# 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:** 20
**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, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/381 "2004-02-02T00:13:47Z")
Let’s try that again. > [@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](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/01/15/MNGK14AAQH1.DTL) - because of the public outcry. You’re right about the fine though, the fine I was thinking of - $375,000 - was for another incident, involving an FM radio station. And, everton, HBO is small, has limited distribution and not subject to federal regulation the way the broadcast networks are. ---
**Author:** ![Antonius\_Block](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/51bf81/32.png) [@Antonius\_Block](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antonius_Block)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/382 "2004-02-02T00:27:27Z")
> [@thegreyathena](#): > > 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. Although this rule may hold generally, there are exceptions. There are several well-known institutions that call themselves “Colleges”, yet have respected graduate programs (Boston College and Dartmouth College spring to mind). On the other hand, some smaller “Universities” have no graduate students (e.g. DePauw University). ---
**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, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/383 "2004-02-02T00:50:15Z")
> [@Hunter Hawk](#): > > 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. Ever since I started reading this thread I’ve been trying eating with my fork “eurostyle”. One thing I noticed is that my fork definitely has a top (the prettily decorated side) and a bottom (the side that’s been stamped with the manufacturer and displays the “negative” of the decorations). Holding it in the european manner definitely displays its “less attractive” side to the room. So - do European forks have the same attribute, or are they made so that both sides have “attractive” decorations? ---
**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 2, 2004, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/384 "2004-02-02T01:42:21Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > So - do European forks have the same attribute, or are they made so that both sides have “attractive” decorations? I suspect this is more a function of cheap flatware, but I can’t say for sure–the only American flatware I have is cheap stamped stuff that has an unattractive reverse side, while the only European flatware I have is higher quality and looks good on the reverse side. However, I suspect that the more upscale American patterns would also have a more attractive reverse side. ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/385 "2004-02-02T02:39:50Z")
Patterns on cutlery are hidden when holding the implement. These design elements are intended to be seen when the item is sitting by the side of the plate prior to eating. ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/386 "2004-02-02T04:41:12Z")
> [@Boppy](#): > > - Leaving knife and fork placed horizontally across the plate when finished (in the USA how do waitresses know to clear the plates away if you’ve had enough to eat but haven’t actually finished everything?); They ask. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![boofy\_bloke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@boofy\_bloke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boofy_bloke)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/387 "2004-02-02T05:44:01Z")
> [@PastAllReason](#): > > 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. Without meaning any offense, I would be surprised if many Americanisms hadn’t slipped over the boarder to the “51st state”. Remember that beer ad in which the ranter went on about all the Americanisms that were invading? ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/388 "2004-02-02T05:47:57Z")
> [@Blackeyes](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Leaving knife and fork placed horizontally across the plate when finished (in the USA how do waitresses know to clear the plates away if you’ve had enough to eat but haven’t actually finished everything?); > > They ask. 🙂 How rude. 😃 ---
**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:** [February 2, 2004, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/389 "2004-02-02T15:37:57Z")
> [@](#): > > as I’ve said repeatedly, I cannot recall anyone ever saying “God Bless America” in my presence Porkchop, meet Strawman. Strawman, meet Porkchop. :rolleyes: > [@](#): > > 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. And you have repeatedly mischaracterized what his impression is. His impression includes exactly the admissions you have made yourself. > [@](#): > > i.e. one that no Screen Actor’s Guild member has ever used Not _ever_. Names of deceased members may be reused by new members. > [@](#): > > small-large-larger format for dates (and metric) So you write seconds:minutes:hours? and 5 c.m. 2 m. instead of 2 m. 5 c.m.? > [@](#): > > 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. Not true. There are “colleges” that offer graduate degrees. There is in practice no difference between a college and a university except that on average, institutions that use the word “college” in their names tend to be smaller that those that use “university.” A university may also have academic subdivisions called “colleges,” but that’s different use of the word. ---
