I was insulted in England?

Question

Why are we called "Septic Tanks"?
You speak English, watch American movies/TV shows, listen to American bands, buy from American stores, eat American food, drive American vehicles, use American technology and this is what you call us?
You should respect us. We protect your country; feed your country; provide you with all the entertainment. Why would you turn your backs on us?

Answer 1

Sounds like you have an attitude problem. In Australia you would be called a seppo.

Answer 2

Excuse me, English is our language, it developed here. Where do you get off using it as a reason you're country's good?

We watch quite few US TV shows, most are English. The BBC is the worlds largest broadcasting company, and they can more than afford o finance their own programmes.
As for bands; what about the Who, the Beatles, Queen, Rolling Stones, etc, etc. They were all popular in the US, and they were British, yet do you here us complaining? Still, most of the popular bands here are British, even though they aren't popular in the USA.
There are very few US cars around, a few fords and Chevy's, and few people drive those. Almost all the cars we drive are British or European.
American food? What, McDonald's, donuts and Burger King? Thank you for that truly essential input into our country, how could we do without you...
I assure you most food in Britain is not American in origin; most is British, some EU and some from countries where they grow things we can't.
Technology. Well a lot of technology is American yes, some of the technology you use is British. The Phone is British, as is the fax machine. The Light bulb is British. The jet engine is too. Trains too. Radar. Submarine. Steel. Some aspects on the TV and Radio. Admittedly, much of the more modern technology is US, like Computers, but, what with our history as an industrial nation, we did more for world Technology then than anyone has since.

Erm, just a minute. How exactly do you protect us? You bloody well don't! We aid you in your wars and we've got nothing in return, not that we expected to. You don't protect us at all. In both the World Wars you only turned up when there was no longer any chance of you losing, and when you were dragged into it against your will.
You don't feed us at all, even the food which is 'American style' doesn't come from the US. The assumption that you do feed us is both ignorant and arrogant to the max. That's why your country is hated, the arrogance and ignorance you're displaying now.
All the entertainment? As I said, few of the programmes we have on TV are US in origin, so once again I think you may be ridiculously over estimating your effect on the world.

I don't condone people mocking you just for being US. But it is the arrogance and ignorance you are displaying now that causes it, so in your case it was probably deserved. We have much more reason to not respect your country. You're government and Hollywood especially. Suffice to say, once again, ignorance and arrogance has turned the world against you. Hollywood tries to rewrite history in your favour. You continually spout facts about us and WWII without having any historical knowledge, because if you did you'd know better. You have one of the worst human rights records in the world for a developed country. You torture people in Guantanamo Bay. You didn't even give black people equal rights until the mid sixties, and then it was only in theory. You have rampant gun crime. Your government encouraged Israel to have out Hezbollah. You're doing terrible damage to the environment, and you refused to sign the Kyoto protocol. Your government is crap.You don't have a completely free press, or complete freedom of speech. Corrupt government. You treat all other nations like crap. You're armed forces blow up their allies. You refuse to acknowledge that your country isn't always right. Etc, etc.

What exactly in that list gives you the right to be respected the world over?

Normally I wouldn't have got this annoyed, but your question smacked of that arrogance. And BTW, septic tank is rhyming slang.

Answer 3

A couple days ago was the first time I had ever heard that term. My boyfriend was telling me that while the vast majority of Aussies like the "yanks", the ones who don't use the term "septic tanks". He is not really totally sure how it evolved, and did try to give me some weak explanation, and really pushed the "most like the yanks" angle.

But, I was not insulted. You can't please all the people, all of the time. And people from other countries are just as entitled to free thought and speech as we are.

LOL just because we push our culture on every other country in the world does not mean we deserve or have a right to command their respect!

I can think of a lot of derrogatory names some people in America have used for people from other countries... If you want respect, you have to give it.

But don't be offended, the name is not specifically aimed at you... unless you behaved like a real jerk over there... if that is the case, then the name is yours!

Answer 4

It's not an insult, it's Cockney rhyming slang. There's lots of examples of Cockney rhyming slang that's found its way into everyday British English. Examples include phrases such as "Use your loaf" for "Use your head" (loaf of bread = head), "pork pie" = "lie" (often heard as "porky pie"), "apple and pears" = "stairs" and "septic tank" = "yank". So, before you get your knickers in a twist, he has simply calling you an American...

And just to your later comments, especially "You speak English" as if to suggest Americans have a monopoly on English. Yes, we do listen to American bands, buy from American stores, eat American food etc, but we also eat spaghetti bolognaise, curry, and buy renaults and fiat cars. And a lot of our entertainment isn't American. It is also interesting to note that whilst the US is the largest investor in the UK, the UK is also the largest investor in the US.

So to your question "I was insulted in England?" the answer is "no." And even if you are insulted, take it with a pinch of salt. Australians call us pommies (from POM, Prisoner of the Motherland) and limies. And I think Whatlaa's suggestion of Cockney Rhyming Slang for "Brit" is funny, not offensive.

Answer 5

You were insulted in England? And you didn't go straight to the American Embassy?
Get over it. You've never been insulted in America? They're people. People who have a right to voice their opinions. And at least one of them believes that "we" are Septic Tanks. It's doubtful that that person speaks for the entire country.

Oh, and by the way, we do NOT protect their country, feed their country, provide them with all the entertainment!! Where did you get that idea? They have their own military, grown and raise their own food and, if memory serves, they're quite big in the entertainment business!

Get over it.

Answer 6

Man, the british mentality is a more conservative one, they look onto you as tha bastrad children of some explorers of their nation, that they sent away to get rid of them. You are God's children, and still you don't feed the brits, you do not give them entertainment, so shut the **** up! I'm not a brit still anyone has the right to insult you, as long as they have a reason, just like u have this right. This is life man, you get insulted, get over it, because a prick said something nasty about you, that doesn't make what that guy said true, it is true only if u want it to be true.
My advice: get over it!( some brits are really crancky, that's how they are ).

Answer 7

You were insulted? Aww, diddums....

You've never been insulted in America? And you're from NYC - famed as one of the rudest cities in the world?

'Septic tanks', btw, is cockney rhyming slang, and the Cockneys pride themselves on being disrespectful about everyone and everything. Think yourself lucky they didn't call you a 'right berk'. (You might need to look that one up.)

Answer 8

Septic Tank is rhyming slang for Yank...nothing more.

However, given your arrogant, assenine, short-sighted rant I suspect you may get called a few other names.

Like James Blunt, do you what that's rhyming slang for?

Answer 9

i see by everyone elses answers they have to say what i do get over it oh by the way septic tank is a waste collecting tank so maybe your rude attitude got to them and they thought you are a waste .. now you have been insulted in America to

Answer 10

You wrote the exact same thing the other day! Using the exact same pointers. Ill respect someone/something when and where I Chose. Not some jumped up little naive american s***.

Answer 11

i dont understand y u think like this. i dont think so . someone call u people septic tank. u r have wrong motions about ur own country