Do American girls like Britsh guys as much as everyone says?

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I'm coming to study for a year in the States next month and many people have told me that the Hugh Grant thing goes down veeeery well over there.

Is this true or am i going to be sadly disappointed?

― Brit Twit, Sunday, 10 July 2005 11:23 (twenty years ago)

Is the plural of anecdote data?

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Sunday, 10 July 2005 11:37 (twenty years ago)

The genius part is that we Americans don't really parse a British accent very well in terms in class. It's *all* charming to us, and we aren't very good, generally, at sorting out who's posh and who's "common as dirt" (as you folks say).

― Drew Daniel (Drew Daniel), Sunday, 10 July 2005 12:12 (twenty years ago)

it's "common as muck"

― Jarlr'mai (jarlrmai), Sunday, 10 July 2005 12:14 (twenty years ago)

it might be true but i'm not sure if we like hugh grant. i don't anyway.

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Sunday, 10 July 2005 12:19 (twenty years ago)

It's not exactly a Hugh Grant thing, but this is pretty true generally. I would say that any British man has a 60-70% better chance of getting with people here, but you still have to have some degree of social skill.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

As someone with an American sweetheart, I can confirm this is true. Or maybe they just like moi.

― Markelby (Mark C), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:18 (twenty years ago)

yup

― dahlin (dahlin), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:26 (twenty years ago)

love actually comes to mind.

however awful that movie is I was smiling wide during those scenes(which relate to this topic).

― Lovelace (Lovelace), Sunday, 10 July 2005 13:27 (twenty years ago)

It is 100% true. Throw in as much slang as possible, and excuse all unexcusable behaviors as "culture differences" and you will return to your fair isle a champion.

(On a sidenote, where in the states? Wink)

― now now now, Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:36 (twenty years ago)

This lame lame lame lame Blur fan indie radio shithead I used to muck around with is an anglophile and did a semester in fucking BATH. When she came back she has gained weight and the ridge of her cheeks looks like Acne battlefield. I don't think she got any guys in the UK.

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:37 (twenty years ago)

I'm generally a sucker for a British accent from a male or a female in a non-sexual sense. Everything just sounds smarter in a British accent. I can somewhat tell the various accents apart, but even the dirtiest low-class accents sound to me like they're bubbling with some kind of wit that Americans lack.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

Make sure to ask if her flat has a lift.

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:41 (twenty years ago)

http://theoldtoad.com/about.html

Englishman David Wickett and his American partner, John Roman, founded The Old Toad in 1990 with a plan to bring British university students to Rochester to work in a British-styled pub to gain knowledge about the industry and to experience working and living in the United States. The pub continues to flourish with our expansion and the addition of the Victorian Snug (a comfort lounge opened in October 2002).

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:50 (twenty years ago)

http://theoldtoad.com/crew.html

hahaha

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 14:51 (twenty years ago)

Cheers for that.

I'm positively rubbing my hands together in anticipation of the fun to be had.

BTW The fine people of Washington D.C. will be getting the pleasure of my company as of August the 20th.

― Brit Twit, Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:05 (twenty years ago)

I can't complain.

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:06 (twenty years ago)

It helps with job interviews too. And customer service people.

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:08 (twenty years ago)

Everything just sounds smarter in a British accent.

I don't know about that. I don't think they're particularly impressive.

― Leon C. (Ex Leon), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:16 (twenty years ago)

http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/arts/2004/12/16/kenton_sweeps3.jpg

― miccio (miccio), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

This is astonishingly true, and god knows why, but thanks anyway.

― Chuck_Tatum (Chuck_Tatum), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:26 (twenty years ago)

i don't think it sounds smarter either. also you can pretty much always tell the difference between posh/"common as dirt" just like in the u.s.

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:27 (twenty years ago)

i think it's fair enough, given all the brit ladies your guys duped with nylon stockings during the last war.

― n_RQ, Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:35 (twenty years ago)

'ello guv'ner!

― Ô¿Ô (eman), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:42 (twenty years ago)

At a discussion group I'm in (U.S.), a female visitor exclaimed repeatedly about the cuteness/coolness of the accent of the one British guy there, who in fact has the harshest accent I've heard, bar none; a transcript of his speech would read like the dialogue of the scummiest Martin Amis yob-villain ever. The visitor's effusions about the charm of this guy's incredibly trashy accent went on to such length that I started to wonder if she was taking the piss. Dude was gracious enough about it, but I so wish I knew what he was thinking.

