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People Online Listed 30 Things Americans Are Familiar With, But Europeans Can’t Relate To
While both the US and Europe are mostly considered Western cultures, and they are deemed neighbors from across the pond, there are still some substantial differences between the two that people just can’t stop pointing out because they are curious and they want to partake in this cultural learning experience.
Reddit user u/Dependent-End5909 turned to r/AskReddit with the question what is something Americans have which Europeans don't have? Over 21,000 comments later, the post went viral with nearly 22,000 upvotes and over 60 Reddit awards.
110-volt outlets, huge refrigerators and garbage disposals were just some of the many great things Reddit pointed out, so strap up and start scrolling to see the best answers found in the post. And while you’re at it, vote, comment and give us some examples of things.
More Info: Reddit
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#2
Ulf67 said:
The Grand Canyon
dimacq replied:
Oh yes!!!! And I’d say the whole system of National Parks is just amazing! Open 24/7 (unless some weather or gov’t shutdown), maps available, trails laid out, camping spots designated… It’s the most treasured and inderappreciated thing in the US, IMO.
Jef Bateman 3 years ago
The Grand Canyon is so big that it only looks like a canyon in certain places. I prefer narrower canyons (Walnut Canyon is also in Arizona and is less crowded).
#4
Space. I love spending time in Europe, but man, it is amazing to come home and have hundreds of thousands of square miles of just open country to explore, hike, ride, camp, etc...
A lot of it isn't even in national or state parks (which are also amazing).
#5
"Refrigerators the size of my flat." - every European who has seen my moderately-sized refrigerator
#6
No-Dark-9414 said:
Florida Man
Ilmara said:
Europe has Polish Man and Russian Man.
#7
Mourning doves. They're cute and chubby, and their boo-hoo-hoo songs sound like wooden flutes.
Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
Mourning doves are rural areas' pigeons, but much, much nicer to have around. They are monogamous and mate for life, and their call is lovely.
#8
Ranch.
Like why is it so good, why don’t we have it. And can we please exchange boris Johnston for a bottle. He’s be good in your circus
#9
Trek1973 said:
Good Mexican food
burningfirelily replied:
Man so im a Mexican who wants to move to a European country but my biggest fear is losing access to ingredients to make my food and also having to endure whatever the heck people in those countries believe is "authentic" Mexican food.
#10
Legal right turn on red, I don't always agree with Jeremy Clarkson but in this instance he's correct that's it's one of the US's greatest contributions to society.
#11
Drive in EVERYTHING! Drive in Starbucks, I’ve head Drive in Banks, that’s so crazy to me
Kookamunga 3 years ago
Drive-in liquor stores, pharmacies, food.....I'd trade in all those drive-ins in for drive-in movies. Wish they would come back everywhere like it used to be!
#12
Root beer is a popular beverage in the United States. Visitors from Europe frequently comment on how "strange" it tastes.
The road splits in two. It's a beloved American ritual that foreigners are unfamiliar with. Imgur
Fiona Parky 3 years ago
I tried it once. It tasted like cough medicine that had been carbonated. No thanks.
#13
Free drink refills at restaurants
#14
zephyr1004 said:
We have a high drinking age at 21.
UnilateralWithdrawal replied:
Europe is definitely more laid back. I’ve been to manufacturing plants in Germany where beer is sold out of vending machines.
FailBunny17 3 years ago
I do wonder sometimes if having a high drinking age or even maybe just having an age restriction at all possibly does more harm than good. Not saying we should be giving our children shots or anything but just making it such a taboo and not really discussed thing in family life outside of don't do it. When people finally can drink whether legally or through just having the means we typically overdo it and don't have a good sense of how to moderate (or want).
#15
Pancakes with maple syrup.
...date German, and she is super confused why there is so much sugar in the American breakfast. Go to the U.K. and there is none...go to Amsterdam where pancakes are practically the national specialty, and they are mostly savory!
#16
Garbage disposal units are installed beneath the kitchen sink.
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 3 years ago (edited)
I had one, once in Melbourne, I turned it on to play around with it, but never used it. I can just walk and scrape my plate into a regular bin just fine 😆
Stannous Flouride 3 years ago
It's largely because most of the US is blessed with copious and inexpensive water sources.
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Pat Bond 3 years ago (edited)
Eh? Waste disposal units are readily available in the UK and have been for decades, they are just not fashionable or that friendly to water & sewage systems. Recycling being more environmentally friendly. To clarify these are for food.
Vicky Z 3 years ago
Maybe only in UK? Haven't seen them anywhere else in Europe in 5 different countries at least!
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Just Brandi 3 years ago
Literally every single person I know is on city water and definitely have garbage disposals. "Less of a thing" nope
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 3 years ago
We always had one growing up in my parents house, hated the thing - it's so loud and annoying, and would get really smelly. We barely used it. We now gave separate bins to put food waste in that has biodegradable bags that go in a sealable bin outside and gets collected weekly, much easier, less smelly and much quieter
Tonya Wallace 3 years ago (edited)
God, yes, I know what you mean about the smell! But you can easily clean them. I use baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water. We eat citrus fruit daily, and put the peels in the disposal. The disposal grinds the peels and release the scent of the oils in the peel. It smells so fresh! Like a ride on Soarin' at Disney. ☺️
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Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
I onlly encountered these, as a US citizen,in two places I've lived, out of many, so.... Not sure that it's really that common? Maybe regional?
Roxy Eastland 3 years ago
Many European sewage systems were created so much earlier than many American ones that they simply aren't built for taking away that amount of solid waste.
Leslie Crittenden 3 years ago
The reason for having them in cities is to reduce the volume of waste that has to be removed. That's why just discarding food in the bin isn't an equally valid choice. The disposal liquifies the food and it goes down the drain into the sewer system.
Elaine Crider 3 years ago
This one is always brought but I know maybe 2 ppl that have one. It could be because I'm in the Midwest but it not really that popular.
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
Or as the one my grandad had installed in Australia 'the insinkerator'
DE Ray 3 years ago
That was (maybe still is) a major brand name for disposal units.
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Nikki Sevven 3 years ago
This is becoming less and less of a thing. For one, most of the US isn't on a public sewer system, but on private septic systems, and garbage disposals are terrible for the bacteria in septic systems.
Mindy 3 years ago
Most of the US is on septic?? Pretty sure the majority of Americans don't live out in the country on septic systems.
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RNA 3 years ago (edited)
Garbage bin under the kitchen sink is the default in Poland. Just sayin'
Sky Render 3 years ago
It's not a garbage bin, it's a machine that grinds up food scraps and flushes it out the pipes as a slurry. The sink drain connects directly to it.
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PurpleUnicorn 3 years ago
Such a bad idea, sewers and treatment plants aren't designed for this kind of volume of waste
Karin Gibson 3 years ago
I never ever used mine except to blitz a lemon and vinegar to keep it fresh every month. I was in the US for four years. The awful washing machines and vacuum cleaners were the worst.
Peter Weir 3 years ago
best mofia, serial killer household appliance...:) making people disappear since 1950
Aliquid 3 years ago
Well people consider food waste to be garbage... so this would be a type of garbage. More appropriate thinking would be to compost any food waste.
Load More Replies... Mir Adwari 3 years ago
A very small amount of reading and I found "this is very much a global issue: New York, Denver, Melbourne and Valencia have all found giant fatbergs blocking their waterways". You aren't coming across as very well informed with all your snipes.
Load More Replies... #17
Automatic ice dispensers in your fridges. It's such an American thing you only find it on fridges that are labelled "American style"
#18
AC. Been back a forth a lot, AC.
MikeWheelerFan 3 years ago
I live in Florida and without AC you could die of heat stroke. It’s not throughout the entire country though. When I went to Carmel (near Monterey) they didn’t have AC. As a Florida girl I was shocked.
