During the Winter Olympics, there was a lot of hype about the US/Canadian hockey rivalry. I heard a news report contrasting how citizens of each country spoke about the upcoming game. The point of the report (which was done with humor) demonstrated how Canadians spoke more respectfully about the opponent, whereas Americans were more likely to engage in “trash talk.” A Canadian, for example, might say they were going to win but would also wish the US team good luck. Most Americans who were interviewed found some way of aggressively expressing US superiority. Read More