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Questions for Americans
Topic Started: May 14 2008, 11:44 AM (682 Views)
Jenster
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Kenny,May 19 2008
10:06 AM
eco
 
Beyond a handful of really obvious regional variations ('Noo Yoik/Joisey', deep south, SoCal)

See, I never thought we had a distinctive accent, but people keep insisting we do. Frankly I don't understand it. The only real difference between Southern Californians and the rest of the state is that our breaths don't reek of granola and green tea, we wear actual shoes, we wear shirts we didn't make ourselves, we commute to work in things with actual engines in them, we have actual jobs to commute to, we drink actual coffee once we're there, we eat stuff that had a pulse, we (particularly the women :blink:) know how to work a razor, we've been to the barber more than once in our entire lifetimes, and our city councils have better things to do than pass pointless resolutions condemning Israel or banning Don Rumsfeld from city limits. Oh, and generally, northern Californians just suck.

Right, Jen? :P

...it's not like I'm from Santa Cruz. Damn. :lol: ...or the People's Republic of Berkeley
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eco
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As far as south-east England is concerned, upbringing (social class, education, etc, etc) probably has a far greater influence on accent than which particular area you're from. For example, I'm from the north coast of Kent (Thames estuary, source of the much-maligned 'estuary English'), and I can't tell Kent from Essex. Sussex, Hampshire or Surrey. Public (private in US parlance) school vs secondary modern (high), however... a lot easier to tell.

Kenny
 
Where in San Diego did you go? Also, you took an entire tour of California, and missed Los Angeles?!

LA - We arrived at LAX, hired a Prius (I know, I know...!), and got the hell out of that dump. No interest in LA at all, we were very happy to get to Santa Barbara for our first night in the US.

SD - We stayed in a hostel in Pacific Beach (the Banana somethingorother). I'd originally intended to see the city - after all, we had three days - however, we were knackered after all the driving (SD was the last stop before returning to Blighty) and ended up being stereotypical British tourists by spending the whole time pissed with the other hostel dwellers. I have a lingering memory of a random Irishman waking me up at 8am by opening a can of Bud Lite (UGH!!!) in my face. Naturally I drank it.

Santa Cruz - There's a wine tasting room at the end of the pier for Beauregard Winery and they make the most amazing wine I've ever tasted. Zinfandel like nectar from the gods.

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The Palentine
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Damn! No love for the yunzer accent. Whats up with that? My buddy Stanley P. Kolchowski and I outta take you jagoffs out to the woodshed and knock yunz around an'at. :lol:
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Iron Felix
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Gruenberg,May 16 2008
10:28 PM
I think we tend to associate Southern drawls with the more unsavoury aspects of America,

I'm listening to Babyshambles and drinking a Newcastle. Does that make me more savoury, in spite of my drawl?
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Jenster
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eco,May 20 2008
07:27 AM
Santa Cruz - There's a wine tasting room at the end of the pier for Beauregard Winery and they make the most amazing wine I've ever tasted. Zinfandel like nectar from the gods.

Wine and beaches are the only good things in Santa Cruz, although, there are better places in California for wine, such as Napa and Sonoma, and from what I understand, Saratoga has good wine as well. But, I digress. :lol:
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eco
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Jenster,May 20 2008
08:54 PM
eco,May 20 2008
07:27 AM
Santa Cruz - There's a wine tasting room at the end of the pier for Beauregard Winery and they make the most amazing wine I've ever tasted. Zinfandel like nectar from the gods.

Wine and beaches are the only good things in Santa Cruz, although, there are better places in California for wine, such as Napa and Sonoma, and from what I understand, Saratoga has good wine as well. But, I digress. :lol:

I lost a glorious week of my life in the Sonoma valley.

Yelda: Newcastle Brown Ale = quite good, Babyshambles = bad (Doherty's a talentless buffoon). Try Elbow.

