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.”
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It makes sense to start with the day, but I guess it's what you get used to
We choose from a lot more at first, eventually narrowing it down to two and choosing from them.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
This is a product of differences in traditional sanitation standards and cultural differences in hygiene. Remember, the US started out as primarily farmers, then switched to heavy industry in a time when running water in the house was a rare thing. In other words, stinky, sweaty boot feet. Also the difference in climate is a factor. much of the US has cold damp winters and it is highly uncomfortable to waltz around with cold feet. In Japan, I had to decide if I wanted to insult my hosts by stinking up their embarrassingly clean home with my sweaty size 12s, spread the athlete's foot infection most military end up with or insult them by just not visiting them in their home. A lose/lose situation for sure until I started carrying fresh, dry socks in a plastic bag in my pocket to change into...
To all those offended Americans who do take shoes off while at home. It's the media, watch any movie taking place in the US and you'll see people wearing outdoor shoes indoors, like, even in bed o_O
Not sure I've seen them IN bed, maybe lying on top of the bed.
Load More Replies...Personally I prefer to be barefoot but it hurts my feet to stand for too long without shoes. I have bad arches and need the support. Plus I don't like things sticking to my bare feet, so I wear shoes while I clean.
Agreed. Being barefoot is super uncomfortable for me. It hurts.
Load More Replies...I know this will get down voted but I hate being barefoot so much, once I went to friends house and he told me I had to take off my shoes to come in, I just got back in my car and went home.
I prefer having something on my feet. But I try and switch to my "indoor" shoes when I get home from where ever it is I was. I think in the end, it boils down to personal preference.
I'm American and I walk around my house barefoot all the time. Even in the dead of winter when it's freezing outside.
I think most people do but a lot of times when you have guests or are a guest people will wear shoes.
Load More Replies...My husband is British, and he always kept his shoes on in the house. We both do—-if only from the door to the bedroom to change into comfy clothes (or pajamas) and put on our slippers after work!
We don't, I take my shoes off the minute I come into my apartment. So does the rest of my family.
Especially now. Take off your shoes at the door so you don't track Covid all through your house!
🤔 I’ve heard this. Keep a our feet clean? Most of us put on slippers or some variation. We have a love affair with “hard wood floors” which does not make for comfortable bare footing in North Dakota. Florida a different story. Big country
In Norway, the surest way to offend someone is to NOT take your shoes off when you enter their house. No one here wear shoes inside, it's disgusting and rude.
It's almost the opposite in the US...if you go to visit someone and they don't expressly ask you to take your shoes off some people will be grossed out that your walking around on their carpet with your sweaty stinky feet...I know it doesn't really make sense as streets are dirtier
Load More Replies...oh no I hate shoes, this is NOT a thing in my house. No shoe on in the house. If I had my way I'd never wear shoes. I hate it.
I don't mind people keeping their shoes on in my flat, but I do offer slippers to guests.
I used to go in slippers but I have bad arches and so my feet hurt if I dont wear shoes..
https://www.spencofootwear.com/category.aspx?catid=5 Have a look at this if your feet hurt without support!
Load More Replies...We do not do this at my house as it's unsanitary. Regardless of where you at in the world
Ewwww! I'm American and dirty outside shoes come off immediately when anyone steps in my home! I have a basket of house shoes by the door for anyone who is uncomfortable. Lord only knows what kind of s**t gets tracked through the house! 🤢🤢🤢
It's funny though, my Chinese DIL would be grossed out by people walking in shoes in their condo but will, without thinking twice, roll the stroller that just was on the dirty sidewalks and streets in. A lot of it is just cultural or habit, not sense.
Load More Replies...Stop generalizing. I walk barefoot in my house and even outside. And I'm American. Not by choice, but by birth.
I did this when I lived in Nevada but I stopped doing it once I moved to Seattle
It's not everybody here, I personally do but simply bc I have a much higher arch than most ppl, so it is painful to walk around on hard floors, but a lot of my friends do not wear their shoes indoors. Plus in my experience it has been mostly city folk who always take theirs off at the door.
Shoes are more comfortable. Plus we were largely agricultural until fairly recently. Living on farms and in small towns where you go in and out of the house a lot and the repeated application of shoes and stinky work feet would be not only inconvenient and inefficient but ridiculously stinky. Also as agriculture ruled for so long large families were the rule for a very long time. There's just no way to do all bare feet indoors when you have 12 kids. That became ingrained in our social norms and mores. If someone wants me to visit their house, I will be wearing shoes.
I hate being barefoot. Floors are dirty. Yes, even my own, even if i mop every single damn day. I have 4 cats too. Floors are dirty!
This is normal for me and pretty much everyone else I know. From the top of my head I can only think of 2 people I know personally that don’t wear shoes in their house but other people can.
Melbourne Australia here i never wear shoes inside my house
Load More Replies...this one i don't get, i hate wearing shoes in general but especially in my house, i don't even wear socks indoors anymore
I know of no Americans who walk all over their house with their shoes on. We take them off and toss them aside so the carpet stays cleaner longer.
