# What do Americans think of Britain and the British **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 21, 2006, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539 "2006-09-21T08:29:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/141 "2006-09-25T08:13:15Z")
[QUOTE=Brynda] One interesting observation from this most recent trip is how insecure the men are in relation to America and Americans. For example, they all complained about how American movies stress how “all Americans are great, damm it”, they were overjoyed (in that ha-ha-you-aren’t-so-great-after-all way) that Europe was beating the US on the first day of the Ryder Cup, etc. The OP’s “are we insignificant?” question struck that same chord with me–I think that is what my male in-laws fear. They exude the sort of mild resentment you see when people or teams always come in second, always will come in second, and hate it. When we played a word association game, both loud and obnoxious were paired with American. Sure, we can be loud and obnoxious (especially me!) but again, it seemed to be a reflection of resentment. Interestingly enough, this seemed not to be the case with the women, which to me fits the theory that men are more concerned with pecking order than women. [/QUOTE] Taking the piss out of people isn’t something reserved for Americans, it’s a social leveller that happens between friends, and probably was also going on between the men themselves, but that was less noticeable to you (if one of their football teams had been hammered, you can be sure there’d have been a few comments from the others). Likewise the word association thing - you were the easy target, but another time others would be the butts of the jokes. **Ogre** ’s published letter probably sums this all up better than I can 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 10:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/142 "2006-09-25T10:15:15Z")
[QUOTE=Ogre] I understand the bartender of the pub has my picture up behind the bar. [/QUOTE] In England that usually means - this guy is barred, throw him out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/143 "2006-09-25T12:16:00Z")
[QUOTE=tagos] In England that usually means - this guy is barred, throw him out. 😉 [/QUOTE] This is not a joke BTW…it is very true. If you see your fizzer displayed behind the bar or indeed in any part of the pub it means to aint welcome. Not only that, but these days a lot of pubs/clubs etc have what is called a “Pub Watch” meaning if you’re banned from one you’re banned from the lot. Time to emigrate if you’re on display 'cos your chances of getting a beer are worse than zero ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/144 "2006-09-25T12:17:06Z")
You not to :smack: ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/145 "2006-09-25T12:21:09Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] If you see your fizzer displayed behind the bar or indeed in any part of the pub it means to aint welcome. [/QUOTE] I know of one pub in Ipswich with a snap of George Burley pulling a pint. Maybe he hadn’t paid for it… ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/146 "2006-09-25T20:15:13Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] This is not a joke BTW…it is very true. If you see your fizzer displayed behind the bar or indeed in any part of the pub it means to aint welcome. Not only that, but these days a lot of pubs/clubs etc have what is called a “Pub Watch” meaning if you’re banned from one you’re banned from the lot. Time to emigrate if you’re on display 'cos your chances of getting a beer are worse than zero [/QUOTE] That’s beautiful. 🙂 I love the multilayered sense of humor behind it. On the one hand, I know for a fact that I’m welcome back. I still get email from the landlord occasionally, and my mug behind the bar is indeed a silly photo of me pulling a pint. On the other hand, what a fabulously underhanded way of taking the piss out of the tourist Yank. Pardon me while I email Roger that I fianlly got the joke. Thanks, Dopers. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/147 "2006-09-25T20:28:03Z")
Another great thing about the UK is that the people tend to be realists. For example, when they show fan interviews with supporters of a football team that is doing well, but traditionally doesn’t do well. i.e. Portsmouth, the average fan is realistic about the season, saying things like “it’s still early” or “a top 10 finish would be great”, and not things like “we’re number one, we’re gonna kick Chelsea’s ass”, as is typical when an American sports team gets off to a good start. And I especially love it when the players say, instead of “the guys played great”, “the **lads** played great”. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/148 "2006-09-26T19:25:11Z")
At least some of you have incredibly sexy accents. I can usually tell if an accent is British or Australian, but I find both attractive. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/149 "2006-09-26T19:59:29Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] This is not a joke BTW…it is very true. [/QUOTE] Just on Saturday I saw the photo of a local crazy lady behind the counter in a tourist spot with the word **ASBO** next to it. Both amusing and deeply tragic. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539/150 "2006-09-27T04:17:27Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] Just on Saturday I saw the photo of a local crazy lady behind the counter in a tourist spot with the word **ASBO** next to it. Both amusing and deeply tragic. [/QUOTE] Behind the bar of my local is a picture of our local fruit and nut..“Market Dave” This guy must be the scruffiest, smelliest most obnoxious being since the creation of crow shit. ☹ In the pub one night some while back, he rushed in, grabbed a guys pint, downed it in one and scarpered out again. The look on the guys face :eek: was something to behold…all this happened so fast he hadn’t time to react. After the incident both he and the rest of us who had witnessed this just creased ourselves laughing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-americans-think-of-britain-and-the-british/373539.md?page=7)