Silly questions asked by yanks

Owen

Can't believe no one's posted about the Cliffs of Mohair yet.

My ginger sister was mistaken for a Leprechaun when she was a kid. Could have had something to do with the fact that my Mother had her in a green coat, with black shoes that had shiny buckles on, but all the Americans at the Parade went apeshiat over her.

onlyrocknroll

Some of these aren't that bad

Reindeer wrote: »

"Is it always this sunny?" My response? - "No, we have night as well"

I'm sure you knew what he meant.

"What is jerky?" - "You don't want to know"
"Is it beef?" - "Beef jerky is, yes"
"What is beef jerky, then?" - "Jerky made of beef"
"What is jerky?"
"How can you eat jelly with peanut butter?" - "Because jelly is basically a thin jam in the US, and not Jell-O, which is the US version of Irish/UK et al 'jelly'. Regardless, there's always room for Jell-O"

Reasonable questions, if someone asked me what colcannon was I'd tell them

"This is a small pint!" - "It's one US pint. An Imperial pint is 4 ounces more. Would you rather be paying $2.50 here for 16 ounces or 6-8E there for 4 more ounces?"

It's not that stupid to be unaware that there are different measurements in the US.

"Where can I get a good Kebab?" - "Ireland"

It's stupid to ask where you can get Turkish food? I got one in Austin.

Americans may not be the most worldly-wise people on the planet, but I do know for a fact that I have yet to see an Irish bashing thread come up on any of the US forums I frequent with any of the consistency that I see American-bashing threads appear here. I also take note when I see the administrators quickly lock or remove threads daring to be insulting towards other nationalities and cultures or traditions(even when some points are statistically valid), and yet this thread, and threads like these, barrel right along.

TBF most posters haven't been insulting towards Americans and there's been a lot of acknowledgement that Irish people can be stupid abroad often. It's just harmless fun making.

krudler

siltirocker wrote: »

Well in many parts of the world including America, tracksuits and sportsgear aren't worn socially and they find it bizarre.

Can't blame them.

huh? you see people wearing nfl jerseys and tracksuit pants evreywhere in the states, I saw people wearing tracksuit pants in nightclubs when i was over there, but it doesnt have the knacker connotation it has over here so its accepted

bodhrandude

I remember this cracker from a mate who was travelling on Bus Eireann to Limerick from Galway, as the bus was passing Bunratty Castle he heard an American say, "How convenient to have a castle near a freeway."

thebostoncrab

I've had alot of the usual silly questions, both from yanks and everyone else, but only recently I had this beauty:

I was on the Dublin to Galway train, getting ready to hop off at Clara. While standing at the door an American student left her group of friends and came up to me and asked me a question:

"Excuse me sir, is the next stop Gal-Witha?"

"Sorry?"

"Gaaal-Wiiitha, is it the next stop?"

"Do you mean Galway?"

"No, Gal-Witha, why do you Irish keep saying it wrong?"

"Are you trying to say the Irish for it? It's pronounced Gail-ibh (I know it's not correct spelling I was trying to pronounce it for her.)"

"No I know the Irish for it, I'm asking you the English version of it, but noone here can pronounce it correctly."

At this point the train has stopped and I had to hop off, so I just said Galway is the very last stop if you're getting off in the city. I don't mind someone pronouncing a name wrong and I like hearing people try the Irish names, but that was just ignorent!

midlandsmissus

InTheTrees wrote: »

Its also important to remember that Americans have fewer words in their vocabulary. I think its because the language has become abbreviated over time to accommodate the languages of different immigrants.

You can say things like "half ten" and they wont understand. There's a myriad of lesser examples too. Er, you'll get blank stares if you say "happy christmas" for instance. there's so many instances where we may have a choice of four or five words and they will only have one.

It adds to the confusion. But it also explains why Ireland has so many poets...

He's right there as I have had personal experience of both! An american girl told me she thought 'half ten' was a bizarre way of telling the time. 'Half ten? What, you mean five?' They say 10:30. Our way doesn't actually make that much sense if you think about it. Another american lad told me he thought 'happy christmas' was a bizarre thing to say, they say merry christmas only. It really makes you look at your own idiosynchonicitries when you go away!

mikemac

"shoving connie around the green"

Ah no, I don't remember many particularly stupid questions.
A lot were sure Belfast was a war zone though and they were very unsure and nervous

But I blame hysterical media, not them.

