ADVERTISEMENT

The United States—the land of the free. The home of the brave. And the nation of some very peculiar habits, according to the internet. Other countries in the world are confused by some of the things that Americans do. Like calling tuna “tuna fish” and putting too much cheese on everything. I find it endearing, others find it strange.

Bored Panda has collected some of the best tweets that show how confused foreigners are at what some Americans do. Scroll down and upvote your faves. And be sure to check out our previous post about Europeans who shared what problems are too American for them to grasp.

Culture clashes are nothing new. After all, if every country and culture were the same, there’d be no point in leaving your home, right? (Spoiler warning: due to the coronavirus pandemic, you shouldn’t be leaving your home either way.) Benny Lewis, founder of the Fluent in 3 Months blog, spent 4 years living in the US and has some gripes about the culture. Including how Americans are too politically correct while at the same time they think that everything is “awesome.”

#1

Things-Americans-Do

hesthehabit Report

Add photo comments
POST
rjgardneruk avatar
European other
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It makes sense to start with the day, but I guess it's what you get used to

View more commentsArrow down menu
#3

Things-Americans-Do

Montberte Report

Add photo comments
POST
mdiffen2 avatar
Prince Maroochy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We choose from a lot more at first, eventually narrowing it down to two and choosing from them.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

According to Benny from Ireland, Europeans traveling around the US will find a lot of things weird. Like the fact that Americans smile way too much and it’s difficult to know when they mean it and when they’re smiling out of reflex.

Another thing that Benny found very unusual is something a lot of people complain about when they arrive in the US. Yup, you guessed it—tipping! “I really think tipping as a means of waitresses and others earning the vast majority of their living is ridiculous. If I have to pay, say 15% anyway, then include it in the bill! It's not a bloody tip if it's mandatory!” Benny expressed his opinion. Some of us can agree that mandatory tipping is sneaky and that servers should earn a decent wage that isn’t based on tips.

“Why not tip everyone who you interact with in some way—bus drivers, or leave money on your trash can for the garbage man? It's inconsistent, and waiters, hairdressers, and taxi drivers should just charge us what needs to be charged,” Benny writes in his blog.

ADVERTISEMENT
#4

Things-Americans-Do

HoGritz Report

Add photo comments
POST
kaisu-reinikainen avatar
Kaisu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This also goes for strict gun laws. Why do Americans think strict gun laws won't work in their country when it works in literally all other developed countries?

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#5

Things-Americans-Do

Scarlet4UrMa Report

Add photo comments
POST
subwoofer45 avatar
Thomas brennan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

As an irish person I dont mind it, it is nice for people to be proud of their heritage. What I do mind is when they ask do I know paddy mcsomething from donegal. I know Ireland's small but we don't all live in one village. Oh and the accent impersonations are damn annoying...although in my experience the English are the worst for imitating accents.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#6

Things-Americans-Do

yungkatelynne Report

Add photo comments
POST
alangreen avatar
Alan Green
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The other day when they announced America now has the highest C19 infections of any country an american in the comments said "BS, I'm sure Europe has more". Seems some Americans think Europe is a country.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu

He also has issues with how in some parts of America prices aren’t what they seem because the tax isn’t included to make the cost seem lower than it really is.

Of course, taxing is different in different states, but this doesn’t excuse corporations from printing up different product costs for each state. Or, as Benny puts it, “We have the same product sold across many European countries and somehow someone in the company found the time to punch numbers into a $1 calculator in advance to tell people how much they are actually paying.”

#7

Things-Americans-Do

wiIIjem Report

Add photo comments
POST
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why was fahrenheit even invented? The metric system just makes so much more sense. Freezing point is 0C and boiling point is 100C. A litre is 1000millilitres, 100 centimetres is 1 metre etc.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#8

Things-Americans-Do

ASXPJESSICA Report

Add photo comments
POST
miss-hoodoo avatar
Petra Schaap
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

thats not just American. I think it depends on the person. I have local friends who do and local friends who dont, and American friends who do and dont.

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
#9

Things-Americans-Do

SummerSongGirl Report

Add photo comments
POST
grasshopper1123 avatar
Just Carmen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't know about other Americans, but at our house, we just call it TUNA.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT

But before you start thinking that all Europeans have it out for the US, Benny also mentions some awesome things about Americans. For example, nobody can deny that Americans have an incredible work ethic and how open-minded and diverse most of the country is. It’s a country with plenty of positives, peppered with a whole lot of bizarreness.

#10

Things-Americans-Do

_ElizabethMay Report

Add photo comments
POST
cnbayler avatar
Colin Bayler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because you don't need a bloody scale to measure grams. All you need is a simple cup with lines. DUH!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#11

Things-Americans-Do

candacekendall_ Report

Add photo comments
POST
grasshopper1123 avatar
Just Carmen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well actually, most of the time we say that we don't give a s**t, so.....

