Greek & Italian Stereotypes

This forum is to learn about foreign cultures and habits, because language skills are not everything you need as a world citizen...

Moderator:Forum Administrators

User avatar
Belin
Posts:59
Joined:2007-10-12, 20:58
Gender:male
Country:ITItaly (Italia)
Greek & Italian Stereotypes

Postby Belin » 2007-12-15, 16:51

Okay, I’m making a Christmas present for my friend (It will be a book called "The Truth: Greeks and Italians"). She is Greek, and I am Italian; and whenever we hang out we always get into a huge argument about whose origins are better (for fun). Of course, I take the Italian side and she takes the Greek side, but that isn’t the point; sadly, I only know really negative stereotypes about the Greeks, and if I put them in the book it wouldn’t be very nice. Therefore, I need Unilang's huge source of people to help me with my plight. This is what you do… post any stereotype that is weird, funny, or just existent about either the Greeks or the Italians. Since stereotypes change from place to place please put the country you are from. If the stereotype is wrong put an "X" at the end of the sentence, or if you can specify, please do so in parenthesis. I have put a few examples in the list already. Thank you in advance for your help. *I also need Merry Christmas translated into Greek.

Greek:

Italian:
America: Italian tend to talk with there hands.
America: All Italians are involved in the mafia. X
America: Italians have dark skin. X (Northern Italians tend to have fairer skin.)

Merry Christmas in Greek:
English, Italiano, 漢語, Suomi, العربية

User avatar
ego
Posts:4920
Joined:2004-12-06, 15:19
Real Name:Thanasis
Gender:male
Location:SX
Country:GBUnited Kingdom (United Kingdom)

Postby ego » 2007-12-15, 17:06

Merry Christmas in Greek is Καλά Χριστούγεννα.

Weird that you have never heard positive stereotypes about Greeks. Although I am Greek I do know many stereotypes foreigners say about us:

Negative:

- Greeks are macho boolies and they like showing off their manhood by opening their shirt, wearing jewels on their chest, have a mustache etc.
- All Greeks steal
- Greeks are too patriotic and they think Greece is the centre of the world
- They live in kitsch houses full of pillars
- They think Greeks invented everything
- They think all words of all languages derive from Greek

Positive:

- They are easy going
- They know how to enjoy life and party
- They are warm and smiling
- They have great food and music

Anyway, as darkina and I have found out, Greeks and Italians are almost identical so you argue with your friend for nothing. The similarities are indeed impressing, while the differences are few

User avatar
Zorba
Posts:3169
Joined:2006-03-24, 21:09

Postby Zorba » 2007-12-15, 17:52

Greek:

Greece: They are easy going
Greece: They know how to enjoy life and party
Greece: They are warm and smiling
Greece: They have great food and music
Greece: Greeks are macho boolies and they like showing off their manhood by opening their shirt, wearing jewels on their chest, have a mustache etc.
Greece: All Greeks steal
Greece: Greeks are too patriotic and they think Greece is the centre of the world
Greece: They live in kitsch houses full of pillars
Greece: They think Greeks invented everything
Greece: They think all words of all languages derive from Greek
UK: Greek dancing which involves smashing plates X (someone told me this is really more a Turkish thing)
UK: Generally, colourful folk dancing involving copious amounts of ouzo
UK: Rivalry with the Turks
UK: Some kind of long ongoing fight about whether Alexander the Great was 'Greek' or 'Macedonian'
UK: Captain Correlli's Mandolin.
UK: Dodgy business dealings (Greece is notorious among English teachers as a place where you'll get 'done over')


Italian:
America: Italian tend to talk with their hands.
America: All Italians are involved in the mafia. X
America: Italians have dark skin. X (Northern Italians tend to have fairer skin.)
UK: Italian men are great lovers and actually express their feelings.
UK: Italians still have big Catholic families -
UK: Italians are overly-emotional and exclaim 'Mamma Mia' frequently.
UK: All Italians are highly-cultured and can appreciate opera, classical music etc.
UK: All Italians dress very well in Armani suits etc.
UK: All Italians are brilliant footballers.
UK: Italians make great food and ice-cream, and they eat pasta dishes for every meal.
UK: Dodgy business dealings (English teachers are suspicious of Italy too, though less so than Greece)

Karavinka

Postby Karavinka » 2007-12-15, 18:08

Greeks

Korean: They all live in the past. (We don't care about their present anyways)
Korean: Do they still live in stone houses with pillars?
Korean: They're gay, right? (Reference to Ancient Greek practices)
Korean: Pagans. (I believed the Greeks worship the old pagan gods until I was in junior high. Shame on me.)


Italians

Korean: They all live in the past, too. (And we don't care about their present either.)
Korean: Spaghetti, pasta, pizza, lasagna.
Korean: Their men flirt a lot and they all steal.

