# Do ugly Americans/Europeans really exist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 18, 2010, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702 "2010-06-18T19:41:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/41 "2010-06-19T09:37:23Z")
The OP reminds me of a bar I walked into over here once in the 1990s. Some sort of football (soccer) match was playing. I don’t _think_ it was the World Cup but can’t be sure. It was England versus Germany, and England lost. The place was filled with Brits, some of whom I knew. They were quite literally crying, tears streaming down their faces. There was drunken talk of going out to find some Germans to beat up. It looked to be turning really ugly, so I left. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/42 "2010-06-19T09:40:54Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I believe that’s where the term “concentration camp” came from. So the British actually _invented_ the concentration camp. Yup, that was us. Not one of our proudest moments, granted. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/43 "2010-06-19T09:48:18Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > You’re not being treated as liars–you’re being treated as if you gloss over your own bad behavior, when you do the same things we do. The reason we don’t say anything when you come over is we respect different cultures… And yet without fail when I order Butter Pecan icecream in the US, the conversation goes something like this 🙂 : Can I have a cup of butter pecan please? What? Butter pecan? \ Butter pecan \ Oh. You mean butter Pe-caaaan. And now the US is charging us to come as tourists, to help encourage other tourists. the Travel Promotion Act - are asking each overseas visitor to pay an extra $15 to visit the country. Truly encouraging. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/44 "2010-06-19T09:52:40Z")
That’s a regional pronunciation. We always said pecan in West Texas. I always thought of pe-caaaan a smore of a Georgia thing. ---
**Author:** ![Teacake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Teacake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Teacake)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/45 "2010-06-19T11:03:17Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I believe that’s where the term “concentration camp” came from. So the British actually _invented_ the concentration camp. > Hey – if someone who’s British bugs you about Iraq – bug them about Ireland. (Didn’t the official report on “Bloody Sunday” just come out?) Hey good idea! Because crossing the globe to invade a country that has nothing at all to do with you is EXACTLY the same as having several hundred years of intricate relationships with the neighbour 13 miles away from your mainland. Well done! Good argument! ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/46 "2010-06-19T11:10:57Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > Based on one recent international opinion survey, Americans were well down in the pack when it came to obnoxiousness [This one](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2137729.stm) is slightly older but reaches a similar conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/47 "2010-06-19T11:24:57Z")
> [@Kyla](#): > > The problem is that the cookbook assumes that I am following Bulgarian traditions of food preservation. It is normal for Bulgarians to go into a frenzy of canning and jam-making at the end of summer so that they have canned peppers and tomatoes and whatever to last them through the winter. Drying peppers is also normal - it’s common to see houses with strings of dried peppers hung up. I don’t have any of these things, but that’s what some of the recipes call for. > > They also call for spices that I don’t know the words for in English, including chorba, which is actually a specific mix of spices you can get at any market in Bulgaria. But not so much in the US. But I can still try these things. I don’t know how 100% authentic they’ll be, but they’d probably still turn out okay. > > **LOUNE** , I’d be happy to do that! Keep in mind I’m a vegetarian, but you should probably be grateful for that. Bulgarian vegetarian food is usually very tasty (it’s similar to Greek or Turkish food), it’s when you get into meat stuff that internal organs start coming into play. (One of the most popular “comfort foods” all over the Balkans is something called shkembe - aka sheep stomach stew.) Well, in the US one can actually buy canned veggies like peppers and tomatoes =) and if you know the ingredients in the spice blends you can make them =) and you can buy several different types of dried peppers online. Though oddly enough, you can make many of the dishes with fresh veggies instead of dried and canned ones, to be honest. Most cultures make the same foods from fresh in season and preserved items in the off season. Although - have you ever tried canning and drying various fruits and veggies? I love making strawberry preserves, and canning veggies, and we have an inexpensive dehydrator and make everything from fruit leathers to beef jerkey as snacks. ---
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/48 "2010-06-19T11:43:07Z")
> [@Superhal](#): > > I think what most people in the rest of the world don’t understand is that the “ugly American” is acting the same way they do there as here. It’s not like they become pricks the second they step off a plane. This is exactly the point I was trying to make. ---
**Author:** ![Achren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@Achren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Achren)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/49 "2010-06-19T11:56:22Z")
> [@Teacake](#): > > And you do say things when we come over: usually, “Oh that’s so cute, you’re British! Say raspberries!”. It’s not just foreign countries either. I was on a school trip to New York and I remember a couple girls being SO ANNOYING because they kept asking people to repeat a word or say a specific word, then squealing about how different it was. I think it was a partial actual interest in the differences in accents combined with not seeing the people as actual people, but as some kind of backdrop that completed the “experience” of visiting a place. ---
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/50 "2010-06-19T12:21:30Z")
I can think of another example of percieved rudeness. In 1997, I went to Amsterdam for the first time. I remembered reading/hearing about pommes frites and how it was a popular snack there. And I was also aware that the local way to eat them is with mayonaise. Sure enough, I saw lots of places that sold them in paper cone containers, and I saw plenty of people munching on them. So, I tried them with the mayonaise, since I’m always willing to try different things. But, I didn’t like fries with mayonaise so much… But, I was hungry and I wanted to salvage my pommes frites, so I went back to the counter where I had originally gotten them from and asked for some ketchup. The man was offended for some reason and literally threw a packet of ketchup at me. Obviously, I committed some faux pas, but I’m still not sure what it was. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/51 "2010-06-19T12:25:14Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > That’s a regional pronunciation. We always said pecan in West Texas. I always thought of pe-caaaan a smore of a Georgia thing. That is as maybe - but once they’ve worked out what I’ve asked for (out of the 31 possible flavours, the one beginning with butter), they should just serve it, not correct my accent. Reminds me of my English teacher when I arrived in the US from the UK (grade 8) who took pains to edit out all extraneous u’s from words like colour and flavour from my essays when marking them. Bitch. But in the reverse, when I had earlier moved to the UK from the US I was regularly mocked by my teacher for asking to go to the bathroom - apparently it’s not called that if there’s no actual bath in the room. Stupid me. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/52 "2010-06-19T12:31:39Z")
