Yeah, it’s funny how even the trashiest British fare (they even showed reruns of Benny Hill on PBS when I was a kid! :s 
) gets considered “educational” and “culturally broadening”.
ah yes sir geoffrey palmer…i’m still using his line from the rise and fall of reggie perrin…“funny chap/strange cove johnny woman”…but now it mostly morphs into “funny chap johnny taiwanese/chinese”…and of course the classic “bit of a cock-up on the catering front”
Of course it depends, but many British men (Scots, En-GER-land, and Welsh) are cold tight-arsed, not gracious or forthcoming friends, non-reciprocal, sneaky, lying, bitter and twisted know-it-alls.
The women are far “warmer” than their male counterparts but they too can be snide bitches.
Brit men lean toward rampant sexism. Is that because there aren’t enough law suits slapped on them?
When I’m at my most cynical, it’s due to having spent bunches of time with my British “mates”.
Brits are humorous, witty, and have a lovely turn of phrase. They are generally fair-minded. The number of eccentrics is higher (which I think is a good thing).
The national character has a few weaknesses; pessimism, envy of success, stinginess, and an aggressive “proud to be ignorant” yahoo culture.
The only stereotypes I’ve heard are:
- bad teeth
- sophisticated humor
[quote=“almas john”]The number of eccentrics is higher (which I think is a good thing).
[/quote]
Higher than where? The highest rate of crazy eccentrics in the English-speaking world is in the American South. The Brits just think they’re “eccentric” because their society is so tight-arsed that anyone who colors outside the lines is considered ‘daring’. Stuff that wouldn’t even bat an eye in most places.
Approximately 40% of all US citizens living outside of the US have psychological disorders. The US embassies around the world (and AIT in Taiwan) spend considerable time assisting in the repatriation of such individuals to the US.
So, if we Americans from the US living abroad seem a bit odd to you other folks, chances are we’ve stopped taking our meds.
Mod Lang wrote:[quote]Higher than where? The highest rate of crazy eccentrics in the English-speaking world is in the American South.[/quote]
Higher than other countries. You’re talking about “crazy eccentrics” and I’m sure southerners would do well on that score. I was thinking of more intelligent eccentrics - you know the kind; mad inventors potting around in the garden shed, lunatic birdwatchers, history buffs and so on. If you go to a small town in the U.K. you will find people you have an amazing knowledge of the local history, fauna and flora, industry or whatever.
Don’t forget the all-eclipsing stereotype in Taiwanese eyes: that being British (or at least English) equates to being a gentleman.
If I had a guinea for every time a Taiwanese has responded to mention of my nationality with “Oh, a gentleman!” or words to that effect, I’d be rich enough to indulge my wildest eccentricity.
Come on, we shouldn’t over generalize. There are all types of Brits. I like most of them, even after living and working there for 6 months back in University under the BUNAC program, I am still a Ha Ying Zhu (Anglophile).
I am a British citizen and love London with all of its smells, interesting alleys, shops, and other attractions. It is the perfect city to get lost in. Samuel Johnson articulated this well with his phrase, ‘When a person is tired of London,they are tired of life!’"
However, the food is pure shiite (local British cuisine at least), and people don’t seem to take care of their teeth that well. Furthermore, with the exception of London’s multi-cultural smorgasbord, I don’t find English ladies to be all that attractive.
As for politics, I enjoy the seediness and club atmosphere of British politics. Red Ken, Tony Benn, Michael Heseltine, Kenneth Clark…all cool cats…I think the phrase that Macmillan said that “Britain was a Greek Empire within the Roman Empire of the US” is still true today. It will never be a superpower again, but when it does things - it does them with stlye and class.
Chewy
Getting back to Geoffrey Palmer’s typical on screen bahaviour, could there be a better fit for that wonderful word, curmudgeonly.
Well, perhaps Victor Meldrew; and add cantankerous to that.
The only Brits I know are on the thin side. Add to that the accent, and I’d probably burst out laughing if one of them approached me for a fight.
However, I’m sure there are a few British rugby players out there who would have me running for the door.
Yes, musn’t forget that stereotype:
Brits: the worst sports fans in the world.
Jeez, blokes, calm dude, no need to riot!
I find british surnames amusing, because in the USA most surnames are foriegn words and don’t have any meaning to my ears. I once met a brit with “TooGood” as a surname. Still makes me snicker when I say it.
I only met brits either as college profs in the USA, or as expats working in HK and ROC. They keep mentioning the class system in the UK. But I figure if they were willing to include me in their social events it must not be a rigid as they think it is. Or maybe its only the non-rigid brits that decide to leave UK to make a living.
Their “dry,” “sarcastic,” “subtle” humour takes a while getting use to. Not to mention their spelling. Can’t they spell like the rest of us.
And it’s much higher for Canadians.
And it’s much higher for Canadians.[/quote]
Yeah, I thought tigerman’s comment was odd as well. The first question that came to my mind was, what’s the % of all US citizens living inside the US who have psychological disorders? How is “psychological disorder” defined?
I seem to recall reading something or other not too long ago saying that 20-25% of all Americans have a Prozac/anti-depressant prescription. Since Prozac is by definition psychoactive, and therefore Americans taking Prozac will likely fall into tigerman’s “psychological disordered” grouping, then it seems to me a big chunk of Americans are wackos already (by the AIT’s definition, anyway). Sheesh, it just may be that those outside US borders are a saner bunch than those inside. [Or, more likely, the difference just isn’t significant.]
tigerman, what does AIT have to say about this phenomenon - are American crazies fleeing the homeland in droves these days? What’s a “psychological disorder”?
The USA is pathologically and psychologically disordered: it’s a nation which has more lawyers than the rest of the world combined and a dependency on psychologists, psychiatrists and counselors.
So tell me CQ, how does that make you FEEEL? 
Buenos Aires has the highest rate of psychiatrists per capita.