In America, it is customary to express one's thoughts as directly as possible. An American always says what he thinks, even if it would be better to keep his thoughts to himself.
Language delights, hidden meaning, irony, which other nations love so much, confuses Americans: they are accustomed to taking every phrase verbatim, checking for accuracy and ignoring what they do not understand. They call things by their proper names, a shovel, for example, a shovel, or a “device for moving soil” if they work for the government, and complex metaphors only upset them.
Love of patching up holes and improving everything in the world, fear of offending someone or once again Using the particle “not” forces Americans to treat spoken English as raw material to be processed. Some words are borrowed from immigrant languages (for example, "schmuck" - an unpleasant and dishonest person), others are molded from existing ones (for example, "brunch" - a cross between breakfast and lunch), or are distorted and applied to something only vaguely related with the original object (for example, “irradiate” - heat in a microwave oven).
Americans love new words, accept them with open arms, and babble them until they are bored to death, as anyone who has ever attended one will confirm. business meeting, dedicated to “structure formation”.
Verb nouns!
In the United States, no noun is immune from one day becoming a verb.
“We’re broadcasting this now,” a company representative might say about advertising a new service.
“This is where our idea collapsed,” says the businessman about the failure of his project
And El Haig, a big shot in the Nixon White House, managed to cram the phrase “to file a motion to defer trial” into one freshly minted verb.
At the same time, California students admonished each other: “don’t get rich on this joint.”
Verbs are action words that are much more useful than stiff, motionless nouns. Since most Americans have no idea about parts of speech at all, they easily substitute one for another.
Slang
American idioms, especially those that come from the vocabulary of sportsmen, are rich, varied and brazen.
Actually, many idioms come from sports: avoiding all responsibility means “playing in midfield”, failing some endeavor means “missing the puck”, choosing an easier job for yourself means “move to lightweight”.
On the other hand, to maintain small talk about sports, the bare minimum of knowledge is required.
For example, the question “Who are you for? Big Game?”, especially in early January, or, for example: “Well, how do you like the Dodgers, or the Steelers, or the Bullets, or the Yankees, or the Eagles, or the Red Sox?”
After the match, you can say this: “Why, there were two or three situations - you’ll laugh,” or: “ Good team will always show itself."
The good thing about these remarks is that they apply to almost any sport, with the possible exception of chess and bridge.
Political correctness comes first
Discrimination based on race, religion, and gender is prohibited almost everywhere in the United States. Under threats of legal action, white-male-only clubs collapsed like houses of cards. Especially since minorities and women now have a lot of money, and clubs prefer members who pay their dues on time.
Many words for lately fell into the category of politically incorrect, or even simply prohibited. Самое нехорошее слово, которое не разрешается употреблять ни при каких обстоятельствах - это «ниггер»; The only thing that can excuse you is if you yourself are... “African-American.” Compared to this word, all designations of natural physiological processes are considered gentle and refined.
Political correctness has given rise to hundreds of new substitute words. Disabled people are now called “limited in movement,” blind people are “non-visual,” and idiots are “lacking basic knowledge.”
Instead of pets, people are now making “animal friends.” There are no more short and fat people, they are called "people of graceful stature" and "people of solid physique." If a person does not cope with some work, they say that he performed it in a “suboptimal manner.”
Americans are trying to cement their optimistic attitude towards life in their language. If a person almost went to the other world, he “went through a life-affirming test.” Products that can barely be sold at half price are not called illiquid stock, but “not the most optimal assortment.” If, after an interview, a potential employer turns you away, you “did not have a complete understanding.”
Business jargon is even worse: any snag is called an “obstacle to overcome,” and any mass layoff is called “staffing.” This mindless cheerfulness is especially common in the real estate industry: in their language, “cozy” means “you won’t have anywhere to turn around”, and “picturesque countryside” means “you won’t reach a single store on foot.”
The apogee of optimism is the Disney parks, where you are greeted by clean, well-groomed employees whose only duty is to smile, smile, smile.
Representatives of more restrained nations soon begin to feel their cheekbones ache from this boundless cheerfulness. It is quite capable of driving a European to a state of mental instability.
About the author
Stephanie Faul - freelance artist, or rather, a writer, editor and journalist; lives in the city of Washington, in an old house, furnished mainly with books, plants and devices for replacing crumbling plaster.
Loves Irish music, Vietnamese cuisine, Italian shoes, Siamese cats and English novels.
Her childhood and youth spent in the capital allowed her to become thoroughly familiar with the habits and endeavors of her fellow citizens and to learn much more than she would have liked about cocktails, receptions, politics and exaggerations.
