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146 responses total.

Where did you hear these, Valerie?  I'm afraid that I can't recall quotes
now, but I thought most Americans I ran across while I was bopping around
Europe for three years were real chauvinists, and I avoided them (there
were, fortunately, some exceptions). Travellers from *other* countries
were too, I learned. My funniest experience in that regard was visiting
Paris with a German woman: when we were pushing our way through mobs
of Americans at Notre Dame we spoke German, and with mobs of Germans at
the Eiffel Tower, we spoke English!

It was kinda funny... when I was in Brasil and people would ask me where I 
was from I would always have to catch myself and not say America... 

In Italy, one American to another, "What is this in *real* money?"
(overheard by the Brickers in a leathergoods store)

Also in Italy: "What was the name of that town?"  "I think
it was called 'Uomini.'"

"Do the toilets really flush the other way here?"

I always found it quite common in areas of Europe where there were lots of
Americans to hear people running around complaining about the "stupid
people who didn't speak English."

I was talking to someone on LambdaMOO last night who lives in New 
Zealand...said it's really annoying when people keep asking you what 
state you're from.
        He also made me realize how many times we use "America" like it 
was the same as "United States".  Anoybody else noticed this?  Seems 
kinda arrogent when you think about it.

   Woman, of dubious American origin, at an open air museum near
Arnhem, Netherlands looking out at a pasture:
   "How old is this land?"
to the tour guide.  I couldn't stay in the area to listen to his
response because I was too busy gagging.

I've had a New Zealander complain about the America vs USA thing myself.
Within days of moving to England I learned just how obnoxious most US tourists
are...you can spot an American a mile away.  One of the most annoying things
I repeatedly encountered (even with visiting friends) was "Well we don't do
it like this in America."  ("Thank God" was my usual response.)

All over Europe Unitedstatesians are called "Americans", and if you say
you're an an American, they know what you mean. People that quibble about
this are a very small minority, even if they are formally correct. 

Does Europe get very many South American tourists?  I'm sure not by comparison
to the proportion of US...

The use of America for USA goes way back, and is deeply ingrained into
common usage from the founding of the nation. viz

"But America is a great, unwieldy Body. Its Progress must be slow...Like a
Coach and six - the swiftest Horses must be slackened and the slowest
quickened, that all may keep an even Pace. 
- John Quincy Adams

or

Every time Europe looks across the Atlantic to see the American Eagle, it
observes only the rear end of an ostrich.
- H. G. Wells

etc....

exit

(Welcome to grex, conkor)
I hope some (more) of our non-U.S. users will enter here.
Monty Python captured a plethora of tourist gaffes in "the travel agent
sketch."  It's priceless.  Do they serve "Watney's Red Barrel" everywhere
in Europe?  ;-)

Re #10: Quite right Rane.  Myself, and most people I know this side of the
Atlantic refer to  those from the States as Americans in general, TBH I
wouldn't know what adjective to apply other than that.. Statesian?? I think not
;) What I'm looking forward to is when I move over there to stop making the
distinction between the different British nationalities which always infuriates
them especially the non-English ones.. I live in Wales but most of my mail from
the States addresses me as being in England, which the postman just loves...
(not).. though I think it ranks above having our rural areas described as
quaint.. <g>

My favourite dumb tourist routine is expecting a non-English speaker to be
able to understand if you shout loud and slow enough for them.

And, Welcome to Grex conkor.

kt8k slipped in.. Oh if only they served Watney's everywhere.. 'twould make
it a better place, alack, I believe it is only available in a few parts of
Britain.. and I've seen it rare enough.. :() <g>

I wouldn't know what to call myself.  In Spanish, at least, 'Estadounidense'
("United-States-ian") is acceptable, but so is 'norteamericano' ("North-
American").

Favorite dumb quote: "Which way's the bathroom, er, W.C.?"

Most amazing smart quote: Two Asian-appearing females approach our Israeli
tour-guide (currently speaking German to some German travelers), and ask
him in fairly good English "Where is the bus to Tel-Aviv, please?"...(pause)
...(funny look)...Tour guide answers in FRENCH, which it turns out is the
native language of the two ladies.  What an ear for accents!

        My dad and my aunt had a kind of similar story about a trip to
Prague they took several years ago.  World War II had two consequences
that affected their ability to speak to people.  Most of the people spoke
German, and most of the people were very resentful of anybody who wanted
them to speak German.  Almost nobody spoke English.  My aunt spoke English
and German, and my dad spoke English and French.  To be able to
communicate with people without getting them mad, they developed a system
where my dad would first ask people if they spoke French, and would
usually find out that they didn't.  Then, after establishing that German
wasn't their first choice of languages, my aunt could aske the person if
they spoke German and the would be able to communicate. 
        This system worked very well, until they tried to get directions
from a guy they met on a bus who didn't speak French or German.  After
trying both languages and failing, they tried communicating with gestures,
but it wasn't working too well.  Finally, after several minutes of this,
the guy hesitated for a moment and then asked them, very slowly, if they
spoke English.

On "Americans", aren't there also other countries with "United States" in
their names (perhaps not in English)? 

