Share Pics of People Hauling or Towing Something Wrong

[Renze]

I can relate to that, Renze, missing many nuances and especially references to the American past.

Yeah, i remember visiting family in Canada at age 21, and when my cousins were into rap music, i said whatsup ***** ? I was told it was very racist to say that as a white person. When inquiring why, they only said: they'll beat you up !!

So i asked for clarity, they call each other niggas all day in good fun, but when i say it, they resort to violence because of my skin colour ? Then whos the racist ? They were a bit confused and couldnt give me an answer to that.

Holland abolished slavery on June 1st 1863, about a century before Jim Crow laws were abolished in the USA, so perhaps in a 100 years you guys can call your black friends niggas too...

As far as i remember, MLK's dream was that one day, people will not be judged upon the colour of their skin, but upon the content of their character.... So America has still to come a long way it seems...

So, sure: in the spirit of MLK, i am quite insensitive to American cultural sensitivities.

Anyways, i learn a lot about the world by getting to know the American perspective through forums like this. And how my European views are perceived by you guys on the other side of the Atlantic. Been doing it for 24 years as long as ive got access to internet, and it has been a great experience, although some people are a bit less inhibited when speaking from the relative anonymity of the internet..

 

[Renze]

Knock her up - Go to her door and knock
Rubber - eraser
Fag - Cigarette
Banger - Sausage
Flat - apartment

So many.....

Here we have sayings that can differ in meaning within 30km... Not even an ocean.

 

[Renze]

We're not misspelling, we just streamlined for efficiency!

That reminds me of something

 

[seville009]

Driving with his ramps down and some straps dragging…….probably wondering why his ramps wear out so quickly…..

 

[RobertN]

Anyways, i learn a lot about the world by getting to know the American perspective through forums like this. And how my European views are perceived by you guys on the other side of the Atlantic. Been doing it for 24 years as long as ive got access to internet, and it has been a great experience, although some people are a bit less inhibited when speaking from the relative anonymity of the internet..

I helped out a TBN member from Netherlands with some tractor information years ago. He had the same Kubota tractor as mine; I shared some manual page scans that he was not able to get there.

While we were emailing back and forth, he surprised me by asking if America/Americans were like what he had seen in cable syndicated Jerry Springer shows I told him "Thankfully, no, that is the exception not the rule!". Unfortunately, the news and media is the only exposure some people have to other countries; reality vs media.

 

[KennyG]

All languages have regional or local differences. I can remember in France being told that French Canadians didn't really speak French. On a tour in Spain, our guide began by telling the Americans that spoke Mexican Spanish a list of things they couldn't say in Spain because it would be considered inappropriate.

 

[WinterDeere]

...he surprised me by asking if America/Americans were like what he had seen in cable syndicated Jerry Springer shows I told him "Thankfully, no, that is the exception not the rule!".

You missed a golden opportunity for some mischief, there. At a minimum, you could have told him, "we keep all those people in Florida".

 

[Renze]

While we were emailing back and forth, he surprised me by asking if America/Americans were like what he had seen in cable syndicated Jerry Springer shows I told him "Thankfully, no, that is the exception not the rule!". Unfortunately, the news and media is the only exposure some people have to other countries; reality vs media.

Hollywood doesnt quite help our perception of you...

 

[Renze]

All languages have regional or local differences. I can remember in France being told that French Canadians didn't really speak French.

Now, French are a different breed. They dont speak English (nor Walons speak Dutch) unless they need you, instead of you need them.

Take whatever a Frenchman (Or Walon, French speaking Belgian) says, with a good chunk of salt.

 

[Oaktree]

All languages have regional or local differences. I can remember in France being told that French Canadians didn't really speak French.

I took a couple years of French in high school. Trouble is, they taught Parisian French while here in New England most if not all French speakers speak Canadian French. Yeah, you can kind of get the gist of a conversation but the 2 are quite different.

While we were emailing back and forth, he surprised me by asking if America/Americans were like what he had seen in cable syndicated Jerry Springer shows I told him "Thankfully, no, that is the exception not the rule!". Unfortunately, the news and media is the only exposure some people have to other countries; reality vs media.

You don't even need to go that far from home for cultural misconceptions. Look at how southerners' image of what "yankees" are like (and I'm sure the image we northerners have of southerners is equally off base). Or how Californians are perceived outside of their state.

No New Englander would EVER consider someone from N.J. or Pa. to be a "yankee", OTOH many Europeans and most Latin Americans consider all Americans "yankees" (even southerners).

