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Started By
Message
Saying you are from "America" when traveling abroad
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:42 pm
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:42 pm
Do you tell people you are from the U.S. or America when traveling?
A friend of mine mentioned how his roommate told people he was from America when asked where they were from. He thought this was kind of silly given they were in a South American country and under the premise of anyone from NA or SA is technically "American".
While I personally respond by saying i'm from the United States, in his defense, globally anything associated with the States is referred to as "American" (ie American flag, American food, American culture, the Americans), so I wouldn't say it was a complete faux pas.
A friend of mine mentioned how his roommate told people he was from America when asked where they were from. He thought this was kind of silly given they were in a South American country and under the premise of anyone from NA or SA is technically "American".
While I personally respond by saying i'm from the United States, in his defense, globally anything associated with the States is referred to as "American" (ie American flag, American food, American culture, the Americans), so I wouldn't say it was a complete faux pas.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:43 pm to tylerlsu2008
I hear people in South America go ballistic over saying America.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:45 pm to tylerlsu2008
Sometimes people would say "hunh?" when I said U.S. if their English wasn't great. America seemed to work best in general in my experience. I noticed a lot of people acted like they never heard of New Orleans when I said that was where I was born, when they were asking about my accent. They all heard of California and usually got really happy about it. Some were wearing San Francisco shirts, so it was easy to say I was from there.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:47 pm to tylerlsu2008
"Bitch I'm from Louisiana"
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:48 pm to tylerlsu2008
If you are from a small town just tell them the town.. For some reason its a pet peeve of mine when someone is asked where they are from and they say "humpkinville, California".. Dude California is a big fricking state, give me a region then tell me the name of your shitty town later.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:48 pm to tylerlsu2008
I tell people I'm from the states.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:48 pm to tylerlsu2008
I say I'm from "the States"
Which is really weird because I only say it abroad and never thought about it beforehand and just went with that. Seems to be the generally used lingo.
Which is really weird because I only say it abroad and never thought about it beforehand and just went with that. Seems to be the generally used lingo.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:49 pm to tylerlsu2008
I usually tell people I run a brothel in Manila. That stops the conversation right quick.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:49 pm to tylerlsu2008
quote:
A friend of mine mentioned how his roommate told people he was from America when asked where they were from. He thought this was kind of silly given they were in a South American country and under the premise of anyone from NA or SA is technically "American".
Yeah, clearly everyone knows you're an American as soon as you open your trap though. I usually said I was from Mississippi and not America when asked. The British mostly did the same as well and were a bit more specific. It's really rhetorical to say you're from America, although there's an off-chance you're Canadian or grew up in Hong Kong.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:49 pm to tylerlsu2008
Well, as soon as I speak, most know I'm from the U.S. That said, if there's a question, then I say the "U.S.".
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:51 pm to tylerlsu2008
On an international flight a flight attendant was passing out declaration forms.
When he asked country of origin, I replied "America."
He answered back with "which one?"
When he asked country of origin, I replied "America."
He answered back with "which one?"
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:51 pm to tylerlsu2008
If I am in Mexico I say I am from Louisiana. If they look puzzled I tell them it's a state right next to Texas. Then they seem to know exactly where I am talking about.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:51 pm to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
I say I'm from "the States"
And this as well. Aside from the 4th of July, I rarely addressed America as anything but the States when I was over there. Lots of Latin Americans will roll their eyes at you if you say you're from "America".
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:52 pm to SuwMwf
The French to my surprise actually knew Alabama. "You like country music! Hank Williams!" was the usual response
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:53 pm to tylerlsu2008
United States of America. You have to do it so people understand you, and you don't piss off people who live in north or south america.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:54 pm to OMLandshark
quote:
Yeah, clearly everyone knows you're an American as soon as you open your trap though. I usually said I was from Mississippi and not America when asked. The British mostly did the same as well and were a bit more specific. It's really rhetorical to say you're from America, although there's an off-chance you're Canadian or grew up in Hong Kong.
My well-traveled wife had this paranoia in India that she should say we were British or Canadian. Which I thought was funny and they seemed to believe her. I just kept with the US angle.
Her "stupid American" jokes also went over like a lead balloon about 20 times, which had me dying by the end of the trip every time they gave her a confused look.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:54 pm to Hawkeye95
They're already pissed off because you're a Yank/Gringo
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:54 pm to RummelTiger
quote:
Well, as soon as I speak, most know I'm from the U.S. That said, if there's a question, then I say the "U.S.".
outside of europe and ANZ, they don't though. Everyone in indonesia thought I was from Netherlands. Go figure.
Posted on 5/25/16 at 6:55 pm to genro
quote:
The French to my surprise actually knew Alabama. "You like country music! Hank Williams!" was the usual response
On Rhodes, I told some Welsh guy I was from Mississippi. He immediately exclaimed "I love David Banner!"
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