Newsgroups: soc.culture.british

>       In regards to the number of followups from the original 
> "pardon my ignorance" post from a Jap exchange student: That was
                                    ^^^
        I've been hauled up once before for using this term, and I still
        don't see why.  To me, it's the equivalent to 'Brit', which I don't
        find in the least offensive.

>       In regards to superiority of British - They're not.  I live in 
> Niagara Falls - we've been inundated with British tourists lately. If
> we get any more I'll have to start serving tea.  As I work in a gift
> shop - I've met hundreds of them.  A few things on the British:
>       
>       1.  They never exchange Canadian money into US when they come
> over and act like palsy projects if I give them change in US money. You 

        Do you mean by this that they examine their change ?  If they're
        holidaying in Canada, and this is their first contact with US
        currency, so what ?  Everyone is the same when they are confronted
        with unfamiliar money.  What does this prove about these people ?

> would think the good folks in Niagara Falls, Ont. would take US money 
> too, right?
> 
>       2. None of them ever seem to figure out the money in the first 
> place (It's too small, 10's are smaller than 5's) and so on.

        See above.  If they've been in the US for a few weeks, then the
        comment is fair; otherwise, this is non-news.

>       3. Very few of them are at all "Geographically proficient" -
> One guy thought New York City was in New Jersey, another thought Washington
> DC was in Maryland.  And few seem to realize Niagara Falls is 460 miles

        Maybe they could do with a bit more geographic knowledge, but that goes
        for just about all of us in just about all subjects.  In my experience,
        Americans in general(*) are appallingly unknowledgeable about the world
        outside the US.  (To some extent, I think that this is because the US
        is a vast country, and the historical need to forge a nation from
        disparate immigrant groups makes concentration on a US-biased syllabus
        necessary).  

        (*) As with most nations, there is always a small number who go out of
        their way to learn about the world outside, and are fine ambassadors
        for their countries.
        
        As an anecdote, my father, who was involved in primary education (5-11
        yr olds), had this confirmed on exchange visits to the US.  To quote
        one head teacher he met, on the subject of history :  "[In the US] we
        do the Civil War in great detail, but pay little attention to world
        history.  The result is that the kids probably know what the Generals
        had for breakfast, but haven't even heard of Napoleon".

        As for geography, how many Americans cancelled flights to Europe
        during the Gulf Duck-shoot, because it was too close to Gulf ?  We
        could probably exchange examples till the cows come home, and thereby
        prove that neither of us has anything to be proud of in the levels of
        knowledge displayed by our compatriots.
> 
> 
> 4. British girls all seem to have enormous rear ends and crooked 

        If this is what you see, it contradicts the well-documented data that
        shows that across the board North Americans are taller and heavier than
        Europeans; and that North American women are on average 1"-2" larger
        than Europeans in bust, waist, and hips (read :  rear end).  Clothing
        and underwear manufacturers need to know this kind of info...

> teeth.  Don't they have braces in your country?  

        Yes, but my impression is that we don't use orthodontists nearly as
        much as you do.

> 
> Not saying anything for the Americans, though.  I don't think 
> we fare any better in Britain (except me).  

        Yep.  But there are tourists and tourists.  On my travels in Europe, I
        met several US backpackers who were embarrassed by the way their
        middle-aged compatriots acted.  As one said, it was OK for *them* to be
        loudmouthed, whingeing and patronising about aspects of Europe, then to
        go back to the safety of their Hiltons, but *he* had to cope with the
        attitude towards Americans that behaviour engendered.

> 
> The best tourists?  
> Dutch or German - absolutely smashing.