Do you English really feel superior to us Americans?

Question

If so, why? And please, I don't want to hear about how one people is never superior to another and bla bla. Take that nonsense and go make a daisy chain or something. Oh, and when you call us "Yanks", does the term have a derogatory meaning in your mind? Do you think you associate the term with things like stupidity, etc.?

Answer 1

We used to be superior to everyone. Now we are just as crap as you Americans.

Answer 2

My daughter has a theory that people always feel superior to others who speak the same language as them but with a different accent, as if the others are "getting it wrong" That is particularly noticable with English because, well it is our language after all, it's not just americans, we feel superior to the irish, the Scots, and the Welsh as well.

The other thing which creates the perception for the English that Amercians are a bit dim is the TV. Firstly it tends to be very moralist trying to put across a message all the time. Secondly, those reality TV things with accidents, true crime and that kind of stuff. They show the clip in the introduction, show the clip again to say it's coming up, show it when they are showing it, once or maybe twice, then show it again to show people that they've seen it. Sometimes we might have seen the same bit of film 5 or 6 times by the end of the show. Enough already! 1 time will do, we are not stupid! We can comprehend the scene on the first showing. Sadly some English reality shows are now made in a similar format, presumable to cater for the Amercian market.

Thirdly, and I think this is an extention of the above mentioned problem, joke needs the punch line explained. That's why Amercians have a hard time grasping British humour, we have the punch line, we interpret it ourselves, we laugh. American humour, punch line, explaination of why it was funny, they laugh.

Also a lot of Amercians seem to be of the view that the Amercian way of life is the only one that anybody should aspire to. So it's justified to go and "liberate" people who aren't living like that, but people have a right to make their own choices about how they live and it might not be the Amercian way.

Some of you seem to think you invented the internet....you didn't it was the Swiss, check it out.

You voted George Bush in? Hello, what are we supposed to think. That university that has been studying the IQ of Presidents since about Lincoln's time, what did they assess his IQ as? 98 I think.

And of course English people tend to associate obesity with stupidity and Amercians with obesity which doesn't help.

British soldiers are told, if you are fighting a war with Amercians, keep away from them, even if they are on your side, they are dangerous. Who invented the concept of "friendly fire"?

The Amercian speech pattern sound very pretentious to English ears. Why say verbalise when you can say talk. A lot of English people assume it is waffle designed to make up for a lack of actual knowledge. Then of course there is the spelling, or misspelling of English words. English is a language made up of many different route languages. During it's evolution it has been simplified as much as it necessary in terms of grammar and spelling. The Amercians still couldn't cope and had to try and make it even simplier. Ok we don't mind, but it does make you look a bit silly.

Personally I don't think that Amercia has any more, or any less idiots per head of population than any other country in the world. But the traits that are presented to the world are possible not the most attractive ones.

Answer 3

No, Why? Do you feel inferior? I quite like most Americans I have met during numerous holidays I have spent over there, plus those that I have met on the bases over here. In general, you are not much different to us (not surprising considering a lot of Americans would probably be able to trace their Ancestry to somewhere in Europe). The term "Yanks" has a number of possible meanings - one possibly being derogatory. It is possible that it came from the Dutch Word Janke, meaning "little John" - This was used as a term of contempt during the 17th Century as it was also the name for Pirates. However the first recorded usage of the word was used as a term to describe the first settlers of New Britain. During the American Revolution it was adopted as a term of National Pride by the American Soldiers and has stuck since then. It's not much different to why Americans call the British Limey's - which comes from the fact that British Sailors used to drink Lime juice to avoid getting scurvy. I wouldn't class either as being derogatory. Like everywhere else in the World, there are stupid Americans, as there are stupid English, French, Russians blah, blah ,blah

It would appear that most people here believe all of the stereotypes and crap that other people have said. Firstly - I don't smell raw or have bad teeth - and I don't require hours of plastic surgery to keep me that way. Secondly, the Americans would not have won the American Revolution without the assistance of the French and a few other European Countries. The British had you till the French got involved - Learn your own history before making statements about "kicking butt". Thirdly, as I said previously - most of us are probably related somewhere along the lines whether you like it or not. Grow up

Answer 4

The simple fact is that we English are superior to all other nations, however, because everyone knows it, we don't have to say it. Shouting about that kind of thing just would never do, it's simply not cricket. We all know our place in life ... We English at the top and everyone else looking at us with awe.