 

[Oaktree]

Now, French are a different breed. They dont speak English (nor Walons speak Dutch) unless they need you, instead of you need them.

Well, we Americans are just as bad, expecting people everywhere to understand English.

 

[bcp]

Well, we Americans are just as bad, expecting people everywhere to understand English.

If they don't, just speak slower and louder.

Bruce

 

[Rockbadchild]

All languages have regional or local differences. I can remember in France being told that French Canadians didn't really speak French. On a tour in Spain, our guide began by telling the Americans that spoke Mexican Spanish a list of things they couldn't say in Spain because it would be considered inappropriate.

100% just like from one part of the US to the other accent and slangs will vary... the more isolated a community is the worse it gets ... I am French from Ontario so if I go to Quebec we will have a different accent and slangs and if I go to France I can understand them very well although I might have to think about what they are saying at times because they also have slangs but if I try to talk to them they will have a very hard time understanding me espicially if I don't adopt their accent plus because I/we don't used totally the same words they are using. Most things has multiple word to say the same thing but I will used the wrong one but they only know one not two ... One example is if we talk about a deer, I will say deer but they don't know what a deer is, the name for them is ''cerf'' as Cervidae (the species family name) myself I know what is a cerf so I can follow the conversation but not the other way around... the list like that goes on and on... I can talk with them but I will used the wrong word and now we are fighting to understand each other with explanation and description... the other way around is less common but it happen espicially if your French languages skills is shallow, one example is they call their children ''gosse'' meaning in English and Canadian French testicl!E, so you would understand while in France a French guy ''say come inside I will show you my ''gosse'' (male reproductive parts )'' you will be like No I am not into this kinda things .... he will think you are rude or something.. French Canadian and France French don't have the same swear words just like in Spanish they are very regional...

At my workplace we have Spanish guys from Mexico, Peru and Spain they all understand each other but their are hiccups in certain and accents.

 

[California]

A couple of zingers we were warned about in Spanish language training, Peace Corps, 50 years ago:

Speaking Spanish, never say you are 'embarrassed'. Because in Spanish, that means pregnant.

And for the Spanish-speaking person learning English, in Spanish 'molestado' just means bothered. Avoid using that word in an English-speaking country. Unless you are really describing an assault.

More recently, speaking with well educated Spanish speakers, I sometimes ask them to correct the 'language of the streets' I learned in the barrios of Venezuela. But I am told my accent is near pure for the Spanish of the Andes region.

Added: My proudest moment was one Saturday when I was bored so I took a regional bus out to a small town an hour away from the metropolis where I worked. Conversing with a coffee shop waitress, she asked me 'are you from Spain?' You don't look Mestizo! (brown people). My Spanish was enough to fool this naive cutie that I wasn't a gringo.

 

[WinterDeere]

I'm sure the image we northerners have of southerners is equally off base

Are you saying they don't all have the verbal and mental prowess of Forrest Gump?

 

[RobertN]

You don't even need to go that far from home for cultural misconceptions. Look at how southerners' image of what "yankees" are like (and I'm sure the image we northerners have of southerners is equally off base). Or how Californians are perceived outside of their state.

I don't even need to go that far. Being from a somewhat rural part of N. Calif, it is amazing the perception and difference between rural N. Calif, Bay Area California, and urban SoCal.

 

[RobertN]

If they don't, just speak slower and louder.

Bruce

And phonetically

 

[RobertN]

Hollywood doesnt quite help our perception of you...

100% truth in that statement!

 

[California]

I don't even need to go that far. Being from a somewhat rural part of N. Calif, it is amazing the perception and difference between rural N. Calif, Bay Area California, and urban SoCal.

So true. An I gotta admit that years of business trips to urban SoCal reinforced the perception I had first learned from TV and movies.

Then - for the 400 miles in between NorCal and SoCal, You'll likely need some Spanish if you detour off the freeway.


Another regional distinction, from the hippie era: [BTDT]: San Francisco had flower children, hopeful pacifist kids who assembled there from all over the country to just hang out. In contrast across the bay in Berkeley this sense that change could be accomplished, was expressed as protests over the conduct of the VN war. Two different cultures.

 

[ning]

All languages have regional or local differences. I can remember in France being told that French Canadians didn't really speak French. On a tour in Spain, our guide began by telling the Americans that spoke Mexican Spanish a list of things they couldn't say in Spain because it would be considered inappropriate.