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When Americans make the trek across the pond and visit Europe for the first time, there are plenty of differences they might notice: a wide variety of languages, new foods, accessible public transit, paying to use a public restroom, and being made fun of for using the word ‘restroom’ in the first place.

One Reddit user was curious about what people from the US have observed in Europe, so they recently asked Americans to share the hot takes they think Europeans aren’t ready to hear. Readers did not hold back in the replies, from concerns about smoking to pointing out racist behavior, so we’ve gathered some of the most thought-provoking answers below. Enjoy reading what Americans have to say about Europe, and be sure to upvote the points you agree with, whether you’re from the US, Europe or anywhere else in the world!

#1

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Your population is getting older on average and there aren't enough young people to keep your economies as large. There will be a long period where the quality of life will be stagnant at best.

sephirothFFVII , Pixabay Report

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XenoMurph
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is a worldwide hope. Population is too high, we need few generations of very low childbirth. Education for women is the best way to achieve this,

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#2

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans We are actually pretty smart as a nation. The stupid ones are just the loudest and the most annoying

sielnt_assassin , Edmond Dantès Report

#3

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans We don’t actually think about you as much you (apparently) think about us.

TaiKorczak , Raúl Nájera Report

#4

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans There is genuine isolationist vibe happening in the US which only being held at bay by people who feel we should still stay engaged with the world and of course our military industrial complex. Anti European sentiment is seeping into both sides of the political spectrum and even the center.

The question "why should we get involved in yet another European war?" Is being asked a lot right now.

If the US goes isolationist and leaves the EU to deal with the RU China alliance on their own you won't just have some retirement age issues to worry about.

somedoofyouwontlike , David Everett Strickler mktgmantra Report

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Mixed Reality Portal
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but walking away won't ease things for America, only delay the inevitable in that if RU China alliance takes out the EU, then America will be its next target. You do know that this whole isolation thing is being pushed by RU China to stoke division because its easier to take control when countries stand alone? It might sound paranoid, but as a cyber tech the propaganda war is fought in cyberspace.

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#5

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans We're not "uncultured" it's a 10 hour flight to a foreign country. We can't just drive over to another country for a weekend getaway.

SamAxolotl123 , Andrew Palmer Report

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Brittania Kelli
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1 year ago

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#6

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans We know other countries do it differently. I am sick of how everytime an American explains their problems, someone pipes in with "well in my country we do it this way". We know. We know our healthcare, politics, and media are f****d, there are a lot complicated reasons for why and simply saying that your country doesn't do it that way isn't helping anything.

xtrakrispie , Steven Abraham Report

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XenoMurph
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You explain how your country does it, then gets annoyed when someone does the same.

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#7

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Stop trading insults with us by saying "school shootings" and then dropping the mic. Many of us are also horrified by the gun violence in this country, but using dead children to win an argument about who has better food does you no credit.

Devi1_May_Cry , Zachary Keimig Report

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Ivan Stojnov
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Horrified by the gun violence in the country, but doing nothing about it - is not an insult.

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Lady Snowfall
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You are right. Please tell me what I can do. I speak out against gun ownership. I vote for people who want gun control/restrictions. I don't support NRA or businesses that I know are pro-gun. Please, by all means, tell me I'm doing nothing, but tell me what I CAN do, because I have 3 kids. I can't get the dumbass redneck trumpers to stop voting in psychotic gun-toting racists. There are so many of us who are sick of it, angry, and feel helpless. So tell me what practical things I can do to stop it. I'm crying. I'm so frustrated. Don't say we aren't doing anything. Many of us are trying as hard as we can. Unfortunately, there aren't enough of us.

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les
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

something wrong when your gun has more rights than you do

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Ray Leguen
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

why is it only 'many'? shouldn't it be everyone is horrified?

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RavenTheCat
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sadly its becoming a normal thing and i know im gonna get hated on for saying it.

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Mystery Egg
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We've had school shootings in Europe. Difference is, they are usually followed by a tightening of gun laws/gun amnesties and they don't happen again. It's almost a weekly occurrence in American and when we see nothing being done, it SEEMS like nobody in American actually cares that much to change it.

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BeepBoop the Single Pringle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

wow one comment that says SEEMS. I think that there's so many people who are living here that just don't care until it happens to them. There's so many protests and such but there's so many huge states that people have to report on that often things get lost and forgotten. I'm all for tightening of gun laws. I think it's really important. But there's enough people who are louder than my little voice that my voice isn't heard. Remember the size difference between the US vs the EU. (The United States (9,826,630 km2 / 3,794,080 sq mi) is larger than the European Union (4,233,262 km2 / 1,634,472 sq mi))

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Kim S
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

After Sandy Hook, I realized as a society we couldn't care less about dead children.

