For the british posters on DU

[The Backlash Cometh]

What was it like for you, when you realized that Americans are too deathly serious to understand sarcasm? Did you have any uncomfortable moments when you couldn't convince the person you were talking to, that you were just kidding? Have you noticed this linguistic tolerance improve since the conservatives are no longer in power? When they do finally understand that you're prone to use sarcasm, do you get irritated having to follow-up all your witticisms with, "Yes, I'm just kidding?"

I think we should be told.

[graywarrior]

1. Are you being sarcastic?

[The Backlash Cometh]

2. bastard!

[graywarrior]

5. You mean "foiled" don't you?

[The Backlash Cometh]

7. Actually, I was being serious.

I had a british student from Liverpool spend the summer with us last year and I wondered if she would have trouble with it. However, she was such a playful spirit that there was nothing she ever said that you could take seriously. When she realized there was a love-affair that Americans have with the British, she said her pick up line when she walked into a bar was, "I'm English. Who wants to buy me a beer?"

[graywarrior]

10. I live with an Irishman. Everytime he says something, people look at me to see if he's serious.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. That's what I'm talking about.

I was wondering how they feel about it. Do they ever tire of us?

[graywarrior]

13. I have a Canadian friend who now lives in the US but also spends lots of time

with her family in London. She just rolls her eyes at us....LOVES us, but knows we are not getting it and probably never will.

[Lex]

3. Objection! Leading question.

nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

4. The only responses I'm going to get are prima facie evidence.

[cbayer]

6. My British husband replies:

" I do not consider myself intellectually superior to all of you by any means. Just because I am trying to teach you something that is usually innate and comes easy to those who are clever and intelligent, or at least quick-witted does not mean that I am automatically your superior. Should you choose not to partake in the insights I am imparting, do not feel embarrassed or ashamed. Living in the US means that most others will not even notice."

:rofl:

[The Backlash Cometh]

8. Oh, you don't know how good it feels to hear that.

I use to exchange witticisms on a british newsgroup. Well, for the first year, they rode me like a mule.

[cbayer]

9. I live full time in a british newsgroup of one!

I used to protest, argue, try to outwit.

Now I just laugh and laugh and laugh.

:toast:

[The Backlash Cometh]

12. Oh, I eventually beat them at their game.

At the time I was new to the net and hadn't picked up the habit of running the spell checker. Oddly, most of my misspellings turned out to be puns. It took me a while to understand why they thought I was the most wittiest American they ever met.

Oh, how I laughed.