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In the world of social media, you'll occasionally stumble upon a gem that makes you laugh and facepalm simultaneously at the situation. Today’s topic also revolves around that but from an American’s perspective on certain things. What sort of things you might be thinking? Well, think of something along the lines of English spelling that twists the American mind into a flurry of confusion at times. The British "realise" with an 's' might just as well be a whole new language for some.

Oh, and clocks, those ticking conundrums, which, apparently, in Europe, have evolved beyond the need for numbers... Some Americans might gaze in bafflement at that, wondering if the Europeans have a special temporal sixth sense. And well, well, well, who could forget the heated debates over Celsius and Fahrenheit? "Boiling water at 100 degrees? Surely not!" Only to be gently nudged towards the revelation that temperature, like tea preferences, varies greatly from one side of the Atlantic to the other.

The said cultural differences have clearly turned into a form of amusing content, spawning memes that travel faster than the speed of light—or should we say the speed of 'misunderstandings going viral'?

As we mentioned previously, social media is full of moments where we just have to shake our heads and laugh at certain situations. Americans sometimes give everyone a good laugh without meaning to, just by being themselves. Like when someone asks why all screenshots are in a "European language" and gets the reply that, yep, there's a whole world out there beyond the U.S. borders. It’s a bit like realizing your neighborhood is way bigger than you thought!

#4

It’s Well Known That 5/4 People Have Problems With Fractions

It’s Well Known That 5/4 People Have Problems With Fractions

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Stardust she/her
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1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do they not teach about signs for comparison? The crocodile always goes to the bigger number

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#5

Two Types Of Nations: Those Who Use Metric, And Those Who Went To The Moon

Two Types Of Nations: Those Who Use Metric, And Those Who Went To The Moon

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Anne
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All the women in Europe are more free than the women in the US.

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Oh, and when talking about more examples (specifically talking about content in this post) there are some times when someone's showing off their American pride, but oops, they've actually tweeted the Liberian flag—talk about a geography oopsie! Or when people are arguing about politics and someone points out the mess right now, and all you can do is laugh (or cry a little). It’s all in good fun, though.

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#6

Because The English Language Comes From America

Because The English Language Comes From America

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Arnold Larkins
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

'MURICA. THE LAND OF THE FREE, HOME OF JESUS AND THE BIRTHPLACE OF ENGLISH/s

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Unfortunately for some Americans though, the internet is a place that doesn’t let anyone forget these slip-ups. They turn into memes and jokes that zip around the globe. We all get a kick out of it, whether we're from the U.S. or somewhere else. Honestly, these little situations seem to show up every day, and they remind us that perhaps... America's got its own way of seeing things.

#9

I’m At A Loss For Words With This One

I’m At A Loss For Words With This One

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#10

American Jesus

American Jesus

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flower petals
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There are actually plenty of people out there wearing T-shirts that say ‘Jesus was an American’, and a portrait of him with guns in his hands.. The brown skinned, Middle Eastern, non English speaking pacifist guy.. 🫨

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#11

The Greatest You Say?

The Greatest You Say?

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Superb Owl
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So the greatest fighting force the world has ever known fought in exactly one war, which it lost?

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And to add to this whole debate, let's not forget that Americans talk about their weight in pounds, so folks from other places might scratch their heads, because they're all about those kilograms, you know? Then there’s the temperature talk that sends everyone into a tizzy. Say "It's thirty degrees outside" to someone from the States, and they might just think you're in the middle of a snowstorm, not a nice spring day.

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#12

Person Forgets That Not Everyone Is American

Person Forgets That Not Everyone Is American

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#18

The Entitlement Of Some Of These Tourists

The Entitlement Of Some Of These Tourists

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Stardust she/her
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that depending on their position, an airport employee should be able to speak some amount of English if they’re dealing with foreign travellers

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#19

Spain In Pain

Spain In Pain

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FreeDragon
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It will blow his mind probably to hear that Dutch is spoken in The Netherlands, also incorrectly known worldwide as Holland. And that it has tropical beaches.

