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It’s no secret—the rest of the world looks at how peculiar American culture can be and wonders if it’s even real.

‘Cause let’s face it—even if it looks fine for us, that doesn’t mean that having police patrol your school, paying for a ride to the hospital, and calling the toilet “restroom” when we all know very well there ain't nobody going there to have a rest shouldn’t raise a brow for others.

So this time, we are looking at what American things make our fellow non-American friends scratch their heads in simple, yet very spot-on questions below. Our dear American Pandas are also welcome to help separate what’s real, what’s rumors, and what only happens in movies in the comments! And after you're done with this post, check out our previous one with things Americans do that require an explanation for non-Americans.

#1

Questions-For-Americans

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Ceredwyn Ealanta
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

But taking off shoes and socks when you come in is nearly as good as taking off your bra.

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#3

Questions-For-Americans

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have them. They are usually part of the cheerleader squad or dance squad. It is a sports thing. We take sports very seriously.

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Even though Americans and Europeans share many things, like commitment to democratic principles, a strategic alliance, and some of the highest standards in the world, there are still some very notable differences between them.

A 2016 study done by Pew Research Center was very revealing in that respect. First of all, it showed that Americans are more likely to believe they control their own destiny.

The research showed that a staggering 57% of Americans disagreed with the statement “Success in life is pretty much determined by forces outside our control.” The percentage was higher than in any other European nations polled.

#4

Questions-For-Americans

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lara
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wood chipper, composting with style, keeping things environmentally friendly, great veggies next year.

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Suzi Gauthier
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

At smaller schools it's a big deal, but there are so many different cliques in bigger school that only the people who are going for it & their friends care. It was a bigger deal back in the 50s.

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Panda Lurker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have it in Norway, it's not an uncommon thing. It's just for organic waste, better than using plastic bags for it ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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AndyR
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They were quite common in the UK in the 80s. You won't see them in a newbuild though.

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glowworm2
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm American and I've never actually seen one in real life.

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Nathan Jones
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then you've literally never been to anyone elses house, or you just didn't notice it. I'm 40 and I've been in a ton of houses new and old, and I've only ever seen one house that didn't have one.

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Jim Ellington
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, we just have a problem with wolverines that live in our drains and get very angry when we hit the light switch.

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Computernaut
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They're actually really good for getting rid of old food or anything that straddles the line between drain and garbage.

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Danieletc
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No. Not all of us. But all of us want one. I'm sure you understand. You need to test out what it does to a lit firecracker. You have to know...

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Koalamonster
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm American and they kind of creep me out. I don't like the idea of something in the sink that can hurt a friggin fork.

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GirlFriday
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Most Americans do. We call them Murder Sinks and in addition to grinding up food waste, we also use them for dares and a way to scare naughty children.

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Lisa Holman
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American here. Don't have one now, but I do like them. Just gotta be extra careful with them, both for your safety and the longevity of the machine.

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Lyra Rey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The only time in my life that I didn't have a sink demon was in college and it sucked. My sink was always getting clogged. I don't put things down the drain specifically to feed the demon, but every once in a while when my drain gets slow it's so convenient to just flip a switch and clear it out.

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Mette Olsen Douglas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, it's called a 'garbage disposal' and you're only supposed to put your produce garbage in it and it will grind it up for you and rinse it out for you!! I call mine for 'my pig' because it seems to eat everything!!

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More!
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As do us Australians, they’re called insinkerators

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danielw
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah. because we don't have pick up for composting. Instead the organic matter is taken out by the water treatment plant.

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b l a n c
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yeah, apparently its a thing in canada too but i've never seen anybody with one so i don't think they're super common where i live

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Susan Stead
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but they're not good for the plumbing, especially if you live in an old house. They are banned in some cities because they put too much waste into the system. And they can be very damaging. My plumber was very specific in his warnings: no pasta, rice or bread dough. They don't go away and can clog your lines so badly that they will have to be replaced, costing a fortune. I keep a strainer on my drain and empty it at night, only using the disposal to clear out the small stuff that got through the strainer.

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Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes. They're not omnipotent, but they allow us to rinse food bits down the drain without worrying about clogs.

