We all know stereotypes can be harmful and inaccurate, but let's be honest – sometimes they're also hilariously close to the truth! From the French and their love of baguettes to Canadians apologizing for absolutely everything, some national characteristics seem to have a basis in reality (even if they're exaggerated for comedic effect). But remember, these are just lighthearted observations, not serious judgments. Get ready to laugh at ourselves and each other with this collection of 37 cheeky stereotypes about people's home countries – just try not to take it too seriously!
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Romania. Many people believe we have vampires, but in my 700 years of living here, I haven't even seen one.
I asked my mates back in the castle and they also haven't seen any, and they've been around for longer than I.
This is an extremely controversial opinion, but religion-based "modesty" clothing that is designed to protect women's "purity" will always rub me the wrong way. I don't care if the religion is Christian, Muslim, Pastafarian, or whatever else: I just think it is abhorrent and archaic when women are singled out as the ones responsible for keeping men from being predators and deviants and are made to cover any portion of their body because of some religious mandate. I also do not agree with the logic that this can ever be a woman's choice or a "feminist act" as long as a religious community is the source of the pressure to dress a certain way.
I’ve decided to start a religion where boys are fitted with a chastity device and handcuffs with limited motion from puberty. Mom or wife will hold the keys. After all, it’s all about helping men restrain their urges. It seems unfair to not provide strong support to help them control themselves.
I absolutely agree. I don’t care if it’s culture. I get angry every time I see any type of “modest” clothing required by a religion. It’s disgusting. “The #Taliban has introduced a new restriction on women’s appearance, stating that under Islamic Sharia law, women should now cover one eye and view the world with only one.”
How on earth did you manage to comment on a post two hours in the future?
Load More Replies...Germany: "Our stereotype is best told with a joke: 'How many Germans do you need to change a light bulb?' One. We are very efficient and not funny."
And the Swiss are very much like the Germans but without the Germans' reckless disregard for authority, Any non-Brits who get it please let me know, I've tried it on Germans and Swiss and they just, err, don't,
Is this who I am now? This was so funny to me. Also, here's an alternate answer: Nein. Do it yourself.
Canadian here. Yes, the stereotypes are true. Sorry.
I've noticed Canadians use "eh" less than the stereotype but more than they are willing to admit to themselves
Load More Replies...Irishman here, I’m too drunk to answer this properly.
Same with Czechs. Majority of them drink beer in EXCESSIVE amounts. I personally hate beer and alcohol overall, so it's... challenging sometimes 😅
Italy: "That we eat pasta six times per week at least. Honestly, it's true for the vast majority of Italians."
And the quantities! I've sat in Italian restaurants at lunch time and seen people eat an antipasto/ salad, a full portion of pasta and then a full secondo (main course). I just don't know where they put it all. It's like they just inhale it.
This is not something happening every meal. Yes, at a restaurant maybe you eat more because you are on holiday/whatever and we Italians really appreciate good food. But it doesn't happen at home. If I'm making a pasta dish or a risotto, there aren't "antipasti" (appetizers) or "secondi" (main dishes). We just eat pasta or risotto. Or I'm making a "secondo" and that's it. Very few Italian households are doing a full course meal during a normal day.
Load More Replies...I'm pretty sure telling an Italian they can't have pasta or bread is illegal.
My mom had pasta in the table every night. Even when it was not the main dish.
The big thing I learned about spaghetti in Italy is my mother was completely in the wrong about twirling it on a spoon. They slurp it up as God intended.
Kenyans are all long-distance runners, live in huts, speak no English, and have pet wild animals. Ugh.
So here goes: The long-distance guys are mainly from one community/ tribe called the Kalenjin that's about 15% of the population. Next, Kenya is still a developing nation with a lot of poverty, but there's a lot of modern architecture. Next, the country is rated 18 out of 100 on the English Proficiency Index. And lastly: you can apply for a special (and rarely-granted) permit for your bobcat named Babou, but keeping wildlife is not at all common. And the Kenya Wildlife Service will conduct regular visits to ensure Babou isn't being kept in Meowschwitz-like conditions.
We call it Meowcatraz when the cats are locked in for the night 😆
Load More Replies...I am from Azerbaijan. And because of the country’s name many think we are a super religious country like Iran, Afghanistan, and etc.
In fact we are not. We are the 5th most secular country in the world and religion doesn’t play a role for us like it does for many other countries. We really arent religious.
Poland: "That the whole country is a grey, depressing wasteland. In reality, it's a very beautiful place with tons of gorgeous nature."
From NZ
I asked my ex girlfriend this question.
She just looked at me with her curls hanging over her dark brown eyes, her face looking full of confusion.
She didn't seem to understand what I was asking but she's always been the quiet one I suppose and not keen on confrontation.
I was getting annoyed at this point but I needed to know.
I asked her again but she turned away from me and screamed
Baaaaaaaaaa!
Now here's a thing: apparently, it's an actionable insult to refer to the Welsh in such a fashion but not the Kiwis. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep_shagger
Load More Replies...Brazil: football (soccer) is a religion.
When my brother went to Brazil, he sent us all a photo of the tv remote in his hotel room. It had a football button.
Switzerland: "Everything is clean, and everything is wildly expensive. Yes, this is entirely true."
Germany: We're beer drinking sausage eaters with an addiction of starting World Wars.
Sausage And kraut, sauerkraut, eaters that's why they are referred to as "Krauts."
People think British people are either stiff Upper lip public schoolboys or cockney brick layers/football hooligans. There's a whole world of people in between! Some of us don't even like football. One of my friends DOESNT EVEN DRINK TEA! Not sure why she's my friend to be honest.
I will never forget visiting Eton when we were over there and they had a 'pound for a bag' sale (Brits will know what I'm talking about). One of the Eton school boys was standing on some stairs and yelled out, loud as he could - 'oh mummy, that man looks just like my tailor!' We couldn't help ourselves, we broke down in tears of laughter. It was the first time we'd actually encountered a true British stereotype.
I'm not keen on tea either, just the very occasional cup of weak black Earl Grey for me, otherwise string black coffee please. Or beer, of course.
My stepfather, who is from England but has been in Australia for 60 years, is exactly the same.
Load More Replies...We Scots do tend to swear a lot.
Aussie stereotype very true. Very laid back Up for a laugh Always talking bad about each other Don't mind a drink Friendly Very good at avoiding dangerous animals
Very hospitable. An Aussie is always glad to relieve a visitor of the burden of holding up their end of the conversation.
Not entirely true. As an Aussie myself, I'm extremely hard to talk to, coz I'm awful at small talk and, honestly, am not terribly interested in you or myself
Load More Replies...Australia: "That the whole country is dangerous. That spiders, drop bears, snakes, feral cats, and dogs will rip your heart out every time you step out the door."
The unhinged tipping culture in the US. I just wanna go to a restaurant without feeling like I'm either either an ungrateful scrooge or ripping myself off. I understand that staffing is an expense, just factor it into the price!
Less egregious but in a similar vein is not including tax in stores.
QR codes for menus in the US, and probably other places, not sure. "Hey welcome to Zany Bob's House of Kebabs! Scan the QR right there on that nasty sticker on the table and you'll be brought to our site. Click on the menu, scroll through a too-large PDF of the menu on your phone because the owner couldn't get a proper developer for this, then order online! Isn't that easy?!" "Oh, what's that, Grandma doesn't have a phone? Well, I'd love to bring you a paper menu, but it's gonna be about 10 mins because we only have a few in the place." "Hey here's your food! I'll be back in 20 minutes to rush you out and expect a 20% tip for doing absolutely nothing. Y'all come back, now!"
I no longer eat in restaurants that do the QR thing. They were fine during covid, individual menus were expensive, but any decent restaurant switched back as soon as the worst was over. The ones who didn't are cheapskates.
I refuse to use the QR Code thing in restaurants. We ask for menus.
I don't want to spend 20 minutes downloading your d**n app so I can get a bowl of fries! Argh!
Canada: "That we're all really polite and we put maple syrup on everything. (At least the maple syrup stereotype is true, though.)"
Yup. Yesterday I had it on my French toast, bacon, and fried egg. Like a maple syrup gravy. So delicious
Load More Replies...Except pickles. Maple syrup is awful on dills. I haven't tried it on sweet pickles, though.
I’m English. Yes, we are reserved, yes we do queue in an orderly fashion and yes we will colonise you and add your culinary distinctiveness to our own.
Beans on toast involves haricot beans and tomatoes which are both native to the Americas. Toast? Wheat comes from west Asia. Although... Umm... we didn't get any of that from British imperialism. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_bean, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomato, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheat#Domestication.
Load More Replies...You will also add their statues, monuments,, and anything else of historical or cultural value. (Just keeping it safe for you. For forever.)
When I was living in Japan, someone told me this. “Americans are stupid but clever, whereas the French are clever but stupid. We Japanese are polite but rude, whereas you Brits are rude but polite.”
Brits follow the motto "A gentleman is never unintentionally rude."