I wear my new flip flops inside to get them ready (idk how to say it :/)
Quite possibly because they are too lazy to take them off whether they are muddy or otherwise.
What’s the point of taking your shoes off before going inside? The floors still get dirty and it wastes time. Besides where I live, you’re not exactly gonna be walking into the white house
What? Who the hell is wearing shoes on their beds? Been in America 39 years and have no idea what you are talking about!?
Load More Replies...I don't know about other Americans, but at our house, we just call it TUNA.
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.
Because you don't need a bloody scale to measure grams. All you need is a simple cup with lines. DUH!
Well actually, most of the time we say that we don't give a s**t, so.....
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.
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!!
I hear it said at least 3 different ways depending on what news channel you watch
Don't get me started on how Americans pronounce 'mirror'. They miss out the 'o' and say "mirrrrr". Madness!
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.
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.
It's the MOVIES for F sake! Get a clue would you?! We don't DO that IRL.
These are kinda stupid. It's an unnecessary generalization. Not everyone does. Some do, not all. Lots of Americans would love to have the metric system. We just don't and can't change it.
I know! It wouldn't even be that hard, they teach it in schools already. And the pain that it was to learn to convert centimeters to inches...*shivers* like seriously, 1 inch = 2.54 cm WTH?
Load More Replies...OMG. The questions get more and more stupid the more you scroll down. And the first one is already pretty stupid.
This article would be okay if people were asking questions they genuinely want answered, but they're taking the p**s. Also, it's just ignorant to assume all Americans do these things. I'd be pissed if they made an article asking Americans to do this to Brits. Just not my sense of humour I guess.
Let's keep bashing Americans because it makes us feel better about ourselves.
why do americans continually complain about their pathetic healthcare but vote in people who promise to fix it but never do
This article was so annoying. As an American, I have never done half of these things. I have a sense of humor and can laugh at my own expense, but these are stupid things that not even I have ever even heard of. I understand that our president is a joke to the rest of the world, but please stop lumping all Americans into the category of idiots who do everything wrong just because you don't agree with it. Every country in the world does things differently than the next because each country is unique. Let's focus on that and not the silly things that are different.
Why are toilet doors in American public toilets smaller than the average car door?
Well, now I know who's been s******g in my car. Thanks a lot, Shelp.
Load More Replies...Because the h is silent. When the h isn't silent then it's a guys name.
Load More Replies...Why does BP continue to put up posts like this? America is very diverse, with so many different types of people. Why do they post these which lump us all together in stereotypes? This is not intelligent work, or helpful. Some of these questions are based solely on what they see on TV or in movies ffs. Americans would be blasted if we so crassly stereotyped another culture. It doesn't seem that a lot people posting questions like these understand that the US is made up of states that have their own laws, etc. Or that this country is a collection of peoples, not just one heritage or culture.
White South African here (yes, the colour needs to be mentioned.) Two things I experienced in the States that I would love an explenation for: (I am not hating, nor am I being mean. I loved the country and the people I interactrd with.) 1. Why does everyone want to know why I'm not black? 4 out of 5 people I met would ask the question. Got a bit annoying after about the 20th time. 2. Why do Southerners say y'all? You is collective. That is an unneeded repetition. Where did that come from?
You is plural. Thou is singular. However, I don't know anyone that uses thou. Y'all is the southern way of making it clear that we mean you plural. As for the why are you white question......ignorance? Not sure how anyone would be unaware that there are white people from SA. Had they heard of apartheid?
Load More Replies...Buzzfeed posts the same comments in a different order about once a week. It's old.
Why do Americans say, "I did it on accident?" It's 'by accident' dammit!
Only ignorant, uneducated Americans say that, and it drives me batty too.
Load More Replies...“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. Completely agree. Bizarre, skewed, c**k eyed, unfair, cruel.
Bored Panda owes me the five minutes it took to read this nonsense.
As for calling these things "stupid questions" -- I'm sure we all have mistaken impressions and ideas that we've picked up over the years about other countries that they'd think were silly.
A mistaken impression is one thing. A troll question is quite another.
Load More Replies...In the States it's actually spelled 'aluminum' and pronounced that way. According to quora.com "According to the Online Etymology Dictionary English chemist Sir Humphry Davy named the element alumium in 1808 and then changed it to aluminum in 1812. British editors changed it to aluminium to be more in keeping with other elements such as potassium and sodium, while the Americans retained the spelling as aluminum." So a British scientist called it aluminum, but then others wanted it to sound more 'sciencey' but we didn't cooperate, as usual LOL.
Load More Replies...This proves only that foreign trolls are just as stupid as American trolls.
For American and non-Americans alike, I think the book that explains best exactly how different and diverse the US is is https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029 -- or if the link doesn't work, just look up American Nations by Colin Woodard. It truly explains why we'll never really be UNITED states -- we're really 11 separate nations (some partially in other countries) joined together. We think, talk, act, and look at the world in very, very different ways depending on where we grew up because of when and by whom each area was first settled.
Can we make it so that people can add questions? I’ve one I’d like to ask.
I scrolled down here to find all the comments by bitter Americans who constantly make jokes about other countries but can't take it in return. I was not disappointed.