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Claire
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, but my grandmother does and I hate it. It's scary and EVERY SINGLE TIME someone sticks their hands in them (in movies) they get shredded up.

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Jimmy Wakeman
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We have garbage disposal to grind up food scraps unless you have septic system then you can use one

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Szymon Liszewski
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my country insinkerators are forbidden 'cause a massive usage of them 1) makes greasy sewage clogging the pipes and hard (& expensive) to treat; 2) is a microbiological danger; 3) feeds the sewer rats.

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Mertimo
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We usually had some exchange students from the US each semester, and they always forgot that we don't have a garbage disposal in the dorm kitchen, so they threw everything there and it was clogged all the time.

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PhantomBuni
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Shhhhhhhhhhhg....the only thing we rip in kitchens is our hair out

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Erdot
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How else would you take off your wedding ring when your fingers are swollen?

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Chris Tipton-King
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What do you do in other countries with the little bits that are too small to pick out of the sink? It's nicer than having to empty the gross basket all the time

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Gipsy Kings fan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some people here have them, most people don't. Or, they came with the house and don't work anymore, so they were never replaced.

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Pernille Dyre
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why? What does they do? We organise our garbage and recycled as much as possible...

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Stacy Beare
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to have one in Australia but it scared me so I never used it.

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Ford Summit
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And most of us know how to repair them, because our landlords suck.

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CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It’s a great invention. Helps from making your trashy from being smelly

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Rebecca Schultz
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, it is for food scraps so they do not clog your sink. I think it's odd that everyone doesn't have these. They are very useful.

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Big Blue Cat
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get that it's convenient but I've never seen one in nor do I want it in my kitchen.

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Torchicachu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

ive always been scared of destroying some silverware while washing dishes just because of the garbage disposal

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Electric Ed
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And does that mean that the sewage is is just full of microplastics?

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Abigial Griffith
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

yes we do because we are to lazy to scrape our dishes or unclog the sink

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Katrin P.
Community Member
3 years ago

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I once heard, that's the reason for the high population of rats and cockroaches in the US.

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Lyra Rey
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because we rinse away our food scraps instead of putting them in a bin in our kitchen or a compost pile outside? Don't get me wrong, I'm all for composting and I would do it myself if I didn't live in an apartment with no outdoor space or compost pickup, but I'm a bit confused as to how it would attract fewer pests than a garbage disposal.

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#6

Questions-For-Americans

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Brendan
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

An affective way to make the 'popular' kids feel even more popular.

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The second interesting thing the Pew poll showed is that “Americans prioritize individual liberty, while Europeans tend to value the role of the state to ensure no one in society is in need.”

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When it comes to religion, it turned out that over half in the US (53%) say religion is extremely important in their life, which is nearly double the share with the same view in Poland.

In France, for example, only 14% consider religion a very important aspect of their lives.

#8

Questions-For-Americans

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chi-wei shen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How else would you call them? Students wouldn't use the teachers first name.

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#9

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GirlFriday
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some schools are more strict than others and require them. My schools didn't require them. We just excused ourselves and went to the restroom when needed.

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#10

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GirlFriday
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No. They don't - at least the schools that I went to and my nieces and nephews don't (they are ages 4 - 17). In the past, students were made to recite the "pledge of allegiance" each morning, but I think this is something that has fallen by the wayside.

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#11

Questions-For-Americans

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giraffescupcakesandlove
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some schools don't allow it, but at the schools I went to we were allowed to. It was fun! You can put magnets, quotes, pictures of loved ones.

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#12

Questions-For-Americans

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Potter
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and there are usually one or two questions where you have to read something and write a few pages for it.

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#13

Questions-For-Americans

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Kat Hoth
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, and sometimes mail does get stolen even though it's a federal offense.

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#14

Questions-For-Americans

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#18

Questions-For-Americans

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chi-wei shen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What's so unusual with this? I'm Austrian and my children's friends never used my first name.

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#22

Questions-For-Americans

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#24

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chi-wei shen
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think children all over the world have to feel "slightly suicidal" to do this.

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#25

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80 Van
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No, we call eye doctors “Optometrists,” and we call Opticians “Opticians.”

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#29

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Bill
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

most countries do because it has been a part of military training for centuries. They want inshape youth for military service.

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#30

Questions-For-Americans

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