In their defence, I’ve always pointed out, when people drag up the statistic that 70 per cent (or whatever it is) of Americans don’t have passports, that the US is so big and diverse that you can have a staggering range of experiences without going “abroad”.
Absolutely. Imagine having the Appalachian mountains and the Grand Canyon within your borders! How wonderful.
PJ O'Rourke once complained that everything in Europe was so small, "you couldn't swing a cat without sending it through customs". From an American perspective, that must be what it feels like.
I’ve encountered exasperation, but, more commonly, an impatience that it matters. (I’m not saying it’s widespread and I’m certainly not habitually anti-American, though boy do they sometimes live up to the stereotype of staggering incuriosity about the world beyond their borders).
I’ve encountered exasperation, but, more commonly, an impatience that it matters. (I’m not saying it’s widespread and I’m certainly not habitually anti-American, though boy do they sometimes live up to the stereotype of staggering incuriosity about the world beyond their borders).
I admit that my sample size is not statistically significant, but I have never heard an American complain about this. In my experience, they seem to find it puzzling (as who wouldn't?) but interesting, and are keen to learn more about it.
So if you're English, you are also British. But if you're British, you might actually be Welsh, Scottish or Irish? I'm American and I will interchangeably refer to an Englishman as English or British, but if I know they're Scottish/Welsh/Irish, I will call them that, and never British.
Yes, that's right. Most of us have two national identities, but some choose only one. For example, I once heard about a a community of people of Jamaican heritage living in London who considered themselves to be British but not English. Personally, I don't mind being called Scottish or British, but being called English is a different matter - not because I have a problem with English people (I have many English friends) but because it's just inaccurate.
I completely understand why this must seem confusing to Americans, or to people of any other nation :)
In their defence, I’ve always pointed out, when people drag up the statistic that 70 per cent (or whatever it is) of Americans don’t have passports, that the US is so big and diverse that you can have a staggering range of experiences without going “abroad”.
Absolutely. Imagine having the Appalachian mountains and the Grand Canyon within your borders! How wonderful.
PJ O'Rourke once complained that everything in Europe was so small, "you couldn't swing a cat without sending it through customs". From an American perspective, that must be what it feels like.
I’ve encountered exasperation, but, more commonly, an impatience that it matters. (I’m not saying it’s widespread and I’m certainly not habitually anti-American, though boy do they sometimes live up to the stereotype of staggering incuriosity about the world beyond their borders).
I'm sure that's true, though I also know British people who could be described in the same terms.
Perhaps I've been lucky, but I have never met an American I didn't like. The ones I have known have all been charming, and exceptionally polite.
I’ve encountered exasperation, but, more commonly, an impatience that it matters. (I’m not saying it’s widespread and I’m certainly not habitually anti-American, though boy do they sometimes live up to the stereotype of staggering incuriosity about the world beyond their borders).
Americans who complain that the United Kingdom is complicated need to provide a 1,000-word essay explaining the constitutional and legal status of:
1. The District of Columbia
2. Puerto Rico
3. Guam
4. American Samoa
I admit that my sample size is not statistically significant, but I have never heard an American complain about this. In my experience, they seem to find it puzzling (as who wouldn't?) but interesting, and are keen to learn more about it.
So if you're English, you are also British. But if you're British, you might actually be Welsh, Scottish or Irish? I'm American and I will interchangeably refer to an Englishman as English or British, but if I know they're Scottish/Welsh/Irish, I will call them that, and never British.
Yes, that's right. Most of us have two national identities, but some choose only one. For example, I once heard about a a community of people of Jamaican heritage living in London who considered themselves to be British but not English. Personally, I don't mind being called Scottish or British, but being called English is a different matter - not because I have a problem with English people (I have many English friends) but because it's just inaccurate.
I completely understand why this must seem confusing to Americans, or to people of any other nation :)