# Misconceptions about YOUR country **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 30, 2003, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807 "2003-09-30T23:53:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/81 "2003-10-03T23:59:07Z")
Mmm - well - on evidence mainly gathered from another internet site - one of reasonably obvious appeal to persons in other countries with an interest in Scotland, whether as a place to visit for holiday/vacation, or in terms of seeking more (or, often _any_ ) info about it, it being place of origin of parents, or grandparents or often a lot further back. So, it _is_ fair enough that some people, younger ones in particular, may be full of odd notions, or very old-time Hollywood perceptions - after all, if they want to find out more, or ask for some particular bit of info, it makes perfect sense to come and ask in that site. All the same, - as for misconceptions, sticking to the main, and more “broadly defined” (or perhaps more widespread ideas), well - kilts, castles, bagpipes, haggis, obsessions with “clans” and tartans - they **do** tend to become a bit samey. Oh, and this insane, (or do I mean inane?) - hah! I mean both - fondness for Jacobites, Charles Edward Stuart\*, …! And some with a fondness for sport, or , really , usually football, who somoehow think it de rigeur to see themselves as supporters of football club x, y or z. Ah, yes, and the Loch Ness Monster. No, I have not had the pleasure of seeing her/it/him/them. (OK - not many would be serious about that one, to be fair!) \*Described by folksong writer/singer BrianMcNeill as “the Mark Thatcher of his day” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Inque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/50afbb/32.png) [@Inque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inque)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/82 "2003-10-04T11:15:05Z")
I remember someone asking me once whether there were playstations in Japan 😃 ---
**Author:** ![lurksfromwork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@lurksfromwork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurksfromwork)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/83 "2003-10-04T11:41:33Z")
**inaudible** ,I hear ya…with regards to the croc hunter and the meter maids. And the vegemuck but the rest…you just described my family, GF and most of my mates! ---
**Author:** ![SirMuffinMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7ab992/32.png) [@SirMuffinMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirMuffinMan)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2003, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/84 "2003-10-04T15:08:56Z")
No, we **don’t** wear corks on wide-brimmed hats. Nor do we wear short shorts all the time. ---
**Author:** ![Shepherdless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Shepherdless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shepherdless)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/85 "2003-10-05T01:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by matt\_mcl \* > \*\*3) There are a lot of English-Canadians who are, in fact, total assholes, and a lot of French-Canadians who are, in fact, sweet, decent gentlepersons. > > 1. French is not a foreign language. This may explain all the, you know, French on the Gov’t of Canada website. Nor are _Jésus de Montréal_ or _Le déclin de l’empire américain_ foreign films. (This one is primarily addressed to my compatriots.) > > 2. I don’t drink beer or watch hockey, so that makes at least one of us. > > \*\* 3.1) …and vice-versa. Wanna hug? 4.1) French Canadians wear tuques like other Canadians, not berets (that’s actually a misconception about France). 4.2) French Canadians are not immigrants to Canada. We’ve been here since 'round 1535. 4.3) French Canadians are much more likely to have relatives in the US than in France. 4.4) If you learn French in France, you will probably not understand French Canadians/Quebeckers (though they will understand you) ---
**Author:** ![StanDup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e5b9ba/32.png) [@StanDup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StanDup)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/86 "2003-10-05T07:23:05Z")
Apparently all we do is smoke marijuana, wear dreadlocks, say “Yah, mon” and play steel drums… I’ll leave you to guess what my country is… ---
**Author:** ![gum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bbe5ce/32.png) [@gum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gum)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/87 "2003-10-05T08:28:43Z")
Norway? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/88 "2003-10-05T08:29:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Topaz \* > \*\*Apparently all we do is smoke marijuana, wear dreadlocks, say “Yah, mon” and play steel drums… I’ll leave you to guess what my country is… \*\* The 16-24 demographic in just about any country in the world?? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/89 "2003-10-05T10:20:59Z")
Damn I was hoping some other Kiwi would say it first. SHEEP. No they don’t run through the main streets. No we don’t f\*\*k them. Yes we do eat them quite a lot. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/90 "2003-10-05T10:27:09Z")
O.K truth be told we don’t eat them as much as we send them overseas (damn lamb prices) ---
**Author:** ![lurksfromwork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@lurksfromwork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurksfromwork)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/91 "2003-10-05T10:28:20Z")
**calm kiwi** pull the other one, mmmmate!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/92 "2003-10-05T10:32:13Z")
Not my country, but my state: “Rhode Island? That’s in New York, right?” From ADULT AMERICANS. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/93 "2003-10-05T10:38:36Z")
**lurksfromwork** That’s all you got? bring it on (baaaaaaaaa). ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/94 "2003-10-05T10:45:51Z")
Oh and while I am at it, if the brits can point out the differences between English, Welsh, Scottish and Northern Irish it is only fair that I can point out Kiwi differences. A Kiwi is a person from NZ or a bird. A kiwi is never a fruit. Just think for a moment…are a grape and a grapefruit the same thing? No! So a kiwi and a kiwifruit ain’t either 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![lurksfromwork](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8491ac/32.png) [@lurksfromwork](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lurksfromwork)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/95 "2003-10-05T10:53:59Z")
**calm kiwi** My Aus Zealander mates from Melbourne would say the same thing. It’s the Aus/NZ rivalry, gets me everytime!! I’m not gonna mess with ya, your Baaaaaaaad:D ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/96 "2003-10-05T10:54:11Z")
Sorry, **calm kiwi** , but the sheep _have_ run amok down Queen Street, Auckland town before now (I remember seeing a stampede - kinda- myself). And up in Da North of this world, they _do_ call that furry green-fleshed fruit a “kiwi”. But you’re named after the bird with the gigantic egg and sharp, long beak that’s nocturnal. I know this. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![krilli](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c0e974/32.png) [@krilli](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/krilli)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 11:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/97 "2003-10-05T11:20:21Z")
Iceland. “Do you really live in igloos?” “Do you really have elevators in your igloos?” “I hear the Icelandic women are very beautiful.” ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 11:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/98 "2003-10-05T11:51:21Z")
Sorry **Ice Wolf** unless you are particularly ancient (and you didn’t seem that to me) you must live in a whole other Auckland to me. Born and bred here and running sheep down Queen street is not something most people have seen. Yes we are named after the bird…but the fruit was named after us.(way to fight ignorance 😃 ) Oh and **lurksfromwork** baaaaaaaaaaaaa 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Laughing\_Lagomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laughing_Lagomorph)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/99 "2003-10-05T11:57:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Already in Use \* > \*\*Not my country, but my state: > “Rhode Island? That’s in New York, right?” > From ADULT AMERICANS. \*\* Of course not. It’s a small town outside Boston, right? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2003, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807/100 "2003-10-05T12:00:55Z")
I think I’m about 5 years older than you, **calm kiwi**. 🙂 It happened during someone’s hairbrained attempt at publicising the Royal Easter Show one year, IIRC. I was in town, it was a sunny, hot day, and the sheep got away from the shepherds. Bizarre, but true. 🙂 Oh, and BTW – we’re named after shoe polish, pre-World War I. Look up “Kiwi shoe polish” and have a jack at the story. The fruit, being brown and furry – sorry, I believe the gang at Turners & Growers named it after the bird, as much as they did because “kiwi” equates with New Zealand. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/misconceptions-about-your-country/204807.md?page=6)