Stupid American Questions - Metal-R.US

Cris25041

I've been watching some English shows and movies, and I have some stupid American questions. I also don't want to seem like an ignorant American when I do travel to Europe (maybe next holiday season

). If anyone else has questions they can submit them here too.

First, do the English really say bollocks about everything? What exactly does it mean?

Do other countries celebrate Thanksgiving? I know it was originally a pagan harvest holiday, but I don't know if other countries celebrate it as something else.

Do the English (or anyone else) really drink warm beer?

Do the English really celebrate November 5th? What's it all about? (I don't trust the movie, I think it's American made)

Will bad things really happen if I tell people I'm American? I think I should avoid it and tell them I'm Canadian. I'm not that far from Canada anyway.

I have seen several pictures and videos of Europe that have people driving on different sides of the street. Don't Europeans drive on the left side of the road?

I'm sure I have more, but that's enough of my dumb questions for now.

About2Crash

From what I understand from Eddie Izzard. Bollocks means balls as in "that's the dog's bollocks".

Also, from what I've learned in studying beer (Sigurd could actually probably know this the best) no one drinks WARM beer. American's are just stupid and drink their beers freezing cold which restricts the flavors and doesn't let it open up and breathe. To me the ONLY beers to be drank that cold are extremely shitty American Adjunct Lagers (Bud, Coors, etc.) and Mexican Imports (Which are mainly are a source of refreshment).

Also, from what I remember many people in europe drink it at cellar temperature. Most beers seems to be good around the 40-60 degree mark. Some imperial stouts I've had taste better non refridgerated.

Finite Anarchy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cris25041

I've been watching some English shows and movies, and I have some stupid American questions. I also don't want to seem like an ignorant American when I do travel to Europe (maybe next holiday season

). If anyone else has questions they can submit them here too.

First, do the English really say bollocks about everything? What exactly does it mean?

Do other countries celebrate Thanksgiving? I know it was originally a pagan harvest holiday, but I don't know if other countries celebrate it as something else.

Do the English (or anyone else) really drink warm beer?

Do the English really celebrate November 5th? What's it all about? (I don't trust the movie, I think it's American made)

Will bad things really happen if I tell people I'm American? I think I should avoid it and tell them I'm Canadian. I'm not that far from Canada anyway.

I have seen several pictures and videos of Europe that have people driving on different sides of the street. Don't Europeans drive on the left side of the road?

I'm sure I have more, but that's enough of my dumb questions for now.

1. Depends where you go.

2. No. Strictly American Holiday.

3. No. Everyone (that I've ever met and that they've ever met) drink cold beer. In fact, the colder the better, obviously not to the point of freezing though. Some people even put their cups in the freezer for a while for that extra cold effect.

4. Some of them.

5. Mostly you'll be treated to a few retarded jokes either about beer or coffee and defiantly about Bush and/or Obama.

6. They only drive on "the other" side in England (I don't know about Ireland, ask Martin) but the rest of Europe drives on the normal side.

Cris25041 · 04:54 PM

But the bollocks thing gets thrown off by the relentless use of it in V for Vendetta, where I think it's the American equivalent of the words crap or shit or something like "that's a load of bollocks".

And the beer thing makes a bit more sense then.
------
The driving thing confused me when I noticed that the roads in Paris were the "right" way.

Finite Anarchy

Bollocks, wanker and winge are probably my 3 favorite British English words. Oh and sodding. Sodding is funny.

Cris25041

I like wanker.

And I'm still saying I'm Canadian. I don't take lightly to retard jokes and I don't want to go to jail in another country.

Finite Anarchy

Don't take it personally. Most of it's in good fun. Its also more fun when I prove them wrong with my amazing coffee drinking abilities and inform them of the actual good American beers.

Cris25041

What do you mean by amazing coffee drinking abilities?

Dane

In regards to "warm" beer. Traditional ale in England was served from a cask that was kept at cellar temperature (about 10-14C?). For some this is too warm but this is where that rumour (or whatever it is called) originated. This is pretty much the temperature I enjoy drinking beer at in any case. Cool enough to be refreshing but not cool enough to mask the flavour.

