# Dumb questions you have about other nations/cultures. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 9, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427 "2012-05-09T21:20:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/161 "2012-05-14T09:09:52Z")
> [@Chicagojeff](#): > > Usually you get the very common Uncle Tom.. I can’t believe you’d do this to me shit.. then i gets nastier .. if you work with a white guy they’ll (black criminals generally from my experience) really focus on you.. Call you his N&^% and say you're the house N\*&^%.. You need to get over that pretty quick.. > > reaction with white criminals.. usual anger.. like who do you think you are.. that kind of business. if the white dude’s been drinking.. then its all bets are off.. They’ll hit you with every beef they ever had with a black dude LOL.. The thread is to look into their eyes.. you can sense the dangerous ones (any criminal) and if he has his hands in his pants pocket he’s just running his mouth.. As I train rookies.. people are free to run their mouths and act a fool.. Any chance of you doing a Ask the American Cop thread ? I used to be an avid Ed McBain reader, and loved the insights to cops in their everyday environment. As in the "in " jokes, how they socialised off duty, how to tell if you’ve got a serious situation and little bits of tradecraft etc. I think a lot of people would be interested. But a question for this one, do you get a different attitude from Yardies or African immigrants because you’re black, and what about if you 're busting a racist ? ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/162 "2012-05-14T10:10:23Z")
> [@Bozuit](#): > > No hair/eye colour listed on my British driving licence. A picture is worth 1000 words. Nor does my Swedish one. I believe it is on the passports though. ---
**Author:** ![amanset](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8dc957/32.png) [@amanset](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amanset)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/163 "2012-05-14T10:19:30Z")
> [@Lust4Life](#): > > Also just how different are the languages ? > Much is made in the series about I think, Danes being able to understand Swedish but not vice versa, (Or perhaps its the other way round ). As there’s more people in Sweden, the other countries are more likely to be subjected to Swedish, so they get used to it. But when written down it is pretty down Swedish, Norwegian and Danish are very similar, it is the pronunciation that gets in the way. Norwegian is even more sing-songy, Danish sounds like German spoken with your mouth full. I work for a Norwegian company in Sweden and I just can’t understand Norwegians, so if I am ever in a meeting with Norwegians I just put my hands up and say “sorry, it took ages to get Swedish down, I haven’t quite managed Norwegian, can we do this in English” and there’s a look of relief on the faces of half the Swedes there. But, as has appeared twice on the amusing Swedish Problems blog: [http://swedishproblems.tumblr.com/post/16239040878/kajloli](http://swedishproblems.tumblr.com/post/16239040878/kajloli) [http://swedishproblems.tumblr.com/post/11148139186/tack-tack-my-key-way](http://swedishproblems.tumblr.com/post/11148139186/tack-tack-my-key-way) > [@Lust4Life](#): > > And how understandable is Norweigan and Icelandic,to the other Norse nationalities ? Nordic, not Norse 😉 Norwegian is covered up there ^^^^. Icelandic isn’t understood, much like Finnish. At least in Icelandic some of it kind of looks like stuff you know, but a lot of it is just too different. > [@Lust4Life](#): > > Am hooked on Scandinavian Noir now, going to watch The Killing when I get an opportunity, also The Girl with the Dragon tatoo. > > Tak ! Tak (Danish) Tack (Swedish) Takk (Norwegian, Icelandic) (To give you an idea). Oh and apparently it is Kiitos in Finnish. It really is a very, very different language. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/164 "2012-05-14T11:03:57Z")
Thanks **Amanset**! ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/165 "2012-05-14T11:27:43Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > There’s a relatively recent significant Supreme Court of Canada decision: [Chatterjee v. Ontario](http://scc.lexum.org/en/2009/2009scc19/2009scc19.html). I assume that the individual in question used the Anglicised version of the name. Individuals when writing their names in Latin characters use whatever spelling they want to. ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 12:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/166 "2012-05-14T12:08:32Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Chinese Dopers: Is there any food taboo in Chinese culture, other than eating people? Dead baby capsules: > **[Yahoo News: Latest and Breaking News, Headlines, Live Updates, and More](https://news.yahoo.com/)** > > The latest news and headlines from Yahoo News. Get breaking news stories and in-depth coverage with videos and photos. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/167 "2012-05-14T13:25:28Z")