User avatar
ego
Posts:4920
Joined:2004-12-06, 15:19
Real Name:Thanasis
Gender:male
Location:SX
Country:GBUnited Kingdom (United Kingdom)

Postby ego » 2007-12-15, 18:26

Zorba the stereotypes I listed are not said in Greece! I have just said what I know foreigners say

User avatar
Zorba
Posts:3169
Joined:2006-03-24, 21:09

Postby Zorba » 2007-12-15, 18:29

Well I guess it is how the Greeks perceive they are perceived, if that makes sense ;) The Irish, similarly, know they are perceived to be a bunch of Guinness-swilling drunkards who spend their time writing Romantic poetry or blowing each other up.

User avatar
Oleksij
Posts:4762
Joined:2005-06-28, 16:46
Real Name:Олексій Мірошниченко
Gender:male
Location:Nicosia
Country:CYCyprus (Κύπρος / Kıbrıs)
Contact:

Postby Oleksij » 2007-12-16, 14:11

Zorba wrote:The Irish, similarly, know they are perceived to be a bunch of Guinness-swilling drunkards who spend their time writing Romantic poetry or blowing each other up.

- He would come here and drink up a bottle of whiskey and ten pints of Guinness each day.

- So why did he die?

- I haven't got a clue.
Moja ulica murem podzielona - świeci neonami prawa strona, lewa strona cała wygaszona, zza zasłony obserwuję obie strony.
Youtube Channel

User avatar
Belin
Posts:59
Joined:2007-10-12, 20:58
Gender:male
Country:ITItaly (Italia)

Postby Belin » 2007-12-16, 14:30

Anyway, as darkina and I have found out, Greeks and Italians are almost identical so you argue with your friend for nothing. The similarities are indeed impressing, while the differences are few

Oh, I know that, because both our parents (natives) told us that they are the same in many ways; but that doesn't stop us from arguing with eachother. :D

Greek:
Korean: They all live in the past. (We don't care about their present anyways)
Italian:
Korean: They all live in the past, too. (And we don't care about their present either.)

Haha, now that I think about it, I would say we think about them like this too, it's kind of sad, but oh well... we'll live.

Anyway, thank you all for the stereotypes I only need a few more, so keep them rolling in.
English, Italiano, 漢語, Suomi, العربية

User avatar
darkina
Posts:7739
Joined:2002-09-09, 15:24
Gender:female

Postby darkina » 2007-12-16, 17:20

Can I add some X's? ;)

Zorba wrote:
UK: Italian men are great lovers and actually express their feelings.


Well I guess they do much more than certain other nationalities (not talking of the Brits!) but hmmm...

UK: Italians still have big Catholic families -


This is quite true, at least for me :lol:

UK: Italians are overly-emotional and exclaim 'Mamma Mia' frequently.


Ahem, my mum came here to visit these days, and her "Mamma mia"'s did cause a smile or two...

UK: All Italians are highly-cultured and can appreciate opera, classical music etc.


I love this one. I think in Russia and Ukraine they really believe that. Needless to say, it's as far from the truth as it can be. Same for architecture, we're so used to having all that around that we literally don't even care, while the average tourist goes 'wow'.

UK: All Italians dress very well in Armani suits etc.


Of course not everyone can afford Armani, but men do care more about that than men in other countries. Almost opposite for women. But whatever you say, WE have good taste and YOU don't! :mrgreen:

UK: Italians make great food and ice-cream, and they eat pasta dishes for every meal.


And isn't that true? :P We eat almost as much pasta as others believe :lol:

UK: Dodgy business dealings


:yep: But that's because we do things "the Italian way".

Has anyone mentioned one of the typical stereotypes? Italians are LOUD. Well, I guess we generally are...
век живи, век учись, а дураком помрешь

Pleasures remain, so does the pain

User avatar
kalemiye
Posts:4227
Joined:2007-01-12, 19:24
Gender:female
Country:ESSpain (España)

Postby kalemiye » 2007-12-16, 17:29

darkina wrote:
Has anyone mentioned one of the typical stereotypes? Italians are LOUD. Well, I guess we generally are...


Spaniards are famous for being the loudest people on earth 8).That is OUR stereotype :lol:.
Not available

User avatar
darkina
Posts:7739
Joined:2002-09-09, 15:24
Gender:female

Postby darkina » 2007-12-16, 17:43

renata wrote:
darkina wrote:
Has anyone mentioned one of the typical stereotypes? Italians are LOUD. Well, I guess we generally are...


Spaniards are famous for being the loudest people on earth 8).That is OUR stereotype :lol:.


Well most of your countrymen do work hard to keep the stereotype alive... :lol: But Italians are supposed to be almost the same. Not sure about Greeks. I always say, the warmer the climate, the louder the people...