Miss Faul is a typical American by birth, that is, a descendant of Czech immigrants and Connecticut Yankees; her grandmother speaks German and her cousins live in Canada. Her ideas about xenophobia are enriched by her training in French elementary school and a Swiss boarding house, as well as numerous drinking sessions in English pubs during the student holidays.
She sees in herself a lot of typically American qualities - curiosity, ingenuity, directness; Atypical qualities include a dislike of TV and shopping and a desire to walk whenever possible rather than drive a car. It still turns out faster.
Reprinting or publication of articles on websites, forums, blogs, contact groups and mailing lists is permitted only if there is active link to the site.
Today we have an unusual lesson. And not even very decent. We'll touch on that section. English slang, which concerns various unflattering name-calling. This does not mean at all that we encourage you to commit any heinous things! Not at all. But since such a phenomenon exists in language, you should at least understand it.
It is worth noting that you are unlikely to encounter name-calling among decent, intelligent people. All this vocabulary, as a rule, is inherent in the manner of communication of children or teenagers.
So let's get started!
If you heard the expression soap dodge, that means someone, sorry, hasn’t washed for a long time. The word soap means “soap”, and dodger is someone who avoids something. The expression soap dodger is translated into Russian with words such as “stinker”, “dirty”, etc. For example:
Get out of my cab you filthy soapdodger. “Get out of my car, stink.”
A synonym for soap dodge is the word minger, which means almost the same thing, i.e. "smelly man" In addition, this word can also be used to describe an ugly woman. For example:
Oh god, look at her – she’s a right minger! - God, look at her! What an ugly thing!
Word div means an undeveloped and frankly stupid person. Here's how this word can be used in speech:
Shut up, you div! - Shut up, you dumbass!
If you suddenly heard the word weirdo, then it means that there is something wrong with someone. Weirdo means “with oddities”, “with glitches”, “with perversions”, etc.
Betty is such a weirdo. – Betty has specific glitches.
If someone is desperately trying to do something, but is not doing well, then you can safely name such a person try hard. Especially if a person tries to do something that he is not capable of due to his mental or physical qualities. For example:
Look at Nick, he is such a try-hard interjecting in a conversation he knows nothing about. - Look at Nick! He goes out of his way to try to get a word into a conversation in which he knows nothing.
We often hear the following word in relation to those who wear glasses - “bespectacled”, in English - four eyes. Literally four eyes is translated as “four eyes”. For example:
Hey four eyes, what's that? - Hey, bespectacled guy, how are you?
Word loser Recently, it has become firmly established in the Russian language - loser, i.e. loser, unsuccessful person. For example:
You're a loser, I hate you. – You are a complete loser, I hate you.
Word loner denotes an unhappy person who has no friends. In Russian, the word “loner” is not derogatory. If we say that someone is a “loner,” we are simply stating a fact rather than trying to be offensive. In English slang, the word loner carries a negative characteristic, because... if a person has no friends, then it means he is nothing of himself. For example:
He's such a loner. - He's a loner.
Word sad translated as “sad”, “pathetic” and is often used to enhance an already negative characteristic. For example:
You are a sad coward. -You are a pathetic coward.
Among children, when one calls another name, you can often hear the rhyme:
I'm rubber you are glue
whatever you say bounces off me
and sticks to you.
Literally it translates as follows: I am rubber, and you are glue. Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you. The meaning of these words is clear - to take the insult away from yourself and redirect it to the offender. We, native speakers of Russian, in this case simply say “That’s how I am.”
If your interlocutor suddenly fell silent, and you are waiting for his words, you can ask Has cat got your toung? This question is a shortened version of Has the cat got your tongue? This phrase literally translates as “Did your tongue get eaten by a cat?” In Russian there is an expression “Have you swallowed your tongue?” For example:
What's the matter, cat got your tongue? - What's wrong with you? Swallowed your tongue?
The following expression has a very wide range of applications - Your mum!, i.e. “Your mother!” It can be used as a frivolous, humorous answer to almost any question. For example:
– What time is it? - What time is it?
- Your mum. - Your mother.
What does “Your mother” have to do with answering a question about time? It’s unclear, but the British can really answer that way. Mysterious English humor!
Now consider an expression we can use to silence a person. In Russian we say “Shut up!”, “Shut up!” etc., and in English - Shut your gob! Instead of gob, you can say trap or cakehole. For example:
Shut your gob Allison! I can hear your voice from my room. - Alison, shut up! I can hear you even from my room.
If we want a person to leave, then in English we can say Get lost!, which means “Get lost!” We can also say Do one!, which can be translated by various Russian phrases such as “Get away!”, “Get out of here!” etc.
Get lost, I am tired of hearing from you. - Wash off! I'm tired of listening to you.
