# Anglo-American Unnecessary Tensions **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 5, 2009, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440 "2009-08-05T17:40:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Michael\_Ellis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/977dab/32.png) [@Michael\_Ellis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Michael_Ellis)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/61 "2009-08-07T02:07:17Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > They’re all the same? > > Which ones are you refering to? The bacon is inferior compared to American bacon. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/62 "2009-08-07T03:45:43Z")
Normally, I dismiss the Canadians as irrelevant Curling players. However, as this thread allows me to treat Brits with similar derision, I’m finding it hard to deride our Brit Bros. WWI and WWII? Bros did some standup work (colonials, too). Postwar? We had the money. They had no money, but still had enough of of the tech to make it all work. The 60s? They pwned us. The 70s? Ignore record sales–they still pwned us, though they created Disco. The 80s, 90s, and 00s? Okay, I stopped paying attention, except for Doctor Who. In which case they still pwned us. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/63 "2009-08-07T03:55:05Z")
But Canadians are still below my notice. 😉 (My friends, note the winkie that makes it all right! I now know more about the sewers of Montreal than anyone who has not followed them.) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/64 "2009-08-07T04:14:50Z")
At least in the Boston area, English, Irish, Welsh, and Scottish people who are visitors or new immigrants are welcomed instantly at least in my experience. My Episcopal priest is Scottish, my 7 year old daughter’s best friend was born in England and her parents are pretty close friends of mine and they are very English. I have loved almost every Irish person that I have ever worked with. I have never scene any conflict with the new arrivals from those areas but there is probably a lot of self-selection going on and they are all professionals. However, the same is not true for people coming in from other countries. I am not talking about hate crimes, per prejudice, or anything of the sort. It is just harder to relate people from most countries but the groups mentioned above tend to blend in instantly even if they aren’t native born Americans. All I have ever seen is good-natured ribbing. There is one big exception though. Grown manly men from the UK seen to like soccer a whole lot and that is not acceptable here. You can still love it but keep it in the closet. Just memorize some random facts about American Football, basketball, and baseball and just throw them out there when you and your new friends are sitting in a sports bar even if you hate the sports. They will fall for it and marvel at your rapid assimilation. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/65 "2009-08-07T07:35:11Z")
> [@zoid](#): > > Well if you don’t like it why not do something about it. > > For starters you can tell me what to do with this jar of Branson Pickle I have in my fridge - how are you supposed to eat this stuff? It’s not that it tastes bad - I just don’t know what to put it on/in/over. Branston goes excellent with cold pork pie., notice the T 😉 Ditto Piccallili which is a kind of mustardy thingy with onions,cumbers,cauli and other goodies in it Of course you have to find a pork pie first, in the US this may be a tad difficult ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/66 "2009-08-07T15:19:03Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > Brits are kind of like panty hose. I don’t find them sexy… [Is that so?](http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/17052.gif) ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/67 "2009-08-07T15:22:35Z")
> [@Apollyon](#): > > [Wimpy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wimpy_(brand))? 🙂 _shudder_ Ke? (I’ve never ever ever seen a wimpy restraunt) Mcdonalds doesn’t taste like food. It tastes like Mcdonalds. But that’s not Britain that’s Mcdonalds. Go to almost any non-chain burger place and you’ll probably get an OK burger. But I am led to believe that in general the restraunting experience is much nicer in the US than in the UK. Servers have smiles on their faces and speak to you like you might possibly be human. Not the case in the UK (well, the foreign servers, such as those from former soviet countries tend to be quite pleasant to you) ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/68 "2009-08-07T15:38:31Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > [Is that so?](http://www.rankopedia.com/CandidatePix/17052.gif) May not be SFW, people. > [@Lobsang](#): > > Ke? > > (I’ve never ever ever seen a wimpy restraunt) I think you mean “que?”. And be glad. Wimpys are awful. IME, McDonalds’ restaurants in Britain are much better than they are here. Tastier beef. Conversely, Burger Kings in Britain are _awful_. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/69 "2009-08-07T15:41:16Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > May not be SFW, people. > > I think you mean “que?”. > > And be glad. Wimpys are awful. > > IME, McDonalds’ restaurants in Britain are much better than they are here. Tastier beef. Conversely, Burger Kings in Britain are _awful_. It may not be SFW if W happens to be a nunnery or a primary school. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/70 "2009-08-07T16:40:23Z")
> [@bup](#): > > That reminds me. British hamburgers suck. Well I’m sorry but that was fucking hurtful,I’m gutted. You total bastard. Well no actually their shit. I’ll get my coat. ---