I did find myself speaking louder when my mum was here... :oops:
век живи, век учись, а дураком помрешь

Pleasures remain, so does the pain

User avatar
Mert
Posts:2568
Joined:2006-04-04, 6:23
Real Name:Mert
Gender:male
Country:TRTurkey (Türkiye)

Postby Mert » 2007-12-16, 19:17

Italians are just like their own language! their language is fast; just like themselves; excited and funny!

veloce veloce! :D
ه ه
ل
پ

User avatar
ego
Posts:4920
Joined:2004-12-06, 15:19
Real Name:Thanasis
Gender:male
Location:SX
Country:GBUnited Kingdom (United Kingdom)

Postby ego » 2007-12-16, 19:53

darkina wrote:
renata wrote:
darkina wrote:
Has anyone mentioned one of the typical stereotypes? Italians are LOUD. Well, I guess we generally are...


Spaniards are famous for being the loudest people on earth 8).That is OUR stereotype :lol:.


Well most of your countrymen do work hard to keep the stereotype alive... :lol: But Italians are supposed to be almost the same. Not sure about Greeks. I always say, the warmer the climate, the louder the people...

I did find myself speaking louder when my mum was here... :oops:



Greeks too are loud. I am not though, I speak very low, lower than the average

User avatar
Psi-Lord
Posts:10081
Joined:2002-08-18, 7:02
Real Name:Marcel Q.
Gender:male
Location:Cândido Mota
Country:BRBrazil (Brasil)
Contact:

Postby Psi-Lord » 2007-12-16, 20:21

Around here it’s definitely Italians that are considered loud talkers, hehe. And then there’s the fact that they can’t speak if you tie their hands. :lol:

Spaniards are considered hot-tempered, though, and, for some reason, it’s like Spanish girls are often automatically associated with large breasts. :lol:
português do Brasil (pt-BR)British English (en-GB) galego (gl) português (pt) •• العربية (ar) български (bg) Cymraeg (cy) Deutsch (de)  r n km.t (egy) español rioplatense (es-AR) 日本語 (ja) 한국어 (ko) lingua Latina (la) ••• Esperanto (eo) (grc) français (fr) (hi) magyar (hu) italiano (it) polski (pl) Türkçe (tr) 普通話 (zh-CN)

User avatar
Zorba
Posts:3169
Joined:2006-03-24, 21:09

Postby Zorba » 2007-12-16, 22:05

As someone who has worked a lot with multinational classes, Italians are loud, but they can't hold a candle to the Spanish ;)

User avatar
Levo
Posts:3231
Joined:2006-10-29, 10:22
Gender:male
Location:Tallinn
Country:EEEstonia (Eesti)

Postby Levo » 2007-12-16, 23:31

I will never forget when Croatians told to me so loudly: "I don't like Italians. They speak so loud!"
And -since I was so young- said: but you are also loud.
And they were surprised :)

User avatar
darkina
Posts:7739
Joined:2002-09-09, 15:24
Gender:female

Postby darkina » 2007-12-17, 0:49

Psi-Lord wrote:Around here it’s definitely Italians that are considered loud talkers, hehe. And then there’s the fact that they can’t speak if you tie their hands. :lol:


I hate it when people make me notice that :oops: Then I try to keep my hands still and feel uncomfortable :?
But it's not like other people don't do it...:roll: I don't see what all the fuss is about :D
век живи, век учись, а дураком помрешь

Pleasures remain, so does the pain

User avatar
Mert
Posts:2568
Joined:2006-04-04, 6:23
Real Name:Mert
Gender:male
Country:TRTurkey (Türkiye)

Postby Mert » 2007-12-17, 5:53

i heard there were two nations who don't comply with traffic rules in Germany: Italians and Turks.
ه ه
ل
پ

User avatar
JackFrost
Posts:16240
Joined:2004-11-08, 21:00
Real Name:Jack Frost
Gender:male
Location:Montréal, Québec
Country:CACanada (Canada)

Postby JackFrost » 2007-12-17, 6:39

Italian young men tend to look gay. They open their shirt to show-off their chest, wear some pink, hold back their long wavy sleeked hair in a ponytail, wearing a Gucci or Praha sunglasses, tight jeans, and shiny leather shoes with long sole.

Italians use their hands and face muscles way too often to express themselves,

Italians are devils when they drive.

Italians make bets on how long the new government will fall.
Neferuj paħujkij!

User avatar
Nukalurk
Posts:5843
Joined:2004-04-23, 20:45
Location:Berlin
Country:DEGermany (Deutschland)

Postby Nukalurk » 2007-12-17, 6:45

They are very hairy. :P


Return to “Culture”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests