# Uniquely Distinct Americanisms **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2004, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676 "2004-01-22T22:56:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**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:** [February 1, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/361 "2004-02-01T12:23:50Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > … > However, since the majority of the world uses the small-large-larger format for dates (and metric), I hope our cousins catch up soon! 😉 Little anecdote here…I work in a lab that processes serum samples from patients that are participating in clinical trials of the drugs our company makes. Some of these trials are taking place in other countries and I recently got a small set of samples from Italy. They were all from different patients and had been frozen over the course of about two years by different people, with the date the sample was taken hand written on the tube. Some of them were obviously labelled in DD/MM/YY format, like 28/06/03. Made sense, because Italians were doing the labelling. Unfortunately someone at some point realized they were sending the samples to the US and so decided that they should have the MM/DD/YY format, which was obvious on the several that were, say, 03/15/02. So what was I supposed to make of the ones that were labelled 11/08/02 and such? (I have since been assured that someone is going to find out which samples were taken when). In our lab the FDA wants us in all our paperwork to use the format 01 Feb 04 which I like so much I have started using it any time I have to write a date on anything. Not much chance of confusion except for the fact that my writing is often illegible. ---
**Author:** ![Rayne\_Man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/df705f/32.png) [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/362 "2004-02-01T12:53:14Z")
The same thing nearly happened to me when I tried to book a hotel on Expedia. Unknown to me I had accessed the USA version of the site instead of the UK one. It was only at the last minute that I realized that the date format was differnt and I was trying to reserve the hotel for the wrong date. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/363 "2004-02-01T13:18:13Z")
> [@Tuco](#): > > … > (‘It’s a historic monument’ is a perfectly acceptable statement, saying ‘It’s a historical monument’ doesn’t change anything). > … > Nothing anti-American about it, just uniquely American 🙂 And one that drives this American batty. Adding -al or -ize to a word for no apparent reason is just purest doofustry. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/364 "2004-02-01T14:41:08Z")
> [@Tuco](#): > > ‘It’s a historic monument’ is a perfectly acceptable statement, saying ‘It’s a historical monument’ doesn’t change anything. They probably actually _mean_ ‘historic’, and aren’t aware that ‘historical’ is subtley different, and probably is not what they mean. ---
**Author:** ![Road\_Rash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a8b319/32.png) [@Road\_Rash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Road_Rash)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/365 "2004-02-01T15:32:29Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > And one that drives this American batty. Adding -al or -ize to a word for no apparent reason is just purest doofustry. > > 😃 Doofustry? You just made that up? I have never heard that word before. I [googled it.](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=doofustry&btnG=Google+Search) No matches found. Still, I like the word, and will incorporate it into my speech. Maybe I can get William Buckley to use it. ---
**Author:** ![cheesepickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/57b2e6/32.png) [@cheesepickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cheesepickles)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/366 "2004-02-01T16:34:29Z")
About the driving thing-I can totally agree with this one. I live in a decent sized suburb in New Jersey and there are usually a decent amount of stores within walking distance. What I don’t get is that I rarely see people walking at all-especially on extremely pleasant days, morning or night. Some areas around here are very nice and yet I never see people taking advantage of the simple joys of talking a walk. ``` The only people I see regularly are older women/couples jogging in pairs or mothers pushing baby strollers about. But I can't tell you how many times the sidewalks are devoid of people on something like a balmy spring evening-the kind of weather that makes you feel great to be alive and makes it a sin to be sitting inside. ``` So, yeah, that suggests to me that people are driving more than they need to. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/367 "2004-02-01T19:08:14Z")
> [@Road Rash](#): > > Doofustry? You just made that up? I have never heard that word before. I [googled it.](http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=doofustry&btnG=Google+Search) No matches found. Still, I like the word, and will incorporate it into my speech. > > Maybe I can get William Buckley to use it. I did indeed forge a new word there to ironically highlight the habit of Americans to invent new words when perfectly good old ones will do. 😃 OTOH, I’m pretty fond of it. Here’s the definition: Doofustry: _n._ 1. The art of reasoning or behaving like a doofus. 2. To argue or debate in the manner of a doofus. 3. To say something that sounds superficially plausible or logical - but only to a(nother) doofus. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/368 "2004-02-01T19:24:58Z")
