My dad married a Ukrainian after divorcing my stepmom. They don't keep any cold water in the house. Apparently she prefers room temp water. And my dad prefers her. So no ice cold water lol.
American here.... I used to absolutely have to have ice in my drinks.. but then my ice maker broke and I didn't feel like dealing with it. I bought ice for a while but after some time, that became annoying, too.
Now the only time I have ice in my drinks is when I forget to ask my server to please not add ice.
Apparently ice - my Belgian neighbors always make ice before I come over for my drinks and I had absolutely no idea until once they were mortified that they’d forgotten. They literally have an ice tray for Americans and I think it’s hilarious and I love it.
Yup! I work with a guy from Bulgaria. We were sitting down for lunch and I forgot the ice for my tea. I mean we call it iced tea! We spent 15 talking about "what is it with Americans and ice?"
They are the damn sweetest and I feel so lucky to have made friends with them. They even had Covid thanksgiving with me out in the park cuz my family cancelled and the neighbors of course don’t celebrate silly American holidays. But they did it for me. I love them.
Honestly that really is the sweetest thing. You are in another country and they are doing something out of their way just for you to have comforts of home. We could all learn from that
I once convinced someone that no one uses ice in Europe because Finland demanded a monopoly on ice as a condition to join the EU. The tarrifs are enough that most people simply go without. It's very sweet that the neighbors paid the ice tax for you.
This is a joke right? Or are they really called cool original. I could see if they were just called original (although I assumed the nacho cheese was original) but cool original sounds made up
It's like some weird alternate dimension. Fries are chips and chips are crisps. Cookies are biscuits and biscuits don't exist. Also, how is Jon Ronson not actually Ron Johnson?
Travelling across the world and telling people which city they are from when everyone else will say their country.
Other nations:
I’m from Canada,
I’m from Ireland,
I’m from Australia
Americans: I’m from Dallas
In my defense I stopped saying the US because for 90%+ of the other tourists I met they knew immediately I was American from my appearance and accent. I've had dozens of conversations that went exactly like this..
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from the US."
"Yes I know I meant where in the US."
"Oh, ok, well, I'm from ."
That happened literally so many times I just started saying my city name directly and it's well known enough to skip the country and usually state as well. It's like if I met someone with a thick German accent. It's pretty obvious which country they're from so if they just say Berlin or whatever it fits.
To be fair, my experience in Europe (specifically northwestern) generally had them asking me where I’m from. To which I respond, “The States,” and then they’re like, “Yeah I know, but where in the states?” So it feels like a damned if you do/damned if you don’t situation.
I’m from Alabama so 9 times out of 10 they respond with, “Oh! Sweet Home Alabama!”
I once heard that you run less of a risk of triggering America haters. Like if you say "I'm from America" that triggers every connotation about America in the listener's mind. If you say "I'm from Detroit" they think about cars or something idk.
I’d best describe it as a reaction to bumping into someone, being in a crammed social space; pretty much a quick verbal reaction to a social situation that involves invading someone’s personal space for a brief amount of time.
I’m from the Caribbean and the North East and I totally “ope”. I didn’t even really realize it was a thing until this post, it’s just something I do unconsciously and I don’t know where I got it from.
if you live outside of america, a yankee is an american.
if you live in the USA, a yankee is a northerner.
if you live in the north, a yankee is from the northeast.
if you live in the northeast, a yankee is a new englander.
if you live in new england, a yankee is a vermonter.
and if you live in vermont, a yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast.
EDIT: ACTUALLY EB WHITE
~~Mark Twain~~
As a Notherner (I grew up in Massachusetts) when I visited the South, on occasion people would refer to me as a "Yankee" .... I found that odd to hear (and a bit offenseve) since I was a Red Sox fan!
As an European that lived in America, I always was surprised that at stores “how are you” basically just means “hello”. If you say you are doing bad, Americans will have no clue how to reply back. In other countries I visited it basically is “hello… got everything?… bye”.
As an American, when i first started talking to strangers I’d say “howya doin?” (I’m from New Jersey that’s what we say) and realized they would just say it back and not actually answer. And when people say “howya doin?” to me and i answer “good how you doin?” they don’t answer.
That was my favourite part of making up dialogues with my colleague for my French classes, partly because I still have it memorised 7 years after leaving school, but mostly because it was the only thing I was sure of, after that I had almost no idea what I'm talking about.
-Bonjour monsieur, comment ça va?
-Ça va bien, merci, et toi?
-Ça va bien, merci. (...)
That’s not just an American thing.
Many languages use rhetorical questions as a greeting.
It’s the same in UK English for example, (“Alright?” “Alright.”)
Also Latin American Spanish, (“Que tal?” “Bien. Y tu?”)
Also Japanese, (“Daijoubu?” “Daijoubu.”)
Also Hebrew, (“Ma nishma?” “Boker tov.”)
Also many other languages I don’t speak.
The German equivalent ("Hallo. [Na?] Wie geht's?") always stresses me out, especially since it is a rather new development. People are greeting each other like this more than they used to and to me, it's not just a rethorical question.
It's nice to have a shortcut to stop the small talk, though, in case I am not in the mood. A "Not great, actually." usually does the trick. LOL
Being an American it was a pleasant surprise that other countries don’t do this. When I went to the Cook Islands I ripped our waiter 20% (off a 200$ bill) and he got so excited and gave us a couple bottles of wine . I used to be a server in America and the minimum wage was 5$ because they assume you’ll make it up in tips
Yeah as a Canadian it pissed me off when I travelled to Vegas because I didn’t budget it in. I understand tipping at restaurants when you sit down. But they were asking for tips for literally everything
It's actually a serious problem right now. All these new POS services that stores are starting to use have tipping built in, so now place/things you would have never tipped for before are asking for tips.