#19
OkAnteater9569 said:
At home or somewhere else, they have screens on their windows.
blackwe11_ninja replied:
You mean mosquito screens? We have them too. In my city you would have to be insane not to have one.
#20
Just found this out on another post: our own graves. Apparently graves are often dug up and reused in Europe and Australia. They’re owned by the government and will not always be yours. The only reason why we don’t do the same is because we are a younger country and we haven’t run out of room to bury people yet.
#22
I worked for a US firm (I’m From the UK). There are many differences, but the one that used to cause so many problems was the term “Fortnight” - not commonly used in that part of the US, so they used “Bi Weekly” for the same thing. Except in the UK that means twice a week
#23
I always find myself finding everything cheaper in america online stores than in european stores. Especially with hardware, woodworking, light machinery.
As many pointed out, USA don't include sales tax in the price. But then again as others pointed out, its only 6% whilst mine is 25% on all goods at home. So USA prices are still comparatively low even when included American 6% tax. It would only be worth to order tho if I actually lived in USA tho because of import duties.
#24
PixieBaronicsi said:
College sports
Oneinchwalrus replied:
This one I'll give you. Universities play each other in sports, but nowhere to the scale in America. For football (soccer), most players can be in clubs' academies from the age of 5/6, finish school at 16 and then just go straight into reserve/first team squads, whereas in America they play sports in school, university, then get picked up by clubs
Titas Burinskas 3 years ago
However, the bad thing is that college sports raise millions in profits, but amateur sportspeople don't get any of it.
#25
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Hemlock Tea 3 years ago
Why are they trying to spread jelly on the peanut butter like a sociopath.
#26
Bigger portions/sizes. As an example I think a small or regular pb jar is probably considered large in European countries.
#28
Perfect conditions for road trips. Nice roads, no border control, gas stations, sights, motels. Its perfect.
julien 3 years ago
24 Countries With Better Infrastructure Than America (https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-with-better-infrastructure-2013-3?IR=T ) While the U.S. benefits greatly from the sheer size of its economy, excellent universities, flexible labor markets, and innovative businesses, it's falling behind on the overall quality of infrastructure. The U.S. ranked 25 in this category, falling behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, and South Korea. France ranks 1st for quality of roads and 4th for quality of railroads. It ranks in the top 30 for all categories and fourth for overall infrastructure. Source: World Economic Forum
#29
As a middle (or east?) European who was in the US 16 years ago, amazing sweets selection! Please send Twizzlers to Slovakia!
#30
AioliEnvironmental58 said:
Outlets with 110 volts
-Reddit_Account- replied:
We have 220v outlets as well, but they’re usually reserved for applications that actually need it like dishwashers and washing machines.
Next time you clean behind your washing machine, look at the plug - it’s a much different one from the one you usually see on walls. That’s a 220v plug.
On your breaker box you’ll also notice that the breaker switches for those appliances are twice as thick.
either 220 or 240, I forget the exact number. Point is, you have plugs that have twice the potential of normal US wall plugs.
#31
High fructose corn syrup...
Cheaper gas, cheap v8 cars and trucks.
Land is cheaper.
#32
Extracurricular activities at school.
Playing a specific sport or being part of a team isn't something schools offer here. My cousins live in Texas and the fact that their school has tennis courts and a pool blows my mind.
Some schools here have small clubs like theater or choir but those absolutely don't compare to those in the States. Your high school theater plays look like professional productions sometimes it's insane.
#33
Boozy Sunday brunches.
The only other country I saw have these is England. Most countries are rather closed on Sundays. Not the US. Unlimited mimosas and football.
#34
The most sunshine hours per year (thanks to Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Cali…).
#35
Massive tubs of cheap peanut butter. Its rare and expensive in most of Europe, sold only in small 4-8oz containers.
What do you think ?
Jo Choto 3 years ago
My experience of Americans (over 22 years and citizenship) is that they tend to think that everything they have is "the best" and that nobody else has it. I have been told the following things are exclusively American and don't exist anywhere else in the world: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, best education system, best social life, best income, best medicine. I find these arguments are generally made by people who have never been outside North America. Nothing you say will convince them otherwise.
FailBunny17 3 years ago
*snort* most of America's stuff was made somewhere else lol
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Got Myself 4 Dwarves 3 years ago
I bit of research could have been done on this, very few of these are actually unique to the US, many are available all over, if they're unusual then it's through choice more often than not - especially the food related ones
Loty 3 years ago
My favorite american expression is "As American as apple pie." I think it perfectly summarizes american mentality given the fact that apples are not even indigenous to the Americas and people in Europe had been making apple pies for thousands of years.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
As Irish as potatoes, then? As Italian as tomato sauces? both used for *thousands of years* before Europeans got them, but they're seen as iconic even in Europe, of European nations, to which the plants are not indigenous? .... We inherited the mindset from our European ancestors, as you can see.
Load More Replies...
Pezor Zass 3 years ago
it's at least not a "here's what sucks" article, but really there have been sooooooo many of these. is the internet really this out of content?
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
My takeaway, which is from someone who *has* traveled outside North America: People from abroad have ideas of what is "American" that can be just as false as any ideas about any country held by an American. Assuming beer is "just German" is just as silly as thinking maple syrup is only Canadian, for example. And yet... People fall into these stereotype traps anyway.
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
You are right, but I always thought maple trees that give mape syrup only grow in Canada and some of the Northern parts of the US?
Load More Replies...
Viviane 3 years ago
Several decades ago, a relative from France worked in San Francisco for two years. His two favourite aspects: big breakfasts and calling his bosses by their first names. His ex-wife did not adapt. She brought her biases and left a year later, biases and lack of English intact. Too bad. I'm happy for their kids, though. Both learned English and one now works as a medical translator.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
That's sad, SanFran is one of those places that has a good reputation outside USA for being more openminded and cultured etc.
Load More Replies...
Theo Blackwood 3 years ago
I wish Goldfish Crackers were more available in Ireland. They’re my favourite.
Iriané Marie Laurentwolff 3 years ago
Was made by an American? Because most of the things are available in any country lol
SomeCrazyDogLover 3 years ago
Gonna get downvoted but America and Europe arn’t the only continents on Earth...
Valisbourne Spiritforge 3 years ago
I've heard lemonade is hard to find in Europe (maybe just the UK?). Apparently you get Sprite if you ask for a lemonade over there.
Tobias Rieper 3 years ago
forgot school shootings and morons that argue against gun control even after school shootings
ZAPanda 3 years ago
but heaven help you if you bring a waterbottle or nail file onto the plane... omg. Potential terrorist. But ignore billybob McHickson over here with his AR15.
Load More Replies...
DeoManus Argentem 3 years ago
I'm surprised nobody mentioned orange juice! I lived most of my life in Florida (US), though spent most summers based in the Netherlands while also travelling throughout all "western Europe", and some countries in " eastern Europe", and I've never tasted any orange juice outside the US that I'd even consider drinkable! The joy of a glass of 100% Florida orange juice is just amazing, whether you juice the oranges yourself or get it from any of the ubiquitous breakfast restaurants around the state that juice on site or even right at your table! I can deal with the lack of spicy foods in Europe (specifically Tex-Mex or Caribbean) because there is so much other good food available, but no good OJ?! The horror!
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
I've been told it's the opposite for apple juice. I wonder why we can't all agree to make good juices. lol
Load More Replies...
Jill Jones 3 years ago
Then there's leaving a tip at a restaurant. Also, I was suprised my niece & nephew who live in Scandanavia had never heard of or seen red hot dogs or fireflies/lightning bugs.
Summer Mason 3 years ago
How are we the only ones that have hummingbirds? They are magistic as fk.
John Baker 3 years ago
You make a valid point, but adults could live without the random caps.