> [@cheesepickles](#): > > About the driving thing-I can totally agree with this one. I live in a decent sized suburb in New Jersey and there are usually a decent amount of stores within walking distance. What I don’t get is that I rarely see people walking at all-especially on extremely pleasant days, morning or night. Some areas around here are very nice and yet I never see people taking advantage of the simple joys of talking a walk. On the up side - I seem to have started a trend in my area. Two years ago, when I rode my bike from home to the river trail that runs down to the Philadelphia Art Museum, I never saw another bicyclist or jogger until I got to the “main drag” east of Valley Forge. Towards the end of this summer the trail was positively crowded; even the unpaved side-trail. Of course, this is still walking/running/riding for exercise or entertainment, as opposed to simple transportation. Despite having two fairly massive strip malls within 2 miles of my house you never see walkers or riders between our neighborhood and there. Basically, it’s still as I mentioned before: the lack of sidewalks and the high speed of the cars make it a hostile environment. ---
**Author:** ![Tuco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tuco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuco)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/369 "2004-02-01T20:12:16Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > I did indeed forge a new word there to ironically highlight the habit of Americans to invent new words when perfectly good old ones will do. Well there goes my belief that Americans don’t understandarize irony. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/370 "2004-02-01T20:15:18Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > No, I didn’t and I haven’t. Despite your attitude, my intent has never been to contradict or refute Jervoise, merely to state that his impressions were not indicitive of every day life. You seem to think that _I_ think that is a refutation; I don’t. That’s why, with every post I’ve reiterated exactly what I _am_ and _am not_ saying. What I can’t understand is why you and Jervoise insist I’m saying something else, or that I’m trying to argue with you. > > So, which of us is attacking a straw man? It’s a pity you feel you’ve been misrepresented, **porkchop\_d\_clown** , but rather than trawl through the thread for quotes, we’ll have to agree to disagree about it. > [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > Here’s another Americanism - while I’ve heard that “fuck” is now considered no big deal in Europe, in America most people still consider profanity to be highly offensive. I don’t think you can draw any general conclusion about that. It varies a lot from person to person and from group to group. > [@Tuco](#): > > ‘It’s a historic monument’ is a perfectly acceptable statement, saying ‘It’s a historical monument’ doesn’t change anything. Just to expand on **GorillaMan’s** point, “historic” and “historical” are both correct, but they mean different things. Historic is an adjective describing that something contributes to history; historical is an adjective that relates to history itself. So you could have an historic novel (one that is ground-breaking and influential) or an historical novel (one about the Plantagenets or WWII). > [@Rayne Man](#): > > Another Americanism I have noticed is the way that numbers are dealt with … Also for larger numbers, for example something such as 2,500, we would say _two thousand, five hundred_; Americans would say _twenty five hundred_. Is that really a consistent difference? The “hundred” version is sometimes used in Britain, and of course it’s used for dates on both sides of the Atlantic. But another difference in number terminology is the use of “and”: in America 123 would be pronounced as “one hundred twenty three”, but in other English speaking countries we would say “one hundred and twenty three”. It’s not just common usage either, at least according to another thread, because US teachers tell their kids that it’s wrong to include the “and”. ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/371 "2004-02-01T20:26:38Z")
> [@boofy\_bloke](#): > > C Thomas Howell > I don’t think that anyone else initialises their first name if using their second. It’s not that unusual in Canada, or at least in Western Canada. Both of my parents commonly used their second names, but for most “official” purposes included the initial to represent the first name followed by middle name and then surname. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/372 "2004-02-01T21:46:53Z")
