US Americans seem to refer to themselves as “Americans” a lot on social media. Or they refer to themselves as “the world” like in “this icecream is the best in the world” (without having visited any other country for a significant time to be able to compare). In Europe, US Americans are referred to by different names: the popular „yanks“, the German “Amis” (die spinnen doch, die Amis), depends on the country. The prevalence of new names is increasing rapidly, e.g. Trumpists, US twerks, dropkicks.
Really? So no one ever anywhere but the US uses the exaggeration ‘best in the world’? Get off it.
You sorta had me in the first half, and there is definitely lots of criticism for US treating say….online spaces as an extension of the US, but you chose to go with ‘greatest in the world ice cream’ as the example? I mean, sure.
No, but it certainly seems like hyperbole is the default for Americans. Everything is “awesome, “amazing,” “SO fucking _____,” “the most,” “the worst,” “the best”… I don’t think they understand how strange it sounds to most people, speaking that way about nearly everything.
You’re not wrong, I was just poking fun at the original comment making a hyperbolic statement about hyperboles
I’d bet that a lot of it comes from how pervasive advertising is; we’re constantly bombarded by ads that use that kind of language, so it’s worked its way into everyday language
US Americans seem to refer to themselves as “Americans” a lot on social media. Or they refer to themselves as “the world” like in “this icecream is the best in the world” (without having visited any other country for a significant time to be able to compare). In Europe, US Americans are referred to by different names: the popular „yanks“, the German “Amis” (die spinnen doch, die Amis), depends on the country. The prevalence of new names is increasing rapidly, e.g. Trumpists, US twerks, dropkicks.
The “World Series” of baseball is the example I would use. All but one team is based in the US.
There isn’t really a better demonym, and certainly none in common usage… USians? US-American (as you mentioned)?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonyms_for_the_United_States
Really? So no one ever anywhere but the US uses the exaggeration ‘best in the world’? Get off it.
You sorta had me in the first half, and there is definitely lots of criticism for US treating say….online spaces as an extension of the US, but you chose to go with ‘greatest in the world ice cream’ as the example? I mean, sure.
The irony of saying that only the US uses hyperbole
No, but it certainly seems like hyperbole is the default for Americans. Everything is “awesome, “amazing,” “SO fucking _____,” “the most,” “the worst,” “the best”… I don’t think they understand how strange it sounds to most people, speaking that way about nearly everything.
You’re not wrong, I was just poking fun at the original comment making a hyperbolic statement about hyperboles
I’d bet that a lot of it comes from how pervasive advertising is; we’re constantly bombarded by ads that use that kind of language, so it’s worked its way into everyday language