Thanks for that, Max. I wonder why it never caught on? 
These have been on their way out for the last decade or so. For a while you used to get asked “paper or plastic?” but now they usually just use plastic unless you ask.
True, but I’ve also noticed a fair bit of loud (drunken) talking on the part of other english-speakers (British, Australian).
True. Ever been to Vegas? A quote, reviewing the Circus Circus buffet comes to mind: “Go here for breakfast ($2.49) some morning. Not because it is good, but because it is BAD. The buffet looks like the mess hall of a hellish penitentiary run by sadistic clowns. The decor is pink, red and white, with cartoonish murals of circus animals doing stupid stuff. After you pay, a system of barriers guide you down one of five (count ‘em, five) 100’ long steam tables groaning under the weight of greasy eggs, utility grade meat, cholesterol-laden gravy, crusted oatmeal and low-grade blintzes dried to leathery perfection by brilliant heat-lamps.” 
Do such culinary monstrosities (all-you-can-eat buffets) exist outside of North America?
Violence is really more appearance than reality. At least on this coast…
More of a Californianism than Americanism. Or maybe a Los Angelesism. Has something to do with the fact that practically nothing is within walking distance, and/or the terrain between here and there is very hostile to pedestrians.
What, am I supposed to dirty a plate just to eat some leftover chinese food? The biggest problem with those take-out boxes is the little metal “handle” that prevents you from just sticking the whole thing in the microwave.
Some additions: “American” cheese (aka processed cheese food product)
Chocolate chip cookies (I once bought a bag of “American cookies” in Holland just to see what they were… just plain old chocolate chip).
Pathetically low speed limits/bad drivers/shoddy vehicles
Prohibition of alcohol in public (outside of bars)
McMansions and land yahts
Scones are called biscuits, biscuits are called cookies, cookies called cupcakes.
Monochrome currency and distain for large-denomination coins (dollar coin failure).
Pathetic public transportation.
(1) I thought it was a myth too, but the M-W agrees that “good-bye” is descended from “God be with you”. Who knew?
(2) I’m not sure where you’ve gotten the idea that ANYONE in this thread has asserted that “God Bless America” occurs at every speech and gathering. I’ve certainly been quite explicit that that’s is NOT what I’m asserting. Then again, if you want a strawman to bash–have at it.
(3) Your pretense that “God Bless America” is a rare occurence is getting beyond ridiculous. It’s common enough that I couldn’t even attempt to count the number of times it occurs–so stop pretending that’s what I’ve tried to do. This site agrees that President Reagan ended all his big speeches with a call for God’s blessing; that President Bush ended all major speeches with a variant of "Thank you, God bless you, and God bless the United States of America!’’; and that Bill Clinton called on God’s blessing at seven State of the Union Addresses and two inaugurations. This article clearly states that ending speeches with “God Bless America” is “standard American political pablum”. Sure doesn’t that sound like a rare occurence to me. And don’t get me started on the current President Bush or Senator Liebermann: it would be far easier to count the number of times these guys don’t end a speech with an exhortation to God.
… so I think my point (you know, my actual point–not the imaginary one you attack) that…
…is an unusual feature of the United States, really does stand up to the evidence.
Wouldn’t you agree?
(3) everton: yup, we get the flat plastic boxes, not the white cardboard things (only home-soil place I’ve seen the cardboard takeaway containers is Sydney’s domestic airport). Like C3’s friends, I admit I just had to buy Chinese in the little white boxes in the US (don’t bother: they leak!)
Now there’s an interesting viewpoint! In America, people have been trying to do away with paper bags for years - to stop killing trees, you see.
As for driving - as CT mentioned, much of suburban America has become positively hostile to pedestrian traffic. It’s at least partly because no one wants to pay to install and maintain sidewalks.
I really enjoy reading this sort of thing right after being told how thin-skinned Americans are. Three paragraphs of abuse about how Americans aren’t being abused.
Spiffy.
So let’s see how this works:
American says “Well, I think X, Y and Z.”
Euroweenie says “You idiot! How can you think that! What a whiner!”
