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Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Americans Are Sharing The Things They Didn't Realize Were "Very American" Until They Visited Another Country, And I Never Realized Some Of These
Recently, Redditor u/chopsticktalk asked Reddit community members from the US to share the things they didn't realize were "very American" until they visited another country, and some of the responses are mind-boggling: 1."Ranch dressing. Ranch-flavored Doritos are still sold, but they're labeled as 'American flavor.'" —sniper91 2."Having air conditioning everywhere. I went on a business trip to Germany. It was 80 degrees outside, and my German coworkers simply opened up a window for some air exchange. I went to the mall to get a SIM card for my phone, and most of the mall didn't have air conditioning, either." —workerbee223 3."Red Solo Cups. When I studied abroad in New Zealand, everyone asked me about them. Granted, this was at the height of Jersey Shore's popularity." —fezfrascati 4."Here in the US, outside of big cities, it's pretty much required to drive a car. When I lived abroad for a few years, I was able to survive completely off public transport, the occasional taxi, and walking on my own two feet." —back2therockinghorse 5."Portion sizes and taking home leftovers." —hubert--cumberdale 6."I moved to the Netherlands eight years ago. The biggest one I realized was probably working while sick. For 20 years, I came to work every day unless I physically couldn't. Like, I had to be so sick that I legitimately couldn't make myself get out of bed. Even then, I felt bad for not showing up. I was in the Netherlands for maybe three months already when I got a cold. My boss came around to my desk and sent me home. I was still on my probation period, so I was super worried that if I took a sick day, I'd be fired and sent back on a plane to the US." "I told him I'd go home, but I'd take my laptop with me. He told me to just go home and rest, and not to come back until I was well. When I came back after getting better, my boss sent an American colleague to talk to me. This guy had been at the company for 10 years and said, 'They don't want you getting anyone else sick; there's unlimited sick time for a reason.' So, now, I'm the one telling new arrivals to use their sick time." —deVliegendeTexan 7."How much water is in toilet bowls." —AcanthocephalaIcy516 8."Billboards along the highways." —niels_nitely 9."Ice cold beverages. I worked in China, and they did drinks with no ice and had room-temperature water. I was so excited when my translator turned to me while we were ordering and asked if I wanted ice with my drink. I said, 'They have ice? YES!' The translator and the guy behind the counter laughed and said, 'No, we don't have ice.'" —Delaneybuffett 10."A big culture shock to me in Europe was that there were many major cities that weren't filled with skyscrapers like in the US. I guess it isn't specifically American, but it definitely threw me for a loop." —Cummyshitballs 11."Screens in windows. Does Europe not have bugs?" —Over_Dog24 12."Advertising medical treatments for profit." —gbourg12 13."Unlimited refills of coffee at restaurants." —GoddessoftheUniverse 14."Eating a meal really quickly. I was just in England, and even in relatively casual restaurants, the waiter will only check up on you two or three times in an hour because they assume you're going to take your time and enjoy your meal. I walked into a restaurant an hour before close, and they specifically told me, 'We close in an hour, are you sure you will have enough time?' And my only thought was that I could eat my meal as fast as they could make it." "There have been multiple times where I'd be seated, order, eat, and pay before other groups who'd arrived before me finished. Americans eat fast! We're also used to being rushed out of restaurants because waitstaff are looking to get as many people through in a night for their tips. Having a 'no tips' culture really makes the experience better for the diner." —CanIGetASourceOnThat 15."Garbage disposals." —Mysterious-Hawk6030 16."I didn't truly appreciate the 24-hour grocery stores when I lived in the US. When I moved to Belgium, it was a weirdly hard transition being only able to shop during normal hours. I moved back to the US before COVID-19, and now we rarely have 24-hour grocery stores in the US anymore." —amioth 17."Competitive sports among high schools and colleges." —niels_nitely 18."The loudness. My fellow Americans talk SO LOUD ALL THE TIME." —Wwwweeeeeeee 19."Free public restrooms. I'm not saying they're clean or nice in the US, but it was annoying trying to remember to carry coins around Paris just so I can pee." —DrPorkchopES 20."Leaving out sales tax from prices in the stores." —peperazzi74 "Chitchat. Americans can start conversations with random strangers and feel completely normal sharing their stories." —phage5169761 Honestly, yeah, the portion sizes in America are truly wild. If you're American, what are some things you didn't realize were "very American" until you left the US? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your thoughts using the form below! Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
Buzz Feed
30-06-2025
- Buzz Feed
Oddly "American" Things That Aren't A Thing In Other Countries
Every culture has its quirks, but sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to realize what makes your own country unique — or, in some cases, kind of weird. Curious to uncover what everyday aspects of American life seem unusual to people from abroad, u/CommonDecision6391 asked, "What do Americans not realize is an American thing?" People from around the world chimed in, citing everything from ice water to tipping culture. Here's what else they had to say: "In-sink garbage disposals." "Red Solo Cups really aren't a thing outside the USA — except at explicit 'USA-themed' parties in Europe." "I've heard that other countries don't have commercials for medications." "Graham crackers. I was telling some Aussies about s'mores and then had to stop and explain what graham crackers were." "I recently realized Miracle Whip is a North American thing. For those unfamiliar, it's often used as an alternative to mayonnaise — on sandwiches and in some salads. I've heard it's similar to salad cream in the UK." "Buying tons of things for very specific purposes. My mother-in-law is always amazed by all the junk we have: a clip-on book light, a lime squeezer (that only works on limes), etc." "Wearing your college's name or athletic team logo in public on a regular basis. College sports being popular." "The American lean." "Wearing athletic shoes everywhere." "Estimating distance by time — like saying something's 30 minutes away." "Carrying a gallon of water with you everywhere you go." "Big trucks." "Air conditioning everywhere." "Screens on windows." "Everyone driving their own car." "Being prudish about nudity on TV, but tolerating intense violence." "Tipping culture." "Bars having 'last call' at 2 a.m. In parts of Europe, the party doesn't even start until about then. Some places don't stop serving alcohol at all, or not until 4 or 5 a.m. when they close." "Medical bankruptcy." "Prisons run by private companies." "Ice in your water, and free water when you sit down at a restaurant." "The idea of individual states having a lot of legal control over everyday cultural laws, as well — what comes to mind here are alcohol laws and driving laws." And finally, "Not having a guaranteed right to vacation. Fun fact: Americans work 400 more hours on average than most other countries. Work-life balance is impossible here." Did any of these surprise you? Or do you have your own "wait, that's not normal?" moment from traveling or living abroad? Drop your experiences in the comments — we'd love to hear them!
