Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

American Phrase Book

alumni.media.mit.edu

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–177 of 177 posts

Re: American Phrase Book

#171

Post by dvirsky »

rjeli wrote: post #145
dvirsky wrote: post #82

As a non American, I sometimes just enjoy deliberately messing a bit with Americans when they utter these expressions, by doing it over the top. Someone meeting me for some boring work related thingie: "Hi! How are you doing?" Me: "Super awesome, thanks so much for asking! Super excited to meet you and discuss this!". They probably think I'm crazy and/or are not sure what to make of it, so it's fun to see the puzzled…

As an American, I wouldn’t blink twice at your response...

I've seen raised eyebrows and responses like "Awesome... wow, o...kay... that's great to hear"

Which I took for "What the hell is wrong with you, crazy foreigner who doesn't know how to read social cues"

Re: American Phrase Book

#172

Post by dvirsky »

plorkyeran wrote: post #168
dvirsky wrote: post #82

As a non American, I sometimes just enjoy deliberately messing a bit with Americans when they utter these expressions, by doing it over the top. Someone meeting me for some boring work related thingie: "Hi! How are you doing?" Me: "Super awesome, thanks so much for asking! Super excited to meet you and discuss this!". They probably think I'm crazy and/or are not sure what to make of it, so it's fun to see the puzzled…

I've met plenty of people who respond like that without it being a joke, so if you're going for over-the-top you're undershooting the mark quite a bit.

I'll try to raise the crazy a bit. Relocating to SV soon so I'll have plenty of opportunities. Umm, I mean, I'm super excited and stoked to finally be where all the magic happens!

Re: American Phrase Book

#173

Post by _the_inflator »

keiferski wrote: post #100
9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #13

Yup. One of the great mysteries of the world is how Americans think they are so straightforward and direct and honest... and then they ask a German if their butt looks big in these pants, and burst into tears on hearing the answer. On a mildly more serious note, I remember well my first ever serious business meeting in the US, where we pitched a potential joint venture to another company. 30 minutes of mutual praise…

This is something of a misunderstanding of American culture. It's far more complex than can be summarized in a HN comment, but it's more accurate to say that American culture prides itself on accessibility, egalitarianism, and a "lack of barriers" more than directness, defined as pure unfiltered honesty, per se. A good example to illustrate this phenomenon: in most American cities, it is considered fairly normal, eve…

> The same activity, contrarily, is borderline verboten in German culture. The typical German

The most disparaging remark to keeping the distance in Germany will include something along the lines of "Kenne ich Sie?" (Do I know you?). This essentially means "Don't you ever dare to talk to me you piece of HOOOPS!".

I found this especially true in certain social circles. People with some sort of so-called elitist pedigree, traces of former nobility for example, used to react like that. They know each other and strangers are shot down this way.

Funny! ;)

Re: American Phrase Book

#174

Post by tmm84 »

wenderen wrote: post #16

I got bit by "How's it going / How are you?" when I first came to the USA. Turns out you're not actually supposed to answer with how you really are, and if you do so, they look at you like you've said something weird.

When my wife came to America the first time she got asked that by department store employees and she kept thinking that something must be wrong for everyone to worry about how she was feeling.

Re: American Phrase Book

#175

Post by Breza »

blaser-waffle wrote: post #169
yati wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This resonates with my recent experience. I'm Indian, but I live in Europe, and during a recent trip to the US, I was amazed by how easy going the people were. I was able to have nice conversations with random locals. From a nice uncle spontaneously telling us about the history of Santa Cruz to a stranger helping us park the car properly in SF, to jolly waiters in restaurants, it all felt very human. I find it quite…

Plenty of US cities aren't like that. You're going to get a wayyy different response talking to random people on the NYC public transit than in SF. Seattle has the infamous "Freeze", and DC has that government contractor omerta thing going on. Santa Cruz is a whole 'nother creature too.

I'm a government contractor in DC and I'm thankful to you for teaching me the word "omerta."

Re: American Phrase Book

#176

Post by eru »

Breza wrote: post #175
blaser-waffle wrote: post #169

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Plenty of US cities aren't like that. You're going to get a wayyy different response talking to random people on the NYC public transit than in SF. Seattle has the infamous "Freeze", and DC has that government contractor omerta thing going on. Santa Cruz is a whole 'nother creature too.

I'm a government contractor in DC and I'm thankful to you for teaching me the word "omerta."

Would you please explain? Thanks!

Re: American Phrase Book

#177

Post by eru »

amelius wrote: post #147
9nGQluzmnq3M wrote: post #13

Yup. One of the great mysteries of the world is how Americans think they are so straightforward and direct and honest... and then they ask a German if their butt looks big in these pants, and burst into tears on hearing the answer. On a mildly more serious note, I remember well my first ever serious business meeting in the US, where we pitched a potential joint venture to another company. 30 minutes of mutual praise…

> and then they ask a German if their butt looks big in these pants, and burst into tears on hearing the answer. Is there even a correct answer to this kind of question?

That's like asking the self-driving car engineer about the answer to trolley problems.

The correct strategy is not to get into those situations in the first place.

Post reply on HN