The Palentine: Iyain' go' no fackin' ideyuh wo' yeronnaba', son!
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Iron Felix
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eco,May 21 2008
08:08 AM
Yelda: Newcastle Brown Ale = quite good, 

Yeah, it's become my usual drink. Other than gin...and vodka...and..
Quote:
 
Babyshambles = bad (Doherty's a talentless buffoon).

But he's such an entertaining talentless buffoon! :lol:
Quote:
 
Try Elbow.

Have. Been listening to them since Asleep in the Back. I like 'em.

[/hijack]
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Kenny
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Why all the hostility for Los Angeles?
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The Palentine
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Kenny,May 23 2008
05:44 PM
Why all the hostility for Los Angeles?

I like Los Angeles, bossman. Not just because Randy Neuman said I should. Los Angeles was the mecca of hair bands and heavy metal in the 80's! :w00t:
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Jenster
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Kenny,May 23 2008
10:44 AM
Why all the hostility for Los Angeles?

Because, I, being from Northern California, am hostile to all things south of like, I don't know, Monterey County. ;) ...and all things north of like Napa...and, you know, east of Hollister. Basically anything outside of the Bay Area. ;)
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eco
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Kenny,May 23 2008
09:44 AM
Why all the hostility for Los Angeles?

I'm probably affected by the stereotype of it being a polluted, crime-infested hellhole. I'm sure it has a lot going for it, but given our timescales and the places we desperately wanted to see (four weeks to take in California, Nevada & Arizona!), we just abandoned any attempt to explore even a small part of the city.

I hope to return some time soonish, maybe even to work in SF for a year or so, in which case I'll probably give LA a chance. But cities aren't ordinarily my priority; I much prefer to visit beautiful landscapes. Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Washington, Oregon and, er, most of Canada are on my to-do list...
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Cobdenia
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Kenny,May 23 2008
09:44 AM
Why all the hostility for Los Angeles?

I was living there between the ages of 12 and 16, which isn't a particular good age to live in LA, especially as I was at school in the UK. Meant I had no freinds my age, I couldn't get anywhere on my own, and, I don't know how to describe it, but at the time it felt like it had all the disadvantages of living in a city without any of the advantages (no buzzing down town, no public transport, no "buzz", etc).
There were some things I liked - I'm a big movie buff so, naturally, I enjoyed a lot of that side of LA.
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Gruenberg
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Are there particular regional/age/gender/race differences in which sports Americans watch? For example, in the UK, (as a generalisation) rugby union is a Southern English/Scottish/Welsh game, whereas Rugby League is a Northern English game (and more working class).
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The Palentine
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Gruenberg,May 27 2008
03:01 PM
Are there particular regional/age/gender/race differences in which sports Americans watch? For example, in the UK, (as a generalisation) rugby union is a Southern English/Scottish/Welsh game, whereas Rugby League is a Northern English game (and more working class).

in my area of the USofA, College(NCAA) and Professional Football(NFL) is king. All ages and sexes watch. As a matter of fact, some womenfolk are more passionate oubout their "Stillers", then some guys. In the summer

Baseball is a sport that also is popular in the summer, and transcends all bounderies. It is popular everywhere.
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Kenny
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Young guys tend to be more into basketball or football (the non-soccer variety) than anything else. (I don't watch college basketball or football very often, so I can't tell you about their appeal.) There is a certain affection for baseball, but nothing at all like the way it is romanticized in American television, cinema and George Will columns. :rolleyes:

I was going to say that girls that are into sports are mostly into whatever their boyfriends or brothers are -- but I can't think of a way to phrase it without it sounding sexist. Even though it's true.

Soccer is mostly ignored in the U.S., with the exception of the Olympics, and if USA is winning (which is a rare occasion indeed). I refer to professional soccer, of course; in school we play soccer just as much as any other sport. In fact, I remember our class playing the African Children's Choir when they visited our elementary school, and, well, we got our pants beaten off. ;)

Rugby is nonexistant here. I once saw a rugby match on TV, and it was honestly one of the funniest things I ever saw in my life. Couldn't tell you if it was Rugby League or rugby union, however.
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