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#12

Things-Americans-Do

ZakAbel Report

Add photo comments
POST
stimpy avatar
Stimpy
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I tried changing it to "the poopery" but people won't listen to me

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#13

Things-Americans-Do

valentinavoight Report

Add photo comments
POST
ltjlcd avatar
Carol Lewis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think that, nor have I ever thought that. I don't know anyone who does. Where did you even come up with that nonsense.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#14

Things-Americans-Do

cutehomelessboy Report

Add photo comments
POST
metteshe avatar
Mette Olsen Douglas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't think I know anybody who lives like they have free healthcare - quite the opposite actually. "Is it truly bad enough to go see a doctor or can we survive without going"? Nobody want those bills that follows a doctors visit!!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#15

Things-Americans-Do

javi_draws Report

Add photo comments
POST
kaisu-reinikainen avatar
Kaisu
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some Americans also love making fun of people who speak English with a foreign accent, when they themselves can only speak one language

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#16

Things-Americans-Do

greasybananna Report

Add photo comments
POST
theosidoruk avatar
Brick
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Anything to not use the metric system whats next: glazed donuts per bald eagle who knows

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#17

Things-Americans-Do

imwafflingg Report

Add photo comments
POST
typeyourtexthere avatar
Winston Smith
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I hear it said at least 3 different ways depending on what news channel you watch

View more commentsArrow down menu
ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#20

Things-Americans-Do

semagomez Report

Add photo comments
POST
dirigobill avatar
Bill
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because educators didn't want parents to think E meant "Excellent"

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#21

Things-Americans-Do

JennaGuillaume Report

Add photo comments
POST
wookiee74 avatar
Chewie Baron
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Don't get me started on how Americans pronounce 'mirror'. They miss out the 'o' and say "mirrrrr". Madness!

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#22

Things-Americans-Do

brndizzle Report

Add photo comments
POST
james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

High school was pretty much the worst time in my life. My daughter is going through it now and I wish I could just fast forward her outta there.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#23

Things-Americans-Do

Lisa_rasteg Report

Add photo comments
POST
cblack avatar
C Black
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americans get MAD? Rather they probably just don't know which sport you're speaking of. In America, football and soccer are two different sports. That's probably why they don't know what you're talking about. As for being "mad..." I doubt they are mad about it, LOL.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#24

Things-Americans-Do

Real_Xi_Jinping Report

Add photo comments
POST
michel_2 avatar
Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yeah but then you also have 'drinks halls' in germany with liquor, beer, water, soda... Why? Also you're ignoring the "dry county" thing where within one state many counties may sell absolutely zero alcohol and the next does.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#26

Things-Americans-Do

THEYOUNGTROY Report

ADVERTISEMENT
See Also on Bored Panda
#28

Things-Americans-Do

BANGTANDIOR Report

Add photo comments
POST
anne-karina avatar
Anne
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They are handy when you bring cooked food to a meeting/people etc.

View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu
#29

Things-Americans-Do

phoebehalliwels Report

Add photo comments
POST
grasshopper1123 avatar
Just Carmen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's the MOVIES for F sake! Get a clue would you?! We don't DO that IRL.

ffarao1 avatar
MidnightFury
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Actually I've noticed when dropping off my friends here in the states (I moved here from England last year) that they all just open the door freely and walk right in. No keys, no one to open their door, nothing.

Load More Replies...
jessgunn77 avatar
JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just American movies eh? I guess you could also ask why people in movies don't go to the bathroom, or why do they do ANYTHING in movies?....oh, yeah, cuz it's the freakin' MOVIES!

ariawhitaker avatar
Aria Whitaker
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it is a damn tv show, Rita. It is literally NOT REAL. That's why, love. Do you think we fly out of windows and throw cars at each other because you saw it on Superman?

james_fox1984 avatar
Foxxy (The Original)
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When I was a kid, my parents never locked our front door when we went out. Didn’t start locking it until I was about 16.

laurendarnell avatar
Lauren Darnell
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

TBF we never used to lock our front door unless no one was in the house, but crime rates went up so we always lock it now

Load More Replies...
meghanhibicke avatar
Evil Little Thing
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because if the TV people locked their doors, whomever was about to walk right into their home and terrorize them would be stuck outside rattling a doorknob, which is boring to watch on TV.

webmaster_8 avatar
Paul K. Johnson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Lock their doors? In most shows they don't even close their doors.

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

WTF IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!! this is like me saying "why do British spys not catch the bad guy"

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

reread your question. TV SHOWS. Unless of course you're one of those people that think TV is real life???

michel_2 avatar
Marcellus the Third
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Seinfeld was the exception!... Jokes about the multiple locks on NY apartments etc.

booksfeedthemind avatar
Donna Leske
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Americans? I watch a LOT of BBC, they are movies. MOVIES! Not real life.