Expression Don't get your knickers in a twist used when we want to calm a person down. It roughly corresponds to the Russian phrases “Don’t worry!”, “Don’t bother!” etc. For example:
Sally don’t get your knickers in a twist over that split milk on the floor! – Sally, don’t worry about spilled milk!
If you want to encourage a person to remain calm, you can also use the phrase Take a chill pill, which literally means “Take a calming pill.”
The following phrase sounds in relation to a person caught in a lie: Liar Liar Pants On Fire! It literally translates as “Liar, liar, pants on fire.” This is a childish expression that can often be heard in relation to an excessively boastful child:
– Well my dad can pick up a truck! - Yes, my dad can lift a truck!
– Liar Liar Pants On Fire! - Liar! Liar!
Expression Easy, peasy, lemon squeezy denotes an easy task, a simple task. By the way, in modern Great Britain this expression is very widely used. In Russian we say “nothing at all”, “like two fingers…”, etc.
The claim processes were easy peasy lemon squeezy. – This (legal) process turned out to be a mere trifle.
At the end of today's lesson, let's take a couple more expressions related to farewell and parting. First See you later alligator!- literally “Bye, alligator!” In response you may hear: After / In a while crocodile!, i.e. “Bye, crocodile.”
– See you later alligator! - Bye!
– After a while crocodile! - Bye!
Do you want to consolidate and deepen your knowledge of English slang, and in particular ways of calling a person names? Watch the following video lesson prepared for you by a native speaker.
There are about 1500 people living on our planet different nations, which have their own individual names that distinguish them from each other. But in addition to official names, many peoples also have nicknames given to them at one time by friends-neighbors or, conversely, by opponents. They are, of course, not mentioned in international treaties and other important documents.
Each of these nicknames, sometimes mockingly playful, sometimes caustically offensive, has its own history and its own destiny. Some of them are known only to historians, while others, on the contrary, exist to this day.
Some nicknames even became official names peoples in the languages in which they originated. Everything depends on the historical situation that contributed to their emergence, and the further relationships of peoples.
Where did barbarians come from?
The appearance of the first national nicknames dates back to ancient times. Even the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, used the word “barbarians” in relation to the peoples around them. It was used to refer to peoples belonging to different ethnic groups and speaking different languages: Slavs, Germans, Celts and many others. For Greece and Rome, with their developed culture, these peoples looked very backward. And their language was incomprehensible.
It seemed to the Greeks and Romans that when communicating with each other, they uttered some strange sounds - “var-var”. This is where the nickname came from, which lasted for many centuries. Later this word lost its original meaning and became a common noun. Now it denotes a rude, ignorant person who destroys what was created by the labor of others, regardless of his nationality.
Who are the fryags?
National nicknames also appeared in Rus'. In the second half of the 15th century, on the initiative of Grand Duke Ivan III Russian state many foreigners came, mainly from southern Europe, mainly from Italy. These were architects, engineers, gunsmiths and other craftsmen. Here the Italians received the nickname “Fryags”, “Fryazis” or “Fryazins”.
This word was borrowed with some distortion from the Serbian language, where it meant “Latins,” that is, Catholics. Accordingly, any item of Italian import was designated by the word “Fryazhsky”. In official documents of that time, the nickname “Fryazin” was added to the names of Italian masters, with which many of them went down in history.
How did the Germans become Germans?
When we pronounce the words “German”, “German”, we do not even think about their origin. And it has its own interesting story, also dating back to the Middle Ages. In addition to the Italians, who received “their” nickname, residents of other European countries also came to us. These were diplomats, traders and craftsmen different professions. Naturally, immediately upon arrival, none of them knew Russian and could not communicate with the local population without an interpreter.
Having met a foreigner on the street and asked him some question, the Russian person did not receive any answer from him. So the opinion arose that all foreigners are mute and cannot speak. That's why they called them Germans. Moreover, this concept included not only residents of Germany, but also the Dutch, the British and many others. Gradually, this word began to refer specifically to the Germans, and it became established in the Russian language as a generally accepted norm.
Boches, Krauts and Hans
Nicknames also appeared at a later time. The same Germans, to whom other nations often gave contemptuous nicknames, especially “got it” especially. In the 19th century, Prussia, the largest German state, often waged wars with its neighbors. One of the main targets of its aggression was France. The angry-tongued French came up with a nickname for their opponents. They disparagingly called them Boches.
This word was also used in the 20th century, especially during the two world wars started by Germany. During the First World War, Russia also had to face the Germans in a military confrontation. And it didn’t take long for it to appear in the Russian language another nickname for them - Krauts. This word comes from one of the common names in Germany, which can be either independent or a diminutive of the name Friedrich.
