Do Americans seem rude to English people? (movies, vacation)

[doctorjef]

I haven't read through this thread yet, but after living in England I can tell you that Americans seem - and are - loud! Gratingly loud. Inside voices, please! When I returned to the States I couldn't believe how loud many Americans can be. Brits only tend to be loud in particular situations sometimes, like at football matches and down the pub after a few too many (especially true of yobs). Before I moved to England I was living in Lithuania where conversations in restaurants, etc are sotto voce -- Lithuanians seem to be virtually whispering amongst themselves oftentimes (maybe a legacy of Soviet occupation) -- much preferable to shouting Yanks.

[susan42]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

Yes, because we know how polite the Brits are on "holiday", right?


YouTube - abusing the staff at mcdonalds in malia, crete

Not to say they are all like this - but the point I'd make here is that every country has a-holes, and every country has a-holes that travel abroad.

Yes,but brits abroad don't tend to go to the US.Apart from the fact that they think the US constitutes Florida, they would be thrown in jail if they acted like they do in the US.
that's why you will find the boozy Americans in Mexico- in the US it isn't as acceptable to get P----- out of your brains and start being abusive

[susan42]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

I haven't read through this thread yet, but after living in England I can tell you that Americans seem - and are - loud! Gratingly loud. Inside voices, please! When I returned to the States I couldn't believe how loud many Americans can be. Brits only tend to be loud in particular situations sometimes, like at football matches and down the pub after a few too many (especially true of yobs). Before I moved to England I was living in Lithuania where conversations in restaurants, etc are sotto voce -- Lithuanians seem to be virtually whispering amongst themselves oftentimes (maybe a legacy of Soviet occupation) -- much preferable to shouting Yanks.

Yanks?

[Kangaroofarmer]

Originally Posted by susan42

Yanks?

Yanks = Americans (Yankees).

[Topper_Harley1]

In my experience Americans by and large arent as reserved as us English. Which can be good or bad in different situations.

Im talking about sober people obviously, a bit of drink and most English lose most inhibitions.

[Scotslass]

Depends where you go, i've met nice and not so nice Americans but i cant judge them all as being bad like not everyone in Scotland is nice.

[doctorjef]

The thing is, Americans don't intend to be rude and obtrusive by virtue of their loudness. I realise that (I'm one of them after all, but I'm rather an introvert and a low-stimulus person); they're just oblivious to their loudness. Otherwise, I don't think Americans are particularly rude and many of them are far politer than the English (I don't feel I've enough experience with Scots and Welsh to comment). But I've also come to the conclusion that there are communication problems that stem from the English oftentimes not saying what they really mean, being overly subtle (at least for Americans) or not letting their true attitudes be known. I say this primarily from my experience of the work culture in the NHS (I don't think it was the NHS work culture specifically, however; rather, just the setting in which I've experienced the very oblique and somewhat disingenuous communication style of Brits). BTW, elsewhere on City-Data you will find amongst Americans that Northerners will say much the same thing of their experiences living amongst Southerners -- they often complain that Southerners are outwardly polite, proper and sweet to one, but that this style may prove to disguise attitudes and motives that are quite different to their outward niceness.

[Scotslass]

Scots are well liked and have a friendly and outgoing reputation even when we go to Spain the locals love us.

My fiance loves the people here.

[susan42]

Originally Posted by Kangaroofarmer

Yanks = Americans (Yankees).

Generally accepted as being from New York only.

[Buona sera]

My best friend lives in Aberdeen, he is dual citizenship. We tease each other a lot over this. Whenever I am traveling (in Europe, Mexico, or even Orlando) and become aware of a loud, drunk person I always cross my fingers and hope they are a Brit. Whenever my friend is traveling and becomes aware of a loud, drunk person he crosses his fingers and hopes its an American. So I guess we both have our obnoxious drunks.