Stupid is opposite of clever and polite is opposite of rude. If there is a joke somewhere I don't see it.
Think of as "clever with a veneer of stupidity" and "stupid with a veneer of cleverness."
Load More Replies...France: "Everyone is rude and unwelcoming. Most stereotypical 'rude' French people live in Paris. The rest of us are way more kind and polite."
The rest of France shares the international view of Parisians as rude. I once really pissed off some annoying queue-jumpers at a ski lift by turning my back on them once we'd got off at the top and then explaining loudly, in English, to my ski group that they must have been Parisians. It works just as well whether they were or not. The looks on their faces were great, apparently. I did not turn round to look, I was in uniform so avoiding confrontation. ;-)
We once had a tour guide in Nice that refused to talk to our bus, because two people in the back weren't paying attention. Felt like middle school.
Spain: "So many tourists associate my whole country with bull fighting and the culture around it. In reality, most people I know hate or ignore this 'tradition' all together. In fact, parts of the country don't even allow it anymore."
I'm Spanish and I totally agree with this. Most of us hate it and soon it'll be gone.
Only one province and the islands have banned bull-fighting. There is one way to stop this "sport": The spectators to feel the same pain with the toro, every time is injured by the picadores.
Better to ban professional bullfighters. Instead, at each bullfight, one spectator is chosen at random to face the bull. This may serve to drop attendence below profiability and so close the "sport". (Well, it will certainly reduce the crowd size ... eventually.)
Load More Replies...As an Italian, yes. Keep in mind that most stereotypes about Italy are actually about South Italy. But we do eat pasta and pizza like every day and we do say "mamma mia" in every sentence. We can't help it.
Any country in Africa: "That Africa is one homogeneous country, not an entire continent made up of 50+ distinct countries."
Well, the illiterate HAVE to say it, since they can't read. Right?
Load More Replies...How American public restroom stalls have that gap between the door and frame wide enough for you to make eye contact with anyone walking outside the stall.
They are so good I dare suggest they could be combined gender use. Really neat travel stores though.
Load More Replies...If I remember correctly, public bathroom,stall doors were designed that way intentionally; should an emergency ever occur and one had little time to make an exit, rather than being stuck with a tricky door, someone so indisposed could make a quick exit from such a stall with little fuss!
Fortunately we're slowly making progress on this (at least what I see in my area). I'm seeing more and more newly remodeled stuff including restaurants and public parks that are going with the bank of unsegregated 2-4 single-use rooms. They seem to be much more efficient and I appreciate the genderless privacy. I've always hated the gaping metal dividers. This is why everyone has problems over here with public restrooms, the design just sucks!
Not exactly myth but decent amount of ppl still think that Czechoslovakia still exists. We split apart in 1993... We are Czech Republic, not Czechoslovakia anymore.
At least you split apart from Slovakia peacefully, without butchering each other.
Working in Japan temporarily:
Yeah, we'll be here ready to go at 8AM
Ok, it's 8PM, time to call it a day.
But first, the boss and the big boss want to take us out to dinner
Now we have to go with them to the bar for drinks and karaoke.
Ok, it's 1AM, Boss and Big Boss have left. See you in the morning at 7:30.
That the Irish are the biggest drunks in the world, completely false and mean as we're only the second biggest drinker in the world but we hope to get first place next year
Y’all drink more tea per person per day than average British citizens do, if I remember correctly! I think the amount is 6 cups per person per day?
Tipping and taxes not included on the price tag.
That Japan is incredibly efficient and futuristic. Major LOL. So futuristic here that I can’t even pay my bills online, and if I want to set up an auto paying bill I have to request a form by mail, fill it out, and then take it to the bank in person. Not to mention I have to send in all my monthly reports by fax.
China - people spitting all over the place right in front of you, on the streets, on the sidewalks. It’s disgusting.
Such speedy and public disposals of bodily fluids are frowned upon in many other countries also; they include the United States of America and Canada.
We aren't all overweight people wearing Old Navy American flag t-shirts and khaki shorts. Only, like, 60% of us.
When I started dating my now wife (who is from Oklahoma), she informed me that her friends and family were convinced that Canadians didnt have ice or toilet paper. They wanted her to ask me about it apparently because they were confused by that. I had never laughed so hard. I mean.. its Canada.. we are ice 70% of the year basically.
In general, the notion that turning down food is rude.
I appreciate that someone cooked a meal for me, but forcing me to choke down something I don’t like is ruder than me simply saying “No, thank you.”
Bartering. Just give me a price, already!
They'll be happy to. Of course, it will be three times what they'd settle for.
