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Are you serious? "Think ahead and get change"??? Being rude like that to a customer should get you fired in whatever industry you work in. Would you speak to your customers or clients that way?
He's lucky I wasn't there. That's for damn sure.
Do you seriously expect to get your local city bus driver to make change for you for a $20 bill? In my area it's a requirement that you have exact change.
Many a traveler has taken the time to learn certain customs before going to another country. The ones that come here complaining are the ones who didn't, and they are the ones who say how rude people here are, when they should have done their homework. It works both ways.
'Bloke' is not a perjorative term, it means exactly the same as 'guy' or 'fella', its just a British dialect term for a man. I've never known it to have any negative connotations whatsoever.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JennyMominRI
Bloke is certainly not an insult in the the UK. It's just the UK equivilent of guy.
In the late eighties when I was there, it was used as insulting, and said in a snide manner. They called each other "chap", and the Americans "blokes".
*shrugs* Glad to hear some things have changed for the better
If I can just put the record straight, the most crtical country in terms of the US in Europe is Germany according to Pew Research, the UK doesn't even make the top ten.
I didn't look at the links but according to the image/chart you posted, it's actually Greece, not Germany.
In the late eighties when I was there, it was used as insulting, and said in a snide manner. They called each other "chap", and the Americans "blokes".
*shrugs* Glad to hear some things have changed for the better
They were the worst insulters (made up word I think) that ever roamed the earth then.
It really does just mean 'man' or 'guy' 'fella' etc.
In fact it tends to be prefixed with good, e.g "he's a good bloke"
Not true at all. There is definitely a consistent culture of America-bashing - ask any American expat that spends more than a week or two. It is extremely personal if you're on the receiving end of it. How could making fun of somebody's country not be personal? The reasons are a combination of Jealousy, misunderstanding, little brother syndrome etc etc and also just that Britain has a strong culture of pointing out the worst in everything..
Again, I am an American who lived in the UK for 8 years (2005-2013) and never came across any "America-bashing", let alone a consistent culture of it! People had opinions on politics of course, but I don't take politics personally and there was never any "bashing" of American culture or people. There was light-hearted banter about American culture and people, but it was all good-natured and never malicious. Perhaps you are just taking things too seriously?
Do you seriously expect to get your local city bus driver to make change for you for a $20 bill? In my area it's a requirement that you have exact change.
Many a traveler has taken the time to learn certain customs before going to another country. The ones that come here complaining are the ones who didn't, and they are the ones who say how rude people here are, when they should have done their homework. It works both ways.
In my area, you get a change card printed, and then that $20 you paid $1.70 or so for bus fare, can only be used with that bus service and not refundable. The driver shouldn't have been that rude, but it is bad practice using such a large bill to make change, holding up the bus
They were the worst insulters (made up word I think) that ever roamed the earth then.
It really does just mean 'man' or 'guy' 'fella' etc.
In fact it tends to be prefixed with good, e.g "he's a good bloke"
And I have to say that IME I rarely hear Brits say chap.. It its a friend he's friend or mate. If it's not it's man or bloke or even guy.
Historically Bloke has never been an insult
The word guy can be used as an insult depending on tone. You know "that Guy" said in a disapproving tone https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloke
I don't doubt the poster that the tone itself was negative but the word Bloke itself is neutral, although I tend to think of Bloke as sort of a manly man
I've spent nearly 30 years each on both sides of the pond. There has always been anti-Americanism, but it's mostly confined to the Anti-Imperialist left, who think all Americans are stupid, and it's certainly not confined to Britain, quite prevalent on the con-ti-non also, dontcha know.
Do you seriously expect to get your local city bus driver to make change for you for a $20 bill? In my area it's a requirement that you have exact change.
Many a traveler has taken the time to learn certain customs before going to another country. The ones that come here complaining are the ones who didn't, and they are the ones who say how rude people here are, when they should have done their homework. It works both ways.
Its not about the damn 20 pound note! Are you aware of the context of this thread?
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