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

I had to stop reading. The generalizations here are ridiculous. Not all Americans do any of these things. A lot of us would like to change the things that are "stupid" and a number of things that are mentioned here only happen in movies.

snorincats avatar
Kathy Baylis
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because they are works of fiction where you agree to suspend your disbelief when watching them. (Though there was a time when people, especially in rural areas where everyone knew—-and looked out for—-their neighbors, didn’t lock their doors. Those days are long gone, unfortunately.)

idrow avatar
Id row
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why do non-Americans think everything they see on tv is actual reality?

chimesstreet avatar
Tabitha L
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don't lock my doors. I only lock them if I leave the country for more than a week. It is so easy, friends can stop by. My cleaning person doesn't need a key. My lawn guy can use the bathroom if he needs too. Never fumbling with keys in the rain. Why would I lock my doors? So weird.

johnny_farnen avatar
Johnny Farnen
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not all of us live in filthy, high population density environments. Also guns. A scary amount of guns.

bo1920 avatar
Bea Moeller
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In film and on stage, locking a door takes time, and anything that takes time should advance the plot of the story. Actors lock doors when they want to convey fear or that they are expecting an attack or don't want to interact with people. You do realize that nothing you see on film is actually happening, it's all heavily edited including documentaries. Personally, we don't lock our doors unless we go out, or to sleep. Or the wind is high enough to blow a door open. We've lived that way 70 years. Drives my friend from the city wild.

brandygrote avatar
johnbaker avatar
John Baker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There's nothing in my car worth stealing. I'd rather have a potential thief open a door to find that out than break a window. And in case you're wondering, the car itself isn't worth stealing either. ;-)

Load More Replies...
marylauner avatar
Mary Launer
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

So there are foreign tv shows with people just locking the doors??

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

Depends on the part of the country. I lived in the southern midwest. For many years, it was ok to leave the doors unlocked at night. We'd lock them if we left the house for an extended period, but oftentimes it was ok to leave the door unlocked. It was country, the nearest neighbor was a couple miles off and very few people ever come down the dirt road we lived on.

cnbayler avatar
Colin Bayler
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

OMG! We have been missing out on an integral part of the movie by not watching people locking and unlocking their doors.

elirroberts avatar
Eli Roberts
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I regularly lock my door when I leave the house, for a number of reasons I am a higher functioning autistic, I live in a protion of the world where right wingers can and have recently show themselves to be psychotic, violent beserker rage machines at times. Also I am inteligent, as well as a polytheistic pagan, and some right wingers just cannot wrap their minds around someone thinking differently than they do on the matter of religion, to their mind different is scary, different being scary translates to different than me is also bad. I think you get the general gist of it.

muresantoea avatar
Toea Muresan Iulia
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

because doesn't matter, in the movies they have also the famous backdoor, especially for criminals to enter :)))

jerilynnmoore1986 avatar
Jeri Moore
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That takes screen time. You’ll only see it if it’s foreshadowing something. It’s assumed it happens offscreen. Kind of like using the bathroom.

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

Because it wastes screen time. Do you really want tv shows to show every single think that people do in real life. That would be one long show.

joleehang avatar
Jolee Hang
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We lock it when we are away or sleeping, or just chilling and wouldn't immediately notice if someone walked in, but not when we're awake, aware, and home. At least, my family does that.

marshy5 avatar
Hannah Marshall
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it depends on the area in which you grow up. My girlfriend lives in Grande Cache, all her life, it's a hamlet and there is ZERO crime. She never once locked her car doors or front door (except at night) I come from a town, and whilst there's low to no crime in some areas, in others, it can get dicey. I was always brought up to lock windows and doors, to stop burglars... Cue me going to visit my gf in Canada once, and being so anxious about locking doors if we go out (even to the shops!) so now she has to lock her car/front/back doors, even if she goes out for 5 minutes... Also, I don't have anxiety, I just get worried, due to the way I was brought up.

bigh827 avatar
Harley Hans Hoglin
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It's tv/movies. They also don't look before getting out on the street side of a car, or lock the car. It's not real, it's crapy writing.

pusheenbuttercup avatar
pusheen buttercup
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Some parts are safer than others, America is quite big. :) It also depends on your culture and how you were raised.

v_sjoberg avatar
Veronica Sjöberg
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I rarely do? I like to trust people. Even when growing up in the suburbs of Stockholm me and my mom almost never locked the door unless we went on vacation or something like that

logancolee avatar
Logan Colee
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We lock our doors, unless we live our in the country. Then you don’t really have to worry about it, but yeah it’s in a tv show, we’re not THAT stupid

og avatar
O G
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because TV shows time is money. If it's not important for the story, it wouldn't be shown

hanna-pochmann avatar
Mimi
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In 1996 in a rich californian suburb about half the ppl didn't lock their doors and the other half locked with alarm. And I really liked how many ppl didn't lock their cars and even left the ignition key in, that was completely new to me. But I guess that's just decades ago.

johnbaker avatar
John Baker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Believe it or not, in many small towns and rural areas in the US, it's perfectly safe to leave your door unlocked.

johnbaker avatar
John Baker
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To the a*****e who downvoted me: just because you don't live in a safe area doesn't meant they don't exist.

Load More Replies...
View More Replies...
View more commentsArrow down menu