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[Non-Americans] Does it annoy you when an American responds to the question of where they're from with their state instead of just saying America? (self.AskACountry)

illSeeMyselfOutNowOk が 投稿

I feel like every state has it's own identity. Texas is the big, conservative, cowboy state that was formerly Mexico, Florida is beautiful beaches and retirement for senior citizens and oranges, Cali is well, Cali, Ohio is an epitome of utter normalcy and a swing state in elections, Alaska is dark and cold but vast and beautiful, I could go on.

It makes sense to me to tell people what state I'm from, when asked "where are you from?" rather than to be vague, and just be like "I'm American."

Each state is kind of a little (or big) country.

Is this annoying? Does most of ROW think of America as just one big hodgepodge of elements of all the things I mentioned above combined with consumerism and other negative stereotypes?

Or should I say the state, followed by the country, like "Ohio, USA" which kind of feels awkward to me as a American native English speaker for some reason, but would preempt a person's possible ignorance of the states?

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[–]lolarent 7ポイント8ポイント  (1子コメント)

This is only my opinion but I do find it a bit irritating when people do that. It's a bit presumptuous, that's all. I would rather they said they're from America and wait until I asked what state/region/etc. Most countries are very different depending on the region, not only the US. But again, that's just me!

[–]Afflo 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Interesting. It wouldn't bother me a bit if someone told me they were from Scotland, Holland, Sicily, Catalonia, Newfoundland, New South Wales, etc. If I'm not familiar with the place, they'll see it in my face, and add the country.

EDIT: I should add - if I say "Texas," people assume I'm some kind of cowboy. If I say I'm originally from Florida, they assume I'm a beach bum. If I say U.S.A., they picture NYC, LA, Chicago from whatever movie they've seen most recently (just as hearing "The U.K.," my first mental image is London).

[–]MrGraeme 5ポイント6ポイント  (2子コメント)

I'm Canadian and I don't really mind much.

I do like to do the same thing when I visit the states, though, and just look at the confusion on their faces when I say I'm from "Alberta".

[–]jawathehutt 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

Where are you going where they have never heard of Canadian provinces? I guess some like price Edward island or the territories is reasonable, but the bordering provinces seem to be common back of the mind knowledge to most people, at least in the northern half of the country.

[–]MrGraeme 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Last place I went was Minnesota(a state bordering the Canadian border no less!) when I told them I was from Alberta nearly every response was "What state is that?" or "where is that?"

There was one couple, however, who owned a vacation home in the Rockies, so they knew where Alberta was! :D

[–]Kyoshikrabappel 4ポイント5ポイント  (0子コメント)

When I lived in Korea I was asked where I was from almost every day. In the beginning I always said my state, which was fine because everyone knows of the state I'm from. Nobody ever seemed bothered by it. Yet over the years I would just respond "USA". It didn't matter either way. Either people would question further about which state or we would just move on in the conversation. A lot of people will just hear USA and that's enough for them.

There was only one time, in all the people that I met, where someone remarked on the fact Americans usually say their state. They didn't see anything wrong with it. It really just lead us to the discussion as to why we tend to do it.

Really, think about why someone is asking you where you're from. They want to know more about you. I don't think you necessarily need to say the state and country. If they don't know the state then they'll probably either look confused or try to clarify. I also think it gives us a lot of feedback on the questioner and their knowledge of where you're from or their interest in you.

[–]mrtightwad 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

Kind of annoying when they use the 2 letters.

[–]anna_nz 3ポイント4ポイント  (0子コメント)

I like hearing the state because I'm gonna want to know it anyway, but maybe the best answer says both the state and 'America'/'the US' etc.

[–]_ALVAdog 2ポイント3ポイント  (2子コメント)

I usually say the city (Chicago) which I assume many people know, not just Americans. Saying Illinois to me just sounds kinda weird. People from other countries what are your opinions on people saying cities?

[–]3g0D 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

Most people, atleast in the western world probably know Chicago but it still seems like a kind of douchey thing to do. Depends on the context but usually it's better to just say USA and if people question further you can tell them what city.

[–]GavinZac 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Cities are good, if they're recognisable and most importantly, actually unique to the USA. Saying "Jersey" or "Boston" or "Dublin" is a bad idea if you're actually from the USA.

