--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: They were a strange and mercantile…" description: "\"They were a strange and mercantile people, these Americans. One never knew what they might come up with next.\" — Lauren Willig" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg" --- # They were a strange and mercantile people, these… ![“They were a strange and mercantile people, these Americans. One never knew what they might come up with next.” quote by Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg) > “They were a strange and mercantile people, these Americans. One never knew what they might come up with next.” [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote describes Americans as unpredictable and commercially driven, highlighting their inventive but mercantile nature. **In simple terms:** Americans are unpredictable and business‑focused. Key Takeaway Expect surprise in market behavior. Themes culture economics unpredictability Mood inquisitive critical Type observational analytical When to use this quote - business negotiations - political analysis - cultural studies Key Concepts capitalism innovation social dynamics Questions to Reflect On - How does mercantile behavior shape national identity? - Can unpredictability be a strategic advantage? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Americans Knew](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/americans-knew-3816390/) [Come up](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) [Mercantile People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mercantile-people-5507800/) [Might](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/might/) [Next](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/next/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Americans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-americans-237754/) [Strange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange/) [Strange Mercantile](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strange-mercantile-5507801/) ## Related quotes > [September 11 awoke us to the threat of terrorism. It was forever bookmarked in our history as the day when life as Americans knew…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/randy-forbes/september-11-awoke-us-to-the-threat-of-terrorism-it-was-forever/) [Randy Forbes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/randy-forbes/) > [Many Americans knew their lives and their souls were being struggled for, and they fought for it. And I felt I should carry on.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pete-seeger/many-americans-knew-their-lives-and-their-souls-were-being-struggled/) [Pete Seeger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pete-seeger/) > [You look at the Russian side: They're defending their territory from the beginning. They move west to destroy the Nazis. And they take out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-stone/you-look-at-the-russian-side-they-re-defending-their-territory-from/) [Oliver Stone](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-stone/) > [If Americans knew how to deal with other people, they could bring peace to the world. Alas, they have not learned enough yet. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nguyen-cao-ky/if-americans-knew-how-to-deal-with-other-people-they-could-bring/) [Nguyen Cao Ky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nguyen-cao-ky/) > [I beg young people to travel. If you don't have a passport, get one….the re are lessons that you can't get out of a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/i-beg-young-people-to-travel-if-you-don-t-have-a-passport-get-one-the/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [True music must repeat the thought and inspirations of the people and the time. My people are Americans and my time is today.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-gershwin/true-music-must-repeat-the-thought-and-inspirations-of-the-people-and/) [George Gershwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-gershwin/) > [Don't you think that as a people, Americans have less poetry, real poetry, in their souls than any other nations?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/don-t-you-think-that-as-a-people-americans-have-less-poetry-real/) [Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/) > [In general, American social life constitutes an evasion of talking to people. Most Americans don't, in any vital sense, get together; they only do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kronenberger/in-general-american-social-life-constitutes-an-evasion-of-talking-to/) [Louis Kronenberger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kronenberger/) > [ We \[the USA\] do have a big nation's problem. We have the problem of a nation that's got two oceans, oceans on either side.… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-rumsfeld/we-the-usa-do-have-a-big-nation-s-problem-we-have-the-problem-of-a/) [Donald Rumsfeld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-rumsfeld/) > [We Americans are a primitive people... Americans seem to have little respect for the law or the rights of others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/we-americans-are-a-primitive-people-americans-seem-to-have-little/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [Let me tell you who we conservatives are: we love people. When we look out over the United States of America, when we are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/let-me-tell-you-who-we-conservatives-are-we-love-people-when-we-look/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American and nothing but an American. If he tries to keep segregated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/but-this-is-predicated-upon-the-man-s-becoming-in-very-fact-an/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [I think there's a pride of what a real American can be. I mean, I'm a transplant, but I've got American kids and an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-wakeling/i-think-there-s-a-pride-of-what-a-real-american-can-be-i-mean-i-m-a/) [Dave Wakeling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-wakeling/) > [We have to be concerned about the gun killing that people who are Americans, who are Irish, and who are English, who are all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalia-mogahed/we-have-to-be-concerned-about-the-gun-killing-that-people-who-are/) [Dalia Mogahed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalia-mogahed/) > [“People – Americans, mostly – realise how attached they are to material comforts when they arrive in India.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-william-roberts/people-americans-mostly-realise-how-attached-they-are-to-material/) [Paul William Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-william-roberts/) ## More by Lauren Willig > [“This was what the poets couldn't put in their poetry, she thought dumbly, the rush of desire so fierce and pure it made one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/this-was-what-the-poets-couldn-t-put-in-their-poetry-she-thought/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [It was lovely to see cynicism in one so young. It positively restored his faith in human nature.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/it-was-lovely-to-see-cynicism-in-one-so-young-it-positively-restored/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“That's a good point, I suppose,' he said in that way people have when you've just said something that's so off the mark it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/that-s-a-good-point-i-suppose-he-said-in-that-way-people-have-when/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“Such kindness wasn't a gift but a goad, scraping against one's skin like a yoke of thorns. She would have preferred him stiff, defensive,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/such-kindness-wasn-t-a-gift-but-a-goad-scraping-against-one-s-skin/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“He admired her for throwing off her aristocratic shackles -- his terms, that -- and making her own way in the world. He didn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/he-admired-her-for-throwing-off-her-aristocratic-shackles-his-terms/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“From far across the sea I come, Through fire, frost,and blazing sun, That you might, with your own fair hand, Enjoy the bounties of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/from-far-across-the-sea-i-come-through-fire-frost-and-blazing-sun/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [Hard to believe that so nearby, just across the Channel, such atrocities could still occur in their supposedly civilized world, that one could wake…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/hard-to-believe-that-so-nearby-just-across-the-channel-such/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“Her eyes were as hard and bright as stars. Not the pretty sort that poets mooned about, but the kind that made men's destinies.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/her-eyes-were-as-hard-and-bright-as-stars-not-the-pretty-sort-that/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“I’m not your gilded prince with the gilded chairs, Letty,” Geoff said simply. “I couldn’t be if I tried.” “I wouldn’t want you to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/i-m-not-your-gilded-prince-with-the-gilded-chairs-letty-geoff-said/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“After an initial startled gasp, his intended bride dissolved into his arms, returning his kiss with more fervor than she had ever shown before.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/after-an-initial-startled-gasp-his-intended-bride-dissolved-into-his/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [Patience is only a virtue when there is something worth waiting for.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/patience-is-only-a-virtue-when-there-is-something-worth-waiting-for/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“Inside, the festivities would continue, probably well into the night, with flirtation and merriment and gratuitous use of mistletoe. It was an inexpressibly wearying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/inside-the-festivities-would-continue-probably-well-into-the-night/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“Her eyes were as hard and bright as stars. Not the pretty sort that poets mooned about, but the kind that made men's destinies.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/her-eyes-were-as-hard-and-bright-as-stars-not-the-pretty-sort-that-2/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [“I didn't know there could be an almost kiss. It seems like the sort of thing that either happens or it doesn't. Oh no...…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/i-didn-t-know-there-could-be-an-almost-kiss-it-seems-like-the-sort-of/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) > [Why was it that cheering expressions were invariably so infuriating?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/why-was-it-that-cheering-expressions-were-invariably-so-infuriating/) [Lauren Willig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) [Explore all 79 Lauren Willig quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/) ## More Come up quotes > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is the incongruous thing in my entire life, this isolation.. ... My work requires it - but I myself have no need or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marsden-hartley/it-is-the-incongruous-thing-in-my-entire-life-this-isolation-my-work/) [Marsden Hartley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marsden-hartley/) > [Meanwhile someone is shining my head to get it dry to attach my top-hat to my head with toupee tape. I get into microphone…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tituss-burgess/meanwhile-someone-is-shining-my-head-to-get-it-dry-to-attach-my-top/) [Tituss Burgess](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tituss-burgess/) > [However, however, if the goal is to abandon America's free enterprise economy, if the goal is to convert America into a submissive member of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/however-however-if-the-goal-is-to-abandon-america-s-free-enterprise/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [As much as I want to stay on the team -- I love Chicago, I love the Bulls -- at the same time, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luol-deng/as-much-as-i-want-to-stay-on-the-team-i-love-chicago-i-love-the-bulls/) [Luol Deng](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luol-deng/) > [I have so many people come up to me, 20-some years later, and saying, "I loved you in Jawbreaker!".](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julie-benz/i-have-so-many-people-come-up-to-me-20-some-years-later-and-saying-i/) [Julie Benz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julie-benz/) > [I don't know what makes a guy want to write songs and sing, but if you've got a message, you want to get it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-ledoux/i-don-t-know-what-makes-a-guy-want-to-write-songs-and-sing-but-if-you/) [Chris LeDoux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-ledoux/) > [My objective is to design a space that nobody else can come up with while using the material that anyone can use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tadao-ando/my-objective-is-to-design-a-space-that-nobody-else-can-come-up-with/) [Tadao Ando](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tadao-ando/) > [Remember, with writing, what you’re looking for is just one person to come up and tell you, 'I love you for what you do.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/remember-with-writing-what-you-re-looking-for-is-just-one-person-to/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [The wisdom or the essence of Guru Tattwa is a balance. Like when you maintain a plant, if you do not give it water…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nirmala-srivastava/the-wisdom-or-the-essence-of-guru-tattwa-is-a-balance-like-when-you/) [Nirmala Srivastava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nirmala-srivastava/) > [I shoot in black and white, sometimes color, sometimes if it looks good I shoot out the window of the airplanes or whatever, anything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-barry/i-shoot-in-black-and-white-sometimes-color-sometimes-if-it-looks-good/) [Robert Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-barry/) > [I'm supportive of women, absolutely, and it's so gratifying to have girls come up and say, 'I'm really inspired by your guitar playing.' I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-vincent/i-m-supportive-of-women-absolutely-and-it-s-so-gratifying-to-have/) [St. Vincent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-vincent/) > [I hate it when people come up to me on trains and ask 'Are you Soulja Boy?' If people want pictures or autographs, that's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soulja-boy/i-hate-it-when-people-come-up-to-me-on-trains-and-ask-are-you-soulja/) [Soulja Boy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soulja-boy/) > [All the earth is at rest and is quiet: they are bursting into song. Even the trees of the wood are glad over you,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isaiah/all-the-earth-is-at-rest-and-is-quiet-they-are-bursting-into-song/) [Isaiah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isaiah/) > [I can tell you who's planning terroris attacks. The leaders of ISIL. And I can tell you where they're at. They're in Raqqa, Syria.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rand-paul/i-can-tell-you-who-s-planning-terroris-attacks-the-leaders-of-isil/) [Rand Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rand-paul/) [Browse all 2,010 Come up quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/come-up/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "They were a strange and mercantile people, these Americans. One never knew what they might come up with next.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Lauren Willig" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-people-these-americans-one-never/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Come up" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-people-these-americans-one-never/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dd6/lauren-willig-8632_come-up_they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-peopl_1501930.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“They were a strange and mercantile people, these Americans. One never knew what they might come up with next.” — Lauren Willig", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Lauren Willig", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lauren-willig/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "They were a strange and mercantile...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-people-these-americans-one-never/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lauren-willig/they-were-a-strange-and-mercantile-people-these-americans-one-never/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```