Do you tell them? Or wait and see what happens?

I read a story in the newspaper about the difference between the way australians and americans approach mateship. In the story the aussie guy liked his new american work mate. He teased him mercilessly and called him names and told him he was an idiot at least once a day. It's how we show love here (dig up old ocean and althom threads for examples).
One day the american burst into tears, he couldn't take it any more!! He thought the australian HATED him

The Aussie explained how it works here, the american said, back home, if you like someone, you tell them!

The aussie wasn't sure about this approach, since what if you say it prematurely, and your mate ends up to be a complete wanker (and you have committed yourself already), at least using the aussie approach, one can always say "see, I was right all along, he really IS an idiot!"

I'm wondering if most people I know are actually Australians...

mcmeekle said:

where do you live?

ZombieKitten said:

Er, Scotland, so probably a bit of a reach.

mcmeekle said:

I think we get this quirk from you brits

IDIOT!

magnificentsynthesizer said:

I tell them!

I tell them too

I insult them and throw .....then they know I love them ...
Althom the moron loved me

if it comes up, it comes up.

JerseyKRS said:

Surely that's a whole 'nother way to let someone know you like them!

I don't tell them, and maybe thats why I have such a sucky track record

I'm more like the person who would tease the other and call names, but that usually lands me as a best friend

I'm glad you posted that....maybe I'll understand Aussies a bit
better from this day forward

obsessed said:

you thought we were all really mean and awful didn't you

ZombieKitten said:

obsessed said:

which means:

ZombieKitten said:

I'm growing fond of chairs and bricks

JerseyKRS said:

.. and that's it in a nut shell

mcmeekle said:

I love your posts!

ZombieKitten said:

Yeah, that's exactly how I show love.

But my friends are all idiots so I'm honest too.

Cheek said:

ZombieKitten said:

You idiot!

I tease them relentlessly.

HamsterHuey said:

Tease me!

Cheek said:

In your case I'd immediately pinch yer nipples.

U know this thread is all about the issue my husband had when he first moved here. All the guys he worked with were saying tings to him like " Hey dickhead how are ya?" and things to that effect and teasing the hell out of him at work.
One of my bothers calls him "The Yank" among other AMerican references
My husband thought they were all being mean and didnt like him and I had to explain to him that this was the way alot of Aussies treated their friends
Now he's never sure whether someone likes him or not..poor guy

chillichocaholic said:

What do Aussies do when they don't like someone?

HamsterHuey said:

Tell them and mean it

mcmeekle said: