the Ugly American

Cultural  

1. Pejorative term for Americans traveling or living abroad who remain ignorant of local culture and judge everything by American standards. The term is taken from the title of a book by Eugene Burdick and William Lederer.

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Example Sentences

I'd already heard the expression "the ugly American" — although I then knew nothing about the prophetic 1958 novel with that title about U.S. diplomatic bumbling in southeast Asia in the midst of the Cold War — and it seemed to me that those interlopers in France fit the term perfectly.

From Salon

“We try so hard not to be the ugly American,” one woman lamented.

From New York Times

“We try so hard not to be the ugly American, and here is Emily with her terrible accent and garish clothing, shouting at French people in English and expecting them to understand,” she said.

From New York Times

The Ugly American trope is nothing new, of course.

From Los Angeles Times

Viewers see a culinary backpacker cosplaying as the ugly American, a man always seeking, even if all roads lead to ambient comfort.

From New York Times