**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, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/390 "2004-02-02T15:51:35Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > And you have repeatedly mischaracterized what his impression is. His impression includes exactly the admissions you have made yourself. Sigh. Ascenray, I didn’t “admit” anything. I _agreed_ with him. My only interest was to show a different viewpoint - that mass media isn’t indicitive of everyday life. I’m not trying to argue. I apologize for not being more clear. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/391 "2004-02-02T16:43:45Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > So - do European forks have the same attribute, or are they made so that both sides have “attractive” decorations? All my forks are plain. I don’t recall seeing decorated forks outside of an antique shop. > [@ascenray](#): > > Do you write seconds:minutes:hours? and 5 c.m. 2 m. instead of 2 m. 5 c.m.? Touché. I suppose the only (weak) defense I can give is that there’s at least an ordering consistency. Smaller =\> larger _or_ larger =\> smaller, rather than mixing up. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/392 "2004-02-02T17:01:45Z")
I’m sure every nation has it’s odd folk traditions but I bet only America has… Groundhog Day! (You may be aware of it because of the Bill Murray film of the same name) On Feb 2 a groundhog (a large den-living rodent) pops out of his burrow and, if he sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, Spring will come early. He’s seen his shadow 104 times out of the last 118 years. “The” groundhog is called Punxsutawney Phil (Punks-a-tawny) since he lives in the town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. His annual appearance makes the national news here. [http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040202/ap\_on\_re\_us/groundhog\_day\_7](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040202/ap_on_re_us/groundhog_day_7) ---
**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:** [February 2, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/393 "2004-02-02T17:55:13Z")
Traditionally, it can be any groundhog that anyone notices popping out of his hole in any locality in the United States on Feb. 2. Somehow, Punxatawney, Pa., has managed to make its “official” groundhog sighting a national event. I believe that the name “Punxatawney Phil” has been given to several different groundhogs. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/394 "2004-02-02T19:11:09Z")
> [@toomuchtv](#): > > 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… That’s obviously true, but **boofy\_bloke** had asked whether it was true that Americans only watch films about other Americans, which they don’t. I just suggested a possible reason why some people might make that incorrect assumption, I wasn’t pointing out another Americanism. > [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > And, everton, HBO is small, has limited distribution and not subject to federal regulation the way the broadcast networks are. That’s irrelevant. The point is that finding profanity offensive isn’t a distinctly American characteristic, it’s a characteristic of people who find profanity offensive. You’ll find Americans who pepper their conversation with swear words and people in other countries who are offended by them. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/395 "2004-02-02T19:14:24Z")
Georgia’s own groundhog, [General Beauregard Lee](http://www.yellowrivergameranch.com/press/default.htm), did not see his shadow and predicts an early spring. And very welcome that will be too, as it is 34 degrees and raining today. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/396 "2004-02-02T19:18:29Z")
> [@thegreyathena](#): > > 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. Many countries refer to their state-funded schools as “public”, or some local equivalent of the word, to distinguish them form private schools, and many (most?) of them don’t wear uniforms. ---
**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, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/397 "2004-02-02T19:19:57Z")
> [@everton](#): > > The point is that finding profanity offensive isn’t a distinctly American characteristic, it’s a characteristic of people who find profanity offensive. You’ll find Americans who pepper their conversation with swear words and people in other countries who are offended by them. Quick question: after the Bono boo-boo, a law is being introduced into Congress to remove the FCC’s discretion in such matters and to increase fines for such cases. Do other countries still have such laws? ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/398 "2004-02-02T19:33:02Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > Let’s try that again. > > Actually, after they made that ruling they [reversed themselves](http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/01/15/MNGK14AAQH1.DTL) - because of the public outcry. You’re right about the fine though, the fine I was thinking of - $375,000 - was for another incident, involving an FM radio station. Yep - I’d missed the reversal. The radio incident might be [this one](http://www.fcc.gov/eb/News_Releases/DOC-243249A1.html), where the total fine was $755,000, made up of 26 incidents each attracting the maximum $27,500 fine. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [February 2, 2004, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/399 "2004-02-02T19:39:29Z")
> [@porkchop\_d\_clown](#): > > Quick question: after the Bono boo-boo, a law is being introduced into Congress to remove the FCC’s discretion in such matters and to increase fines for such cases. Do other countries still have such laws? The UK has OFCOM, which is dedicated to such matters - [http://www.ofcom.org.uk/](http://www.ofcom.org.uk/) . Basically, ‘adult’ content is restricted to after 9pm, with an expectation that anything beyond mild nudity and limited swearing be kept beyond 10pm. AFAIK, OFCOM has the ability to fine TV companies for breaches of its code of conduct, which include other things such as misrepresentation and breaches of privacy. But there’s little question that a fair bit of primetime TV would raise a few eyebrows in the US. ---
**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, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/400 "2004-02-02T19:44:46Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > The UK has OFCOM, which is dedicated to such matters… Thanks, G-Man. In some ways it’s strange - in terms of social mores the US seems to trail Europe by a generation or so, but in these areas we seem to be even more resistant. The public reaction to Jackson’s half-time show is a good indicator of that. Watching old Benny Hill and Monty Python skits gives me the impression that that wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows in the UK. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676.md?page=21)