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Rohan Naik
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think many non-Americans get annoyed with people in america. As we constantly hear how america is the greatest nation in the world. Even though it seriously falls behind other countries in many areas. So it's easy to bash a country that on one hand claims to be best but is nowhere close.

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Dizzie D
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There was one school shooting in Dunblane in the U.K. back in the 80's or 90's. There are no more school shootings nor have there been any since. There is a reason for that. Our government and its people didn't want any more children killed. Very simple, very straightforward. Europe is completely baffled as to why your gun laws and the companies that make those guns have power and precedence at all times over the lives of your kids. Not sure about a food argument ( odd comparison) but you need to live with the fact that other countries are going to look at you with complete confusion about your gun culture.

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Costa Villaras
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, the food is not better, if you so wish... but, what about the "school shootings"?

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censorshipsucks
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sorry guys but sort it out, it is unacceptable and pathetic. You look like morons. Fighting to preserve a 250-year-old law despite the bodies of dead children. I bet if the NRA leadership lost family members in this way, they'd be less pro-guns. Your 2nd amendment was written when muskets were breech-loading, one-shot, cartridge-and-ball-and-stick systems, capable of firing like one shot per minute. Not f*****g AR-15s or Smith and Wessons or Glocks! You really look utterly pathetic defending this ancient and irrelevant law. "To protect a free society" really? You think your stupid glock is going to defend you against a Reaper drone strike from your government??!? idiots

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CC Boom
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They choose guns over kids every time bc they're afraid to lose their seats despite children clearly being more important. I'm an American and it sickens me to no end. It would have to happen to the senators kids before they'd even bat an eye, and even then will follow the money. It's f'd up beyond belief. I hate this place.

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HighNMightyBigshot
Community Member
1 month ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A lot of Dems in America want to blame the .Republicans as if Dems aren’t also racist. These people got into office because they appealed to the racism of both Dems and repugs,. Both groups were fine as long as Black people and other people suffered. Now that it is affecting whites, now it is NOW a problem

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Reenzy Bennington
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have to agree with this. School shootings and other violent actions against society are not a joke.

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Prince of Darkness
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

guns don't grow up to be liberals and they'll always love jebuz, so yeah, given the choice, we'll keep our guns

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Vix Spiderthrust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

For f**k's sake, the US is a liberal democracy. You're all f*****g liberals. Learn the words.

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Burnt Bagel
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What the f**k does school shootings have to do with better food?

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BeepBoop the Single Pringle
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that's the point lol. I've seen people on this site bring that up for no reason when it doesn't have anything to do with what they were talking about

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Debby Keir
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So, when discussing different cuisines, the talk automatically flows to school shootings and dead chidren???? Very strange convos you seem to have.....

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A B C the Third
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of conversation is it supposed to be when the answer to "school food" is "shootings" and mic drop? Sounds a little inconsistent to me O_ô

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TotallyNOTaFox
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be fair, people from the US could counter that with knife stabbings / rampages - not a single week without them here in west / northern Europe

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Vix Spiderthrust
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But here's the thing: no. The USA has as many homicides by stabbing annually as homicides total, by all methods, in the UK. They just get lost in the overwhelming number of shootings.

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Adam Jeff
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1 year ago

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That's a silly point - there is no argument about who has better food.

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Rabbit Lord
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1 year ago

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Sounds very much like a strange way of whataboutism...?

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Little L
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1 year ago

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"Many of us are also horrified by the gun violence in this country". So... not all of you? You're doing very little to show it.

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#8

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Biscuits and gravy is delicious

BVoLatte Report

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Sara Cros
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What you guys call biscuits are known as scones in other English speaking countries. Biscuits to us are cookies.

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#9

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Most every European I've met who hasn't been here before has been totally unprepared for the massive size of the US

jacobydave , Enric Cruz López Report

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Valter
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most american I've met in my town has been totally unprepared for the massive story about Europe.

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#10

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans You’re gonna need air conditioners in your homes pretty soon.

Ambitious-Kiwi-1079 , Chromatograph Report

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censorshipsucks
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Given that USA is the biggest or second biggest carbon emitter, can we say "thanks for nothing" to that?

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#11

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans When people say "Americans are ______" I feel like they don't realize how huge America is. We span 6 timezones which makes it hard to be consistent in anything and it's really impossible to lump us ALL into a single group.

cassato , Pixabay Report

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ColorEd
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The same goes for Europe. It's not that big, but there are many different cultures and 44 counties.

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#12

A very large mixed race country that has guns written into its constitution is a lot harder to govern that any country in Europe. A lot.

