# What are some things about your own culture you understand "foreigners" would find weird? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 25, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906 "2009-06-25T03:21:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**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:** [June 30, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/121 "2009-06-30T01:16:01Z")
Can we just agree that kiwifruit are delicious? Possibly kiwis too, but I don’t have one handy to lick. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/122 "2009-06-30T01:16:48Z")
> [@Martini\_Enfield](#): > > I > > I don’t think _anyone_ in NZ is offended by being compared to a small, tasty fruit- but it is both mildly amusing and irritating at the same time. Sorry for the multi posts… Thanks Mr Enfield, yes its annoying but not offensive by itself. What is offensive is being called on it and then getting the response - “I don’t care - that’s what we call it around here” ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/123 "2009-06-30T01:42:37Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Thanks Mr Enfield, yes its annoying but not offensive by itself. What is offensive is being called on it and then getting the response - “I don’t care - that’s what we call it around here” How do you feel about Americans “correcting” you because you don’t use exactly the same words or the same spellings as we do for everything? ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/124 "2009-06-30T01:48:53Z")
There’s a certain subtlety in saying “We took our nickname from a small brown hairy bird, so it bothers us when you use that name for a small brown hairy fruit,” that may be difficult for outsiders to appreciate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/125 "2009-06-30T02:27:12Z")
> [@ghardester](#): > > How about US Football? The ball only occationally is kicked with the feet. What the rest of the world thinks of as football is soccer. Ahem, rest of the world except Australia. And Japan. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/126 "2009-06-30T02:35:54Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > 1. So what? The CANADIAN dictionary calls it something…there have been three kiwis here that have told you its offensive - are they all talking out their arseholes? **You** say it’s offensive. Others from your neck of the woods seem to disagree. What a person calls _another person_ can be offensive. What a person calls a goddamned _plant_ isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/127 "2009-06-30T02:36:09Z")
> [@bengangmo](#): > > Sorry for the multi posts… > > Thanks Mr Enfield, yes its annoying but not offensive by itself. What is offensive is being called on it and then getting the response - “I don’t care - that’s what we call it around here” I guess it also depends on how much experience you have with something. I’m a foreigner living in Japan, AKA gaijin (foreign person). However, that word will never be used in a media publication, only the more “correct” gaikokujin (foreign-country person) gets printed/said. There are some (but not many) gaijin who are offended by the use of that term. If I encountered one of those people, I would make it a point to not call them a gaijin. However, I would never dream of changing how I use the term in general because some people are offended by it. That’s because I have experience with the general sentiment of how the term is viewed, and know that it’s not offensive to most, and not offensive to me. ETA: Also, what about the case where the term mulatto is offensive in the US but not in… um, I can’t remember-- South America, or the Caribbean perhaps? Isn’t that a case of “Well, that’s what we say around here.” ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/128 "2009-06-30T04:39:11Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > **You** say it’s offensive. Others from your neck of the woods seem to disagree. > > What a person calls _another person_ can be offensive. What a person calls a goddamned _plant_ isn’t. Er no. Have said its annoying - it crosses into offensive when explained how wrong it is and you can’t be bothered to change. And it is wrong. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/129 "2009-06-30T04:44:44Z")
[quote=“BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed, post:127, topic:500906”] I guess it also depends on how much experience you have with something. I’m a foreigner living in Japan, AKA gaijin (foreign person). However, that word will never be used in a media publication, only the more “correct” gaikokujin (foreign-country person) gets printed/said. There are some (but not many) gaijin who are offended by the use of that term. If I encountered one of those people, I would make it a point to not call them a gaijin. However, I would never dream of changing how I use the term in general because some people are offended by it. QUOTE] I am a caucasian (I don’t like the term and don’t identify that way) living in Singapore - aka an “ang moh”. Its not exactly a polite term, but not really a perjporative either but meh - I don’t care too much about it. People often refer to me as “the angmoh” (hence the username) For those that can translate my wife alternately refers to me as “chou ang moh” and “sai quai loh” (yeah she’s Cantonese) ---
**Author:** ![Jennyrosity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/2bfe46/32.png) [@Jennyrosity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennyrosity)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/130 "2009-06-30T06:58:58Z")
What seems to puzzle most non-British people is that drinking is our national sport, that very few, if any, social events go ahead without alcohol, and that most of us think that’s normal. From what I’ve seen on these boards, your average Brit’s average weekend drinking would be regarded as borderline alcoholism by most Americans, and at least rather undesirable behaviour by other nationalities. That, and most “traditional” British dishes, especially our willingness to eat offal. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 9:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/131 "2009-06-30T09:02:11Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > What seems to puzzle most non-British people is that drinking is our national sport, that very few, if any, social events go ahead without alcohol, and that most of us think that’s normal. From what I’ve seen on these boards, your average Brit’s average weekend drinking would be regarded as borderline alcoholism by most Americans, and at least rather undesirable behaviour by other nationalities. > > That, and most “traditional” British dishes, especially our willingness to eat offal. Then what would an American think of a New Zealander or an Australian? ---
