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ntropy
Joined: 11 Oct 2003
Posts: 671
Location: ghurba
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 Posted: Sat Jul 02, 2005 8:50 pm Post subject: national adjectives |
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We all hear the stereotypical adjectives applied to nationalities (eg -- macho Columbian, ugly American, staid British, sexy Italian etc)
This is a call to apply ONE (as in a single -- eg solitary) adjective to your OWN nationality or your partner's. |
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Will.
Joined: 02 May 2003
Posts: 783
Location: London Uk
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 9:34 am Post subject: |
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Only one?
For a whole country of living English people or the nationality in its vaguest sense.
I would have to use stand-offish.
For the partner... Well! least said.... |
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hesterprynne
Joined: 16 Sep 2003
Posts: 386
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| Posted: Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:29 pm Post subject: mei guo ren |
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| arrogant American- and I take it as a compliment |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| scottish-drunk |
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High Plains Drifter
Joined: 27 Jul 2004
Posts: 127
Location: Way Out There
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:56 pm Post subject: |
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| Snooty Brits |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 1:58 pm Post subject: |
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| i can see this one deteriating into us/ uk bashing |
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Gordon
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Posts: 5309
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:06 pm Post subject: |
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| dmb wrote: |
| i can see this one deteriating into us/ uk bashing |
Yeah, but I think it is OK to bash yourself.
How about:
"We're-not-American" Canadians (and glad) |
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dmb
Joined: 12 Feb 2003
Posts: 8397
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:18 pm Post subject: |
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| It actually makes a good lesson. sterotypes. It can generate alot of conversation. I have only ever done it where the students L1 was the same. It would be a brave teacher to do it in a class where there were 20 different nationalities |
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JonnytheMann
Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 337
Location: USA
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 4:34 pm Post subject: |
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I think this thread is terrible. Why the need to label tens of millions of people with one adjective?
We all know where this is headed anyway ... more stale US/UK bashing. More glorification of Canada. More swooning over Romance language speakers & people living in the Third World.
If we tried this in a class of 20 different nationalities and I said, "Stupid Americans" or "Uppity British", most people would nod their heads in approval. If I said "Intolerant Saudi Arabians", "Unimaginative Korean", or "Primitive Angolan", I would be dragged out of class by the PC police for my lack of cultural sensitivity.
Here's my addition to the list:
(Me) Heterogeneous Americans
(My partner) Heterogeneous Argentines |
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dyak
Joined: 25 Jun 2003
Posts: 630
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Gordon wrote: |
| Yeah, but I think it is OK to bash yourself. |
But not every night, surely.  |
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seanaway
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Posts: 32
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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Let's simplify the whole cross-Atlantic/East Vs West, etc.. thing.
World-beating Irish!  |
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Chasgul
Joined: 04 May 2005
Posts: 168
Location: BG
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| Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Think of the root of the verb :to Balkanise. The adjective applies to a number of nationalities, it is highly descriptive and exrememly difficult to explain to anyone who has not lived in the region or had extensive exposure to the mentality it entails. |
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Chris_Crossley
Joined: 26 Jun 2004
Posts: 1797
Location: Still in the centre of Furnace City, PRC, after eight years!!!
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 1:51 am Post subject: "Europeanise" = "colonialise" |
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| Chasgul wrote: |
| Think of the root of the verb :to Balkanise. The adjective applies to a number of nationalities, it is highly descriptive and exrememly difficult to explain to anyone who has not lived in the region or had extensive exposure to the mentality it entails. |
In that case, how about the verb "Europeanise"? I guess that one could see that as a euphemism for "colonialise" (i.e., making colonised people into so-called "Europeans" by making them speak our languages, wear our clothes, adapt to our more "civilised" lifestyles, etc, etc), since this is what the European colonists tried to do for centuries all over the world. |
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Chasgul
Joined: 04 May 2005
Posts: 168
Location: BG
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| Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2005 11:29 am Post subject: |
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We Europeans are far more cunning than that - we came up with the idea of 'civilising' people, popularised the idea and now everyone, except for retrogrades, wants to be in the 'civilised world'. Nifty, eh?
And further to my previous post:
Where do World Wars start?
In the Balkans. |
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