# Sterotypes about your country(ies) that are true **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 28, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998 "2006-01-28T17:05:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/1 "2006-01-28T17:05:36Z")
It helps if you have traveled extensively for this one so you can learn what is not commonplace elsewhere. I’ll start with China and America, the two countries I’ve lived in extensively. America: On average, we’re very fat. We really do think we’re “the best” country ever. We all do own cars, sometimes 2 or 3(except in New York). The McDonald’s small size drink is the large in your country(I get asked this by Chinese a lot). It’s true; their large drink is our small. Their small cup is almost as round as it is tall. And no free refills! China: They spit. I wish this wasn’t true, but it is. It’s extremely crowded. They think Europe and America are filthy rich. They’re right, by the way. They are primarily irreligous. They have counterfeit and bootleg everything American, with almost no copyright laws. The food really is better than our Chinese food. What are yours? ---
**Author:** ![fishbicycle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aeb1de/32.png) [@fishbicycle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fishbicycle)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/2 "2006-01-28T18:05:03Z")
I think Canadians are seen as polite, not overly religious, and overall they know more about other places in the world from their basic education. And the country really is clean. That is the adjective I’ve heard most frequently to describe Canada, by Americans who had never been there before. ---
**Author:** ![Lakai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/9de0a6/32.png) [@Lakai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lakai)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/3 "2006-01-28T18:40:09Z")
Russians really do like vodka. ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/4 "2006-01-28T18:58:38Z")
It does rain a lot in England. We do have some funny ways of pronouncing + spelling words (Leicester = “Lester”). We use trains a lot (it’s a small island). We do drink a lot of tea. ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/5 "2006-01-28T19:00:18Z")
> [@fishbicycle](#): > > I think Canadians are seen as polite, not overly religious, and overall they know more about other places in the world from their basic education. And the country really is clean. That is the adjective I’ve heard most frequently to describe Canada, by Americans who had never been there before. 99% of these, 99% of the time, are true. Don’t ask me about ‘clean’ when Toronto was in the middle of its big garbage strike, a few summers ago, but true. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/6 "2006-01-28T19:45:35Z")
> [@glee](#): > > It does rain a lot in England. Brits do talk about the weather a lot 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/7 "2006-01-28T19:51:55Z")
It’s not a stereotype about my nation, but rather about my home town, a little village outside Memphis I shall not name. Ask any Memphian and he’ll tell you that the girls here are are petite, buxom, limber and sexually-forthcoming, owing these qualities–as well as their extended lifespans–to their habits of offering fellatio to random passing strangers and then happily swallowing the results. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/8 "2006-01-28T19:54:26Z")
New Yorks walk fast, talk fast, do everything fast and live in a city that never sleeps. ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/9 "2006-01-28T20:34:14Z")
The Dutch like cheese. In every day dealings, they are straightforward to the point of blunt. Preachy, too. The country is as flat as a pancake. Cloggies are very tall and ride an abundance of bicycles. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/10 "2006-01-28T22:58:42Z")
> [@Fabulous Creature](#): > > It’s not a stereotype about my nation, but rather about my home town, a little village outside Memphis I shall not name. Ask any Memphian and he’ll tell you that the girls here are are petite, buxom, limber and sexually-forthcoming, owing these qualities–as well as their extended lifespans–to their habits of offering fellatio to random passing strangers and then happily swallowing the results. _getting pen and paper…fumbling around with said pen_…what’s the name of the um…supposed city in question? ---
**Author:** ![vl\_mungo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc8723/32.png) [@vl\_mungo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vl_mungo)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/11 "2006-01-28T23:06:44Z")
Canadians sound more polite… until you realize that a significant amount of the “pleases”, “thank you’s” and “you’re welcomes” acutally mean “f\*ck you” Not a stereotype about Canada per se, but a true stereotype that other Canadians have about the West Coast… it does rain a lot (nearly every day since early December), and we smoke a lot of pot. The latter helps you deal with the former. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2006, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/12 "2006-01-28T23:50:11Z")