**Author:** ![Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@Nicolas\_Bourbaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nicolas_Bourbaki)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/132 "2009-06-30T09:57:09Z")
> [@Sigmagirl](#): > > Butter burgers: > Photo and recipe! What the fuck, Wisconsin. What the _fuck_. Mississippi does this too, though; I had a grilled cheese sandwich there and it was like it only existed as a butter delivery device. The bread was, without hyperbole, soaked clean through, both slices. It was practically translucent. As for what’s weird about California? I guess for someone from anywhere but Amsterdam, it’d be our drug laws. You got the right card in your wallet, you can go into an ordinary store with a clear and unambiguous sign, and buy some weed. ---
**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/133 "2009-06-30T10:17:24Z")
> [@BellRungBookShut-CandleSnuffed](#): > > That’s because I have experience with the general sentiment of how the term is viewed, and know that it’s not offensive to most, and not offensive to me. I suspect that you are either female or over 40 years old, no? You have a different experience than others, that is all. Edit - I realized after posting that what I wrote sounds horrible, but, really, that’s the way things work here. Women foreigners, or older foreigners, get a lot less in-your-face rudeness directed at them. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/134 "2009-06-30T11:27:42Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > **You** say it’s offensive. Others from your neck of the woods seem to disagree. > > What a person calls _another person_ can be offensive. What a person calls a goddamned _plant_ isn’t. \ ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/135 "2009-06-30T11:50:43Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The Canadian Oxford Dictionary lists the fruit as being called either a “kiwi” or a “kiwifruit,” so either word is correct here. > > Why are you so worked up about it? What difference does it make to you? > Actually, it’s originally from China. The world’s largest producer is Italy. For a guy who accuses others of being too lazy to bother naming the fruit correctly, you don’t know much about it. I’m pretty sure most New Zealanders know where kiwifruit came from originaly. We also know that New Zealand named, marketed and transformed the chinese gooseberry into the kiwifruit. The only reason Italy is the largest producer is because, while in the middle of a bonanza, New Zealand sold our hybrids (biggest national mistake EVER). What difference does it make to us? A SHITLOAD! For all you who merrily call the fruit a kiwi it may seem insignifigant but to us it means a lot. WE are Kiwi’s not kiwifruit but Kiwi’s. Our National symbol is a Kiwi not a kiwifruit. When you meet a NZer anywhere in the world they will tell you they are a Kiwi as often as they will tell you they are a New Zealander. It makes a difference because it is how we identify ourselves. What we can’t understand is why you can’t use the real name for the fruit…do you have a problem between grapes and grapefruit? ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/136 "2009-06-30T12:02:49Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > There’s a certain subtlety in saying “We took our nickname from a small brown hairy bird, so it bothers us when you use that name for a small brown hairy fruit,” that may be difficult for outsiders to appreciate. 🙂 What is subtle about saying “STOP CALLING THE FRUIT KIWI!” ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/137 "2009-06-30T12:06:07Z")
> [@Jennyrosity](#): > > What seems to puzzle most non-British people is that drinking is our national sport, that very few, if any, social events go ahead without alcohol, and that most of us think that’s normal. From what I’ve seen on these boards, your average Brit’s average weekend drinking would be regarded as borderline alcoholism by most Americans, and at least rather undesirable behaviour by other nationalities. > > That, and most “traditional” British dishes, especially our willingness to eat offal. I don’t love offal but the British drinking anscestory is living strong in the Antipodes. ---
**Author:** ![Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/848f3c/32.png) [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fuzzy_Dunlop)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/138 "2009-06-30T12:19:58Z")
> [@calm\_kiwi](#): > > What we can’t understand is why you can’t use the real name for the fruit…do you have a problem between grapes and grapefruit? Kiwifruit, Kiwibirds and Kiwihumans are extremely easy to differentiate in context. If I asked a friend to put grapes in the fruit salad I’d have no reasonable basis to expect her to know that I really meant grapefruit but couldn`t bother to say “fruit”. If I asked her to put some sliced kiwi in a fruit salad and she cut up a brown bird or god forbid a new zealander, she’d be totally insane. If I learned that, in New Zealand, Kiwihumans enjoyed eating a fruit they called “passion”, I admit I would be surprised and amused that they decided to call the fruit “passion” when I call it “passion fruit”. But I wouldn`t be offended, because it’s extremely similar and pretty easy to see why the word fruit got dropped. People do things differently in different parts of the world. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/139 "2009-06-30T12:36:05Z")
Excellent! I will no longer feel any guilt in calling Americans Yanks. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2009, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906/140 "2009-06-30T12:41:28Z")
> [@Fuzzy\_Dunlop](#): > > Kiwifruit, Kiwibirds and Kiwihumans How often do American’s come in contact with a Kiwi (bird) or a Kiwi (person). Surely getting one name right can’t be that onerous. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-some-things-about-your-own-culture-you-understand-foreigners-would-find-weird/500906.md?page=8)