This nickname for the Germans became especially popular in 1941, when Germany again attacked, now on Soviet Union. There was another nickname at that time - Hans, also derived from a common German name. However, now these nicknames, which are not very pleasant for the German people, are a thing of the past, and our countries have maintained friendly relations for many years.
Chub vs beard
The basis for the appearance of national nicknames can be anything. Some features may also be a reason appearance people. The most famous is the peculiar “exchange” of nicknames between two fraternal Slavic peoples- Russian and Ukrainian.
In due time Zaporozhye Cossacks They shaved their heads bald, leaving a forelock in front, which the Russians called “crest.” The wearers of this hairstyle also began to be called crests, and from them the nickname passed on to all Ukrainians in general. Of course, they did not remain in debt and also came up with a nickname for Russians associated with their appearance.
Unlike Ukrainians, Russians wore beards, which gave the first reason to call them Katsaps. In the Ukrainian language, the word “tsap” means a goat, which, as is known, has a “beard”. The Ukrainian phrase “yak tsap” literally meant “like a goat.” Later it was transformed into the well-known word “katsap”. Both of these nicknames have long become humorous, and people with a sense of humor are not offended by them.
There is another nickname for Russians in Ukraine, which has a more negative connotation - Muscovites. Naturally, it comes from the name of the capital of Russia. Initially, this was the nickname given to officials who, after the unification of Ukraine with the Russian state, came there to establish new orders. Then they began to call all Russians by this nickname. It is in this meaning, and extremely disparaging, that it still exists in the west of Ukraine.
Potatoes, pasta and frogs
Finally, some nicknames come from the characteristics of a particular national cuisine. It is known that in Italy one of the favorite national dishes is pasta. “Good” neighbors immediately responded to this fact, calling the Italians pasta makers. However, this does not prevent residents of all countries of the world from visiting numerous Italian restaurants and eating spaghetti with pleasure.
The French were not left without a nickname, national cuisine which are used by some species of frogs. They began to be called paddling pools. True, the French themselves are not very pleased with this nickname. Moreover, French cuisine also has plenty of other dishes made from a wide variety of products.
In terms of nicknames, Belarusians are the luckiest of all. Their cuisine has a wide variety of... delicious dishes from potatoes, which the Belarusian land is rich in. In Belarusian, potatoes are called “bulba”. So their neighbors - Russians and Ukrainians - called the Belarusians Bulbash. However, Belarusian people He is not at all offended by such a nickname. The cheerful, good-natured and hospitable bulbash has long become something of an unofficial symbol of Belarus.
In Russian
Abrek - Chechen, Dagestan, in in a broad sense representative of any nation North Caucasus male. Among the Caucasians themselves there is an outcast mountaineer.
Azer, aizer - Azerbaijani.
Azeri is also one of the self-names of Azerbaijanis, probably derived from the name of the extinct Indo-European language of the northwestern subgroup of Iranian languages, which existed on the territory of Southern Iranian Azerbaijan presumably until the 17th century.
Americans, Amer, Pindos(this word originally meant the Greeks) - American.
Ara is Armenian (not offensive).
Afro-ass, Afro-ass, Afro-black-ass- black person. It arose as a sharply negative reaction to the politically correct “African-American.”
An Afro-Russian is a black man living in Russia.
Baybak is a nickname for Karelians or residents of Karelia in general. It has a contemptuous connotation, hinting at the negative qualities inherent in the steppe marmot - laziness, stupidity.
Basurman (Busurman, Busarman, Basurmanin, Busarmanin)- in the old days in Rus': Tatar, a person of a different religion, mainly from the East. Initially the nickname has religious meaning: “Basurman” is obviously a distorted word for “Muslim” - that is, a non-religious person.
Biraljukas (bralyukas)- Lithuanians. Derivation from “brolis” - “brother”, “brolyukas” - “little brother”.
Bulbash (from white bulba - “potato”) - Belarusian.
Hans is German.
Guran - usually used in relation to the descendants of mixed marriages of Russians and Buryats in Transbaikalia, also to the Transbaikal Cossacks. Derived from the name of a male roe deer, which is one of the main game animals in Transbaikalia. The Gurans in Transbaikalia have a special “brotherly” (semi-Mongoloid) appearance, thick black hair, wide cheekbones and dark skin, and also speak a special Transbaikalian dialect of the Russian language.
Jew is a Jew.
Beast, small animal (comes from thieves' jargon) - a contemptuous nickname for visitors mainly from Transcaucasia or Central Asia, less often - from the North Caucasus.
