Folklore: Being American

Subject: Folklore: Being American
From: Bert
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 01:35 PM

Just for the sake of fairness.

An American is someone who owns a riding lawnmower, a power saw, an electric toothbrush - AND an exercise machine.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Bill D
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 01:42 PM

I have 2 & 4...maybe I'm an expatriate?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: M.Ted
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 02:09 PM

There are many people in this wonderful nation who who have 3 and 4 acre lawns(and larger) that require *two* riding lawn mowers, and take up most of the weekend daylight time of two family members in order to maintain them.

I have never understood the point of having a lawn that large, let alone the reason for investing that much time in maintaining it, but it isn't wise to question this sort of thing--

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Kaleea
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 02:19 PM

I do not own any riding lawnmowers. I do not own a lawn. I cannot afford a house, much less a lawn! Too much trickle down bushnoneconomics.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Amos
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 02:35 PM

BErt:

Defining a citizen by his possessions? Surely not!!

I have no need of a riding mower, as my lawn is better suited to a weed-whacker!

I do have a power saw and have done a lot of good with it.

I do nothave an electric toothbrush as I think they are frivolous.

And I get all my exercise from physical labopr, thank you.

And I am very much an American.

Quod erat disprovandum!

A

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 03:01 PM

Woman in Hastings blurted out...'But you're too skinny to be an American!'

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Bert
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 05:23 PM

Aw! I was just kidding.

Although I did know one doctor who used to pay someone to cut his lawn so that he would have time to gio to the gym.

And I do own an electric toothbrush, it gets my teeth much cleaner that the old hand driven one.

But really I was hoping to hear from people with more things that define Americans, such as peanut butter icecream.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Barry Finn
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 05:38 PM

Hi Bert
One other pet quility you left out, a 3 minute attention span for listening to a folk song. There that makes me a little less American than more. Love Ya.
Barry

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 05:42 PM

Bermuda shorts, Hawaian shirts, rudness, not quite as many cameras as Japanese.....

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Emma B
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 05:52 PM

Americans entering a gym via an escalator? - can't remember where I saw that.........but..........

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: M.Ted
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 11:20 PM

There are two ads below, one for "Lawn Mowers", one for "lawnmowers"--that is another thing we like-making one new word by squashing two old words together.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 01 Feb 06 - 11:43 PM

A BLATANT PLUG:

The SONICARE electric toothbrush has completely turned around my budding gum disease!!

Other than going to the dentist for regular checkups, I generally TRANSCEND DENTAL MEDICATION! (pun intended) ---- And I'm much more serene as a result... (Some would say surreal !!

Bert, the rest of your list I ain't got.

Art Thieme

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Gervase
Date: 02 Feb 06 - 07:25 AM

Lawnmowers? Get some sheep - then you can eat the proceeds (and maybe cuddle up to 'em too, if your fancy lies that way!)
Or is it just a Welsh thing?

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 12:41 AM

Sheep ?      and a pair of wellies, good old British tradition....sheep shagging.

eric

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Wilfried Schaum
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 07:14 AM

A special Southern subspecies I noticed in Baja California:
High topped Stetson hats, cowboy boots, and rude behaviour to the waiters ...

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Grab
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 08:13 AM

An American is someone who thinks the World Series really is.

(duck and cover... ;-)

Actually a ride-on lawnmower is pretty damn practical for big lawns. Reason Americans have them and Brits don't is that most Brits don't have big enough lawns to make it worthwhile. And that most British gardens reduce lawn area by being full of flowerbeds and landscaping, which seems to be relatively unusual in the States (or at least to the extent that Brits do it).

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: Snuffy
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 08:41 AM

That's because we have gardens, not yards. Gardens have flowers in them.

Subject: RE: Folklore: Being American
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Feb 06 - 04:16 PM

Flour mills have flours in them.