> [@everton](#): > > (on the subject of profanity) > I don’t think you can draw any general conclusion about that. It varies a lot from person to person and from group to group. If your saying that European profanity varies from group to group, I’ll take your word for it. If your saying American tolerance for profanity varies … I don’t think it’s as much as you think - when Bono said “fuck” on live American TV, the network was fined $500,000 (I think that was the amount) for not bleeping him. Personally, my attitude is that you shouldn’t waste perfectly good profanity on small problems. If you say “motherfucker” every time you stub your toe, how will you express yourself when something important happens? > [@everton](#): > > Just to expand on **GorillaMan’s** point, “historic” and “historical” are both correct, but they mean different things. Historic is an adjective describing that something contributes to history; historical is an adjective that relates to history itself. So you could have an historic novel (one that is ground-breaking and influential) or an historical novel (one about the Plantagenets or WWII). In his defense - I think many of us are aware that “historical” is a word, but most Americans don’t know how to use it correctly. > [@everton](#): > > Is that really a consistent difference? The “hundred” version is sometimes used in Britain, and of course it’s used for dates on both sides of the Atlantic. But another difference in number terminology is the use of “and”: in America 123 would be pronounced as “one hundred twenty three”, but in other English speaking countries we would say “one hundred and twenty three”. It’s not just common usage either, at least according to another thread, because US teachers tell their kids that it’s wrong to include the “and”. Hrrm. I’d like a cite on that one (teachers tell kids the “and” is wrong). However, I will admit that the use of “and” has become quite rare in this context. As with dates, I think it’s related to speaking and writing consistently. ---
**Author:** ![toomuchtv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/96bed5/32.png) [@toomuchtv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toomuchtv)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/373 "2004-02-01T21:53:04Z")
> [@everton](#): > > Part of the perception that Americans will only watch films about other Americans may be influenced by Hollywood producers’ tendency to want familiar stars playing lead roles whether they happen to be American or not. Granted, but this thread is supposed to be about traits that are distinctly American. And I would guess that producers in Mumbai have a tendancy to cast Indian stars to play lead roles; ditto for the film industries in France, Italy, Australia… ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/374 "2004-02-01T22:10:11Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > The principle, according to my forbears, is that forks are for stabbing, not lifting - but that strikes me as crap; if it were truly so, the fucking thing would not be shaped like a spoon. Again, see the Petroski book _The Evolution of Useful Things_. The tines are curved so it’s easier for you to put the food in your mouth without accidentally stabbing yourself. If the tines were straight, you’d have to lift your left hand to a higher, more awkward position. If you want to experiment, try stabbing the food on the point of a sharp knife and see how that works for conveying the food to your mouth. ---
**Author:** ![thegreyathena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bcef8e/32.png) [@thegreyathena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thegreyathena)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/375 "2004-02-01T22:19:48Z")
Having also been taught to hold my fork in my left hand and my knife in my right when cutting, then switch the fork to the right hand to eat, I believe the theory was that you were less likely to drop something that way. Doing the more difficult task, like cutting the food or bringing it to your mouth, was considered too complex for your non-dominant hand. That said, most left-handed Americans (under the age of 40) I know do the same - they cut with their left hand, then switch the fork to their left for eating the food. I say “under 40” because in the part of America where I grew up, where many people went to Catholic school, in my father’s generation children were discouraged from being left-handed. When they picked up a pencil in their left hand, the teacher would switch it to the right. Perhaps this is the reason why some people saw eating with your left hand as rude - because being left-handed was seen as gauche, no pun intended. Also, I was taught that it was _extremely_ rude to cut up all your food at once and then start eating. I was taught to cut off one piece at a time, then eat it, even though that meant switching your fork a billion times (I was also taught it is very rude to butter your whole roll at once - that you should break a piece off and butter that, then eat it, and so on). As far as where you rest your silverware, I would say that around here you can tell that someone is still eating if they rest the handle of the silverware on the table and the business end on the plate. When we’re done eating, we put the whole utensil on the plate (at whatever position) so the waitperson can pick up the plate without the utensils falling off. In a “nice” restaurant (as opposed to a diner or “family” restaurant), the waitstaff will generally never ask “are you done?” They’ll say something like “may I take that?” instead. Other Americanisms I can think