> [@vl\_mungo](#): > > Canadians sound more polite… until you realize that a significant amount of the “pleases”, “thank you’s” and “you’re welcomes” acutally mean “f\*ck you” Ah…so Canadians are a lot like Southerners (American Southerners). Well, bless your heart. Gotta say, much as I love Canadians (and the polite English, and the Japanese, and some Southerns) I kinda prefer the New Yorkers who just say fuck you and have done with it. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/13 "2006-01-29T00:11:39Z")
> [@Fabulous Creature](#): > > It’s not a stereotype about my nation, but rather about my home town, a little village outside Memphis I shall not name. Ask any Memphian and he’ll tell you that the girls here are are petite, buxom, limber and sexually-forthcoming, owing these qualities–as well as their extended lifespans–to their habits of offering fellatio to random passing strangers and then happily swallowing the results. I’m glad I ran into in this thread. I have been trying to mail you something. Can you e-mail me your address? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/14 "2006-01-29T01:35:08Z")
West Memphis? Germantown? C’mon, help us out. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Bertie\_Wooster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/58f4c7/32.png) [@Bertie\_Wooster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bertie_Wooster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/15 "2006-01-29T03:59:21Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > America: > … > We all do own cars, sometimes 2 or 3(except in New York)… I don’t own a car. In foul weather, when I ride the bus, I see lots of people who don’t own cars (I can tell because they know the drivers and are, on the whole, better at riding the bus than I am). I am pretty fat though. The US is a big place, so here’s two just about Baltimore: There are a lot of churches here. And a lot of bars. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/16 "2006-01-29T04:32:02Z")
> [@Bertie Wooster](#): > > I don’t own a car. In foul weather, when I ride the bus, I see lots of people who don’t own cars (I can tell because they know the drivers and are, on the whole, better at riding the bus than I am). Well, I meant that an extremely high percentage of people have cars, not that literally 100% outside New York do. Actually, I’d love to see statistics of what percentage of adults over the age of 21, outside New York, have cars in America. I bet it would be over 90%(urban anyway), which is huge compared to China and a lot of the world. ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/17 "2006-01-29T05:02:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Actually, I’d love to see statistics of what percentage of adults over the age of 21, outside New York, have cars in America. I bet it would be over 90%(urban anyway), which is huge compared to China and a lot of the world. Urban? Probably higher rural. Given that it’s only in (some) urban areas that living without a car is even remotely possible. Sad. I don’t think there’s anywhere even in the rest of the “Western World” where it’s as impossible. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/18 "2006-01-29T05:36:16Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Well, I meant that an extremely high percentage of people have cars, not that literally 100% outside New York do. > > Actually, I’d love to see statistics of what percentage of adults over the age of 21, outside New York, have cars in America. I bet it would be over 90%(urban anyway), which is huge compared to China and a lot of the world. One cannot overstate the importance of having a car in the vast majority of the U.S. It is absolutely essential for U.S. style living. There a parts of a handful of cities where someone doesn’t have to own a car and it not be an everyday handicap. Everywhere else, not owning a car is a true handicap and the only excuses would be being elderly, or handicapped. In any case, that would require friends or family members to have cars and drive you around. In most areas, if you didn’t have a car or anyone to drive you, you are effectively under house arrest until you come up with a new plan. You cannot just walk around freely in most of the U.S. Its, not that it is always illegal, but the distance to even one store can be miles and you would have to walk along roads with no sidewalks and nobody else walking with you. The U.S. is not set up for any alternate forms of transportation. Geographically speaking, there is no public transportation in most of the U.S. In areas where there is public transportation, there is usually not enough to sustain any kind of quality of life. I live outside of Boston which does have good public transport but none where I live. If I couldn’t drive, I would lose my job, we would have to sell our house our daughter would have to change schools etc. In most areas, almost 100% of adults of sound mind and body do so. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/19 "2006-01-29T11:09:16Z")
Perhaps what is being described is that virtually 100% of _households_ in the US have cars, not that 100% of _all adults_ own individual cars. ---
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2006, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998/20 "2006-01-29T11:34:44Z")
Australians: - actually do like beer rather a lot - abbreviate most nouns, tacking on a diminutive ‘-ie’ or ‘-o’ ending. - are devilishy good-looking (well, okay, maybe that one isn’t always true) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sterotypes-about-your-country-ies-that-are-true/341998.md?page=2)