SmellmyfingerTodd Report

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censorshipsucks
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, you could also just ban guns. I mean they are called "constitutional amendments" meaning "Changes", not cast in stone dude.

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#13

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans The boring chit chat y’all hate is actually pretty great. Just because someone says hi doesn’t mean they want something from you.

WhodeyBrr , Zen Chung Report

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Mixed Reality Portal
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this really does depend where you live as growing up in the Irish and English countryside, everyone was friendly and chatty.It was only going to places like London that I started to see the difference. Guess it really depends on the people and the place.

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#14

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans You have a drinking problem. It’s not a thing to brag about.

The level of alcoholism in some areas of Europe is troubling. I’m amazed at how often people miss work as a result. The levels of colorectal cancer are also twice the rest of the world in countries with the highest consumption.

m1sch13v0us , Kelsey Knighs Report

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Pernille.
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And yet the average life expectancy is longer in Europe than in the US! And we are generally happier and safer.

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#15

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Europe is more racist than the US in many ways, but it’s not politicized like it is in the USA. I have black American friends who have been told they can’t eat inside certain restaurants in Europe which would never happen in the US today. Not to mention the way the Roma/g*psies are discussed by Europeans. I was shocked to hear such casual racism there. Often while criticizing the racism in the USA.

quietlittlefreak , Life Matters Report

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Ivan Stojnov
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Really? When was the last time european police killed an unarmed black man in the middle of the day in front of countless witnesses?

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#16

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans In the USA there's a ton of people that actually wear pajamas in public.

Internal_Security_44 , Kristina Petrick Report

#17

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Our ideas of foreign cuisine are basically products of the immigrant experience.

KeysmashKhajiit , Samuel Regan-Asante Report

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Laura Lett
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I specifically try restaurants ,whom the owners are from the areas they claim. Moroccan,they are immigrants,from Morocco. That's an example..

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#18

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans British people mock us for using Imperial measurements and then still order pints at the pub and use “stones” as a measurement of weight.

Isthisworking2000 , Josh Olalde Report

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Ivan Stojnov
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But still, UK switched to metric system. Only USA and Libera are using outdated imerial system now.

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#19

When I lived in Germany:

German Girl: “I’ve read that Mexicans in Los Angeles experience a lot of racism.”

Me: “Yes, Mexican people in Los Angeles do experience racism. Probably similar to the Turks here in Germany.”

German Girl: “That’s different. The Turks aren’t suitable here. They don’t fit in.”

Bisterwhip Report

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ColorEd
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wow, you found the one girl whose opinion represents the opinions of every German person. Well done!

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#20

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans The way people drive in Italy makes me understand why they're so religious.

DividesbyZ3RO , Lachlan Gowen Report

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Akiba1907
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm a Test Driver for different Manufacturers. Italy, France and Portugal teached me to tell my wife "I love you" every time I get the chance. Because I was genuinely scared it could be the last time.

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#21

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans There are actually more states than Texas, New York, and California.

Bladesman08 , John-Mark Smith Report

#22

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Public toilets being free should be a standard

JeremyMo88 , Yena Kwon Report

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Winnie the Moo
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But this is to have clean toilets. Our public restrooms never look like yours…

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#23

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Americans have big portion sizes in restaurants because we have a big leftovers culture. While some people will eat their whole meal, it’s completely normal if you don’t and you’ll be offered a to-go box to take it home. There isn’t really a big expectation to finish your meal at restaurants.

ctortan , Matthew Moloney Report

#24

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Racism isn’t just an American thing.

hwy61trvlr , Clay Banks Report

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#27

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Tanning to that extent looks horrible stop doing that to yourselves (mainly for the UK)

nightly11111 , Karolina Grabowska Report

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Mixed Reality Portal
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As someone who spent a long time in Florida, I was shocked to see the number of sun damaged American folk there...I know some Brits worship the sun, but blimey these folks made me happy to embrace my paleness 😊

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#28

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans As a country of immigrants, people will talk about what ethnicity they are. Don’t get mad at me for saying I am of Irish, polish, French and Italian ancestry because I am not ethnically native to this country, unlike a whole other group of people who are. Also yes, native folks do still exist. It’s not like European Americans are the new natives now.

renigadegatorade , AussieActive Report

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XenoMurph
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Irish ancestry yep perfect description. But born in Kentucky, never been to Ireland, grandfather moved to US in 1910, but you say "I'm Irish".... well we appreciate the love for our country, but you'll get raised eyebrows.

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#29

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans The KFC Double Down will both disgust and delight you.

animeyescrazyno , wikimedia.commons Report

#30

30 Things Europeans Are Just Not Ready To Hear, According To Americans Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are yummy.

justgivemewhatevs , Giorgio Trovato Report

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