When I think of the term 'Yank', to me it's just a slang version of 'American'. However, since I know that it can seem derogatory and I have a cultural bias against being rude, I try not to use it.

Answer 5

Maybe you should turn the question around and ask yourself what makes the Americans think they are so superior that they should try and impose their way of thinking on the rest of the world.
OK so you beat us in the war for Independence but this is probably the last thing you ever got right and it was 200 years ago. Since then you have had Viet Nam, Iraq, Afghanistan. and many other wars where you have had your *** kicked by underdeveloped, under funded people around the world. I tend to think you underestimate other peoples commitment to there beliefs and have god given right to impose your will on the rest of the world
And finally to answer your question It isn't the British who have a superiority complex is the American who have an inferiority complex.

Answer 6

I think a lot of Britons, especially from the middle classes, look down on the US.

The reason for this is probably because cultural imports from the USA, which flooded Europe after the war have generally been percieved as being of low aesthetic or intellectual standard.

The most obvious example of this is Amerrican fast food, which is disgusting, and lacks nutritional value.

The term "yank" is usually meant unpleasantly. It doesn't have particularly strong negative connotatons, but tends to imply slight imbecility.

The lower classes in the UK are usually more pro-American. They see nothing wrong with US television and like the populism inherant in US cultural values. They sit on their sofas
in their sweat-pants and Nikies, watching idiotic game-shows, eating chicken McNuggets, steadily growing more and more obese.

Answer 7

Yanks does not mean anything derogatory.
You have a reputation fuelled by your president, and the sort of person you elect, Reagan, etc. its a laugh to see it, you seem to think life is a western or a hollywood set and vote these fools into office.
your current president is just as stupid and he's an ambassador for you all. For us in uk its like watching a comedy, all that goes on in your country. and, your comedy shows are not comedy at all.
your ideals and attitudes and assertiveness over rule common decency.
as a nation your war mongering is a ral pain in the ***.and drags us all into your idiotic desire to rule the world and push your attitudes and morals on the rest of the world, disrespecting other's cultures and diversities and trying to walk all over them to secure votes, and the people follow these idiotic governing remarks like sheep.
china will sort you out one day.
when i say, you, i mean america.
some of your accents are whining and moaning and really grate on the ear.
If you have bothered to read this far you will see i am not so keen on america and all i have outlined above are reasons why ANY country is superior to america not just uk citizens.
this is a personal view and i do not represent the views of others, (although most of uk agree with me).

Answer 8

Nope,I don't feel in the slightest bit superior to you-visited America a couple of times & to be honest I found Americans to be warmer,friendlier & more polite than the folks at home.
(although sorry,Americans,but a lot of you do seem to be a little obsessed with teeth today!!)

Answer 9

nope yank isn't meant as a derogatory term, the vast majority here feel a closeness with Americans, yup we do get some light digs in but hey we wouldn't let anyone else do it that's for sure hey your our cousins

Answer 10

You had better believe it baby! And it is not just a feeling it is a proven fact. The word "yank" will be for ever associated with the World War !! saying "There are several things wrong about Yanks - they are over sexed, over paid and over here" It strikes me that the stereotype Yank is an obese, loud mouthed, gun-toting gangster who wears a Stetson hat and says "excuse me ma'am" while mugging tourists.
Was it stupidity that the Yank finger on the trigger blew away British soldiers or was it sanity?

Answer 11

Every one is equal in the eyes of god, except G.W.Bush, just ask him, or better still ask the people ( our troops ) who are standing toe-toe with American soldiers. No one feels superior in cases like that. Ref- Yanks, that was a smash hit at the movies both here in the U-K as well as America. Just to finish of, if the cap fits? then wear it, another U-K saying.