Doylers

I met a fella about 2 years ago. He was coming over form america for about 3 weeks. His friends and teacher asked him would it be weird not having indoor toilets.

mikemac

dclane wrote: »

Bunratty castle is amazing, but why did they build to close to the road?

bodhrandude wrote: »

I remember this cracker from a mate who was travelling on Bus Eireann to Limerick from Galway, as the bus was passing Bunratty Castle he heard an American say, "How convenient to have a castle near a freeway."

Vizzy wrote: »

Was in Bunratty at the Banquet a few years ago and the place was packed with Americans
Anyway,afterwards one guy asks me "sir,can you tell me why they built the castle so near the highway" !

I had to be helped away.

That's some coincidence :eek:
And an old one as urban legends go

darsar

In Miami;

Me: Sorry (as i stretch across her to grab my drink from the bar)

Her: Wow, Are you Eyerish?

Me: Yeah

Her: Oh my god, totally cool accent. I know a guy from Eyerland. You probably know him, Pat O' Donnell?

evil_seed

Which way to two-am? (Tuam)

Yank: Oh cool a phillies tshirt, you support them?
me: yeah kinda
yank: oh, are you british?
me: are you ****ing mexican?
everyone in earshot pissed themselves laughing

do you guys swear in Ireland?
Have you ever had a big mac?, they're awesome!. :rolleyes:

old hippy

feelingstressed wrote: »

That's some coincidence :eek:
And an old one as urban legends go

Indeed, I heard it around 30 years ago!

metrovelvet

My father used to complain to me about Americans not pronouncing their Ts distinctly. I told him he would have a point when he learned how to pronounce his THs distinctly. Until then, SHUT UP.

ClashCityRocker

irishejit wrote: »

On holiday in Florida once a waitress remarked about my accent.

I told her I was on hols and lived in Ireland.

Queue an astonished look on her face. After about 10 secs she came out with the beaut, "well gee, you speak awful good English for someone from Ireland"

I quizzed her and she thought everyone in Ireland spoke Irish

An ex of mine made the same assumption. She's English and studied at Oxford :eek:

onlyrocknroll

feelingstressed wrote: »

That's some coincidence :eek:
And an old one as urban legends go

My father and uncle (who is American) actually did hear an American say this in Bunratty. I think it's a common joke Americans make when a place of historic interest is near a road.

In words it's an example of Americans being clever and Irish being stupid.

old hippy

onlyrocknroll wrote: »

Actually father and uncle (who is American)actually did hear an American say this in Bunratty. I think it's a common joke Americans make when a place of historic interest is near a road.

In words it's an example of Americans being clever and Irish being stupid.

^ this. My mother told me this many years ago - and she's American

crazygeryy

Reindeer wrote: »

"Is it always this sunny?" My response? - "No, we have night as well".

"What is a dime?" - "It's two nickels, or 10 to a buck"

"Why is the nickel bigger than the dime?" - "I just use em, I don't make 'em"(I know the answer now, but who is going to go into such a thing at length and still keep someone's attention)

"Is it legal to turn left on red here?" - "No. But that guy is turning right legally."

An Irish mate emailed me once while I was living in Austin, TX, and asked if I could meet him in San Francisco. I explained to him that he lived closer to Moscow than I did to San Francisco. He then asks in email if Las Vegas would be easier. I said 'if taking 600 miles off nearly 1900 makes it easy, then yes. See you for dinner.'

"What is jerky?" - "You don't want to know"
"Is it beef?" - "Beef jerky is, yes"
"What is beef jerky, then?" - "Jerky made of beef"
"What is jerky?"

"How can you eat jelly with peanut butter?" - "Because jelly is basically a thin jam in the US, and not Jell-O, which is the US version of Irish/UK et al 'jelly'. Regardless, there's always room for Jell-O"

"How can you eat Jam with Peanut butter?(same person moments later)" - "I don't. I eat it with Jelly."

"Is there not Dairy Milk anywhere here?" - "That would melt the moment you set your groceries in your car[in Texas]."

"This is a small pint!" - "It's one US pint. An Imperial pint is 4 ounces more. Would you rather be paying $2.50 here for 16 ounces or 6-8E there for 4 more ounces?"

"Why do you drink drive here so much?" - "How many pubs did you see on your way to 'here'?"

"Do you even know where Luxembourg is?" - "Nah. We must not have invaded it ...yet."

"Are you from Australia?" - "Nah, mate"

"Are you Canadian?" - "No, eh?"

"Cherokee? Is that like Navajo?" - "Sure...why not..." We'll ignore the fact the Cherokees inhabited an area of America roughly 1-2,000 miles from where the Navajo did, and actually taught some settlers how and what to farm in the 'New World'.

"Are you from Texas?" - "No, I'm Canadian, eh?"