Labuses (Hans) are Latvians. Derived from the Lithuanian greeting "labas", "laba diena" - "good afternoon"
Lyakh (obsolete) - Pole.
The paddling pool is French.
Lapps are Sami.
Myrk, Moor - a humiliating nickname for uncultured, uncouth, rude people in Kyrgyzstan. Synonym - "redneck". The nickname is used by the population living in the capital of Kyrgyzstan - Bishkek in relation to rural residents.
Macaroni is Italian.
Mambet was a formerly common male name, derived from the word "Makhambet" in the Kazakh pronunciation of the word "Muhammad". Used by both the non-Kazakh population and urban Kazakhs in relation to rural Kazakhs or recent immigrants from the village. A priori, a Kazakh who speaks Russian poorly is considered a mambet in Kazakhstan.
Muscovites - Russians (obsolete).
Non-Russian - used disparagingly towards anyone who is not Russian.
Ниггер - заимствованное из США оскорбительное наименование чернокожего.
Pindos (sometimes “Pendos”) - from about the 19th century in the Russian Empire, as now in the south of Russia and Ukraine, as well as in Kazakhstan - Greeks. However, it is now increasingly used in relation to Americans.
Psheki (pshek) - Poles. It arose due to the “hissing” nature of Polish speech.
Rusaks, Rusapets, Rusopyats- an outdated self-name of Russians.
Samoyeds (obsolete) - Nenets.
Seldyuk is a Siberian nickname, approximately the same as chaldon.
Fritz is the name of the Germans. Origin - shortened form of the name "Frederick"
Tungus (obsolete) - Evenks.
Narrow-eyed is a disrespectful nickname for Mongoloids (Chinese, Koreans, Vietnamese, etc.).
Khach, Khachik - Armenian (in recent years wrongly any native of the North Caucasus and Transcaucasian countries).
Chaplashka is a Tatar (approx. in Tatarstan).
Chakh(s) (obsolete) - Czech.
Black-assed (from hair color or dark skin) - absolute brunettes, immigrants from Transcaucasia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. It is a kind of backronym for American Wog, which also refers to residents from the Middle East, Southern Europe and the Balkans: Italians, Moroccans, Latin Americans, Macedonians, Greeks or Spaniards. The nickname, which originally referred to blacks, has now mainly passed on to black-haired or dark-skinned foreigners.
Black:
The first meaning (from hair color or dark skin) is a derogatory designation by the predominantly Russian population of representatives of Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the Middle East. In Russia, this term has a different meaning in contrast to the USA, that is, people are not literally “black”, but rather “dark-haired”, brunettes, people who are Caucasian in type, but still with skin a little darker than that of Northern Europeans. This nickname refers to Armenians, Azerbaijanis, Tajiks, Moldovans, etc.
The second meaning (based on skin color) is the same as African Americans, blacks, blacks belonging to the Negroid race.
crests are Ukrainians (from the Cossack custom of wearing a forelock).
Chaldons, chaldons- old name Don Cossacks those who remained to live in Siberia after its development. Cheldon is a man from the Don. It was used among Russian Siberians in relation to other Russian Siberians with an emphasis on the stupidity and “Valenkov” of a person. Currently, the use of the word is rare even in Siberia, found mainly among the older generation.
Blacks (by skin color) - representatives of the Negroid race, blacks, the designation “black” is also common.
Czech (derivative, army slang) is a Chechen, predominantly a Chechen militant.
Chocks, chubans, chureks, chebureks, babahans, rhinoceroses, chuchmeks, saxauls- a contemptuous designation for representatives of the peoples of Central Asia. This word penetrated into colloquial speech from criminal jargon, obviously from the Turkic people.
Chukhonets, Chukhon, Chukhna- a disrespectful nickname, used mainly by the Russian population in relation initially to the Ingrian Finns, later to the Finns of Finland and other representatives of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Chukhna, Chushka - Finland.
Hellenes are Greeks.
Yankees are Americans.
In other languages
Ami (Ami) is a nickname for Americans by Germans (simplification/abbreviation).
Aleman - lit. “German” (Spanish) - in Cuba all are white Europeans.
Ak-kulak, ash-kuloh(literally white-eared) - an offensive nickname for the Slavs in Central Asia, an analogue of the Russian “black-assed”.
The Boches are Germans. Borrowed from French, the lexicon of the First World War, also found its way into Russian.
Bosha is a nickname for gypsies among Armenians.
Burla (barge hauler) is an offensive nickname for Russians in Central Asia.
Vessi - residents of Germany (before the unification of Germany and the GDR). Comes from the German Westdeutschland - West Germany.
Gaijin (from gaikokujin - foreigner) is a disrespectful nickname for non-Japanese people in Japan.
