Silly questions asked by yanks

lalee17

I was in Dunnes Stores ordering a wedge roll...

An American behind me: "What is that? A potato sandwich? Wow!!"

Solair

lalee17 wrote: »

I was in Dunnes Stores ordering a wedge roll...

An American behind me: "What is that? A potato sandwich? Wow!!"

Well to be fair, that's exactly what it is! I'd be looking at you in horror too

old hippy

Solair wrote: »

I was in a self-service laundrette in London one evening and these two young Aussi back-packers came over and asked me if I knew how to "get the water to fill up in the big washing machine".

I explained it was a tumble-dryer!

They had put their clothes in and thrown in a scoop of washing powder and closed the door then looked confused at it.

One of the girls remarked that she'd no idea how to do laundry as her mom had always done it for her and this was the first time she'd ever used a washing machine by herself!!!!!

:eek::eek::eek:

LOL! That's brilliant. Classic pampered kids collide with the real world!

Mars Bar

evil_seed wrote: »

Which way to two-am? (Tuam)

Being from Tuam, I have heard that a million times.

I can see why they think that though.

One of my friends works in a shop in Turloughmore and she had tourists in asking her the way to Athenry but were pronouncing it At - henry. It took her a minute to cop what they were asking her!

I love Americans though

old hippy

The amount of times I mispronounce places and things in my wife's country - it does cause giggles. But it's good natured laughter and teasing; not "oh, you big thicky".

Sisko

Ah there is ignorant people in every country all right. It's just America has a disproportionately higher amount of them.

I completely lost it at these 2 Americans who were arguing over what year 9/11 happened in this game lobby about 3 years ago. I knew them well enough to know they were not total idiots. I just couldn't get over it. Neither of them knew. I ranted at them for half an hour, I just didn't think it was possible to have such a high level of ignorance.

Then about a year later on a forum with a similar thread as this one, I brought that example up only to have some american guy go nuts at me saying I made it up and I'm just being anti-American because I'm jealous of how rich america is So I posted the chat log because yes, I saved the chat log I was that shocked. Then in the very same thread someone else posts a video where this aussie guy goes around interviewing americans on the street asking them that very same question and they were clueless.

****ing NUTS.

Should be on youtube, not arsed linking, though I'm sure its already been posted here.

Another thing that comes to mind was this time I spent about an hour , educating this American on the concept of "Accents".

He insisted, accents were only something people from other countries had, and that Americans have no accent. He couldn't even grasp the concept of how people in New York have different accents to people in Texas.

Mind blowing.

And I've encountered this type of thinking from a few Americans since.

Reindeer wrote: »

You, and undoubtedly others, have missed my entire point. Your response is the proof.

Actually no, not at all, all you post did was make you seem like a bit of an asshole to any non-american you meet who asks you standard questions.

Your post would have made sense if you had Europeans asking you questions like "Wow, you live in America? Do you guys all go around on horses and get in gun fights and still dress like cowboys and Indians? In Europe we have these things called cars!"

old hippy

I don't doubt that there's foolish and not so educated Americans but because America is so predominant in everyday talk/media/news it gets hyped beyond all proportions.

I've met more intelligent Americans than fools. A few of them are even Republican supporters :eek:;)

TangyZizzle

Honest to God I dont think Iv ever even spoken with an American person but Iv encountered plenty of thicks here in our lovely little country. Case in point. The amount of gobsheens that asked me why I would go to Poland for a Summer Holiday "Why would ya go to a snowey country for Summer?!," ..yeah

old hippy

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Honest to God I dont think Iv ever even spoken with an American person but Iv encountered plenty of thicks here in our lovely little country. Case in point. The amount of gobsheens that asked me why I would go to Poland for a Summer Holiday "Why would ya go to a snowey country for Summer?!," ..yeah

Aaargh! I get that over here in London. They can't believe that I got sunburnt after just one day in Krakow.

Also annoys me, this umbrella term "East Europeans" and the Polish are lumped in with that. Poland is Central Europe.

TangyZizzle

old hippy wrote: »

Also annoys me, this umbrella term "East Europeans" and the Polish are lumped in with that. Poland is Central Europe.

YES! A kindred soul! It only takes a glance at the map of Europe to see this. You wouldnt call Germany Western Europe, would you? No, so why do the opposite with Poland?

old hippy

TangyZizzle wrote: »

YES! A kindred soul! It only takes a glance at the map of Europe to see this. You wouldnt call Germany Western Europe, would you? No, so why do the opposite with Poland?

Oh, don't get me started on that.

I love maps, me. I have a poster on the wall of the Peter's World Map, which represents countries more accurately (than traditional maps) according to surface area.

Did you enjoy Poland, btw? I loved it & was very lucky that our friend came over with us, who's from Krakow. I'd go back, for sure.

TangyZizzle

old hippy wrote: »

Oh, don't get me started on that.

I love maps, me. I have a poster on the wall of the Peter's World Map, which represents countries more accurately (than traditional maps) according to surface area.

Did you enjoy Poland, btw? I loved it & was very lucky that our friend came over with us, who's from Krakow. I'd go back, for sure.

Fookin' loved it, mate. We stayed in the apartment where my better half grew up. Her Mam still owns it which is dead handy. I'm going back this Summer. Co-incidentally, the city is named Slupsk(with the Polish L if ya get me) which isn't too far North of Krakow. You may know it?

old hippy

TangyZizzle wrote: »

Fookin' loved it, mate. We stayed in the apartment where my better half grew up. Her Mam still owns it which is dead handy. I'm going back this Summer. Co-incidentally, the city is named Slupsk(with the Polish L if ya get me) which isn't too far North of Krakow. You may know it?

I don't, no - we stayed mostly within the city (apart from a visit to Auschwitz and the salt mines).