We drive on the left side of the road in Australia too.

Finite Anarchy

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cris25041

What do you mean by amazing coffee drinking abilities?

People in Europe consider American coffee to be like water. They didn't think I could handle "real" coffee from Spain or Italy. They were very wrong. I drink 2 or 3 times more coffee than what they consider to be 1 "strong" coffee.

Hamish

My parents spent loads of time in Europe over the past decade/15years and say the coffee in italy doesnt compare to Australia. Basically every cafe/restaurant/corner store has a big machine and a barista to match. Even macdonalds coffee is great. I'm not sure if thats just a taste thing either. I had bad experience with pizza in venice too haha. I dont get why something is supposed to be better in its 'homeland' anyway. How are Thai people in Thailand supposed to make better Thai food than the thai people where I live. Considering there are around 10 thai restaurants (too many if you ask me) within a 300metre radius of one another near my house they ought to be making damn good thai. Anyway, enough ass kissing aus coffee and thai food.

Left hand driving is a commonwealth thing, basically any country that was historically part of the british empire would have at one point driven on the left (I'm not sure if the US ever did though).

stach

I have met many Brits, bollocks definitely means Balls.
I asked one of my English friends who is a corrections warden what he thought of Tony Blair
he said "Blair is a smiling twat".

Pelican

oi, i think i was supposed to answer those questions!

cris are you coming to MDF? i can give you a quick run through and answer any questions.

we say bollocks a lot, wanker not so much. examples: "oh thats (a load of) bollocks" = thats not true/yeah right.

no thanksgiving

ales are warmer but not that warm, most people drink crap lagers anyway.

the 5th of november is bonfire night, also known as Guy Fawkes night, which is when some people tried to blow up the houses of parliment. google it for a more detailed answer if you like. usually just means people shoot fireworks. on a note similar to that, if you're in england then watch out for "chavs", they will throw fireworks into fires and generally be nob heads.

If anyone gives you shit for being american, then remind them that you're one of the few who has a passport and has left the country, and talk to them and show them you arent an idiot. i think this is better than saying you're canadian, because if any canadians will find out then you will royally piss them off. i've heard a few candians complain about americans who have they canadian flag sewn onto the backpacks or luggage.

i think the only places that drive on the left hand side of the road are the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and i think i heard they do in Hong Kong

Sigurd

I think that it propagates a negative stereotype when you don't fess up to being american. I'm not too keen on being considered the "typical" american either but I agree with Robbie in that you should prove that such short sighted generalizations have no basis in fact and are simply crude and dismissive.

As far as beer goes each style has its relative serving temp, stouts and porters are supposed to be served warmer as it enhances the flavor of the malt. Only hoppy beers and lagers are meant for colder temps, and you should never drink a beer at freezing cold temps as it masks a great deal of the flavor. As a beverage it is meant to tantalize more of your senses than just your taste buds, texture (viscosity), color, scent, and of course flavor are all affected by temperature, it can actually make a very big difference.

About2Crash

Yeah, not fessing up to be an American is lame. That would be like if you were in a situation where someone asks you "So, you have a boyfriend?" and you avoided telling them that you were gay.

stach

Sigurd is becoming my "post hero", when he extrapolates beer as the common denomonater.

Erik

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelican

oi, i think i was supposed to answer those questions!

I was thinking the same thing. I love how a bunch of Americans were the first to reply on a question meant for our resident Englishman.

Marsallah

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pelican

i think the only places that drive on the left hand side of the road are the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and i think i heard they do in Hong Kong

No. Like Hamish said, people drive on the left in countries which once were parts of the British Empire. That also includes e.g. India and some African countries for instance. But there are also other countries which stick to the left side of the road, e.g. Japan, Indonesia, South Pacific islands.

Originally all of the world drove on the left, I heard it was Napoleon Bonaparte who rebelled against this English custom and many followed the French suite.

Here's a map showing historic changes: TRAFFIC MAP

Hamish

I think Samoa (preeeetty sure it was Samoa) changed to left hand drive from right hand drive just last year. It was because importing cars from Australia is much cheaper than America.

