To all you american girls and boys out there.

"Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh" (andymcbradleigh) 10/15/2015 at 19:30 • Filed to: None

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I was told that the easiest way to spot a Scandinavian on an American forum was that he/she would write a post in flawless english and then add “sorry about any flaws, english is not my native tongue”. Is this really true?

TheHondaBro > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:33

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I find this stereotype to be wrong and derogatory.

Pardon my flawed english.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > TheHondaBro 10/15/2015 at 19:34

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I’ll take that as a yes :P

NeedForSwede > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:35

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I think it’s kind of a joke at this point, but yeah, it does happen.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > NeedForSwede 10/15/2015 at 19:38

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As a fellow scandi I feel the same way. Sorry about me lousy english btw :P

RallyWrench > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:38

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Yes. Unless you can just see their post history about Swedish street racing, which is a dead giveaway.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > RallyWrench 10/15/2015 at 19:40

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Well. FUCK YOU MATE :P Hehe.. I ain’t a bloody swede though :)

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:40

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Can be said about any foreigner writing on an American forum

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/15/2015 at 19:42

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Probably true. Most of us non americans actually have a better grasp of the language than most americans :P

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:43

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i’d say it’s just less slang and more proper english

ly2v8-Brian > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:44

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frequently, yes

RallyWrench > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:45

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Well, then! You politicians are all the same! :) Just about everyone uses better English than Americans, so it may as well be us that makes apologies.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras 10/15/2015 at 19:45

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Huh, never thought about that. But I guess that’s true.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > ly2v8-Brian 10/15/2015 at 19:46

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Shouldn’t that worry people in America?

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > RallyWrench 10/15/2015 at 19:50

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Hehe, well.. I’d compel you to listen to Norwegian politicians speaking English for just a sec.. Sounds like a bloody Russian reading a script.

spanfucker retire bitch > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 19:52

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Those that grow up speaking their native language for their entire lives - I find - tend to get blase and lax in following the exacting grammatical rules and/or spelling. Where-as those who learn a second or third language usually end up (because of the way it’s taught to them) being strict adherents to their non-native language’s syntax and grammar.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > spanfucker retire bitch 10/15/2015 at 19:59

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Probably true. meet me and speak english and you’d probably think I’m either Scottish or Aussie..

RallyWrench > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 20:00

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Well, speaking is another matter. I can guarantee you that I probably butcher all the Scandinavian names I read on Speedhunters.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > RallyWrench 10/15/2015 at 20:06

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I probably cock up everything as well :) The thing is, english is the common language now.. lingua franca :P Me dialect is close to the one in northern parts of the UK. Muricans tend to claim that’s not english :P

The Compromiser > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 20:15

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I dont know what you are on aboot, eh?

Sorry,eh?

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > The Compromiser 10/15/2015 at 20:19

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Canadians are somewhat an exception :P

ly2v8-Brian > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 20:20

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Could be worse I guess.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > ly2v8-Brian 10/15/2015 at 20:22

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Sure, it could be me trying to speak english orally..

The Compromiser > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 20:38

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Oh, ok. Sorry to have bothered you.

(EH?)

Viggen > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 20:52

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No, the easiest way to find out is by saying Denmark is the best Scandinavian country.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > The Compromiser 10/15/2015 at 20:53

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If you say sorry one more time I’ll have your ass for lunch :P

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Viggen 10/15/2015 at 21:05

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OI.. Denmark sucks :P

Viggen > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:12

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Well that makes three Scandinavians who’ve now said Denmark sucks.

Polandball comic was right. “Danmark am shittiest neighbor.”

ly2v8-Brian > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:20

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The horror!

Of course you’d probably sound like the old folks ‘up nort’

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Viggen 10/15/2015 at 21:20

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I’ll be honest, it’s not that the Danes suck, they just cant talk... they all sound like they got a potato stuck in the throat :)

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > ly2v8-Brian 10/15/2015 at 21:23

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I’d say I actually sound more like someone from L.A that have spent 20 years in London. Either way it’s not pretty.

Proof here..

Viggen > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:24

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Tom Kristensen can talk.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Viggen 10/15/2015 at 21:26

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Must admit that I don’t know who he is.

Viggen > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:29

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Nine time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner, from Denmark.

But if what you say is true, maybe that’s why McLaren never let Kevin Magnussen speak at all last year.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Viggen 10/15/2015 at 21:30

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Ahh.. TOM.. Sorry.. read that as John. my bad, tired as fuck here..

Viggen > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:31

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Gotcha. Yeah must be pretty late in Finland (I kid! I kid!)

ranwhenparked > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 21:33

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Pretty much. Scandinavians (and Dutch, I might add) often speak and write better English than Americans, but seem needlessly self conscious about it and do tend to apologize in advance for errors they never make.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Viggen 10/15/2015 at 21:33

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It is pretty late in finland :P It is half past three in the night in Norway after all :P

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > ranwhenparked 10/15/2015 at 21:35

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Indeed, that’s just how we are.

The Compromiser > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 22:15

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Well. Um. Like umm. Ah... erm... ahhhhhhhhhh

You can tell a Finn but you can't tell him much > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 22:17

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I can confirm that foreigners speak better English than Americans. On a ski holiday in Engleberg we ran into a group of Swedes at a bar. They definitely spoke better English than we did. Though our version of English has enough of an accent and so much local flavor that it is probably close to a dialect.

wiffleballtony > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/15/2015 at 23:02

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I just assume everyone is American, unless they’re weird in which case they’re Canadian.

/runs away

duurtlang > ranwhenparked 10/16/2015 at 04:14

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I’m sorry.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > wiffleballtony 10/16/2015 at 04:16

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They could be from Minnesota as well eh?

orcim > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/16/2015 at 04:53

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Don’t fret: my Swedish national friend taught me how to “spot the Swede” on the mall in Honolulu. It’s subtle, but very distinct once you catch the aura. He initially could scan a crowd of 50, and within seconds pick out the Swedes. Right every time since we’d go over to talk to them.

I could only imagine that blog posts have the same characteristics, but I haven’t paid attention to those. (I only notice ‘millimeter justice’ in those cases, and that usually involves older Scandahoovians.)

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/16/2015 at 08:28

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You've done it at least several times in comments, iirc. Therefore I hold it to be true.

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer 10/16/2015 at 11:08

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Well yeah. I always do that, after all I’m not a native speaker of the queens english :)

Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh > orcim 10/16/2015 at 11:13

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Spotting a Scandi in a crowd is easy :) Just find the person that looks really uncomfortable being there :P

wiffleballtony > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/16/2015 at 14:58

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That’s true my Canadian relatives could pass for Minnesota.

desertdog5051 > Laird Andrew Neby Bradleigh 10/23/2015 at 22:13

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No, we go off skin color.