To elaborate on what **amanset** wrote: Norwegians and Swedes are generally able to understand each other fairly well and nobody understands Danes, not even themselves ;). I have read somewhere that it takes about one day of speaking to each other for a Norwegian and a Swede to be able to understand each other without having to think about what the other is saying and a week to understand Danish. It also takes much longer time for Danish children to grasp the language than Norwegian and Swedish children. It should also be noted that spoken Danish has changed a lot during the last decades, getting gradually more and more incomprehensible to others. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/168 "2012-05-14T14:05:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So… any dumb questions you want to ask an Israeli? Where do Israelis go on holiday outside Israel? Is the Fizzy Bubbler drink from You Don’t Mess with the Zohan based on a real Israeli drink? Can many non-Arab Israelis speak Arabic? Dumb questions about Ireland and Irish culture are also welcome. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/169 "2012-05-14T14:09:06Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > It should also be noted that spoken Danish has changed a lot during the last decades, getting gradually more and more incomprehensible to others. It’s changing that fast? What’s going on in Denmark? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/170 "2012-05-14T14:12:08Z")
> [@HeyHomie](#): > > DISCLAIMER #2: This next question accepts the stereotype that every last man, woman, and child in Western Europe is obsessively into [association] football. > > Is the stereotype in the disclaimer true? If a kid wasn’t into football, would other kids make fun of him? Soccer is undoubtedly huge in Ireland but not everyone (I certainly ain’t) is sports obsessed. In this country and especially in rural areas, GAA games (Gaelic football and Hurling) give soccer a run for its money in terms of popularity and increasingly rugby isn’t far behind. As someone with scant interest in sports it seems Irish sports fans, of which there are many, will take an interest in any game that an Irish team actually starts to get good at. Not being into football while at school isn’t all that big a deal. Insofar as any of that mattered there were lads in my school into football and others into playing music, with significant overlap. I’m going to guess that 90% of men in Dublin follow football in some sort of way. They typically will support an English team like Liverpool or Man United, Glasgow Celtic, and a local League Of Ireland Team. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/171 "2012-05-14T15:38:07Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > It’s changing that fast? What’s going on in Denmark? Something rotten, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/172 "2012-05-14T15:39:21Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > To elaborate on what **amanset** wrote: Norwegians and Swedes are generally able to understand each other fairly well and nobody understands Danes, not even themselves ;). I have read somewhere that it takes about one day of speaking to each other for a Norwegian and a Swede to be able to understand each other without having to think about what the other is saying and a week to understand Danish. Also, the average Norwegian will understand the average Swede better than the other way around, but only because the average Norwegian has heard more Swedish than the average Swede has heard Norwegian. Partly because there are almost twice as many Swedes as Norwegians, partly because until fairly recently Norwegian TV and radio mostly stunk and the Swedish stuff was much better. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/173 "2012-05-14T15:44:28Z")
> [@flodnak](#): > > Also, the average Norwegian will understand the average Swede better than the other way around… True, I’m, ashamed to admit that the Norwegian interest for things Swedish is much greater than the other way round. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/174 "2012-05-14T16:21:46Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > Chinese Dopers: Is there any food taboo in Chinese culture, other than eating people? I’m assuming insects might be one. I doubt it. > [@](#): > > India Dopers: I watched a program that went to Nagaland a while back. It struck me how different they were from what I guess you’d think of as “standard” Indians. Have you met any Naga people or people from a small or rareish minority in India? How are they integrated into Indian society? I’ve never been to India, but: many have an “Asian” phenotype, not an “Indian” one. Though it is a mistake to assume Indians have one look. They are very Baptist also (highest rate in the world, greater than Mississippi!), not Hindi/Muslim/Sikh etc. Several states in NE India are predominantly Christian. They have lots in common with countries besides India, and the tribes spill over the border. I don’t think there are enough of them (pop. “only” 2 million) and they don’t travel far enough to show up in great numbers in Mumbai. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/175 "2012-05-14T16:27:36Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Soccer is undoubtedly huge in Ireland but not everyone (I certainly ain’t) is sports obsessed. In this country and especially in rural areas, GAA games (Gaelic football and Hurling) give soccer a run for its money in terms of popularity and increasingly rugby isn’t far behind. As someone with scant interest in sports it seems Irish sports fans, of which there are many, will take an interest in any game that an Irish team actually starts to get good at. > > Not being into football while at school isn’t all that big a deal. Insofar as any of that mattered there were lads in my school into football and others into playing music, with significant overlap. I’m going to guess that 90% of men in Dublin follow football in some sort of way. They typically will support an English team like Liverpool or Man United, Glasgow Celtic, and a local League Of Ireland Team. What does “football” mean in Ireland, e.g. outside of Dublin? Does it depend on county, etc.? How about in the North. I understand that in Australia, it can mean, soccer, Aussie rules, rugby Union, or rugby League, depending on region. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/176 "2012-05-14T16:28:40Z")
> [@Mississippienne](#): > > India Dopers: I watched a program that went to Nagaland a while back. It struck me how different they were from what I guess you’d think of as “standard” Indians. Have you met any Naga people or people from a small or rareish minority in India? How are they integrated into Indian society? There are actually numerous such groups, known as “tribals” in India. They are, generally speaking, not very well integrated into Indian society. Here’s a [list of Scheduled Tribes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Scheduled_Tribes_in_India). The word “schedule” refers to a schedule attached to the Indian constitution that recognizes the historic disadvantages suffered by tribals and those from certain castes. The terms “scheduled caste” or “scheduled castes and tribes” is commonly heard. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/177 "2012-05-14T17:02:36Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Where do Israelis go on holiday outside Israel? The most popular cheap, short-range vacation sites are Greek islands and increasingly, Eastern Europe (Turkey used to be very popular, but those days are gone). Further out, they seem to like the same places as everyone else: Paris, New York, etc. Israelis are also big backpackers, especially Israelis in their 20s who have just gotten out of their military service and are struck with wanderlust. Favorite backpacking locations are the Thai beaches, India, and South America. My sister, an adventurous sort, backpacked from Tierra Del Fuego to Guatemala. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Is the Fizzy Bubbler drink from You Don’t Mess with the Zohan based on a real Israeli drink? Nope. We drink Coke. We do eat a lot of hummus, though, often with stuff you wouldn’t think to eat hummus with, like schnitzel. > [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Can many non-Arab Israelis speak Arabic? Sure. It’s taught in high schools, although it’s not mandatory like English. Plenty of people speak Arabic to one degree or another. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/178 "2012-05-14T17:28:28Z")
Why do Israelis drive like maniacs? I had a great time when I went to Israel a few years ago. I didn’t meet any notably rude people, but we did see people driving like maniacs. I want some hummus and schnitzel. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/179 "2012-05-14T18:04:00Z")
> [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > Why do Israelis drive like maniacs? I had a great time when I went to Israel a few years ago. I didn’t meet any notably rude people, but we did see people driving like maniacs. All I can say is that as far as Mediterranean countries go, we’re still better than the Italians. > [@Anne\_Neville](#): > > I want some hummus and schnitzel. In a baguette! ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2012, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427/180 "2012-05-14T18:13:28Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > All I can say is that as far as Mediterranean countries go, we’re still better than the Italians. Granted. Especially the drivers in Rome. I wonder if they get their water from old Roman infrastructure, and it gives them lead poisoning, and that’s what makes them drive that way. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dumb-questions-you-have-about-other-nations-cultures/621427.md?page=10)