Load More Replies... Jo Choto 3 years ago
My experience of Americans (over 22 years and citizenship) is that they tend to think that everything they have is "the best" and that nobody else has it. I have been told the following things are exclusively American and don't exist anywhere else in the world: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, best education system, best social life, best income, best medicine. I find these arguments are generally made by people who have never been outside North America. Nothing you say will convince them otherwise.
FailBunny17 3 years ago
*snort* most of America's stuff was made somewhere else lol
Load More Replies... Got Myself 4 Dwarves 3 years ago
I bit of research could have been done on this, very few of these are actually unique to the US, many are available all over, if they're unusual then it's through choice more often than not - especially the food related ones
Loty 3 years ago
My favorite american expression is "As American as apple pie." I think it perfectly summarizes american mentality given the fact that apples are not even indigenous to the Americas and people in Europe had been making apple pies for thousands of years.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
As Irish as potatoes, then? As Italian as tomato sauces? both used for *thousands of years* before Europeans got them, but they're seen as iconic even in Europe, of European nations, to which the plants are not indigenous? .... We inherited the mindset from our European ancestors, as you can see.
Load More Replies... Pezor Zass 3 years ago
it's at least not a "here's what sucks" article, but really there have been sooooooo many of these. is the internet really this out of content?
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
My takeaway, which is from someone who *has* traveled outside North America: People from abroad have ideas of what is "American" that can be just as false as any ideas about any country held by an American. Assuming beer is "just German" is just as silly as thinking maple syrup is only Canadian, for example. And yet... People fall into these stereotype traps anyway.
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
You are right, but I always thought maple trees that give mape syrup only grow in Canada and some of the Northern parts of the US?
Load More Replies... Viviane 3 years ago
Several decades ago, a relative from France worked in San Francisco for two years. His two favourite aspects: big breakfasts and calling his bosses by their first names. His ex-wife did not adapt. She brought her biases and left a year later, biases and lack of English intact. Too bad. I'm happy for their kids, though. Both learned English and one now works as a medical translator.
ZAPanda 3 years ago
That's sad, SanFran is one of those places that has a good reputation outside USA for being more openminded and cultured etc.
Load More Replies... Theo Blackwood 3 years ago
I wish Goldfish Crackers were more available in Ireland. They’re my favourite.
Iriané Marie Laurentwolff 3 years ago
Was made by an American? Because most of the things are available in any country lol
SomeCrazyDogLover 3 years ago
Gonna get downvoted but America and Europe arn’t the only continents on Earth...
Valisbourne Spiritforge 3 years ago
I've heard lemonade is hard to find in Europe (maybe just the UK?). Apparently you get Sprite if you ask for a lemonade over there.
Tobias Rieper 3 years ago
forgot school shootings and morons that argue against gun control even after school shootings
ZAPanda 3 years ago
but heaven help you if you bring a waterbottle or nail file onto the plane... omg. Potential terrorist. But ignore billybob McHickson over here with his AR15.
Load More Replies... DeoManus Argentem 3 years ago
I'm surprised nobody mentioned orange juice! I lived most of my life in Florida (US), though spent most summers based in the Netherlands while also travelling throughout all "western Europe", and some countries in " eastern Europe", and I've never tasted any orange juice outside the US that I'd even consider drinkable! The joy of a glass of 100% Florida orange juice is just amazing, whether you juice the oranges yourself or get it from any of the ubiquitous breakfast restaurants around the state that juice on site or even right at your table! I can deal with the lack of spicy foods in Europe (specifically Tex-Mex or Caribbean) because there is so much other good food available, but no good OJ?! The horror!
Martha Meyer 3 years ago
I've been told it's the opposite for apple juice. I wonder why we can't all agree to make good juices. lol
Load More Replies... Jill Jones 3 years ago
Then there's leaving a tip at a restaurant. Also, I was suprised my niece & nephew who live in Scandanavia had never heard of or seen red hot dogs or fireflies/lightning bugs.
Summer Mason 3 years ago
How are we the only ones that have hummingbirds? They are magistic as fk.
John Baker 3 years ago
You make a valid point, but adults could live without the random caps.
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