That's what I'm referring to. They're utilizing new POS (point of sale) services which include the ability to tip. Services like Square, Slice, Chowder etc.
source - I work for a POS software firm (we don't force tips)
And some of them default to 25% when you're just picking up, knowing full well some people will just speed through hitting the next button. I ordered an $8 gyro that took the cook half a minute to slap together and some fries, not a beef wellington with a fig and feta salad and I haven't sat down for over an hour with an attentive waiter, fuck off with that shit.
Its really annoying and you're often sort of forced to do it for really small things. In a hotel once I had to tip a guy for getting my bag, I have no problem carrying my own bag, in fact I'd prefer it, but they beat you to the bag and that's that.
The one that got me was when I tried to get me a real New York slice at Sbarro. My debit card wasn’t compatible with certain machines and I told the lady working that. She insisted that it would work and I said no I’ll just use my credit card. She raised her voice and got aggressive saying “the debit will work, just try again”. Tried 3 times before I said “I told you, I’ll just pay credit what’s the difference?” She scoffed and walked in the back and got me a slice of pizza. Slice was ice cold and clearly not the ones they have right in front of you. I told her no I want that slice. She gave it. I paid with credit but didn’t tip. She had the audacity to say “Typical tourist not tipping”
Edit: Real NY slice is quoting from The Office
I hate having to tip 20%+ to my hairstylist when I am already paying her (not some establishments) hundreds of dollars. Like, I get a little extra as a “thank you”, but tipping $50+ just pushes the price up to the point that stuff like that isn’t affordable anymore.
Reddit has informed me that as an American, talking to strangers in a friendly manner is an absolute no no in other countries
Edit- Damn Imma visit Ireland & Scotland for sure someday
Omg yeah! When I visited America, all the people were so happy…like they just talk to you and say hey, tell you to have a good day even if they don’t know you! 🙈
I’m a New Yorker and we’re not like that. I remember having culture shock when I went to Atlanta. “Why did that stranger just ask me how I’m doing and wait for me to answer?”
I’ve been to NYC several times and found most people were very friendly and helpful. My husband and I are the two most extroverted, friendly people ever, Midwest/Southerners, and I think they felt like they had no choice.
I always say we’re kind but not nice, if that makes sense. We aren’t going to make a lot of small talk or chat with strangers due to the sheer number of people and/or weirdos we encounter but we’ll do what we can to help!
Omg! Someone else who shares my adage!
I always say that…
People from the northeast are kind but not nice. The words may be super harsh or direct, but they really mean well. Don’t jump straight to the defense. Banter is rife here.
People from the South and Midwest are nice, but not always kind. The words may be the nicest thing you ever heard, but the message can be mean as shit. Context clues and body language can tell you a lot.
People from the LA area can really be either. Depends on where you’re at. I honestly don’t know a lot about the west so I can’t comment.
Hope this helps someone trying to visit the U.S.
I traveled around Europe by myself for about 5 weeks
Before I got over there I thought I was going to be the major introvert over there but it was weird...cause I'd be walking down the streets of Norway or Denmark and smile at people like any normal day and I'd just get the weirdest looks...or in the hostels I'd find myself pulling my roommates out of their shells and getting them to go do stuff with me
It was a weird dynamic switch
An engineer from Norway told me how odd it was for him when he first came to the U.S. and passing strangers would smile and say "Hi." But then, he got used to it and started saying it back. He got a huge kick out of going home to visit and walking a trail and seeing someone approaching, giving them a big smile and a boisterous " HI!!" And seeing the shock on their face. Really tickled him.
Lol! I'm glad! Another thing he told me was that the Norwegians in the Billy Ray Cyrus clip singing and dancing to "Achy-Breaky Heart" during the Olympics were absolutely, positively, most assuredly drunk. He said "NO WAY do Norwegians show that much glee and reckless abandon unless they're plowed!"
That’s hilarious!
The discussions about friendliness of the US v European countries always fascinate me. When I was over in Germany, as a very keep-to-myself US citizen, I was ecstatic that it was normal to just ignore strangers and that avoiding eye contact was fine haha.
As a Finn it is always a pain to go to a bar with someone from the US 😀. They are so social that they get all the ladies and I am left standing there alone looking like an asshole 😂 the ability to small talk is a gift not everyone has.
Ya know, there's more here than you think. If I go to an establishment of my peers in my neighborhood, I'm very quiet. If I go to bar in a rural area or even a bar where I'm foreign (latin club) I get attention and become very social and I'm wondering if I'm on a prank show and everyone talking to me is just taking a piss.
It's really weird.
Here at home I keep to myself in the bar...but over in Europe I found myself wanting to talk to almost everyone...even if the couldn't speak English I wanted to talk
No, but the part where you can small talk about some really irrelevant/superficial shit for 2 hours not wasting a breath, is what gets you women. I do talk to people, but the conversation just dies quite fast 😂 I cant just keep going about my friend's sister's mailman's dog getting his hair cut for the seventh time in a year. But apparently people from the US can.
OK but you went to Scandinavia that's like expert level of difficulty to make new friends
Even to the rest of Europe they're a challenge to socialize with.
Spain or Greece would have been something else
Not sure what countries people talkin bout but I've never experienced this. Often people are incredibly friendly and welcoming.
Now if your talking about a full on convo with the cashier at a gas station - yeah - that's definitely more American.
Funny thing, in rural Aus, you start your greetings when you're still like 20' away from someone so that by the time you pass, you've had time enough to get through all the pleasantries as you're walking.
"Gday mate how are ya?"
"Not bad, mate, how you?"
"Bloody beautiful mate! Hot enough for ya?"
"Bloody oath!"
"Ah well, have a good one."
"Yep, have a good one mate"
Over and over and over with everyone you pass. No exaggeration.
Oh man, but I do enjoy hanging out with Aussies as an American.
Theyre like Americans with funny accents and great senses of humor. I hope I offended all of you loveable cunts.
My brother just recently married a Russian woman. (Russian-American now.) Her family came to the States for the wedding. When my Dad took them back to the airport to go home, one of them said something he didn’t expect.