Even Sven is on the Americans are special tack again. Just great. Many years ago I went on a bus trip in the UK which consisted primarily of Americans. I couldn’t have met (in the main) nicer, more generous people. Special they were not. The most cringe worthy people on that tour were Australians but that was because they were ignorant, not because they were Australian. I have seen examples of ugly Americans, Australians, Europeans and most other nationality. I don’t believe there is a nationality trend. (Apart from the English when we play them in the Ashes). ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/53 "2010-06-19T13:38:42Z")
Well I feel fully qualified to talk about this topic living in an international tourist mecca: Orlando Florida. Ugly tourists from all countries exist and they all come here. **Disclaimer : THe following statements reflect my experience over 20 years with tourists to my area; they by no means are meant to color an entire nations character. There are plenty of exceptions to any rule.** We have quite a large British population in our area that own holiday homes. Generally speaking they are quite polite, but the rude ones easily rival the typical “ugly American” stereotype. Rude British tend to be amazingly loud, drink an awful lot, and have a certain surlyness and disregard for social customs that they know are expected. They also are more apt than most to swear at you. The French that I have met have all been arrogant, though polite enough. The worst habit they seem to have is they will argue about money constantly. They nitpick their cheques and attempt to mump freebies all the time. Scandinavians usually come across as brusque, but I recently learned that in Icelandic, “please”, is implied by tone and only used in an “I insist” type of context. So certain customs may not translate well for them as a function of language. They tend to be business like in their transactions , and have good English skills which they like to practice. They seem to take a couple of interactions to become comfortable with people. The ugly ones are drunkards who will have to be escorted, or supported out of the bars. This goes double for the Germans, who otherwise are pretty fun guests so long as you avoid politics. Eastern Europeans all tend to be rude only when intoxicated, or teenagers. Otherwise they are fun guests. Like the French, they try to get freebies all the time and will try to haggle a bill. The Japanese are unfailingly polite, and I have never met one who acted in an ugly manner. They can be overly polite though and become annoying in their attempts to ensure that they are on good terms. Brazilians are among the most obnoxious guests we get here. They are almost flinchingly loud at all times, rude to clerks, very messy, and arrogant. While there is a direct correlation here between this behaviour and the age of the typical guest, (teens and very early twenties) the older ones aren’t much better. They seem to think that the whole city is a theme park where they can be as obnoxious as possible with no repercussions. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/54 "2010-06-19T14:33:36Z")
This is where Acid Lamp and I differ- I have found Japanese tourists to be rude, pushy and arrogant. This has been in London, Manila and in Australia. This may simply be the tourist parties I have encountered or simply different ways of getting things done. I don’t think I can say any good things - or bad things about Brazilians. I don’t think I have ever met one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/55 "2010-06-19T14:47:27Z")
OP, you’re simply noticing complaints about American tourists more because you are American. There are plenty of complaints about tourists from other countries too, but you won’t notice them as much, because they’re not about your country. Tourists _in general_ probably behave somewhat more rudely than they would at home, partly because they’re not following the correct social norms and partly because there won’t be any long-term repercussions from behaving badly. Also, of course, people often drink on holiday. America probably does garner more complaints about its tourists than, say, Vietnam, but that’s because America sends out more tourists. If there are 1000 American tourists at one particular tourist spot, odds are some of them are going to be obnoxious and odds are that some of the natives will think that’s because they’re American rather than because they’re arseholes. Britain is in the same position, btw. FWIW I can’t imagine anyone being annoyed at people cheering for their country while watching the World Cup. That’s what you’re supposed to do! ---
**Author:** ![Meurglys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/258eb7/32.png) [@Meurglys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meurglys)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/56 "2010-06-19T14:47:38Z")
here’s a self-confessed [ugly American](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_American_%28album%29)! In my experience, almost all Americans are fairly polite and not obnoxious at all when they’re speaking to you. It’s just when they’re talking to each other in a group discussing directions, etc. that they can become loud! And the same is true of many other nationalities, too. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/57 "2010-06-19T15:01:36Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > here’s a self-confessed [ugly American](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ugly_American_%28album%29)! > > In my experience, almost all Americans are fairly polite and not obnoxious at all when they’re speaking to you. It’s just when they’re talking to each other in a group discussing directions, etc. that they can become loud! > And the same is true of many other nationalities, too. That does seem to be a a feature of being a tourist, wherever you’re from. In London, IME tourists from non-English-speaking countries are worse in terms of volume, because they assume no-one around them can understand. Sometimes they’ll be saying really obnoxious things, too. If they were American, Canadian, Australian, etc, almost everyone around them would understand what they were saying and think that they were horrible rude American (etc) tourists; since they’re not speaking English, they’re more likely to get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/58 "2010-06-19T15:05:54Z")
In rural Ireland my dulcet tones were mistaken for an American accent. I sort of liked you guys getting blamed if I offended. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/59 "2010-06-19T15:19:26Z")
> [@Cicero](#): > > In rural Ireland my dulcet tones were mistaken for an American accent. I sort of liked you guys getting blamed if I offended. In _urban_ Ireland my American accent has occasionally been mistaken for Australian. So maybe we’re even 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702/60 "2010-06-19T15:55:48Z")
I tell everyone my name is ruadh anyway 🙂 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-ugly-americans-europeans-really-exist/543702.md?page=4)