By 20%, I meant that the value (of the coin that corresponds to a 25¢) is 20% less in value than a 25p would be.

But I do know what you mean by the 5&cent;/10p issue - I'm afraid the only cure is <u>practice</u> (by going there, of course).

Speaking slowly and distinctly can indeed help in case it's someone who speaks only a little of your language.

Speaking loudly can help in at least two circumstances: 1) the person you are speaking to might be hard of hearing; and 2) if you speak loudly enough it might irritate a nearby speaker of your language enough that he'll come over and help just to shut you up.

Sorry Robsepierre - misunderstood - I thought that by 20% &quot;smaller&quot; you were referring to size not value.

They say practice makes perfect but clearly doesn't work for me - still find the transition backwards and forwards difficult - and don't get me going on the 2 pound coin! The sooner they join the Euro the better - one less currency float to keep!

If anyone would enjoy a close-up of Brit coinage, it's here:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...oney_coins.jpg

NorCalif: I agree 1,000%. As I've matured and travelled more, I've come to find it a bit silly to be concerned about looking like a &quot;tourist.&quot; Recently in my hometown of Milwaukee, I happily watched a large group of visiting Spaniards repeatedly sled down a snowy hill along with fellow Milwaukee children and adults (myself included). They were loud and boisterous and thoroughly enjoying a beautiful snowy Wisconsin day. Too loud? Too boiterous? Clothing too stylish for Wisconsin sledding? Perhaps. So what. They were having a blast and it's always great watching people have fun!

And having lived in Chicago before returning home to Milwaukee, I always happily gave recommendations and directions to tourists. And it's always fun to try and guess where people are from. I consider it an honor to be an ambassador. Don't we all secretly love to give tips to great places?

Now, please. Will some of you deign to visit my great hometown of Milwaukee? I've got some great recommendations....

You can always tell tourists. And the ones that really stand out are the ones that are worried about whether they look like tourists.
B-)

I'm with NThea and NorCalif. I am always very pleased when people come to visit my town--a not-very-exotic, rather isolated city in Washington state. Periodically, someone will ask about the location of Bing Crosby's former home or of the McCarthey Athletic Center, on the Gonzaga University campus, and I'm always glad to answer their questions. I've even signed up to be a docent for the beautiful old church on the edge of the Gonzaga campus.

I also don't care if Europeans or tourists, for that matter, recognize me as a tourist. As Popeye used to say, &quot;I yam what I yam.&quot;

wearing the same color hats as the rest of your vacationing party .. thats why i booked with contiki.. no dress code required..

Ha! Asking for a pitcher of beer in Avignon. In a loud voice (because, of course, he's talking to a foreigner) and twangy southern accent. Oy.

NorCalif, NThea, Pegontheroad....

AMEN......

Tudorprincess, I was born and raised in Salem, MA and have never, ever heard any of us natives refer to someone as a touron. In fact, there aren't many natives who even work in that whole tourist witch thing - most of those people are wash-ashores!

Many of these responses are bizarre.

Few tourists wear bumbags, the English for what Americans (who are about the only people who wear them) call fanny packs.

Few speak English, loudly or softly. True, more speak English than any other single language - but they're vastly outnumbered by all those tourists speaking Arabic, French, Japanese, Cantonese, German, Spanish or Russian.

Few (I'd say none) ask for spaghetti and meatballs, except when looking for quaint local recipes in Hoboken

Few complain about service. Who cares?

This rather odd list of eccentric behaviour might characterise some American tourists. But they're a tiny minority of the world's sightseers these days: they don't even make up the majority of English-speaking tourists anymore, except in their own country.

Anyone looking at (or listening to)groups of tourists on the Tube or the Metro, or in the Acropolis ticket queue, must have noticed this obvious fact.

So why are so many posters so blind and deaf to what's all arounmd them?

By the way, what really, really, really, screams tourist? Walking slowly in a city that's there to do business in, and getting in people's way.

And standing on the wrong side of the Tube escalator.

Blocking up the entrance to tube stations.
BTW, I have heard Londoners use the word &quot;touroid&quot;.
In Cornwall they are called &quot;grockles&quot; or &quot;emmets&quot;.

I agree with Flanner. The question should be &quot;What screams American tourist?&quot;

Flanner and Josser: as usual in this board, the word &quot;American&quot; is implied in every question asked by the posters... Even though, as you rightly said it, for various reasons (lack of holiday time, weakness of dollar, general fear/lack of interest for the outer world) Americans make up a tiny minority of tourists in European cities, or even other continents'. But that's just common ethno-centrism.

So true, last week I posted that I was looking for a certain kind of soap in Paris and someone wrote to go to Oliviers &amp; Co and I said I had one at the end of my street and that wasn't what I was looking for and the response was, &quot;I didn't know we had that store in the States now.&quot; To which I responded, &quot;Who said I lived in the States?&quot;

I must be a very eccentic old lady because I dress exactly the same whether I am in London, Paris or New York.
I also carry a small shoulder bag worn across my body. I have never worn a money belt or a bumbag in my life
I would only wear shorts on the beach, but I don't like sitting around on beaches.

Well said, NorCalif.

beaupeep- What a great town to be from. We only encountered the touron thing once in Salem and it was from a waitress but it really put things into perspective for us as to what some people think of their tourist industry. Double edged sword, I suppose.

Agree with norcal and others; I'm happy to see tourists in our area (San Francisco) and try to help out when I can. And yes we pretty much spot tourists, whether from Chicago or Helsinki.

But, I have seen wait staff at various downtown SF joints being somewhat impatient with tourists, and I try to remember that when I feel a brush off from a French cafe waiter.

A trivial point. Several people have mentioned &quot;dressing casually&quot; or &quot;walking slowly&quot; as the sign of a tourist -- the assumption being that everyone in central London is either a tourist or a worker. Excuse me, but the streets of central London are thronged with non-tourist casual dressers -- unless you think that students, lecturers, shoppers, exhibition-goers, and &quot;ladies who lunch&quot; are all tourists. And quite a lot of working people dress casually, too.

However, I'll admit that none of these groups wear white sneakers.