Goy - (word from the Torah) means non-Jew. Used in both derogatory and neutral meanings.
Gringos are foreigners, most often of Caucasian appearance, often Americans (in Latin America and Mexico).
John Bull is English.
Kafir - all non-Muslims (identical to Jewish goy, Russian infidel, wicked, unchrist).
Latinos is a nickname for Latin Americans in the United States; the word has also passed into Russian.
Nazari (Arabic lit. “Nazarenes”) are Christians among the southern Arabs.
Ora is the way Abkhazians call each other.
Rusaki is the collective self-name of the Russian-speaking population in Germany.
Rushpans - Ukrainian. "Russians".
Sarybas, sarybash(literally “yellowheads”) - an offensive nickname for Europeans in Central Asia, used in the sense of “coward”, “bungler”, “fool”.
Shoshka (chuchka) is a derogatory nickname for the Slavs (mostly Russians) in Central Asia, literally “pigs”, sometimes used in the sense of “pig-like”, “pig-eaters”, “pig people”.
Ivans are Russians (among the Germans and not only).
Kalbit - in the regions of Russia bordering Kazakhstan, is contemptuous - Kazakh.
Kizdym is Kazakh.
Katsaps are Russians. A contemptuous national nickname given to Russians by nationalist Ukrainians. According to the definition of Ushakov’s dictionary (1935-1940) - “the designation of a Russian, in contrast to a Ukrainian, in the mouths of Ukrainian nationalists, which arose on the basis of national enmity (Damned Katsaps eat cabbage soup even with cockroaches. N.V. Gogol).”
Cockney is a resident of the working-class neighborhoods of London. IN English, from which it is borrowed, is not offensive.
Xenos is a word used by the indigenous population of Greece in relation to foreigners, foreign-speaking people, emigrants, migrants and all those who are alien Greek culture. The word is used in both derogatory and neutral meanings. Xenophobia is a single root word meaning hostility towards strangers. A word with a similar meaning in use in the Russian language is - nerus.
Laowai is a colloquial Chinese term for any foreigner of European descent.
Laomaozi (maozi)- colloquial designation by the Chinese for Russians.
Muscovites are Russians, most often immigrants from Moscow.
Ossies are residents of the GDR (before the unification of the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR) and the eastern part of present-day Germany. Comes from the German Ostdeutschland - East Germany.
Pakis is a derogatory nickname for people from Pakistan in the UK.
Persil is a contemptuous nickname for an Azerbaijani or Turk in Turkmenistan.
Piefke is a nickname used by residents of Austria and especially Vienna to call residents of parts of Germany; nowadays it is used mainly by tourists from Germany. In Germany itself, this nickname is used as a humorous designation for a braggart or imagineer.
Raski is a contemptuous name for Russians (in the broad sense of all citizens from the former USSR) among Americans.
Ryussia are Russians among the Finns.
Sarty is a word used by Karakalpaks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and Turkmens to people of Uzbek nationality; most often this word is perceived as humiliating and abusive.
Tibla is an offensive nickname for Russian speakers in Estonia.
Farang is a word from the Thai language that originally referred to the French. Not offensive. In Thailand and Cambodia, farang (barang) refers to any foreigner of European descent.
Habibi is how Americans disparagingly call Arabs.
Shuravi - Originally a designation for USSR soldiers in Afghanistan. On at the moment neutral designation for all Russians in Arab countries.
Yahudiy is a colloquial Uzbek designation for a person of the Jewish religion, used in both derogatory and neutral meanings.
POM (Pommy) is a humorous nickname for the British among residents of Australia, New Zealand and sometimes South Africa.
Every country has its own symbols of pride. Unfortunately, sometimes in large countries like the USA, Great Britain, Russia, they elevate events and objects, the value of which is very doubtful, to a number of shrines. After all, people need to believe in something and love something!
In today's post I propose an interesting topic: how to offend an American. I hope you take this information as an introduction to American culture rather than a call to action. Choose those grains from here useful information, which will help you establish productive communication with Americans (colleagues, students, acquaintances). If you have to bring up these topics in conversations, try not to add fuel to the fire by proving your point of view. It's better to move on to another more neutral topic (for example, talk about the weather!).
Before moving on to topics that may offend Americans, I will tell the story of an American tourist who vacationed on the island of Mykonos in Greece last year.
A fashionably dressed woman approached our hero, who was idly wandering around the island, and whispered in a pronounced British accent: “ Shhh. Keep quiet! You are an American. Am I right?"
Our American shook his head in agreement. The woman, pleased with herself, kissed him on the cheek. The American asked her: “How did you guess that I’m from the USA? I didn’t even say a word!”.
To which the woman replied: "No one from Europe would walk on such an island in such a hot time in such huge boots. Even the Canadians have more prudence!".
Let us now move on to those topics in conversation with Americans that can cause irreparable damage to your relations with them. Let's read without gloating!
"The USA is like that great country where freedom is preached. How is it that the United States has the highest per capita incarceration rate in the world? More than in Russia or China."
Fact: There are more than 2.5 million prisoners in the United States (almost 1% of the population!). This is more than 700 people per 100,000 population. In Russia, this figure is at the level of 550-600, with a total number of prisoners of just over 800 thousand. It’s better not to talk about this topic!
"Are you happy with the Patriot Act?"
Fact: The Patriot Act, or the "Uniting and Strengthening America Act of 2001 by Providing the Appropriate Tools Required to Suppress and Obstruct Terrorism," is a counter-terrorism law that has easily started several wars in Asia. It’s better not to talk about this topic!
Never remember the air attacks of September 11, 2001 in comparison with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. Don't pour salt on the wounds!
“How is it that all over the world football is played with feet, but in the United States football is a game in which giants on steroids rush around the field with an egg-shaped ball under their arm?”
Fact: American football or just football (as opposed to soccer) - national sport in the USA. A brutal sport where serious injuries are not uncommon, American football attracts millions of Americans. It's better not to argue on this topic if you're not in the know!
“Why is your American football or baseball championship called the World Series? After all, only teams from the USA play in your championship?”
Fact: Everything is much easier here. At the beginning of the 20th century there were no championships in today's format. To attract the attention of the public, the organizers of baseball and football matches resorted to such pompous names. Time passed, formats changed, but the names of the episodes remained as a tribute to history.
"Why do you use such a strange system of measures?"
Fact: In the United States, temperature is measured in degrees Fahrenheit, gasoline is sold in gallons, weight is measured in pounds, and length is measured in inches and feet. The Americans, due to tradition and due to the desire to do everything their own way, refused to switch to the metric system of measures. As a result, there are only 3 countries in the world that have not adopted the metric system: Liberia, Myanmar and... the USA.
"Have you traveled abroad?"
Fact: Only 35% of Americans have a foreign passport. Most Americans consider traveling abroad a waste of time. They say the USA is huge country(there is always somewhere to go on the weekend).
"Why, being the richest country in the world, does the US pay for healthcare? Why don't 40 million of your citizens have access to healthcare?"
Fact: In the USA, medicine is a business. Hospitals, clinics, doctors' practices - everything private business. If you are unable to pay for your medical insurance, you will not be able to receive treatment. There are sometimes reports on the Internet about how people have to stitch up lacerations themselves simply because the local hospital can bill them tens of thousands of dollars for such an operation. And there’s nothing to pay with!
"You elected George Bush as president. Plus, you re-elected him to a second term!"
Fact: Numerous sources say that Bush's IQ is 125, which is the lowest in the history of measuring the IQ of presidents. Like this!
"Why do Americans rarely speak two or three foreign languages?"
Fact: See the answer to the question why Americans rarely travel abroad.
"Why do you need so many weapons? The British Empire is not going to conquer you. Or are you going to hunt?"
Fact: In the United States, there are 88 guns per 100 people. In second place is Serbia (69 units per 100 people) and in third place is Yemen (55 per 100). Okay, they recently fought or are fighting in Serbia and Yemen. There have been no wars in the United States for about 200 years! In Russia, by the way, there are only 6 weapons per 100 people. Maybe we should arm ourselves better?
Never raise questions about religion.
Fact: Despite the fact that American films are full of blasphemous phrases, the average American goes to church and honors religious rituals. Any attacks or jokes on religious themes will be considered an insult.
Here are some more rules, violation of which in a conversation with Americans can lead to the latter being offended:
Don't talk about the benefits of a social or communist economy. They won't understand you!
Don't talk about the economic benefits of moving jobs from the US to India or China.
Don't point out that the largest cigarette manufacturers are in the United States and that more than 95% of their revenue comes from countries in Africa and Asia that do not have strict smoking bans.
Don't end a conversation about the Vietnam War with "And yet you lost!".
Don't remind people in the southern states that the northerners won.
Don't ask Americans why Japanese and Korean cars are better?
I will complete this set of rules and taboos in conversation with Americans with the point about HONESTY.
Be aware that you may offend your American interlocutor with your honesty.
In America, you shouldn't tell fat people that they are fat and that it's time for them to take care of their figure.
In America, you shouldn't tell people who have drug problems that they're ruining their lives.
In America, you don't have to tell parents not to give junk food to their children.
In America, diplomacy is preferred over honesty. With your honesty you will easily offend your American interlocutor.
You have a lot of information in your hands on how to offend an American. It's up to you to decide how to use this information!
Somehow I came across a rating of the most ill-mannered tourists. Our compatriots occupied an honorable third place in it, after the Americans and (surprise, surprise) the prim British. The civilized part of our tourists immediately found an explanation: sacramental swimming trunks like “swim trunks”, inappropriate ladies’ toilets, lack of tips and some other minor nonsense. No, my dears. The point, unfortunately, is a matter of banal rudeness. This is what Europeans most often complain about. And I’m not talking about Russian heroes who organize drunken brawls at Turkish resorts and fight with stewards on airplanes. The most surprising and offensive thing is that the same civilized Russian-speaking tourist who has absolutely no intention of offending anyone, has successfully overcome the language barrier and behaves, from his own point of view, quite politely, can look rude in the eyes of a European. I offer a small list of subtle and very typical mistakes of Russian-speaking tourists that set foreigners against them.
1. No apology. If you push a European or step on his foot, in most cases he will apologize. He will do this not because he is guilty, but out of habit. Firstly, because your apology seems to be inevitable, and secondly, it is believed that unplanned physical contact is still unpleasant for both parties (I’ll talk about personal space below). So, Russian tourist... daam! Having accepted the apology of the victim, he usually leaves with a feeling of superiority. How does the European feel? Figure it out for yourself. But it’s so easy to say Sorry, Excusez-moi or Scusi...
2. No “Please.” Yes, in Europe it is common to ask politely. Kindergarten, junior group. But you won’t get this from our tourists. But one “Please” successfully replaces entire phrases that will have to be constructed with the risk of making mistakes. “Please, a cup of coffee.” “Please wake me up at seven.” “Please, size thirty-seven.” There are, of course, some nuances here. For example, Germans say “please” on average less often than the British. But if you communicate in English, please there is no such thing as too much.
3. Lack of polite treatment. Everything is clear with our country - “comrades” are a thing of the past, “gentlemen” have not taken root. But in old Europe everything is the same. When trying to attract the attention of a stranger, do not forget to add “sir” or “madam”, “senor” or “senora”, and so on. Otherwise, and taking into account intonation differences, some perceive your “Excuse me” as a rude shout.
4. Rudeness towards staff. Again, from the Soviet Union. On the one hand - ingratiation (they may not let you in), on the other hand - rudeness (Chaldeans). Keep in mind that in Europe there is a very high probability of ending up in a family restaurant/hotel where the waiter/receptionist will not be a stray limit, but a younger relative of the owner of the establishment. In many establishments, the waiter feels involved in the kitchen, starts conversations about the appropriate wine, and sincerely worries how you will like the dish. Here, as luck would have it, “ours” pop up with their home-grown nobility: “Why are lobsters small?”
5. Lack of a smile. In some European countries, it is customary to smile politely when meeting someone's gaze, including when we're talking about about a stranger. This is not the case in other countries. But Russians are simply famous throughout the world for their eternally sour faces. If you don't want to smile at strangers, don't smile. But keep in mind that your gloomy face gives the interlocutor the impression that you are talking to him through clenched teeth. And this does not add points to you, especially if no one actually offended you.
6. Failure to respect personal space. This is where the moment is very delicate. In the Russian mentality, the concept of personal space does not exist at all. From time immemorial, it has been normal for us to live ten people in one room. We do not experience discomfort if we stand almost close to a person, regardless of whether there is a need for it or not. However, a European, if you find yourself too close for no reason, will move away, and if he cannot move away, he will show irritation that is inexplicable to you. The point is not that he personally dislikes you, but that you are violating his comfort zone. This is an invasion. Representatives different cultures The dimensions of your personal space may differ, but when you find yourself in an unfamiliar country, it is better to begin with not approaching your interlocutor closer than arm’s length.
7. Insensitive remarks. In general, a well-mannered person understands that the banner over the Reichstag is not best theme for discussion with the Germans on a nearby sunbed. But there are also less obvious mistakes. Some Britons do not consider themselves to live in Europe, although their country is part of the European Union. Some Irish do not believe that they live in the British Isles, although from the point of view of Russian geography they live there (it is safer to call the notorious islands Anglo-Celtic or at least British-Irish). Some Austrians do not consider themselves Germans, although they speak German. Some (many) French people consider Napoleon national hero. Of course, you can’t lay straws everywhere. But in general, you should not get involved in a discussion of geography, history and politics with strangers(especially if they are Irish). And when communicating with fellow tribesmen, also quietly express your valuable opinion. At least a basic knowledge of the Russian language is not at all as rare among Europeans as you might think.