Would be impossible any relatively developed country.

Dane

Yeah I think you're right, Hamish. When I was in Samoa about 10 years ago it was driving on the right, but I did hear something like you mentioned.

For the record, England has the best sausages in the world I reckon.

Finite Anarchy Being Awesome Since 1985 MRU Donor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: NYC/Madrid Posts: 2,657 Images: 24 Horns up: 40 Horns up 101 times in 69 posts	Bollocks, wanker and winge are probably my 3 favorite British English words. Oh and sodding. Sodding is funny.
	Oh, the symphonic shriek of the thousand hiding voices, the cry of the Need inside, the entity, the silent watcher, the cold quiet thing, the one that laughs, the Moondancer. The me that was not-me, the thing that mocked and laughed and came calling with its hunger. With the Need. And the Need was very strong now, very careful cold coiled creeping crackly cocked and ready, very strong, very much ready now. http://finiteanarchy.deviantart.com

Dane Voidness MRU Donor Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: At play in the fields of the lord Posts: 5,017 Images: 7 Horns up: 106 Horns up 103 times in 85 posts	In regards to "warm" beer. Traditional ale in England was served from a cask that was kept at cellar temperature (about 10-14C?). For some this is too warm but this is where that rumour (or whatever it is called) originated. This is pretty much the temperature I enjoy drinking beer at in any case. Cool enough to be refreshing but not cool enough to mask the flavour. We drive on the left side of the road in Australia too.
	"When you realize how perfect everything is you will tilt your head back and laugh at the sky."

Hamish From The World MRU Donor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 5,414 Images: 21 Horns up: 110 Horns up 151 times in 93 posts	My parents spent loads of time in Europe over the past decade/15years and say the coffee in italy doesnt compare to Australia. Basically every cafe/restaurant/corner store has a big machine and a barista to match. Even macdonalds coffee is great. I'm not sure if thats just a taste thing either. I had bad experience with pizza in venice too haha. I dont get why something is supposed to be better in its 'homeland' anyway. How are Thai people in Thailand supposed to make better Thai food than the thai people where I live. Considering there are around 10 thai restaurants (too many if you ask me) within a 300metre radius of one another near my house they ought to be making damn good thai. Anyway, enough ass kissing aus coffee and thai food. Left hand driving is a commonwealth thing, basically any country that was historically part of the british empire would have at one point driven on the left (I'm not sure if the US ever did though).
	"I am a man, nothing human is foreign to me." - Montaigne

stach shredder MRU Donor Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: so wis, no, il. border Posts: 4,870 Images: 65 Horns up: 2 Horns up 209 times in 153 posts	I have met many Brits, bollocks definitely means Balls. I asked one of my English friends who is a corrections warden what he thought of Tony Blair he said "Blair is a smiling twat".
	Heavy Guitar

Pelican Tea Snob MRU Donor Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: England, not Britain Posts: 5,169 Images: 42 Horns up: 252 Horns up 221 times in 162 posts	oi, i think i was supposed to answer those questions! cris are you coming to MDF? i can give you a quick run through and answer any questions. we say bollocks a lot, wanker not so much. examples: "oh thats (a load of) bollocks" = thats not true/yeah right. no thanksgiving ales are warmer but not that warm, most people drink crap lagers anyway. the 5th of november is bonfire night, also known as Guy Fawkes night, which is when some people tried to blow up the houses of parliment. google it for a more detailed answer if you like. usually just means people shoot fireworks. on a note similar to that, if you're in england then watch out for "chavs", they will throw fireworks into fires and generally be nob heads. If anyone gives you shit for being american, then remind them that you're one of the few who has a passport and has left the country, and talk to them and show them you arent an idiot. i think this is better than saying you're canadian, because if any canadians will find out then you will royally piss them off. i've heard a few candians complain about americans who have they canadian flag sewn onto the backpacks or luggage. i think the only places that drive on the left hand side of the road are the UK and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and i think i heard they do in Hong Kong
	You know you are a doomster when you volunteer for a session at the Samaritans and all the callers kill themselves... including the guy with the wrong number.