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#22

I Would Have Answered Him In Light-Years Since It's A Unit Recognised By Everyone

I Would Have Answered Him In Light-Years Since It's A Unit Recognised By Everyone

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#24

Some Responses By Americans On A Reel, Where Comedian Michael McIntyre Was Joking About The Differences Between US English And UK English During An Interview

Some Responses By Americans On A Reel, Where Comedian Michael McIntyre Was Joking About The Differences Between US English And UK English During An Interview

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#26

Don't You Just Love It When Someone Tries To Correct Your Already Correct Spelling

Don't You Just Love It When Someone Tries To Correct Your Already Correct Spelling

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#27

Travels To A Country In Another Continent, But Expects To Find The Same Brands That Are In The US

Travels To A Country In Another Continent, But Expects To Find The Same Brands That Are In The US

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is why I know all the proper non-brand names of the d***s I might need. Tylenol = Acetaminophen. Claritin = Loratadine. Advil = Ibuprofen. And about a dozen others.

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#28

For Reference, Longitude Is A Music Festival In Ireland And The Drinking Age Here Is 18

For Reference, Longitude Is A Music Festival In Ireland And The Drinking Age Here Is 18

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Tina Harnish
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What country would allow the U.S. to dictate their drinking rules? We have different ages here in Canada, depends what province you're in.

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#29

I'm From Ireland And Hearing Someone Call Munster A County Just Makes Me Cringe

I'm From Ireland And Hearing Someone Call Munster A County Just Makes Me Cringe

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#32

Just Wait Until They Realise That GPU And CPU Temperatures Are Measured In C And Not F

Just Wait Until They Realise That GPU And CPU Temperatures Are Measured In C And Not F

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#33

I Posted A Picture About A River In The Country Georgia, And This Person Had A Lot To Say

I Posted A Picture About A River In The Country Georgia, And This Person Had A Lot To Say

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The fact that the flag he posts isn't an American flag is the icing on the cake. That's the flag of Malaysia BTW.

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#36

Mount Everest Has Relocated To South Dakota

Mount Everest Has Relocated To South Dakota

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Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OK I was thinking, maybe there's another Mt Everest that happens to be in South Dakota, bu t no. I found a list of the highest peaks in SD and NONE of them are named Everest. Had to check because Everest is not an uncommon name so it was possible but NOPE.

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#37

Gotta Love It When You Back Them Into A Corner So They End Up Just Straight Lying

Gotta Love It When You Back Them Into A Corner So They End Up Just Straight Lying

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#38

On One Side - Single Digit. On The Other Side - Wacky Numbers, All With Lots Of Extra Numbers At The End

On One Side - Single Digit. On The Other Side - Wacky Numbers, All With Lots Of Extra Numbers At The End

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Realistic Optimist
Community Member
1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's interesting that people can still be so dumb, despite having more access to knowledge than any other point in history.

karahwilliams1013 avatar
KWilly
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That might be the problem. We have instant access to basically everything. So instead of actually learning and remembering things, we just rely on internet to always be there.

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Moosy Girl
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How does the imperial system even work? What is it based on? Why is 1 foot 12 inch, but 1 yard 3 feet and then 1 mile is 1760 yards because? And why is an inch divided into 16??? I looked it up, and it made it worse: “a yard is based on the distance from nose to fingertip”, what? How? Whose nose? “A league is the distance a traveler covers in an hour.” Like… a briskly walking traveler or my mom traveling?

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BROmanicus85
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

1 centimeter = 0.3937 inch... and so on! Talk about wacky numbers! :))

77542 avatar
Arnold Larkins
Community Member
1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, yeah, but we divide by 10, 100 and sometimes 1000 and you divide by 16.5

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Glen Ellyn
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I believe the problem is many Americans seem to think they'll have to convert measurements back and forth between the two systems. They seem to ignore the fact that once you're on metric, you're ON metric - no conversions needed. But then, there are also many people who just don't like change. 🙄 They're against anything they don't think they'll like.

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UpQuarkDownQuark (he/him)
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If the cubit was good enough for Noah, one of America’s greatest heroes, then it’s good enough for me! 🇱🇷🇲🇾

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Learner Panda
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do Americans weigh so many things in pounds? Telling me a military tank weighs 130,000 pounds is meaningless. Telling me a person weighs 200 pounds means nothing until I either calculate it in stones & pounds, or kgs.