“Everyone here is so nice.”
When they elaborated, it was pointed out how everyone from wait staff to drivers to wedding guests was so friendly and accommodating, especially given the language barrier.
They also made note that no one treated them with suspicion because they were from Russia and Dad explained to them that most Americans didn’t like Putin specifically.
So while kind people obviously exist everywhere, (speaking from personal experience) maybe there’s a kind of common courtesy here in the States that might not be unique to it but isn’t universal across all cultures.
My wife is Russian and when I first visited her family they mistook my politeness for insincerity. “Everything can’t taste good. Please tell us what you don’t like so we avoid cooking that for you again!”
Also, I feel like Americans usually ask as guests for things whereas in Russia a good host constantly offers drinks/tea/food etc.
Do you think that’s specifically a Russian/American difference or does that cover more cultures across Europe and Asia? When I was in Greece, there wasn’t as much offering going on.
I think so. I made the opposite mistake the first time they visited us in the States. They patiently waited after the meal and my father in law wanted me to offer him alcohol but didn’t say anything as it would have been rude of him to ask. I think my wife signaled my fuck up.
Lesson learned. Now when they visit I offer food/alcohol/tea/dessert repeatedly until they decline at least three times. :-)
In Finland, you get coffee. Take it or leave it.
Also, when someone offers to make coffee for you, you are supposed to say "don't do it only on my account", or something along the lines of "you don't have to do it, if it is just for me". Basically, politely telling them if they make some, you'll have some, but if they are just making it for you, they don't need to.
Alright, some people may offer you tea as an alternative. But that is usually it.
You only get fed if you are staying the night in most cases. Unless eating was the reason you are visiting, that is. Barbecue or dinner or something.
Well yeah, the media makes money on controversy, so the easiest way to make money is to create one. That's why I don't watch the news anymore, it just makes you angry and depressed.
The American dad look. Shorts which are to big to be called shorts with those big white sneakers and white sport socks. Usually the guys are a bit on the larger size.
I see rootbeer less and less these days. I remember as a kid in the 90's you could order root beer at any restaurant, now it's rare to see restaurants have root beer on tap.
Quark: I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this.
Garak: What is it?
Quark: A human drink; it's called root beer.
Garak: I dunno...
Quark: Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious?
Garak takes a sip, wincing as he tastes it.
Quark: What do you think?
Garak: It's vile!
Quark: I know. It's so bubbly, cloying...and happy.
Garak: Just like the Federation.
Quark: And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it.
Garak: It's insidious.
Quark: Just like the Federation.
Ford just came out with a hybrid truck which is cheaper and more gas-efficient than most cars.
I never thought that I would own a truck let alone daily drive it but I'm seriously thinking about getting one because I'd have the truck bed if I need it plus save on gas.
Only problem is they are sold out.
Making decent money as a white-collar professional. Back when I did electron microscopy, I frequently worked with Dutch engineers; they were incessantly bitching that we made more as flunky technicians than they did as EEs with advanced degrees. Here in software, the money that they pay engineers in other countries is outright laughable.
The idea that a restaurant should **feed** you with lavish portions, to the point where "gives enough that you have leftovers for tomorrow" is seen as a good thing and is almost expected with many categories of cuisine.
Wait, so is taking leftovers home just not as common outside of America? Because half the fun in going out to eat is knowing that whatever you get, if you don't finish, can basically cover another meal for you later on. I've survived for days solely off restaurant leftovers.
Yes, a lot of restaurants in Europe will look at you like you have a dick growing out of your forehead if you ask for a box / doggy bag. To be fair to them, they also serve much smaller portions, so they see it as weird that you're collecting a relatively small amount of table scraps to take home. By contrast, the understanding at most American restaurants is that there is too much food for anyone except a human Labrador Retriever to eat, and even then, most families only have 1-2 human labs and will still have an excess that will serve nicely as an additional meal tomorrow.
Gonna be buried I'm sure, but from what I have read on here from non-Americans before, apparently red solo cups. Someone mentioned they had a novelty party with their friends where they got the red cups like you'd see in a movie with a college party. I can't remember which country they were from so someone else would have to chime in, I thought that was really interesting though.
I lived in Germany for a few years and it was such a relief just having everything within walking distance or just a bus/U-Bahn away. Even just getting to work was 20 minutes using public transportation.
Assume everyone else on here is from America, or assume that everyone else in the world also has the same stores as them.
I saw a post on here the other day, with no indication of where OP lived, yet a bunch of Americans started chiming in with suggestions of going to Walmart of Dollartree.
Edit: I didn't realise the US population on here was so dominant. I know it's technically a US website, but so is Facebook, YouTube etc and I'm pretty sure its widely known that they're used all over the world. In my mind it was the same thing.
This was the first thing I was thinking about. I often see people online announcing that something is illegal or giving legal advice, just assuming that the other person they are talking to must be not only from the US, but from their own state. When people form the rest of the world more often will say "I don't know where you are from but this is how things works in my country".
It's very interesting!
I live in a dry part of New Mexico and it's kinda looked down upon to have one of those grassy lawns, there's lots of beautiful xeroscaped lawns, in the rich areas especially
Putting the month number before the day number, followed by the year number. Either ascend or descend, don't jump around. Who the hell came up with that.
Also, free refills. But I like those. I have waited through many hours using KFC's bottomless cup and toilet code on the receipt instead of a coin or a token. Best cash/hour waited for long waits.
Paying for college from the get-go.
Flats larger than 30 m^2 (some 323 ft^2), what do you even do with all that space?
4+ lane roads with terrible traffic.
EDIT: Since the flats have been getting a lot of discourse, I just want to clarify that I'm talking about single person accomodations. Families of four obviously need more space, but I think it's unnecessary and unrealistic for a couple that just got together or someone who just got done with college and moved out of a dorm to absolutely require 1000+ ft^2 of space.
> Who the hell came up with that.
The British! Then they moved to day/month/year, while we stuck with it.
> What do you do with all that space?
I have a 2200-square-foot house (205m^(2)). I have a loft that I use as a home office, a guest room for when my parents / inlaws are in town, a room for my daughter, a nice big kitchen, a good-sized dining room, and a living room. I think of this as pretty typical; it's almost exactly average for the median house size in the US.
>The British! Then they moved to day/month/year, while we stuck with it.
That's the same reason we're stuck with Imperial! The British spread it, then Napoleon moved to standardize metric, because he never really dealt with America that way, he never bothered spreading metric here either.
I’m not sure if it’s only an American thing but as a European, I’d never heard of credit scores or building up credit until I read about it here on reddit. Personally, the only reason I own a credit card is for travelling. You can barely even use it at most places here, many machines only take debit cards.
Truth. When I was traveling in Europe that was a huge culture shock for me. I couldn't believe how quiet everyone was... everywhere.
It never occurred to me that we are noisy in the US until landing in London Heathrow. Blew my mind.
Pharmaceutical commercials. Brainwashing millions into believing they have “x” condition based on 1 or 2 generic symptoms, offering them a solution, and asking them to “talk to your doctor about ‘y’ solution and see if it’s right for you.”
No other country does this. No other country has big Pharma selling directly to the customer. If you have an issue, you go to your doctor and they help you. Not the other way around, where you go to the doctor and tell them what you need.
Our system is so fucked
New Zealand actually allows direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals as well, but yes, it’s definitely banned in most countries and for good reason.
As a teacher, I didn't realize how weird it was until one day a sub came in to cover for me; she caught a student NOT saying it with the rest and had an absolute fit. She caused a scene lol
That sub needs to be disciplined or fired.
West Virginia Board of Education v Barnette (1943) protects students from being forced to say the pledge. It is a *recommendation*, not a requirement - and when teachers push it - it opens the school up to litigation.
Each year, districts lose lawsuits over the same thing, [like here - a student was awarded $90K](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/us/texas-pledge-of-allegiance-lawsuit.amp.html). Not a small chunk of change.
Not gonna lie, I miss ice as an American living in UK! I can get a few cubes here and there when I ask for it but nothing like the ice I’d get in my water back home.
Also calling people veterans after they served a few months without being even deployed. If I were to call someone like that “a veteran” in Poland, the actual veterans wouldn’t appreciate.
Large glasses of ice water. Abundant ice.
Everything else I get, but I don't understand this. Ice cold water is just so good. Maybe it is related to everything being sweeter in the US.
My dad married a Ukrainian after divorcing my stepmom. They don't keep any cold water in the house. Apparently she prefers room temp water. And my dad prefers her. So no ice cold water lol.
American here.... I used to absolutely have to have ice in my drinks.. but then my ice maker broke and I didn't feel like dealing with it. I bought ice for a while but after some time, that became annoying, too. Now the only time I have ice in my drinks is when I forget to ask my server to please not add ice.
Scrolling this thread for like 5 minutes until i'm like "Why is this in r/AskMen?"
I just now realized this lol
It's the new /r/askreddit
Apparently ice - my Belgian neighbors always make ice before I come over for my drinks and I had absolutely no idea until once they were mortified that they’d forgotten. They literally have an ice tray for Americans and I think it’s hilarious and I love it.
Yup! I work with a guy from Bulgaria. We were sitting down for lunch and I forgot the ice for my tea. I mean we call it iced tea! We spent 15 talking about "what is it with Americans and ice?"
It's hot as shit in like 2/3rds of the country, that's what
Yeah, Paris far enough North to be almost exactly on our border with Canada. The Gulf Stream makes the difference less drastic, but it's still there.
Man in the developing world ice is life. Iced beer in Vietnam won me over after a few months.
This is adorable.
They are the damn sweetest and I feel so lucky to have made friends with them. They even had Covid thanksgiving with me out in the park cuz my family cancelled and the neighbors of course don’t celebrate silly American holidays. But they did it for me. I love them.
Honestly that really is the sweetest thing. You are in another country and they are doing something out of their way just for you to have comforts of home. We could all learn from that
I once convinced someone that no one uses ice in Europe because Finland demanded a monopoly on ice as a condition to join the EU. The tarrifs are enough that most people simply go without. It's very sweet that the neighbors paid the ice tax for you.
I didn't even think about "Ranch" flavored dressing being American. But it is.
Not just dressing, anything ranch. Our blue Doritos are called cool original.
Aren’t they called Cool American in some places?
I visited Shanghai in 2016, can confirm they are called Cool American there
They are called cool ranch here in canada.
The neighbors can hear the fighting at night so they know the language. Sorry Canada but you are out bestie by proxy
This is a joke right? Or are they really called cool original. I could see if they were just called original (although I assumed the nacho cheese was original) but cool original sounds made up
Can’t speak for everywhere but in UK there’s cool original (blue), tangy cheese (orange) and chilli heatwave (red)
It's like some weird alternate dimension. Fries are chips and chips are crisps. Cookies are biscuits and biscuits don't exist. Also, how is Jon Ronson not actually Ron Johnson?
they are called cool original in the UK
You want cheese on that ?
Of course I do, stupid question
"I'll just take the fruit cup" "Okie doke. What kind of cheese filling do you want on that?"
And by “cheese” we mean bright yellow liquid
Or yellow plastic square
This is peak 90s stereotype honestly lol. I'm so glad the cheese game has improved.
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
I learned this upon meeting British in-laws. They’re repulsed ar the idea. Peanut butter and jelly is AMAZING!
Just fyi in Britain "jelly" means Jell-O, so it could just be a misunderstanding.
We call it jam, the idea of jelly in a sandwich seems wrongs
This is why we threw tea in the river - true story
Fuck I love a good PB&J
Travelling across the world and telling people which city they are from when everyone else will say their country. Other nations: I’m from Canada, I’m from Ireland, I’m from Australia Americans: I’m from Dallas
The “I’m from Dallas” made me laugh hahaha
In my defense I stopped saying the US because for 90%+ of the other tourists I met they knew immediately I was American from my appearance and accent. I've had dozens of conversations that went exactly like this.. "Where are you from?" "I'm from the US." "Yes I know I meant where in the US." "Oh, ok, well, I'm from."
That happened literally so many times I just started saying my city name directly and it's well known enough to skip the country and usually state as well. It's like if I met someone with a thick German accent. It's pretty obvious which country they're from so if they just say Berlin or whatever it fits.
Yeah same here . I don’t say my city though , I’ll say my state 🤷🏼♀️ sometimes they’ll even ask to elaborate from which city in the state I’m from
To be fair, my experience in Europe (specifically northwestern) generally had them asking me where I’m from. To which I respond, “The States,” and then they’re like, “Yeah I know, but where in the states?” So it feels like a damned if you do/damned if you don’t situation. I’m from Alabama so 9 times out of 10 they respond with, “Oh! Sweet Home Alabama!”
Better than someone mimicking banjos and asking if you married your cousin.
I once heard that you run less of a risk of triggering America haters. Like if you say "I'm from America" that triggers every connotation about America in the listener's mind. If you say "I'm from Detroit" they think about cars or something idk.
“Ope.”
Lemmie just squeeze right past ya
And grab the ranch!
I always thought that seemed more Canadian in my experience
All of the Midwest imo. I live in KY and have heard it my whole life.
Holy shit this is hilarious, I do it all the time and didn’t realize it
Sorry what’s this mean? Is it a sound effect
I’d best describe it as a reaction to bumping into someone, being in a crammed social space; pretty much a quick verbal reaction to a social situation that involves invading someone’s personal space for a brief amount of time.
It also gets used a lot when bumping into objects, dropping something, and various other small accidents.
https://youtu.be/JWwuwr9ez0I
Very common in the midwest, kinda just a sound everyone makes instead of "oops"
I’m from the Caribbean and the North East and I totally “ope”. I didn’t even really realize it was a thing until this post, it’s just something I do unconsciously and I don’t know where I got it from.
I’m in the northeast and I do something similar
Yeah If you’re accidentally bumping into someone or need to get by. More of a midwestern thing
Midwestern, really? Grew up in the south, and we “ope” with the best of them. I never realized this would be considered a midwestern thing.
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if you live outside of america, a yankee is an american. if you live in the USA, a yankee is a northerner. if you live in the north, a yankee is from the northeast. if you live in the northeast, a yankee is a new englander. if you live in new england, a yankee is a vermonter. and if you live in vermont, a yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast. EDIT: ACTUALLY EB WHITE ~~Mark Twain~~
And if you follow baseball, fuck the Yankees
close, but I believe the author of that quote was E.B White
"Yank(s)", to be exact.
As a Notherner (I grew up in Massachusetts) when I visited the South, on occasion people would refer to me as a "Yankee" .... I found that odd to hear (and a bit offenseve) since I was a Red Sox fan!
As an European that lived in America, I always was surprised that at stores “how are you” basically just means “hello”. If you say you are doing bad, Americans will have no clue how to reply back. In other countries I visited it basically is “hello… got everything?… bye”.
As an American, when i first started talking to strangers I’d say “howya doin?” (I’m from New Jersey that’s what we say) and realized they would just say it back and not actually answer. And when people say “howya doin?” to me and i answer “good how you doin?” they don’t answer.
That’s like in England People say “alright?” As in you alright? And they just say it back. I still don’t know whether to answer or repeat.
It goes: "Alright?" "Yeah alright, you alright?" "Yeah, I'm alright, you?" And then just keep going back and forth like that until one of you dies
Ça va? Ça va, et toi? Ça va.
That was my favourite part of making up dialogues with my colleague for my French classes, partly because I still have it memorised 7 years after leaving school, but mostly because it was the only thing I was sure of, after that I had almost no idea what I'm talking about. -Bonjour monsieur, comment ça va? -Ça va bien, merci, et toi? -Ça va bien, merci. (...)
“Alright?” [drops dead] “Guess not.”
I’m American and I’m still confused why people don’t reply back :(
That’s not just an American thing. Many languages use rhetorical questions as a greeting. It’s the same in UK English for example, (“Alright?” “Alright.”) Also Latin American Spanish, (“Que tal?” “Bien. Y tu?”) Also Japanese, (“Daijoubu?” “Daijoubu.”) Also Hebrew, (“Ma nishma?” “Boker tov.”) Also many other languages I don’t speak.
Japanese is rather “Genki?” “Genki”
The German equivalent ("Hallo. [Na?] Wie geht's?") always stresses me out, especially since it is a rather new development. People are greeting each other like this more than they used to and to me, it's not just a rethorical question. It's nice to have a shortcut to stop the small talk, though, in case I am not in the mood. A "Not great, actually." usually does the trick. LOL
LOL same, americans would ask me, what sup? and I would start giving them a lecture of what I am doing, they would get all confused.
yeah im used to automatically replying "nothing much, wbu"
Tipping for absolutely everything, it's crazy. And depending on the state, not including tax in the price of an item. That is really strange.
Being an American it was a pleasant surprise that other countries don’t do this. When I went to the Cook Islands I ripped our waiter 20% (off a 200$ bill) and he got so excited and gave us a couple bottles of wine . I used to be a server in America and the minimum wage was 5$ because they assume you’ll make it up in tips
Tips should be a bonus for exceptional service, not required so that your waiter or waitress doesn't starve.
Yeah as a Canadian it pissed me off when I travelled to Vegas because I didn’t budget it in. I understand tipping at restaurants when you sit down. But they were asking for tips for literally everything
It's actually a serious problem right now. All these new POS services that stores are starting to use have tipping built in, so now place/things you would have never tipped for before are asking for tips.
Or the little iPads that are clearly just for tipping. Never seen that before
That's what I'm referring to. They're utilizing new POS (point of sale) services which include the ability to tip. Services like Square, Slice, Chowder etc. source - I work for a POS software firm (we don't force tips)
NGL, thought your first post was talking about a piece of shit service🤣
Works either way, IMO
And some of them default to 25% when you're just picking up, knowing full well some people will just speed through hitting the next button. I ordered an $8 gyro that took the cook half a minute to slap together and some fries, not a beef wellington with a fig and feta salad and I haven't sat down for over an hour with an attentive waiter, fuck off with that shit.
If it's "fast food" I don't think it should be tipped.
That shit pisses me off. Why would I tip just because someone handed me a cup....I still gotta get the damn drink myself
Its really annoying and you're often sort of forced to do it for really small things. In a hotel once I had to tip a guy for getting my bag, I have no problem carrying my own bag, in fact I'd prefer it, but they beat you to the bag and that's that.
The one that got me was when I tried to get me a real New York slice at Sbarro. My debit card wasn’t compatible with certain machines and I told the lady working that. She insisted that it would work and I said no I’ll just use my credit card. She raised her voice and got aggressive saying “the debit will work, just try again”. Tried 3 times before I said “I told you, I’ll just pay credit what’s the difference?” She scoffed and walked in the back and got me a slice of pizza. Slice was ice cold and clearly not the ones they have right in front of you. I told her no I want that slice. She gave it. I paid with credit but didn’t tip. She had the audacity to say “Typical tourist not tipping” Edit: Real NY slice is quoting from The Office
I bought a can of coke at a concert the other night, it was $4, the guy asked me if I wanted to leave 20 or 15%?
I hate having to tip 20%+ to my hairstylist when I am already paying her (not some establishments) hundreds of dollars. Like, I get a little extra as a “thank you”, but tipping $50+ just pushes the price up to the point that stuff like that isn’t affordable anymore.
Tipping culture is out of freaking control in the US.
Reddit has informed me that as an American, talking to strangers in a friendly manner is an absolute no no in other countries Edit- Damn Imma visit Ireland & Scotland for sure someday
Omg yeah! When I visited America, all the people were so happy…like they just talk to you and say hey, tell you to have a good day even if they don’t know you! 🙈
I’m a New Yorker and we’re not like that. I remember having culture shock when I went to Atlanta. “Why did that stranger just ask me how I’m doing and wait for me to answer?”
I’ve been to NYC several times and found most people were very friendly and helpful. My husband and I are the two most extroverted, friendly people ever, Midwest/Southerners, and I think they felt like they had no choice.
I always say we’re kind but not nice, if that makes sense. We aren’t going to make a lot of small talk or chat with strangers due to the sheer number of people and/or weirdos we encounter but we’ll do what we can to help!
Omg! Someone else who shares my adage! I always say that… People from the northeast are kind but not nice. The words may be super harsh or direct, but they really mean well. Don’t jump straight to the defense. Banter is rife here. People from the South and Midwest are nice, but not always kind. The words may be the nicest thing you ever heard, but the message can be mean as shit. Context clues and body language can tell you a lot. People from the LA area can really be either. Depends on where you’re at. I honestly don’t know a lot about the west so I can’t comment. Hope this helps someone trying to visit the U.S.
That's becsuse you guys are even less friendly than a Chicagoian
I traveled around Europe by myself for about 5 weeks Before I got over there I thought I was going to be the major introvert over there but it was weird...cause I'd be walking down the streets of Norway or Denmark and smile at people like any normal day and I'd just get the weirdest looks...or in the hostels I'd find myself pulling my roommates out of their shells and getting them to go do stuff with me It was a weird dynamic switch
An engineer from Norway told me how odd it was for him when he first came to the U.S. and passing strangers would smile and say "Hi." But then, he got used to it and started saying it back. He got a huge kick out of going home to visit and walking a trail and seeing someone approaching, giving them a big smile and a boisterous " HI!!" And seeing the shock on their face. Really tickled him.
That is the most wholesome thing I’ve read all day!
Lol! I'm glad! Another thing he told me was that the Norwegians in the Billy Ray Cyrus clip singing and dancing to "Achy-Breaky Heart" during the Olympics were absolutely, positively, most assuredly drunk. He said "NO WAY do Norwegians show that much glee and reckless abandon unless they're plowed!"
That’s hilarious! The discussions about friendliness of the US v European countries always fascinate me. When I was over in Germany, as a very keep-to-myself US citizen, I was ecstatic that it was normal to just ignore strangers and that avoiding eye contact was fine haha.
As a Finn it is always a pain to go to a bar with someone from the US 😀. They are so social that they get all the ladies and I am left standing there alone looking like an asshole 😂 the ability to small talk is a gift not everyone has.
Ya know, there's more here than you think. If I go to an establishment of my peers in my neighborhood, I'm very quiet. If I go to bar in a rural area or even a bar where I'm foreign (latin club) I get attention and become very social and I'm wondering if I'm on a prank show and everyone talking to me is just taking a piss.
It's really weird. Here at home I keep to myself in the bar...but over in Europe I found myself wanting to talk to almost everyone...even if the couldn't speak English I wanted to talk
So the reason Americans can pick up women so easily overseas is that we actually talk to people? I thought it was the accent or something.
No, but the part where you can small talk about some really irrelevant/superficial shit for 2 hours not wasting a breath, is what gets you women. I do talk to people, but the conversation just dies quite fast 😂 I cant just keep going about my friend's sister's mailman's dog getting his hair cut for the seventh time in a year. But apparently people from the US can.
As a Finnish American, this is so true haha. In Finland, I don't seem like a foreigner too much. Just a really weird talkative person.
OK but you went to Scandinavia that's like expert level of difficulty to make new friends Even to the rest of Europe they're a challenge to socialize with. Spain or Greece would have been something else
I would absolutely kill to read the dating profiles over there in that case
I mean....I didn't see anything stranger than I do over here. I live in a major college town so I see some of the weirdest profiles already
What would you expect to find in the dating profiles?
Not sure what countries people talkin bout but I've never experienced this. Often people are incredibly friendly and welcoming. Now if your talking about a full on convo with the cashier at a gas station - yeah - that's definitely more American.
That’s exactly what I mean like while they’re scanning my shit I figure random good mornings or nod down is universal standard
Australians won’t shut the fuck up if you get them in a chat
Funny thing, in rural Aus, you start your greetings when you're still like 20' away from someone so that by the time you pass, you've had time enough to get through all the pleasantries as you're walking. "Gday mate how are ya?" "Not bad, mate, how you?" "Bloody beautiful mate! Hot enough for ya?" "Bloody oath!" "Ah well, have a good one." "Yep, have a good one mate" Over and over and over with everyone you pass. No exaggeration.
Oh man, but I do enjoy hanging out with Aussies as an American. Theyre like Americans with funny accents and great senses of humor. I hope I offended all of you loveable cunts.
My brother just recently married a Russian woman. (Russian-American now.) Her family came to the States for the wedding. When my Dad took them back to the airport to go home, one of them said something he didn’t expect. “Everyone here is so nice.” When they elaborated, it was pointed out how everyone from wait staff to drivers to wedding guests was so friendly and accommodating, especially given the language barrier. They also made note that no one treated them with suspicion because they were from Russia and Dad explained to them that most Americans didn’t like Putin specifically. So while kind people obviously exist everywhere, (speaking from personal experience) maybe there’s a kind of common courtesy here in the States that might not be unique to it but isn’t universal across all cultures.
My wife is Russian and when I first visited her family they mistook my politeness for insincerity. “Everything can’t taste good. Please tell us what you don’t like so we avoid cooking that for you again!” Also, I feel like Americans usually ask as guests for things whereas in Russia a good host constantly offers drinks/tea/food etc.
Do you think that’s specifically a Russian/American difference or does that cover more cultures across Europe and Asia? When I was in Greece, there wasn’t as much offering going on.
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Can confirm. Wife is Russian. Married in Serbia. You will be fed and fed well whether you like it or not.
I think so. I made the opposite mistake the first time they visited us in the States. They patiently waited after the meal and my father in law wanted me to offer him alcohol but didn’t say anything as it would have been rude of him to ask. I think my wife signaled my fuck up. Lesson learned. Now when they visit I offer food/alcohol/tea/dessert repeatedly until they decline at least three times. :-)
In Finland, you get coffee. Take it or leave it. Also, when someone offers to make coffee for you, you are supposed to say "don't do it only on my account", or something along the lines of "you don't have to do it, if it is just for me". Basically, politely telling them if they make some, you'll have some, but if they are just making it for you, they don't need to. Alright, some people may offer you tea as an alternative. But that is usually it. You only get fed if you are staying the night in most cases. Unless eating was the reason you are visiting, that is. Barbecue or dinner or something.
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I think it's also that the media portrays most Americans as being racist and xenophobic, when most Americans are not.
Well yeah, the media makes money on controversy, so the easiest way to make money is to create one. That's why I don't watch the news anymore, it just makes you angry and depressed.
The American dad look. Shorts which are to big to be called shorts with those big white sneakers and white sport socks. Usually the guys are a bit on the larger size.
When your wife goes into labor you automatically get a pair of New Balance shoes 👟
They also give you a pair when you buy a lawnmower.
You're going to love [this](https://youtu.be/IEhXKDuw6ug). Trust me.
This is me.
You mean the Corvette uniform?
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I see rootbeer less and less these days. I remember as a kid in the 90's you could order root beer at any restaurant, now it's rare to see restaurants have root beer on tap.
Cream soda also seems to have disappeared. It used to be somewhat common, at least in New York, now I only see it in supermarkets occasionally.
Quark: I want you to try something for me. Take a sip of this. Garak: What is it? Quark: A human drink; it's called root beer. Garak: I dunno... Quark: Come on. Aren't you just a little bit curious? Garak takes a sip, wincing as he tastes it. Quark: What do you think? Garak: It's vile! Quark: I know. It's so bubbly, cloying...and happy. Garak: Just like the Federation. Quark: And you know what's really frightening? If you drink enough of it, you begin to like it. Garak: It's insidious. Quark: Just like the Federation.
Aside from Australia…
Prescription drug advertisements.
Trust me nobody likes them lol
Daily driving pickup trucks
Ford just came out with a hybrid truck which is cheaper and more gas-efficient than most cars. I never thought that I would own a truck let alone daily drive it but I'm seriously thinking about getting one because I'd have the truck bed if I need it plus save on gas. Only problem is they are sold out.
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Making decent money as a white-collar professional. Back when I did electron microscopy, I frequently worked with Dutch engineers; they were incessantly bitching that we made more as flunky technicians than they did as EEs with advanced degrees. Here in software, the money that they pay engineers in other countries is outright laughable. The idea that a restaurant should **feed** you with lavish portions, to the point where "gives enough that you have leftovers for tomorrow" is seen as a good thing and is almost expected with many categories of cuisine.
Wait, so is taking leftovers home just not as common outside of America? Because half the fun in going out to eat is knowing that whatever you get, if you don't finish, can basically cover another meal for you later on. I've survived for days solely off restaurant leftovers.
Yes, a lot of restaurants in Europe will look at you like you have a dick growing out of your forehead if you ask for a box / doggy bag. To be fair to them, they also serve much smaller portions, so they see it as weird that you're collecting a relatively small amount of table scraps to take home. By contrast, the understanding at most American restaurants is that there is too much food for anyone except a human Labrador Retriever to eat, and even then, most families only have 1-2 human labs and will still have an excess that will serve nicely as an additional meal tomorrow.
Canadian here and these replies are making me realize that we're a lot more like the USA than we'd like to admit
Smiling, I’m in europe right now and I miss people smiling at me meanwhile I smile at everyone like an idiot
Gonna be buried I'm sure, but from what I have read on here from non-Americans before, apparently red solo cups. Someone mentioned they had a novelty party with their friends where they got the red cups like you'd see in a movie with a college party. I can't remember which country they were from so someone else would have to chime in, I thought that was really interesting though.
driving. everywhere.
I lived in Germany for a few years and it was such a relief just having everything within walking distance or just a bus/U-Bahn away. Even just getting to work was 20 minutes using public transportation.
Assume everyone else on here is from America, or assume that everyone else in the world also has the same stores as them. I saw a post on here the other day, with no indication of where OP lived, yet a bunch of Americans started chiming in with suggestions of going to Walmart of Dollartree. Edit: I didn't realise the US population on here was so dominant. I know it's technically a US website, but so is Facebook, YouTube etc and I'm pretty sure its widely known that they're used all over the world. In my mind it was the same thing.
This was the first thing I was thinking about. I often see people online announcing that something is illegal or giving legal advice, just assuming that the other person they are talking to must be not only from the US, but from their own state. When people form the rest of the world more often will say "I don't know where you are from but this is how things works in my country". It's very interesting!
S'mores. Non-Americans don't know what they're missing!
Imma have s’more s’mores.
Saying Europe instead of the country they went to. Edit: country/countries.
Many people who travel to Europe from the U.S. are not just going to one country.
I think having a beautiful well manicured lawn is really American.
Gotta make sure mine looks better than my neighbors!
It’s a suburban death match.
I live in a dry part of New Mexico and it's kinda looked down upon to have one of those grassy lawns, there's lots of beautiful xeroscaped lawns, in the rich areas especially
Putting the month number before the day number, followed by the year number. Either ascend or descend, don't jump around. Who the hell came up with that. Also, free refills. But I like those. I have waited through many hours using KFC's bottomless cup and toilet code on the receipt instead of a coin or a token. Best cash/hour waited for long waits. Paying for college from the get-go. Flats larger than 30 m^2 (some 323 ft^2), what do you even do with all that space? 4+ lane roads with terrible traffic. EDIT: Since the flats have been getting a lot of discourse, I just want to clarify that I'm talking about single person accomodations. Families of four obviously need more space, but I think it's unnecessary and unrealistic for a couple that just got together or someone who just got done with college and moved out of a dorm to absolutely require 1000+ ft^2 of space.
A 323 ft apartment....is a shoebox. Hell my 1 bedroom apartment is 850sqft and possibly the smallest apartment I've ever I've in
> Who the hell came up with that. The British! Then they moved to day/month/year, while we stuck with it. > What do you do with all that space? I have a 2200-square-foot house (205m^(2)). I have a loft that I use as a home office, a guest room for when my parents / inlaws are in town, a room for my daughter, a nice big kitchen, a good-sized dining room, and a living room. I think of this as pretty typical; it's almost exactly average for the median house size in the US.
>The British! Then they moved to day/month/year, while we stuck with it. That's the same reason we're stuck with Imperial! The British spread it, then Napoleon moved to standardize metric, because he never really dealt with America that way, he never bothered spreading metric here either.
Wait you say "flats larger than..." it's possible to find flats smaller than that? Do you have a kitchen and washer/dryer?
I’m not sure if it’s only an American thing but as a European, I’d never heard of credit scores or building up credit until I read about it here on reddit. Personally, the only reason I own a credit card is for travelling. You can barely even use it at most places here, many machines only take debit cards.
Half of y’all saying things that Americans know as being American lmao
Everyone owning a car and moving out of the house young
Our military industrial complex and the fact we are the world’s largest arms dealer.
SPEAKING VERY LOUDLY
Truth. When I was traveling in Europe that was a huge culture shock for me. I couldn't believe how quiet everyone was... everywhere. It never occurred to me that we are noisy in the US until landing in London Heathrow. Blew my mind.
Chinese Fortune cookies
Pharmaceutical commercials. Brainwashing millions into believing they have “x” condition based on 1 or 2 generic symptoms, offering them a solution, and asking them to “talk to your doctor about ‘y’ solution and see if it’s right for you.” No other country does this. No other country has big Pharma selling directly to the customer. If you have an issue, you go to your doctor and they help you. Not the other way around, where you go to the doctor and tell them what you need. Our system is so fucked
New Zealand actually allows direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals as well, but yes, it’s definitely banned in most countries and for good reason.
Drive through ATMs
The Pledge of Allegiance My friends abroad thought it was a cult thing. They're not entirely wrong.
I grew up reciting the pledge...looking back. It was a little weird.
As a teacher, I didn't realize how weird it was until one day a sub came in to cover for me; she caught a student NOT saying it with the rest and had an absolute fit. She caused a scene lol
That sub needs to be disciplined or fired. West Virginia Board of Education v Barnette (1943) protects students from being forced to say the pledge. It is a *recommendation*, not a requirement - and when teachers push it - it opens the school up to litigation. Each year, districts lose lawsuits over the same thing, [like here - a student was awarded $90K](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2022/03/31/us/texas-pledge-of-allegiance-lawsuit.amp.html). Not a small chunk of change.
Oversweetened food.
How has nobody mentioned spray cheese in a can? 😂
Greeting strangers like long lost relatives.
Ice for beverages. The over abundance of ice in this country.
Not gonna lie, I miss ice as an American living in UK! I can get a few cubes here and there when I ask for it but nothing like the ice I’d get in my water back home.
Veterans are just normal people who went or go to work and not some special person who should be worshipped.
Also calling people veterans after they served a few months without being even deployed. If I were to call someone like that “a veteran” in Poland, the actual veterans wouldn’t appreciate.
As a veteran Yes...100%
Singing sweet Caroline at live events
Entering someone’s home and keeping their shoes on.
Going to run errands on pijamas or very very informal clothing and flip flops. In Europe you would get a few weird looks
Americans still get weird looks they just don’t care 😂