**Author:** ![jinty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dbc845/32.png) [@jinty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinty)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/71 "2009-08-07T16:46:34Z")
> [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](#): > > I can locate Germany on a map. > > And the only reason so many Americans CAN’T is because Germany is so small. > > And the only reason why it’s so small, is because… The Red Army? 😃 Echoing what Shagnasty said, this Scot has been to Boston twice and felt right at home both times. Loved the place, loved the people. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2009, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/72 "2009-08-07T16:50:51Z")
They didn’t ask you if you wanted a crumpet? God, that pisses me off. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/73 "2009-08-09T01:49:19Z")
This thread ended too early. We could have had so much fun with it. There’s a certain pleasure in [like brothers do] bonding with Our counterparts on the other side of the atlantic by pointing out ways in which we are better (or worse) than them. I am less patriotic than I’ve been in the past. My country is shit, and has been remarkably shitter in the past. But it has it’s good points. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/74 "2009-08-09T03:30:56Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > When it comes to the big stuff the Americans and British will always go to the wall for each other. A common history, language, culture and values bind us together far more than anything else pulls us apart. (That goes for the Aussies, the Kiwis and the Canucks too). This is true… I remember my 80 year old grandfather telling me that the only real allies our nation has are the British, the Canadians, the Australians and the Kiwis, and that we should always stick by them since they’ve always stuck by us. He didn’t trust the Germans, French, Japanese or anyone else any farther than he could throw them, but he was absolutely steadfast in his loyalty to the Brits, Canucks, Aussies and Kiwis, probably due to his wartime experiences. I think that there are a lot of people who have only spent 2-3 weeks in the other country, or who haven’t been there and only see things on TV about it. They’re the ones that are on either extreme- those of us who’ve spent at least a few months in the other nation realize that both places are really more similar in most ways than we are different, and that the culture shock is pretty tame compared to say… China. Hell, this is true within the US as well- I’ve actually had people from out of state ask me if I have oil wells or a horse, since I live in Texas! ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/75 "2009-08-09T16:07:33Z")
Well do you? Do you also have a white cowboy hat and one of those string tie things? 😃 FYI I have crooked teeth and I’m a Brit 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/76 "2009-08-09T18:54:13Z")
And do you roast whole cows on giant spits, over giant fire pits? Yeah, England might be a bit strange, but not compared to Texas. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/77 "2009-08-09T19:37:54Z")
> [@Slithy\_Tove](#): > > Can’t we overlook our differences and focus on what we have in common? > Such as how we’re both victims of Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch is the root of all modern evil. The other thing we have in common is that the Royal Family is a good part German and Americans are also more German than British. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2009, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/78 "2009-08-09T21:39:00Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Well do you? Do you also have a white cowboy hat and one of those string tie things? [Bolo tie.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_tie) ---
**Author:** ![Apollyon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apollyon/32/4238_2.png) [@Apollyon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apollyon)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/79 "2009-08-10T03:33:13Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Ke? > > (I’ve never ever ever seen a wimpy restraunt) It was just what sprang to mind when bad UK burgers were mentioned. I have vague memories from my long-ago youth of eating at Wimpys (in Newmarket, Auckland IIRC) – back before McDonalds had opened their first store in NZ – and despite having only vague memories of the occasion I still have a firm memory of the food being terrible. 🙂 > [@](#): > > Mcdonalds doesn’t taste like food. It tastes like Mcdonalds. Interestingly that’s what I thought when heading to the US the first time; before realizing that different beef, fries cooked in corn oil, and soft-drinks mixed up with local water could make the whole meal taste quite different. > [@](#): > > Go to almost any non-chain burger place and you’ll probably get an OK burger. Yeah, I have no doubt that you can get a decent burger from a Fish & Chip shop, or small burger place. It’s the same here. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2009, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440/80 "2009-08-10T15:32:19Z")
> [@Lobsang](#): > > Go to almost any non-chain burger place and you’ll probably get an OK burger. I’ve tried that. It’s the beef, though, right off. Not much you can do about that except get an American cow. Have you ever had a hamburger in the United States? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/anglo-american-unnecessary-tensions/505440.md?page=5)