And but so the answer to the title question: yes, a lot of them do, and a fair number of them (mainly not on the coasts, perhaps?) haven't a clue about accents and class, and of those who do have a clue many won't care. Go wild. Speaking personally: yes, except for the Hugh Grant thing (= eurgh).

― zero, Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:47 (twenty years ago)

I once shared a house with an American girl who told me I looked like Hugh Grant.

― MarkH (MarkH), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

Well, a majority of Americans can't really tell the difference between the various British accents, which explains quite a bit. The implications of various accents (even sometimes diffentiations between Scottish, Welsh, Irish, and English) is lost on lots of people.

― Matthew C Perpetua (inca), Sunday, 10 July 2005 15:55 (twenty years ago)

this doesn't completely convince, but it comes pretty close

― gabbneb (gabbneb), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:00 (twenty years ago)

It always helps to turn your accent up a notch, in the "yobbish teenager suddenly becoming polite to your mates parents" manner.

...

Perhaps. I do this accidentally.

― Suedey (John Cei Douglas), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:06 (twenty years ago)

http://www.warrenellis.com/index.php?p=971

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:08 (twenty years ago)

Yeah, I get told I look like High Grant sometimes do. I emphatically do not/.

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

HIGH GRANT

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

I AM HUGH

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

i'm so fucking embarrassed by americans. i'm so sorry, you guys.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

Who are you apologizing to?

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:13 (twenty years ago)

"you guys"

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

BTW The fine people of Washington D.C. will be getting the pleasure of my company as of August the 20th.

Please register this with the Michael Rennie thread. We will organize a FAP, at which time we will conduct experiments to test the validity of your hypothesis.

― j.lu (j.lu), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:18 (twenty years ago)

Off topic: C/D People refering to all members of a racial group as "You People".

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 16:29 (twenty years ago)

An English accent (of virtually any sort) will grant you about +25 IQ points in the US!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:18 (twenty years ago)

(perceived)

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

I worked with a fellow from Wales (ancestory was actually English, or something. I forget), and he picked up women that, if he were American, would be very, very far out of his league. So the answer is *yes*. Big time yes.

― Alan Conceicao (Alan Conceicao), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:26 (twenty years ago)

Yes. Yes we do.

― luna (luna.c), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

Blame James Bond.

― Kim (Kim), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:29 (twenty years ago)

Yes, American women are very stupid. Their idea of romance is retarded, unrealistic and fantastical. It's something to do with how little girls are raised here. Lots of daddy issues, too. Enjoy the states, mate!

― USAirheads, Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

I was there three months without a single unsolicited anything. God I must be ugly.

― grraham (noodles is a cunt), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:38 (twenty years ago)

Don't worry, grraham. I think they're also intimidated by the accent, which is why they like it. So, I wouldn't expect unsolicited action. Make the first move and watch them giggle like the little idiots they are.

― USAirheads, Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:46 (twenty years ago)

the sexy girl will repeatedly coo about how she loooooooooves your accent, and right after the mind-blowing sex she will turn to you and say "where part of australia are you from then?"

― fortunate hazel (f. hazel), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:48 (twenty years ago)

I think the thicker, more colo(u)rful "lower class" accents actually go over better here. I can't imagine a Hugh Grant type would do too well but a Cockney or Mancunian accent sounds really cool. Note that I obviously couldn't pick those different regional accents out of a lineup and I'm not sure I used the word Mancunian properly there either.

Of course the British can't really hear different American accents properly either as evidenced by american characters on BBC shows.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:53 (twenty years ago)

I once had a middle-aged woman complement me on my accent on the NYC subway, but that's about it. Oh, and my wife's family seem to get a kick out of it (my Baltimore brother-in-law just thinks my quirks of pronounciation and diction are comical). Our daughter will speak in a Maryland-Scouse hybrid that will melt hearts the world over.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:57 (twenty years ago)

compliment Jeez, "color" would be understandable but this...

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Sunday, 10 July 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

And there I was picturing a middle-aged woman riffing along, with "uh, uh, yeah, yeah, say it, say it, word, yeh, that's right" as you chattered on in your Scouse way.

