# 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:** 10\ **Page:** 26
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/501 "2004-02-14T06:53:58Z")
After I found out what “Randy” means elsewhere, I often wonder whether the people who work in the “Randy River” clothing stores are aware of this… ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/502 "2004-02-14T07:53:24Z")
> [@everton](#): > > Americans are often assumed to be abnormally ignorant about the rest of the world, but there’s very little evidence to back that up. There is always the [2002 National Geographic- Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey/highlights.html) , on which Americans ranked dead last. That said, Britain, which I’d always thought of as a relative fount of geographic competency, did pretty badly too. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/503 "2004-02-14T08:53:39Z")
**Mehitabel** : In case you thought my last post was too blunt I’ll apologise for that, but it’s not good enough to blow a few smoke rings in a GQ thread. Can you give any factually-based explanations of how things are different between the USA and Europe in the ways you suggested? ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/504 "2004-02-14T08:56:04Z")
> [@dutchboy208](#): > > There is always the [2002 National Geographic- Roper Global Geographic Literacy Survey](http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geosurvey/highlights.html) , on which Americans ranked dead last. That said, Britain, which I’d always thought of as a relative fount of geographic competency, did pretty badly too. That survey has been quoted a lot on the SDMB, but arguably it backs up what I said rather than contradicting me. There’s an awful lot of ignorance about geography in many countries, not just America. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/505 "2004-02-14T09:05:05Z")
> [@everton](#): > > That survey has been quoted a lot on the SDMB, but arguably it backs up what I said rather than contradicting me. There’s an awful lot of ignorance about geography in many countries, not just America. Okay… let’s use a different example then. How many UK programmes are based in places other than the UK? At least a few, usually. Can’t think of a single one in the US, other than _MXC_ , a Japanese gameshow with (hilariously inappropriate) English dubbing. Even that is on cable rather than basic terrestrial networks. ---
**Author:** ![everton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@everton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/everton)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/506 "2004-02-14T09:16:11Z")
That may be true, but I don’t see how it demonstrates that Americans are abnormally ignorant about geography. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/507 "2004-02-14T13:01:41Z")
> [@everton](#): > > That may be true, but I don’t see how it demonstrates that Americans are abnormally ignorant about geography. It’s really quite simple. The TV is a reflection of… wait, that isn’t it. MXC is a good sho… no, not that either. Oh yeah, here we go. **everton** watches _Random Show set in Germany_ , or whatever. **dutchboy208** doesn’t get that show, so he watches _My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiance, Season 2: My Big Fat Obnoxious Lesbian Fiancee_ . **everton** learns something about Germany. Probably something about beer halls or anschluss, or whatever. **dutchboy208** doesn’t learn anything at all, except that America needs an awful lot of laxatives, judging by prime-time advertising. Thus, **everton** becomes more globally aware, while **dutchboy** rushes out to buy laxative. ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/508 "2004-02-14T13:22:43Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Hardly. A Levels are from A to E, GCSEs from A to G, National Curriculum acheivement from 10 to 1, and any other assessment is whatever the school decides to use. GCSEs and A levels also have a U grade. ---
**Author:** ![amarone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@amarone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarone)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/509 "2004-02-14T13:34:05Z")
> [@+MDI](#): > > GCSEs and A levels also have a U grade. A levels used to have an O grade, meaning that it counted as an O level. I don’t know if that died out when GCSEs came in, though. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2004, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676/510 "2004-02-14T14:09:55Z")
Let’s remember to remain civil outside the BBQ Pit. That means don’t call anybody an SOB, for instance. I think the facutal questions have long since been answred here, so I’ll close this thread. Anything further along these lines shold probably go in IMHO or MPSIMS. bibliophage moderator GQ [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/uniquely-distinct-americanisms/225676.md?page=25)