American says “Why are you abusing me?”
Euroweenie replies “What a thin skinned cry baby! You’re just stereotyping me!”
American goes home. Euroweenie turns to his buddy and says “See - they don’t behave like civilized people!”
I really enjoy reading this sort of thing right after being told how thin-skinned Americans are. Three paragraphs of abuse about how Americans aren’t being abused.
Spiffy.
So let’s see how this works:
American says “Well, I think X, Y and Z.”
Euroweenie says “You idiot! How can you think that! What a whiner!”
American says “Why are you abusing me?”
Euroweenie replies “What a thin skinned cry baby! You’re just stereotyping me!”
American goes home. Euroweenie turns to his buddy and says “See - they don’t behave like civilized people!”
We’ve started using similar containers in my area of Pennsylvania - except for the rice. That still comes in the traditional waxed cardboard box.
Careful. You’re playing with with straw men yourself now.
That’s going to disappoint a few tourists then, but the plastic boxes (here at least) have printing on to say they’re microwaveable.
No.
We like to watch movies about Brits a lot, even if they feature Americans or Canadians playing Brits, and especially in trilogies and series: Harry Potter, Austin Powers, Lara Croft, Dr. No Parts 1 through 22 (aka the James Bond films). We even made room in our hearts (and our VCRs) several times for some Aussie bloke named Mick Dundee.
The Oscars are an imperfect measure of what’s popular in America, but not by much. In 19 of the last 50 years, the movies that won the most Oscars were not about Yanks. And most of them were voted Best Picture.
1956: Around the World in 80 Days, 5 (Best Picture)
1956: The Kind and I, 5
1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai, 7 (Best Picture)
1958: Gigi, 9 (Best Picture)
1959: Ben-Hur, 11 (Best Picture)
1962: Lawrence of Arabia , 7 (Best Picture)
1964: My Fair Lady, 8 (Best Picture)
1965: Doctor Zhivago, 5
1965: The Sound of Music, 5 (Best Picture)
1966: A Man for All Seasons, 6 (Best Picture)
1968: Oliver!, 5 (Best Picture)
1972: Cabaret, 8
1982: Ghandi, 8 (Best Picture)
1984: Amadeus, 8 (Best Picture)
1985: Out of Africa, 7 (Best Picture)
1987: The Last Emperor, 9 (Best Picture)
1993: Schindler’s List, 7 (Best Picture)
1995: Braveheart, 5 (Best Picture)
1997: The English Patient, 9 (Best Picture)
1998: Shakespeare in Love, 7 (Best Picture)
2000: Gladiator, 5 (Best Picture)
2000: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 4 (not bad for a flick with subtitles)
Don’t know who will win the most awards for 2004, but the films with the most nominations are Return of the King, with 14; and Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World, with 10.
Perhaps.
Perhaps it’s a difference in conversational style, so that each side is misreading the tone of the other side. I suspect, though, that the shoulder-chips in this thread are not all on the American side.
On the subject of Chinese food - one thing I’m curious about is what kind of dishes they actually serve up over in your neck of the woods - an oft repeated tale around here is that “Chinese” food in America is more American than Chinese.
For example: I always get “General Tso’s Chicken” which is a spicy dish with a sugary sauce; my wife always gets “Shrimp with Lobster Sauce” which always reminds me of a very thin New England Clam Chowder, poured over rice.
Depends on where you go. Some places have excellent public transportation (Milwaukee), while others have terrible (Jackson).
Anyways, question for non-Americans.
Over the last 5 or 6 years I’ve noticed Chinese buffet restaurants popping up absolutely everywhere. Everywhere.
Is this common anywhere else, or just the places I’ve lived (2 cities) and visited(about 15 more cities scattered all over the country) over the last few years?
-Joe
The sense of my post could’ve been read in the content, not the tone. You’re right about the shoulder-chips though.
It really depends where you’re buying it. We have sit down restaurants with several authentic regional variations, especially in cities where there are lots of Chinese people. Cantonese is most common due to the Hong Kong connection, even in places that describe themselves as Mandarin/Pekinese.