My accent goes down quite well in the States, which is surprising as in most parts of Britain it comes over as either unintelligible mumbling or just plain unintelligible. I have trouble in McDonald's, where there are only about ten possible things you could be asking for.
"A quarter meal with coke please".
"We dinnae sell Quorn, mate"

― stet (stet), Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:24 (twenty years ago)

an exchange today between two low-IQ americans:

Wendy's cashier: and your drink?
Me: uuuhhh, Barq's... root beer.
cashier: huh?
Me: Barq's root beer
cashier: ...
cashier: Mr. Pibb?
Me: No, Barq's. Barq's root beer.
cashier: ... oh.

― Ô¿Ô (eman), Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

Of course the British can't really hear different American accents properly either as evidenced by american characters on BBC shows.

Well, I can.

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:51 (twenty years ago)

Daphne Moon's brother to thread.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 10 July 2005 21:56 (twenty years ago)

I'm an American guy who likes British girls!

Oh I hate Daphne Moon's accent though...

― Richard K (Richard K), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:03 (twenty years ago)

I heard a girl on the NYC subway once who had the sexiest Brit accent ever (along the lines of Elizabeth Hurley) and I was definitely way too intimidated to do anything about it.

― Richard K (Richard K), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:07 (twenty years ago)

Well, I can.

Oh yeah? Where am I from then?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:19 (twenty years ago)

I can't tell where you were born, but you post like you live in...Santa Monica? Venice?

― Nevada Lime (nordicskilla), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

two american boys tried to pick my friend and me up once by faking british accents. we mocked them relentlessly for fifteen minutes til they finally gave up and started talking like the rochester natives they were.

in general i think foreign accents/foreigners in general can be sexy, but you have to back it up with an interesting, intelligent personality if you want it to carry you for more than five minutes of conversation.

― tehresa (tehresa), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

rochester accents sound really unappealing

― caitlin oh no (caitxa1), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:37 (twenty years ago)

I can't tell where you were born, but you post like you live in...Santa Monica? Venice?

Dude, you're good.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:40 (twenty years ago)

rochester accents sound really unappealing

Especially with a lisp.

― no tech! (ex machina), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:45 (twenty years ago)

rochester accents sound really unappealing

hiiii, haaooow arrrr you geeerrls doooing? aaaiii think yerrr haaat!

― tehresa (tehresa), Sunday, 10 July 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

Walter Kranz - the reason those accents are so bad is that Americans in Brit films have traditionally been played by Canadain actors that live in the UK.

As for the efficacy of our English accents in the matters of lurve I can assure you from personal experience that being an Englishman in the US is a guaranteed way to have the ladies dropping their knickers within seconds. It even works in phone conversations; the first thing you get told is "your accent makes me so wet". Fish in a barrel, me maties, fish in a barrel :-P

― The Cad, Monday, 11 July 2005 00:53 (twenty years ago)

Am I a pervert because I prefer the Irish?

― Ann Sterzinger (Ann Sterzinger), Monday, 11 July 2005 01:09 (twenty years ago)

yep

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 01:16 (twenty years ago)

Do British girls like American guys as much as everyone says?

― Richard K (Richard K), Monday, 11 July 2005 02:50 (twenty years ago)

During my first year there was a British exchange student who despite his very average looks, did very well with the ladies. Mind you this was in Canada, but I'm sure it's the same in the states.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Monday, 11 July 2005 02:58 (twenty years ago)

Americans in Brit films have traditionally been played by Canadain actors that live in the UK.

Ha ha ha really!? Whenever I watch Mrs. Marple or Poirot or Jeeves & Wooster or something they always sound Canadian with a really forced southern twang added to certain words.

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:00 (twenty years ago)

Also that awful woman in Dr. Who. Perry?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:01 (twenty years ago)

the model for the standard "american" newscaster accent circa 2005 is actually western canadian -- people in the u.s.a. (outside of the more urbane parts of the far west coast) don't talk like that.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:07 (twenty years ago)

i think there actually is a certifiable "american" accent that seems to be transcending regions (with the above "outside of certain, more urbane regions" proviso). it's funny how people in upstate new york and pennsylvania have a similar twang to people in the midwest, northwest, southwest, etc.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:18 (twenty years ago)

I wish newscasters still spoke in 'General American' dialect!

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:23 (twenty years ago)

They mostly do, though! It's like a more sterile version of the northern midwest urban accent. Cronkite et al sound like people from Minneapolis or Des Moines.