Mostly, just don't say "NC". I don't need to google what the fuck an NC is.

[–]visvis 2ポイント3ポイント  (0子コメント)

The only thing that matters is that the response is a place that most people would recognize. For myself, I generally tell people I'm from Amsterdam. Even though it's just a city more people seem to recognize it than if I say The Netherlands.

People generally recognize that the US is rather diverse, but might not know all the states. For the US I would say the most appropriate level depends on how well known it is:

  • In some cases that could be a well-known city, like say New York City, Los Angeles or Washington DC.
  • States like California, Texas or Florida would also be widely recognized.
  • If you said you were from, say, Wyoming or Delaware, there's a fair chance most Dutch would never have even heard of those states and it might be better to use another term like the region in the US.

[–]rektlelel 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Personally, I don't mind. I can tell that 'insert state name' is in US. But if you are going to Indonesia, saying that you are from America = American would be better as we translate USA into Amerika Serikat.

[–]boomfruit 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

Nobody says "Cali"

Also I've started just saying California because when I say "The US" people just go "well I know, I meant which state"

[–]knudowRespected Ambassador 3ポイント4ポイント  (14子コメント)

Not really. But it does annoy me a little bit that they use the name of the whole continent as their country.

[–]illSeeMyselfOutNowOk[S] 1ポイント2ポイント  (6子コメント)

Trying to think of a substitute that isn't "USA."

[–]knudowRespected Ambassador 1ポイント2ポイント  (5子コメント)

I think United States is ok.

[–]illSeeMyselfOutNowOk[S] 2ポイント3ポイント  (3子コメント)

Predicate adjective! That's the word I've been trying to remember. Do us United States citizens not get a predicate adjective at all?

[–]Sk8ynat 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Is that the name for words like Australian and English etc? New Zealand doesn't have one either. New Zealian? New Zealish?

[–]calikit 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

New Zealanders or Kiwis

[–]knudowRespected Ambassador 1ポイント2ポイント  (0子コメント)

I love the New Zealan one in Spanish.

The country is called Nueva (New) Zelanda, the people are called Neozelandeses. It sounds so futuristic.

[–]ohstrangeone 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

United States of Mexico, same problem.

Of course it's not actually a problem since Mexicans never use or wanted to use that term to describe themselves, I'm just pointing out your self-contradiction as I'm sure you're aware...

[–]ohstrangeone 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Latin American?

They're the only ones I've encountered who have this complaint.

Our country has the word "America" in its name, that's what that refers to and it's the only thing it refers to and everyone knows it. No one from North or South America would ever be inclined, in the first place, to describe themselves as "American" when asked where they're from, it's not like we're "taking" this term from anyone else who even would want to use it to begin with. No one, when asked where they're from, answers with their continent, everybody answers with their country (or state in the case of Americans sometimes, haha). This is a silly complaint made up by people who wanted something to complain about.

[–]boomfruit 0ポイント1ポイント  (5子コメント)

The continent is called north america...

[–]knudowRespected Ambassador 0ポイント1ポイント  (4子コメント)

The continents are different depending on where you studied.

In Spain we studied it as one continent, America, divided in North, Middle and South America.

[–]boomfruit 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Interesting. What makes up middle America? (Which if you didn't know, is a phrase we use in the US to describe like an average place in the country - eg "some family from middle America")

[–]boomfruit 0ポイント1ポイント  (2子コメント)

Also I bet it is weird to hear as a Spanish speaker, who knows it as estados unidos right? But there are many languages where the word for the country is just "amerika" or something like that, so speakers of those languages probably wouldn't find it as strange/annoying.

[–]knudowRespected Ambassador 0ポイント1ポイント  (1子コメント)

The "bridge" between north and south

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_America

[–]boomfruit 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Well yes I'm familiar with Central America, I just thought you meant there was something seperate called Middle America.

[–]mab92 0ポイント1ポイント  (0子コメント)

Somebody once told me they're from Jersey and my mind jumped to thinking they were from Jersey. Took me a while to realise they were from New Jersey, and found out later that this is a common thing.

It was loud and in a club so it wasn't clear that he was American, so in that situation it would've possibly been better if he'd said America.