Great culture, fabulous cathedrals and synagogues, tasty food, cheap but decent beer and friendly people.

And a decent lock in as I've had in years

reallyrose

Kazooie wrote: »

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

questionmark? wrote: »

"Wow we dont let blind people drive in America" :eek:

Ct25 wrote: »

Her response, "oh, in america we dont let blind people drive"

Anyone else want a go?

For Forks Sake

reallyrose wrote: »

Anyone else want a go?

did you know that they don't let blind people drive in America?

TangyZizzle

Anyone remember the story of the Yanks that asked the 'Athletes' for directions?

reallyrose

For Forks Sake wrote: »

did you know that they don't let blind people drive in America?

No? We have special traffic lights here for them!

onlyrocknroll

For Forks Sake wrote: »

did you know that they don't let blind people drive in America?

They do! Haven't you seen Scent of a Woman.

Lapin

When I worked in the pub game I was regularly asked for an 'Irish Scotch'.

They often payed me in dollars which I gladly accepted. (Although I would have preferred if they asked me first rather than assuming it was legal tender here.)

Another guy once asked me what time does it usually stop raining.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to help him out with that one.

Mr Keek

This was mentioned earlier but was in a shop in America with a GAA Jersey, member of staff sparked up a conversation about the Jersey.

Told her that it was a Galway Jersey and said that it was in the west of Ireland, she said she had cousins in Mayo and if I knew the Fahy's!

....and to balence it off, one of my dumbest moments was when I was working in a call centre; a member of the Eircom relay service for the deaf called me and Identified herself and told me what she was doing and what information she needed, to which I responded, "Oh yeah, sure pop them onto me and I'll have a chat with her!"

McChubbin

Which way is it to Don-eagle? (Donegal)

Sod'o swords

I work in the airport(dublin), terminal 2 so have all the US flights. American's just arn't afraid to ask questions. Sometimes the answer might seem obvious to us but that's because we work there, or for some questions have lived in Ireland our whole lives.

Though when i was in America a couple of years ago i've had some gems. Spent a long time trying to explain what a passport is and what possible uses it has, got asked if i spoke English mid conversation. Suppose they might of been thrown off by the whole American/English thing.

Over all most Americans i've spoken too were very friendly and informative people.

southsiderosie

Lapin wrote: »

Another guy once asked me what time does it usually stop raining.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to help him out with that one.

Haha, in cities like Miami, during the summer it's pretty much guaranteed that it will rain between 3-4pm every day. By 4:30 the sun is back out again, and the city feels like a steaming jungle. It's startling how unpredictable the weather is in Ireland!

Electric Sheep

Sisko wrote: »

He insisted, accents were only something people from other countries had, and that Americans have no accent. He couldn't even grasp the concept of how people in New York have different accents to people in Texas.

Actually, I've only heard that from Irish people. "We don't have an accent, but you should hear the people from [insert town about 10 miles away], they have a shocking accent". While the speaker in question sounds like he has a sod of turf in his mouth...:rolleyes:

Sisko

Electric Sheep wrote: »

Actually, I've only heard that from Irish people. "We don't have an accent, but you should hear the people from [insert town about 10 miles away], they have a shocking accent". While the speaker in question sounds like he has a sod of turf in his mouth...:rolleyes:

You'd be very hard pressed to find an Irish person who thinks the Irish have no accents at all and its only everyone else in the world that has accents....

mariebeth

The worst I've ever heard was from two Irish people. A guy I know, who's training to be a barrister, fully believes that Africa is one country, split up in to states, kind of like what the United States is.

But the worst question I've ever heard was in a Buddhist monastery in India. I was there with a group doing a sponsored walk for charity, and we were taken in to the monastery to have a look around. Now, I myself honestly hadn't known until then that there is a swastika symbol in the Buddhist religion, as they had a large swastika symbol on one of the walls. One of the women in the group (who was annoying and obnoxious anyway...but that's besides the point) asked out loud, 'why did the Buddhists adopt the swastika symbol from the Nazis?' Thankfully none of the monks appeared to understand English so it was only the rest of us who got to be insulted for them.

hatrickpatrick

Was asked once for a brief history of Ireland, by an American.
At some stage:
"Whoa, hang on a second there. IRA, is that Irish Rifle Association, like the NRA here?"

Couldn't keep a straight face after that, utterly ruined my story : D

The Agogo

When I was working in America, a few Americans from the countryside of California asked me for directions, which I knew, and proceeded to tell them.

After they left, I said to my fellow American workmates "aw...reminds me of home [giving americans directions].

They all got a laugh out of it...

On a side note, having been to America, they aren't so different to us. I don't know why the Irish have such a dim view of them.

The Agogo

The Agogo wrote: »

On a side note, having been to America, they aren't so different to us. I don't know why the Irish have such a dim view of them.

Me neither. Obviously you do get the stereotypical Valley Girl airheads, rednecks or whatever, but you get people like that everywhere. People in places like NYC and Boston tend to be pretty damn razor sharp and sarcastic. I think one of the issues is that Irish people don't expect Americans to be sarcastic. As someone else mentioned, it is a common joke to say 'why did they build X so close to the freeway?' but it gets taken as a serious comment.

dj jarvis

crazygeryy wrote: »

i got asked can you tell me how far it is to the town of GOSLOW

after he had seen a sign for go slow.

no joke it happened.:D

works both ways - my fathers first visit to Germany , on the autobhan from hamburg - turns to my sister who lives there and says " that place ausfahrt must be massive "

i ran a bar in frankfurt that was stuffed full of Americans from the air bases and you have no idea some of the mental conversations i had with American GI's and pilots ... but some of the most intelligent and funny also

but they are the most insular nation i have come across - they just dont get Europe and European dynamics and history