"D'ya own a gun?!" - "You're asking a Texan this?"

sorry but theres so much in that post that doesnt make sense.or maybe im missing your point.
"
"Is it legal to turn left on red here?" - "

ive driven in america.you can turn left on red in lots of states.its something we cannot do in this country under any circumstances so why is that a silly question?

"What is a dime?" -

whats wrong with asking what a dime is?i know i asked it when i first went to the usa, maybe he should have said how much is it worth?is that your point?

"Is it always this sunny?" My response? - "No, we have night as well".

another genuine question.im not getting your logic at all.tourists have asked me do you get a lot of rain here and the answer is we do.is it always sunny in florida well the answer would be yes mainly.

i think( personally )your mixing up being asked downright silly questions with being sarcastic.

stovelid

optogirl wrote: »

There are plenty of threads about dopey Irish people

Plenty of them by dopey Irish people too, by the looks of it.

old hippy

stovelid wrote: »

Plenty of them by dopey Irish people too, by the looks of it.

careca11

was in prague last year and bumped into a Hen party from the USA ,
one girl ask my if Prague was the only city in germany "doh"

EraseAndRewind

Hazys wrote: »

I think this thread has really only highlighted the stupidity and ignorance of some irish people.



You can get the train from London to Paris, i'd dont think its a stretch for somebody to believe you could possible get the train from Dublin to London especially when you can get the bus from Dublin to London.



Its a different culture, they talk with slightly different mannerisms and words :rolleyes: Do you know what "quarter of 10" is? I doubt it.

maybe i didnt explain it properly-she was in cork for 2 hours she thought they could 'pop over' to london and back in that time ! she thought britain/ireland was one large country

old hippy

careca11 wrote: »

was in prague last year and bumped into a Hen party from the USA ,
one girl ask my if Prague was the only city in germany "doh"

"Ask my"? D'oh, indeed

michelledoh

When i was in boston i told someon i was from Ireland and she replied "OMG i love London..." enough said.

onlyrocknroll

careca11 wrote: »

was in prague last year and bumped into a Hen party from the USA ,
one girl ask my if Prague was the only city in germany "doh"

Of course it isn't, there's also Amsterdam. Some people :rolleyes:

old hippy

michelledoh wrote: »

When i was in boston i told someon i was from Ireland and she replied "OMG i love London..." enough said.

That text speak of yours in endearingly American. 'nuff said.

michelledoh

old hippy wrote: »

That text speak of yours in endearingly American. 'nuff said.

No, she actually said OMG i wasn't using text talk! As for my spelling mistakes that was pure laziness my friend!

Lavattack

I lived in NY for a year.

One day on the way home from work in the train a guy goes to me.

"Hey buddy"

me-"Hey Man"

"Where is that accent from"

me-"Ireland"

"Cool, I am Irish aswell. From Cork in fact"

me-"Jesus I would never have guessed with your accent. You must be out here for a good while ya?"

"Well I was born in NY but my Grandparents are from Cork"

me-"That doesn't make you Irish buddy. You were born and raised in America, so you are American!!"

"Okay whatever, wait a second. I still have cousins over there. You know the O Connors???"

me-"You sir are an idiot, goodbye"

Dan133269

Actually I take back what I said earlier, I was told 1 stupid thing by an American. Talking to her in a nightclub, these are the exact words.
She said "Yeah my grandfather was, like, Irish."
Me: "Oh really, do you know what place he was from?"
Her: "I dunno, like, London probably."

I just walked away from her without saying a word. What annoyed me so much was not just her ignorance of where London is but the fact she hadn't a clue about her own grandfather. How could someone who seemed an average normal person be so incredibly ignorant.

Kazooie

This was told to me by a friend of a friend of a friend so not sure if it's true.

Irish Guy and American tourist standing at pedestrian crossing waiting to cross the road.
When the 'Walk' light comes on and the beeps for the blind start they begin to cross the road.
At the other side the Yank turns to the Irish guy and goes "What was that beebing for?"
Irish Guy: "The blind"

Yank in disbelief:"Wow, Over in America we don't let Blind people drive cars".

Kazooie

Kazooie wrote: »

This was told to me by a friend of a friend of a friend so not sure if it's true.

Irish Guy and American tourist standing at pedestrian crossing waiting to cross the road.
When the 'Walk' light comes on and the beeps for the blind start they begin to cross the road.
At the other side the Yank turns to the Irish guy and goes "What was that beebing for?"
Irish Guy: "The blind"

Yank in disbelief:"Wow, Over in America we don't let Blind people drive cars".

Jesus fcuking christ not again