For me, the strangest thing is the phrase "could care less"
Colonel Logain Send a noteboard - 07/11/2011 10:43:54 PM
In Australia, the phrase is "couldn't care less". Even when Americans say they could care less, they often really mean they couldn't care less, which is the exact opposite of what they said.
*MySmiley*
I have nothing to add. I just wanted to be included in this thread.
I have nothing to add. I just wanted to be included in this thread.
America's Quirks noticed by Non-Americans
- 07/11/2011 06:55:22 PM
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Wait, in Europe they leave soap on dishes to dry?
- 07/11/2011 08:25:33 PM
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It's very regional. They always do that in that other country where they are insane. Like denmark. *NM*
- 07/11/2011 09:18:26 PM
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I had to ask one of the Brits I worked with about that one
- 08/11/2011 04:48:11 PM
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I can't even imagine not rinsing them. Like you, I didn't realize anyone did that? *NM*
- 08/11/2011 04:55:33 PM
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Depends on how much washing-up liquid you put in the water.
- 09/11/2011 08:13:51 AM
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I don't think it's different.
- 09/11/2011 04:30:58 PM
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It isn't. I was going to say exactly the same thing about the laziness and "soap."
- 09/11/2011 05:42:44 PM
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*NM*
We are talking about washing dishes by hand, right?
- 09/11/2011 06:50:09 PM
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Yes. And here's the difference between what you do and what I do:
- 09/11/2011 07:08:06 PM
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EWIE!!! I can't imagine eating soap with every meal... That can't be good for you. *NM*
- 10/11/2011 01:48:16 AM
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Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things?
- 07/11/2011 08:27:24 PM
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The problem with these things is that you always get the entire US answering them
- 07/11/2011 09:32:07 PM
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I'm guessing everybody who's been to the US outside NYC, then. 
- 07/11/2011 09:42:10 PM
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- 07/11/2011 09:42:10 PM
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No pretty much everywhere in the US people use plastic 99% of the time *NM*
- 08/11/2011 12:31:49 AM
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This totally depends where you are.
- 08/11/2011 12:57:11 AM
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Once again, that isn't what they were talking about
- 08/11/2011 01:29:19 PM
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You know I worked in a store, right?
- 08/11/2011 01:49:36 PM
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I repeat: I have NEVER seen someone pay by check in a store since 1989. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 01:56:59 PM
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I know you travel quite frequently, but I'll refer you to Paul's comment above re: New York. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 02:10:36 PM
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I spent 1990-1999 in the South, you know. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 02:46:19 PM
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I knew you'd gotten around.
- 08/11/2011 03:06:20 PM
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I would call one to two checks a week pretty rare
- 08/11/2011 06:28:59 PM
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Which is still more often than places that never use them.
- 08/11/2011 06:58:30 PM
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- 08/11/2011 06:58:30 PM
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Oops. This is Jen. Don't start attacking! Eep. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 06:59:09 PM
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Always good to see couples know each other's passwords 
- 08/11/2011 07:19:18 PM
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- 08/11/2011 07:19:18 PM
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I think I know it, but I actually was accidentally in his account. He put the computer down.
- 08/11/2011 08:08:45 PM
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*I* at least was mostly thinking about rent checks. But yes, I've seen it in stores too.
- 08/11/2011 09:47:58 PM
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so paper checks are history in ???
- 08/11/2011 10:51:01 PM
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Belgium. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 11:13:22 PM
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Rent checks. Utility checks. *NM*
- 07/11/2011 10:47:58 PM
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Exactly - instead of automated bank transfers. *NM*
- 07/11/2011 10:50:39 PM
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They still do this in Britain too.
- 08/11/2011 01:13:52 AM
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What's weirdest about British rent...
- 08/11/2011 09:48:43 PM
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Re: Who are these weirdos who say Americans write checks to pay for things?
- 08/11/2011 05:52:19 PM
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I pay the chiropractor with a check. He doesn't have a card reader and I never have cash.
- 08/11/2011 10:56:47 PM
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Can you buy alcohol in the US at any time?