of: - “public” schools are free and private schools have tuition and selective enrollment, and most of our public schools don’t have uniforms. - grades nine to twelve (ages 14-17) are high school. A “college” is postsecondary. The only difference between a college and a university is that a university has both undergrads and graduate students (masters degree candidates, etc.) while a college has only undergrads. - lots of commercials during TV programs. Also, many more TV channels. - separate restaurants just for seafood. Maybe they have this elsewhere in the world, but I think it’s pretty American to have a place called Somebody’s Seafood House. Possibly because a lot of the US is pretty far from a source of deep sea fishes, so you don’t trust a place that doesn’t specialize in keeping the fish fresh. - perhaps I’m wrong, but I think that glitzed-up child dance and cheerleading competitions, as well as child beauty pageants where very small children are made up, sequined, and sexualized, are American phenomena. - might be wrong about this too, but - the whole concept of “homecoming,” where everyone in the town comes to watch the high school (American) football game and in many cases there’s a parade and general partying, or in larger cities just a school dance and a Homecoming Queen. - one of my favorites - “knocked up” in the UK apparently does not mean “pregnant.” The first time I heard someone say, “She was still asleep so I knocked her up,” it gave me pause. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/376 "2004-02-01T22:37:59Z")
Thegreyathena - Your experience exactly parallels mine in most respects, but I think you blew this part: > [@thegreyathena](#): > > - grades nine to twelve (ages 14-17) are high school. A “college” is postsecondary. The only difference between a college and a university is that a university has both undergrads and graduate students (masters degree candidates, etc.) while a college has only undergrads. I was taught that a University was comprised of multiple colleges. For example, my alma mater, Drexel University, contains a College of Science, a College of Engineering, a College of Business and a College of Liberal Arts. OTOH, I just looked up “university” on [dictionary.com](http://dictionary.com), and they agree with you. Give me a minute, and I’ll work up a convincing rationalization for why I’m still right. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/377 "2004-02-01T22:46:36Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > … I don’t think it’s as much as you think… Don’t start that again. It would be just as easy to quote an example on HBO which is liberally sprinkled with “fucks”, or even the use of the word by Americans on this message board. It _was_ the variety among English-speakers in Europe I was referring to, but let’s just say that your previous generalisation: _“fuck” is now considered no big deal in Europe, in America most people still consider profanity to be highly offensive_ isn’t correct and leave it at that. > [@](#): > > _(re “and” in numbers)_ > Hrrm. I’d like a cite on that one (teachers tell kids the “and” is wrong). However, I will admit that the use of “and” has become quite rare in this context. As with dates, I think it’s related to speaking and writing consistently. I already said I was quoting a comment in a thread on this board. You could try searching for it if you like, but I have no other cite. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/378 "2004-02-01T22:59:47Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > If your saying that European profanity varies from group to group, I’ll take your word for it. If your saying American tolerance for profanity varies … I don’t think it’s as much as you think - when Bono said “fuck” on live American TV, the network was fined $500,000 (I think that was the amount) for not bleeping him. [No it was not.](http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=entertainmentNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4191671) It made news that Bono’s exclamation was NOT judged to be indecent by the FCC. Even had they ruled otherwise, the maximum fine is $27,500. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/379 "2004-02-01T23:01:36Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > Here’s another Americanism - while I’ve heard that “fuck” is now considered no big deal in Europe, in America most people still consider profanity to be highly offensive. Fuck off! Really? Fuckin’ a. ---
**Author:** ![porkchop\_d\_clown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@porkchop\_d\_clown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/porkchop_d_clown)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/380 "2004-02-02T00:11:50Z")
> [@amarone](#): > > [No it was not.](http://www.reuters.com/locales/newsArticle.jsp?type=entertainmentNews&locale=en_IN&storyID=4191671) It made news that Bono’s exclamation was NOT judged to be indecent by the FCC. Even had they ruled otherwise, the maximum fine is $27,500. Actually, after they made that ruling they \reversed themselves\ - because of the public outcry. And, everton, HBO is small, has limited distribution and not subject to federal regulation the way the broadcast networks are. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676.md?page=20)