No offense taken. As I said, I've lived in Germany for 15 years, so I'm familiar with a lot of British expressions since British English is officially taught in schools and I earn a lot of side money giving help to school kids having trouble with English. (School kids = "pupils". Right? Americans call everyone at every level of schooling a "student".)

The American "you're fired!" is also brutal, I suppose; but it leaves a lot to question. Perhaps you did something wrong, perhaps you didn't fit in, perhaps your performance was poor...whatever. Being "made redundant", on the other hand, sounds like "we don't need you anymore because we have this little tiny mechanism which can do the job just as well as you...you are now unnecessary, superfluous, worthless, a widget to us. Please go away now. Have a nice day."

But these are simple cross-cultural differences. You know, the old "separated by a common language" bit.

This is a really cool forum. Look at some erotic material, then have a good bar conversation. Cheers!

Much of the brusqueness of terminations in the US comes from fear of litigation. If they give you some specific reason and it isn't an ironclad, absolutely no question, defensible reason for firing you, the company could easily get slapped with a Wrongful Termination lawsuit. (Many times even if it is an ironclad, absolutely no question, defensible reason they may still get sued.) So unless you are in a union or are high enough up as an exec to get an actual employment contract, in the US you are almost certainly what is called an "at will" employee. Meaning that either you or the company can end your employment at will, for no reason at all. (And the company still might get sued for Wrongful Termination!) So their best defense is to give you no reason at all. ("Why did they fire you?" "I don't know, they didn't say!" "So how do you know it wasn't a valid reason?")

Yes, it only makes sense to a lawyer with his/her brain twisted thru five dimensions but that's where we are.

Getting back to the original question of bus admission in American tv/movies....American drivers do they always leave their cars unlocked or as nearly always shown with their windows rolled down?

Well, ..actually, Nick, in and around Moultrie, Georgia, I do leave the truck unlocked and the windows opened. Of course it may depend on what part of town you're in, but usually, nobody f**ks with my truck. As a matter of fact, when I go to some places, like the liquor store, I leave the key in it too. And like I said before, I even leave the front door of my house unlocked all day and night. (Of course, I have four Labs in there that would eat your legs off if you ever tried to come in). :rolleyes:

That's all very well and you can do that round here BUT if anyone steals the car when you've left the key in it the insurers will walk away from any claim .It happens a bit during cold weather, I've just had an e mail about it from the Neighbourhood Watch that some cars have been stolen while left with their engines running to defrost the windows/

Hope someone can answer this
I've noticed in most or all movies about the American Space Program the word "Godspeed" is used.
What is Godspeed?

an expression of one's good wishes for a person's success and safety
[from God spede may God prosper (you)]

[From Middle English God spede (you), may God prosper (you) : God, god; see god + spede, third person sing. present subjunctive of speden, to prosper (from Old English spdan, from spd, success; see speed)

Don't worry- I'm not that smart. I had to look it up! :)

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Godspeed

I stand corrected...

:D

And my mom was from New Jersey so I should have known that!

Thank you all for your statements.

I really didn't know that the topic is so controversial
and emotionally tainted. Otherwise I wouldn't have asked.

But on the other hand I've learned a lot,
there is no general consent in the meaning of the flag,
it depends.

If I went on holiday to the US and used phrases such as 'I'm going outside to roll a fag', or 'would you knock me up in the morning' would sensitive people faint thinking I'm a perve, or would you know what I meant?