"you have another thing coming" and "it all goes well" grrrrrrrrrrr
Two Wongs Send a noteboard - 08/11/2011 10:19:27 AM
Instead of "another think coming" and "it augers well".
Agreed. But is it only Americans who do this?
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.
Agreed. But is it only Americans who do this?
________________________________________________
Two Wongs
Former Officer, ASI
Now mature and sensible... *MySmiley*
Two Wongs
Former Officer, ASI
Now mature and sensible... *MySmiley*
America's Quirks noticed by Non-Americans
- 07/11/2011 06:55:22 PM
2622 Views
Wait, in Europe they leave soap on dishes to dry?
- 07/11/2011 08:25:33 PM
1718 Views
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
831 Views
I had to ask one of the Brits I worked with about that one
- 08/11/2011 04:48:11 PM
1511 Views
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
1524 Views
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
1335 Views
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
1287 Views
Can you buy alcohol in the US at any time?
- 07/11/2011 08:41:41 PM
1415 Views
Oh, I can explain beer pong to you.
- 07/11/2011 09:19:46 PM
1356 Views
- 07/11/2011 09:52:48 PM
1425 Views
- 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
1654 Views
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
1330 Views
It is important to distinguish between cautious and combative attitudes.
- 09/11/2011 02:24:43 PM
1542 Views
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
1290 Views
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
1351 Views
"you have another thing coming" and "it all goes well" grrrrrrrrrrr
- 08/11/2011 10:19:27 AM
1493 Views
Your last question, and a variation of it, was my recurrent thought while reading the list.
- 08/11/2011 12:38:53 PM
1434 Views
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
1496 Views
Because my husband lived in England and has family there, I knew some of these. BUT...
- 08/11/2011 12:42:07 PM
1464 Views
It varies here, it's certainly not unusual to have a space between.
- 08/11/2011 10:00:38 PM
1533 Views
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
1393 Views
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
1354 Views
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
1462 Views
Ah, that makes a difference.
- 09/11/2011 03:05:44 PM
1337 Views