- 07/11/2011 08:41:41 PM
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Oh, I can explain beer pong to you.
- 07/11/2011 09:19:46 PM
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- 07/11/2011 09:52:48 PM
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- 07/11/2011 09:52:48 PM
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In most countries of Europe you can too, to my knowledge... as long as the store is open.
- 07/11/2011 09:43:47 PM
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I t varies ste to state or even county to county and city to city
- 08/11/2011 12:35:27 AM
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We can turn right on a red light too
- 07/11/2011 09:48:38 PM
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Really? I thought that was unique to the US.
- 08/11/2011 12:34:14 PM
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The French can do it too.
- 08/11/2011 03:34:39 PM
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The French are shameless; first they stole our national colors, now this. 
- 09/11/2011 01:19:47 PM
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- 09/11/2011 01:19:47 PM
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That's mostly Italy, France is not so bad.
- 09/11/2011 08:02:51 PM
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That makes sense, but I have heard horrible tales about French farmers in trucks.
- 09/11/2011 10:24:01 PM
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Cops
- 08/11/2011 06:31:08 PM
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It is important to distinguish between cautious and combative attitudes.
- 09/11/2011 02:24:43 PM
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If there's a green right-turn filter light, then you aren't turning right on a red at all . *NM*
- 08/11/2011 03:33:36 PM
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. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 03:33:36 PM
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It's not a light. It's a sign of a green arrow
- 08/11/2011 03:47:22 PM
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But it's a light that goes on and off.
- 08/11/2011 06:02:48 PM
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Yes, a permanent sign.
- 08/11/2011 06:18:26 PM
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Ah, I see. We don't have those, so I thought you meant something different.
- 08/11/2011 06:47:23 PM
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For me, the strangest thing is the phrase "could care less"
- 07/11/2011 10:43:54 PM
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In fairness...
- 07/11/2011 10:50:13 PM
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I think that's just a case of it being said too quickly and slurred too much
- 08/11/2011 02:14:14 AM
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"you have another thing coming" and "it all goes well" grrrrrrrrrrr
- 08/11/2011 10:19:27 AM
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Your last question, and a variation of it, was my recurrent thought while reading the list.
- 08/11/2011 12:38:53 PM
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that is really what stood out to you the most going from Australia to the US?
- 08/11/2011 04:45:21 PM
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It's "couldn't care less" in America, or at least it is in the part where I live. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 06:01:50 PM
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It's couldn't care less everywhere- some people just say it incorrectly. *NM*
- 08/11/2011 06:09:08 PM
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*NM*
Interesting about the flag.
- 08/11/2011 04:16:12 AM
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I wonder how much of that is American and how much is European culture.
- 08/11/2011 12:53:15 PM
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More like "we tend to equate respecting a flag with liking a country"
- 08/11/2011 01:57:26 PM
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Part of it is, as Joel notes, a general European trauma that isn't shared by some.
- 08/11/2011 09:56:22 PM
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Because my husband lived in England and has family there, I knew some of these. BUT...
- 08/11/2011 12:42:07 PM
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It varies here, it's certainly not unusual to have a space between.
- 08/11/2011 10:00:38 PM
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Huh. Only ever saw those holes in the ground in Belgium. and had to pay to use them.
- 09/11/2011 03:28:35 PM
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I've never seen them in Belgium - nor in France outside highway parkings, to be fair.
- 09/11/2011 08:05:09 PM
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When I was in England we saw way more flags than we typically see in the US.
- 08/11/2011 01:32:47 PM
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So many fat people.
- 09/11/2011 01:19:24 AM
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We do have high calorie intake and low inclination to exercise. *NM*
- 09/11/2011 01:26:40 AM
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That's half-true
- 09/11/2011 02:09:48 AM
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I think there was a Family Guy episode about this.
- 09/11/2011 02:27:07 PM
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Re: I think there was a Family Guy episode about this.
- 09/11/2011 02:33:18 PM
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Ah, that makes a difference.
- 09/11/2011 03:05:44 PM
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