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Tristan J
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is presumably the same in reverse for Americans. They would not find it meaningful in stones & pounds, then whinge about it.

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FantasianMind
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

tried to find out the next smaller unit to inches once... fun to look at 1mm being 0.0393701 inches ^^"

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M O'Connell
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you want a unit smaller than inches, you need a bit of context first. In the world of architecture you'll use fractional inches: ⅛, ¹⁄₁₆, ¹⁄₃₂ or ¹⁄₆₄. Finding a denominator greater than 64 out in the wild would be exceptionally rare. In the world of engineering you'll use decimal inches, out to 0.0001 typically, depending on the accuracy required.

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Incognito11
Community Member
5 days ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My favourite to ask is what a ton weighs. Makes more sense in metric.

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Lena Flising
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you start with 1 cm and 1 gram, the inch, foot, yard, ounce and pound get just as wacky. It's the 1 meter - 10 decimeter - 100 centimeter - 1000 millimeter that makes metric so much easier.

moosygirl avatar
Moosy Girl
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I just asked chatgpt if 3 cm is smaller than an inch and it said “ Yes, 3 cm is smaller than an inch. 1 inch is equal to approximately 2.54 cm.”. Asking if anything between 2.55cm and 3cm is smaller than an inch will result in it saying yes. Changing the input to 1 inch instead of ‘an inch’ will result in it saying it’s larger. Then asking it to compare the two answers results in it correcting itself to the wrong answer! So… even AI can’t deal with the imperial system!

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Sam Lin
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

density of water : rest of the world: 1kg/L America: 62.43lb/ft³

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Nosirrow
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I want to think it's a troll. People can't be that stupid, surely.

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Karen Krause
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Critical thinking has been missing in American education for years.

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HelluvaHedgehogAlien
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I’d actually love to calculate in this. Makes homework more interesting

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xolitaire
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I read "more easier" and my brain goes "NO. Whatever follows this, you ruined it. Invalid. Overruled."

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Ael
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get that some people are bad at math. Or have been homeschooled by parents that shouldn't. But how can you grow up and not come along these principles in TV shows, movies, online stuff you read etc.? It's just cultural osmosis at this point.

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Nichole Harris
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG this!!!! I don't get it either!!! Should've been taught earlier before my brain was Swiss cheese

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Michael None
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Get over it already. We use imperial you use metric. Why is this the thing you choose to put out there as an American failure? We have a lot of other problems that are much worse. So does every other country in the world.

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#39

America Is Really Obsessed With People's Race, Why Even Comment On The Person's Skin At All

America Is Really Obsessed With People's Race, Why Even Comment On The Person's Skin At All

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#41

Americans Thinking Ethnicities Have Different Stats Like This Is A Video Game

Americans Thinking Ethnicities Have Different Stats Like This Is A Video Game

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Daya Meyer
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1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Clearly my genetic has been messed up. I am born and raised by a german family in Germany but still can get drunk and have a hangover.

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#42

This Comment On A Video Explaining Why European Road System Is Better

This Comment On A Video Explaining Why European Road System Is Better

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#43

The "This Is The Internet, Not America" Moment

The "This Is The Internet, Not America" Moment

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#44

On A Post Comparing US And UK Fanta

On A Post Comparing US And UK Fanta

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Arnold Larkins
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yup! Here in MURICA we only speak in MURICANNNNNNN!!!!111!!11!!!11!!11! *Eagle sounds in background while guns go off and tanks fire*

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#46

Clean Hands For Sure Will Heal Broken Bones

Clean Hands For Sure Will Heal Broken Bones

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flower petals
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, of course! Just use soap and plenty of warm water when you have a heart attack.. Problem solved, easy peasy.

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#48

He Is Right. We Have Parking Meters And Water Meters, But We Also Have Meters As In The Length

He Is Right. We Have Parking Meters And Water Meters, But We Also Have Meters As In The Length

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#49

Wait Until They Hear About Canada

Wait Until They Hear About Canada

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Ace
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

TBF there are many Europeans too who fail to realise what the continent of North America actually comprises.

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#50

Europe Is My Favorite Country

Europe Is My Favorite Country

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