I recall that on one business trip to Greece my boss spoke, within earshot
of hotel staff who spoke English, of "buying drachmas".  I thought it more
appropriate to speak of "selling dollars". 

Said boss also complained that the flight leg from JFK to Rome was always
full of "pushy Italians".  I sort of suspect that may have to do with what
country Rome is in. 

Re: #19
Yea... I always tries to say "U.S.A." when talking about "A-MARE-ICK-AH!" 
[said like the "redneck" sereotype pronounciation]
Also, when I said I was from Detroit, more or less, there was always... "OHH!
Motor City!"  but I guess hat should go under the things-that-the-native born-
people-of-the-country-you-are-in-say item, huh? 

rats... forgot a "t"

I find it alwasy works best to use words that the people I'm talking to
will understand, and Europeans seem to have a very clear preference for
"American" when referring to somebody from the U.S., in my experience.

They certainly always understood it when I was knocking around East Europe
on a big motorbike. When I blew into town, they'd scowl and ask
"allemand?" (because it was usually Germans on a big bike - why they
asked in French I don't know, but perhaps they didn't want to even speak
German), and when I responded "American", the smiles always broke out
(they usually asked about nephews or cousins in American, then!). 

It is really not the arrogance of USA citizens that the USA is called
"America". Rather it is just a shortening of the correct full name
of our country. It is, in fact, a widely recognized colloquialism.
I don't think there are too many "Americans" traveling abroad who don't 
realize that there is more than one country in North America.

If one said "North American" or "South American" there would be no
ambiguity. So since "American" has come to mean citizen of the USA,
why fight it? If you want the other meaning, say "North or South American".

In partial answer to 19, I can think of "The United States of Brazil"
which is the correct name of the country colloquially known as "Brazil".
Its citizens are called Brasilians, not USB'ers.

I'll agree with most of that, though I would say that there is a slight 
difference in the case of Brasil and of the USA in that Brasil is not at all
ambiguous, there is no other great land mass that you could really be referring
to, whereas America could be one of either continent, the two as a whole, or as
is most common the USA.  But whatever, I still call y'all Americans :)

To add to the complexity:  USA could also mean "Union of South Africa".

Isn't that Republic of South Africa?

And Canada is just as much North American as these United States.

In fact, using "North American" to mean "from the U.S." would be very
offensive to Canadians since they use it to mean the whole schmoozle.
I quickly learned to identify myself as being "from the states" when in
Canada.

Though I realize that many Americans are insensitive or ignorant when
traveling abroad, it seems to me that discussions like this are often
fueled by that "american-shame" that became so fashionable in the '60s.
Thoughts?

 And members of the Egyptian-American community (amongst other African
caucasoids) are bothered by the 'African-American' craze.

My parents were astonished to learn that one could find pyramids in
Africa.  They thought they could only be found in Egypt.

Don't forget the United States of Mexico.

   Thats wonderful.  Horrid, but wonderful.

Re 27: Yes and Canadians are happy to be thought of as North Americans.
As am I, an American, to be thought of as a North American.

Re 28: I can refer to myself as being North American. For one to
consider North American to be the equivalent of American is absurd, though,
for just the reasons you specify. I am American and therefore also
North American. A Canadian is North American, too, but would not
want to be thought American, because that has come to mean "from the USA".

I still don't see the problem with calling myself an American.
Like Canadians I am North American. I am not claiming that my country
(USA) is the only country in North America. I am using my country's name,
The "United States of America" to describe myself - "American".
What other word could I use? 

Re #26: I believe it was the Union of South Africa at one time and is now
The Republic of South Africa.  I don't know when the change occurred.
,

Re #33: I'm not totally certain but I believe it was 1969, I think that they
were given independence from Britain.. and the name changed..

When I was a junior in high school (1971-72), the "World Today" teacher
referred to South Africa as "the other U.S.A."

I feel it completely irrelevent as to how we in the U.S.A. came to call our
selves Americans,  the point is, most "Americans" don't care about the other
Americas.  They feel the U.S. of A. is the almighty.  Why should we learn
any other language, they should learn OURS- that kind of sick mentality.

Also, re #14 & 16:  You actually LIKE Watney's?????? I'll tell you why you
can't readily find it throughout Britain...its the Busch of British Beer!
(GAG)  Seriously, it is very poor quality lager/ale. (like American beer)
As my friends and I say, "What do American beer and sex in a canoe have in
common?  They're both f**king close to water!"

I liked the joke about weak American beer. I agree that some (but not all)
Americans are arrogant. I do not think it is arrogant to call ourselves
"Americans", though, and I thought someone was claiming that it was.

I learned to like "bitter". One result is that I drink American beer
at room temperature - one does get more of what little flavor it has,
that way. 

I wouldn't exactly use the word "arrogant" to describe a person from the United
States of America.  I would use the word "egocentric" instead.  This trait
is not solely owned by people native to the United States of America.  All
people exhibit this trait.  One tends to think that his own culture is the
best when he comes into contact with others.   This does not necessarily
mean that this is right, but just that we are not the only ones that are
like this.  

- Backtalk version 1.3.30 - Copyright 1996-2006, Jan Wolter and Steve Weiss