― mike h. (mike h.), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:29 (twenty years ago)

I mean more like the ridiculous 30s/40s Hollywood version.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:29 (twenty years ago)

Which is like some weird Brit-on-PCP thing.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:30 (twenty years ago)

Hollywood/Radio, I mean.

― C0L1N B... (C0L1N B...), Monday, 11 July 2005 03:30 (twenty years ago)

the model for the standard "american" newscaster accent circa 2005 is actually western canadian -- people in the u.s.a. (outside of the more urbane parts of the far west coast) don't talk like that.

Soory but did it occur to you that the newscasters probably got it from the "more urbane parts of the far west coast" rather than Canada?

― walter kranz (walterkranz), Monday, 11 July 2005 04:14 (twenty years ago)

this totally goes for American guys/British girls. One of the student secretaries in my university department was British (no idea what kind of accent, not as high-pitched/smooth as Elizabeth Hurley, but not Cockney), she was reasonably attractive but every guy in the department was in love with her for her accent.

― milo, Monday, 11 July 2005 04:20 (twenty years ago)

Soory but did it occur to you that the newscasters probably got it from the "more urbane parts of the far west coast" rather than Canada?

tell that to peter jennings.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 04:52 (twenty years ago)

also a lot of american entertainment (films, syndicated radio features, tv movies) is produced in canada and surely that has an influence on the way things sound.

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 04:55 (twenty years ago)

Canada's film industry is in full expansion as a site for Hollywood productions. The series The X-Files was famously shot in Vancouver as is Stargate SG-1, and The Outer Limits. The American Queer as Folk is filmed in Toronto. Montreal, due to its European appearance, has served in a great variety of mainstream movies, attracting the loyalty of industry people such as Bruce Willis; there are plans to build the world's biggest film studio on the outskirts of the city. The choice of location is usually due to cost, rather than a requirement for a 'Canadian atmosphere'. The frequent question of a Canadian, seeing a film crew on their local streets is "Which bit of the States are we pretending to be today?".

― president carter loves repetition (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 11 July 2005 04:59 (twenty years ago)

Canada and Canadian ladeez - the best in the world.

Both are beautiful.
Both are welcoming.
Both have interesting bumps.

The weather is the only thing where the country and the gals diverge - the gals are certainly not cold.

These are the observations of a Brit that has visited over 60 countries and, er, checked out the interesting bumps in quite a few of those.

Walter - regarding the bad accents of actors. It's ironic because most Brits have an uncanny ear for the subtles of accents so I don't know how British TV and film makers have gotten away with it for so long. I guess it's just as risible to Americans as is Hollywood's consistent casting of Brits as the Bad Guy is to us Limeys.

― The Cad, Monday, 11 July 2005 05:26 (twenty years ago)

I've found the odd American woman who seems to like me, yes. The striking thing was my first trip to the US. If I'm lucky, I might get a person or two making moves on me in a good year, here at home. My first trip there, there were 5 (my assessment) or 6 people (a companion's different assessment of one woman's intentions) definitely making passes at me. I was very happily married and offering no encouragement at all, and I'm far from a great looking man.

That was a long time ago. I fear that things might have changed, and I would be more perceived as a Steven Berkoff-style villain or some such.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:16 (twenty years ago)

you're not that far, martin.

isn't the new virgin london-glasgow service quicker than ever?

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:18 (twenty years ago)

The first time I went over to the States a lot of people asked me where I was from. I resisted temptation to say "Oztrahlya mayt!", but no actual moves made or anything on account of my accent anyway.

― Sociah T Azzahole (blueski), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:25 (twenty years ago)

forgive my bad "joke"--I am in an internet cafe.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:28 (twenty years ago)

http://www.therockalltimes.co.uk/2003/01/13/britmen.jpg

― no tech! (ex machina), Monday, 11 July 2005 11:35 (twenty years ago)

As a Brit who has lived in the US for over 10 years, I can categorically say that the answer to the question is a big "YES".

― Nigel Pond, Tuesday, 12 July 2005 20:19 (twenty years ago)

It's pretty unanimous.

haHA!

― I'd still rather be in Tokyo (nordicskilla), Tuesday, 12 July 2005 20:23 (twenty years ago)

Hugh Grant is a slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaag.

― 4*1nce (Dea), Wednesday, 13 July 2005 02:05 (twenty years ago)

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