No one knows quite how to dole out gushing, unbridled praise like an American. I grew up in the epicenter of this way of life, California, and from a young age was taught that a compliment (warranted or not) was the best way to make your way in the world, whether that was at work, school or in relationships. No polite greeting should be considered complete without an added “I love your shoes!” or a handy “Now, that is a great top!”
Frantically complimenting people and ourselves is sort of a national pastime, second only to baseball. Researchers have found that, compared with those from other English-speaking countries, American English speakers are the most likely to incorporate compliments into their conversations. It was also found that Americans often opt for the more extreme word when constructing a sentence, so things are “great” not just “good”, or we’ll “love” something not just “like” it.
