me to watch the basketball on his little pay-per-view TV as he was about to leave.
Since then I've met some great Americans on other forums. They're just the same as everyone else.
You'll find most people in Ireland will forget stereotypes as soon as you get talking to them.

Oh that makes me happy.
I've told me friends I may never come back.
I'll find a lad who wants to marry me and get a US citizenship.
:-D
(Kidding!!!!!!!)

jcorr

Angel1971 wrote: »

I think that might be because most service members volunteer to serve. Some countries dont give their citizens a choice.
I'm not sure what Ireland does for its military.

They don't pay them well enough usually

Or send them to places like Mali where our lads have no business being.

corner of hells

Angel1971 wrote: »

What preconceived ideas do you have about Americans?
Positive?
Negative?
What's the first thing you think of if you know you'll be meeting someone from the US?

Have they paid their entry fee to Ireland?
If you haven't, I can get you a one off discount price of 11,000 dollars.

odyssey06

If you happen to find yourself in Cork on a sunday in summer, you may see lots of confederate flags. Cork is called the rebel county and their sports teams wear red.
In case you thought you had arrived at some sort of political rally.

archer22

Are you arriving on a commercial flight...or in a B52.

khaldrogo

I find them narcissistic, self obsessed, opinionated and loud as a rule. The ones I've come across online seem to need constant validation. Have a look on Reddit in the 'offmychest' section or 'lookwhatimade' section. Absolute drivel and less than mediocre but God forbid if you even suggest their ramblings or piss poor attempt at a hat stand is anything short of awesome.
They have a very limited grasp on sarcasm, are very, very easily offended and cry >insert your 'ism' and/or 'phobic here< at anything that goes even slightly against their delicate sensibilities. They also genuinely believe that absolute strangers desperately want to hear every little bit of verbal diarrhoea they puke up....

I play an online game that has dedicated EU servers as well as NA, ASIA etc. In general, everyone sticks to their own area and when they do the in game chat is very limited and relevant to the game on the EU servers. Well, when a yank does venture over you can't get them to STFU........they start ****eing on about how on their other account they are 100 times better etc....... screaming about trash and calling grown men 'kid'....


I hate Americans like this.

Angel1971

odyssey06 wrote: »

If you happen to find yourself in Cork on a sunday in summer, you may see lots of confederate flags. Cork is called the rebel county and their sports teams wear red.
In case you thought you had arrived at some sort of political rally.

Ok clearly I'm going to need an "Irish to English" dictionary.
What the hell is a pokit?

jcorr

Angel1971 wrote: »

Oh that makes me happy.
I've told me friends I may never come back.
I'll find a lad who wants to marry me and get a US citizenship.
:-D
(Kidding!!!!!!!)

Sorry I couldn't resist it. Haha

https://youtu.be/WYGUKCINF_w

Angel1971

archer22 wrote: »

Are you arriving on a commercial flight...or in a B52.

Silly guy

odyssey06

Angel1971 wrote: »

Ok clearly I'm going to need an "Irish to English" dictionary.
What the hell is a pokit?

A pokit is what happens when my phone posts the reply before I finish typing political.

Or it may be a delicacy in Cork involving pigs trotters.

Or both.

ILoveYourVibes

Angel1971 wrote: »

Good question since there are different cultures depending on what area of the country.
For example the west coast can have the reputation of being vain and over indulging, the midwest are friendly hard working family people, the south are hicks with no education and marry their cousins and the east coast are rude and standoffish.
But like a few have said earlier, it all depends on the individual.
I just wasnt sure if there was a generalization made.

I have even noticed different things like different personal space and different volumes at which people speak at.

Some Americans actually have quiet accents.

Here is a tip if their accent is loud they will prefer it if you stand further away and give them more personal space.

khaldrogo

Angel1971 wrote:

I'd be willing to bet they just wanted to hear your accent ;-)

The Irish accent??? Which one? There's about 40 different ones