Takeaway places are a different matter though. My niece works part-time in a Chinese takeaway and the food she eats with the staff is not the same stuff they serve to customers. A quick check of my local takeaway menu includes numerous variations on the theme of “meat or prawn/sauce/rice or noodles”, plus the following set menus:
*Skewered Satay Chicken
Sweet & Sour Pork Cantonese Style
Chicken with Mixed Greens
Beef with Ginger and Spring Onion (i.e. scallion)
Special Fried Rice (i.e. with bits of pork, chicken and prawn mixed in)
Aromatic Crispy Duck
Seaweed with Grated Scallop
Sweet & Sour Pork Cantonese Style
Garlic Chilli Prawns
Chicken with Mixed Greens
Chicken in Lemon Sauce
Capital Ribs (i.e. in a sort of bbq sauce)
Special Fried Rice
Whole Lobster Baked in Ginger & Spring Onion
Skewered Satay King Prawns
Prawn Crackers
Sweet & Sour King Prawns Cantonese Style
King Prawns with Mixed Greens Cantonese Style
Fried Squid with Garlic Salt and Chilli
Special Fried Rice*
Sound familiar?
If you substitute “Shrimp” for “Prawn” and “Mixed Vegatables” for “Mixed Greens” most of it sounds similar. The only ones that really stood out were “Seaweed with Grated Scallop” and “Fried Squid”. Those names would seriously startle the typical American, I think.
Other than that, I noticed a heavier emphasis on sea food and a lot less pork. Also, you don’t see duck on the menu very often in the USA.
oh forgot this one …
Walking around with large insulated mug of coffee. Saw this in Canada too. But very American.
In Oz: Take away containers for Indian, Thai and Chineese food are thin injection molded plastic (not sure what type) with a clip on plastic lid. I usually feel guilty about throwing them out so I wash them up and add them to my evergrowing pile of plastic containers.
**Merijeek ** We dont have any (many) buffet Chineese restaurants here. Havent noticed any anyway. Yum cha restaurants are very popular.
But how do you stay awake without one?!?
I must say I drink 32 oz of coffee during my commute to work each day and it doesn’t stop once I get to the office…
My cousin was born Joseph IV. Our great-grandfather didn’t die until Joey was four and our grampy was alive then too. I’ve never heard of dropping/changing the numbers after the older relatives’ deaths before this; does that mean he should go by Joseph Jr now that our great-grandfather and grampy have both passed on? FTR, he goes by just “Joey” now and everyone calls his dad “Joe” but I’m wondering about formalities.
Yes, you’re agreeing in a manner of speaking, but you insist on nearly bursting a blood vessel because this playoff isn’t what you thought it was. Seriously, let it go.
You’re not much for business, either, it seems. I wonder how some people those jobs they keep wanting are actually created.
I live in a city that is frequently used as an example of one of the best public transportation systems in the US(Portland, OR). It is sad and pathetic compared to the transit system in pretty much any european city.
Merijeek writes:
> Over the last 5 or 6 years I’ve noticed Chinese buffet restaurants popping up
> absolutely everywhere. Everywhere.
>
> Is this common anywhere else, or just the places I’ve lived (2 cities) and visited
> (about 15 more cities scattered all over the country) over the last few years?
Not only are these restaurants common in the U.S., but on my trip to the U.K. last year, I noticed that they’re now common there too.
antechinus writes:
> Merijeek We dont have any (many) buffet Chineese restaurants here. Havent
> noticed any anyway. Yum cha restaurants are very popular.
“Yum cha” is called “dim sum” in the U.S. (Yes, I know that “dim sum” means something else in Australia.) There are a fair amount of such restaurants in the U.S.
Precisely, at least if I recall Miss Manners correctly - but even she acknowledged that it has become a rule observed mainly in the breach. I suspect it’s been a fairly recent change, which is why Walloon’s geneological records would rarely go above III - most IVs and beyond are probably still walking around. I’ve known quite a few IVs here in the Northeast, at least in practising law.