Why do muricans believe having healthcare, paid maternity, paid vacation, paid sick days, pensions for elderly, education will drain their economy to bancrupsy and can not work. It works in all other countries in the world, not only the developed ones, but actually all others. Meanwhile they spend billions for military and they just gave the most rich people in the world trilions of dollars. To save them from... what. I dont even know how many zeros a trilion has. Meanwhile the people got some spare change to survive longer in pandemic. Btw if those people die, rich wont have profit - because if the people who do all the real work while paying all the taxes, bills and goods, if those people die who will create the profit. This is insane. And they believe they are the greatest nation. Just WOW.
No worries Nirity, you country is way better in every sense! *sarcasm*........smh
Load More Replies...Probably because your s**t isn't funny and we're damned sick and tired of it.
Load More Replies...Not necessarily, but it is a big fixation on the US I don't get. Probably because it's such a unique country compared to the rest of the west. I wouldn't have any interesting questions about Norway or Canada for example.
Load More Replies...I hate this. I was married to an American who flat out refused to remove his shoes when entering someones house while we were living in Canada. He thought it was weird. Look at the American TV shows. They are wearing shoes on the bed, on the sofa. It is gross.
Probably because it's spelled aluminium in the UK and Ireland
Load More Replies...Are there posts non-stop about your country's stereotypes, creating a situation where you constantly have to defend yourself, OR clarify that the stereotypes are completely incorrect? There's a point when it switches from laughing with you to laughing at you, and that gets tiring.
Load More Replies...Ok, we get it, Americans do weird things. But so do all other countries? I mean, British people call steak fries "crisps"? They're soft? Chips - potato chips - are crispy, and I can see if you'd call steak fries "chips", because they're chips of potato? But "crisps"? They're soft?
No, sorry that's not true. We do not call 'steak fries' crisps in the UK. They are chips. Hot, fried chips made from chips of potato and soft (though if cooked properly slightly crunchy on the outside). Crisps in the UK are what Americans call potato chips and ARE crisp - the thin, crispy, crunchy, slices of potatoes sold in bags and eaten cold. I don't care what they are called personally but didn't want you to have the wrong idea. I am very anti the US bashing thing so not joining in on that.
Load More Replies...So a lot of people have been getting this wrong just wanted to clarify. The United States of America, its the CUSTOMARY system. OK?
I only use checks to pay my rent, because that's what my landlord wants. I use my bank card for everything else.
Load More Replies...Yes - and what the heck is a "stone", meaning some measurement of weight??
Load More Replies...These are kinda stupid. It's an unnecessary generalization. Not everyone does. Some do, not all. Lots of Americans would love to have the metric system. We just don't and can't change it.
I know! It wouldn't even be that hard, they teach it in schools already. And the pain that it was to learn to convert centimeters to inches...*shivers* like seriously, 1 inch = 2.54 cm WTH?
Load More Replies...OMG. The questions get more and more stupid the more you scroll down. And the first one is already pretty stupid.
This article would be okay if people were asking questions they genuinely want answered, but they're taking the p**s. Also, it's just ignorant to assume all Americans do these things. I'd be pissed if they made an article asking Americans to do this to Brits. Just not my sense of humour I guess.
Let's keep bashing Americans because it makes us feel better about ourselves.
why do americans continually complain about their pathetic healthcare but vote in people who promise to fix it but never do
This article was so annoying. As an American, I have never done half of these things. I have a sense of humor and can laugh at my own expense, but these are stupid things that not even I have ever even heard of. I understand that our president is a joke to the rest of the world, but please stop lumping all Americans into the category of idiots who do everything wrong just because you don't agree with it. Every country in the world does things differently than the next because each country is unique. Let's focus on that and not the silly things that are different.
Why are toilet doors in American public toilets smaller than the average car door?
Well, now I know who's been s******g in my car. Thanks a lot, Shelp.
Load More Replies...Because the h is silent. When the h isn't silent then it's a guys name.
Load More Replies...Why does BP continue to put up posts like this? America is very diverse, with so many different types of people. Why do they post these which lump us all together in stereotypes? This is not intelligent work, or helpful. Some of these questions are based solely on what they see on TV or in movies ffs. Americans would be blasted if we so crassly stereotyped another culture. It doesn't seem that a lot people posting questions like these understand that the US is made up of states that have their own laws, etc. Or that this country is a collection of peoples, not just one heritage or culture.
White South African here (yes, the colour needs to be mentioned.) Two things I experienced in the States that I would love an explenation for: (I am not hating, nor am I being mean. I loved the country and the people I interactrd with.) 1. Why does everyone want to know why I'm not black? 4 out of 5 people I met would ask the question. Got a bit annoying after about the 20th time. 2. Why do Southerners say y'all? You is collective. That is an unneeded repetition. Where did that come from?
You is plural. Thou is singular. However, I don't know anyone that uses thou. Y'all is the southern way of making it clear that we mean you plural. As for the why are you white question......ignorance? Not sure how anyone would be unaware that there are white people from SA. Had they heard of apartheid?
Load More Replies...Buzzfeed posts the same comments in a different order about once a week. It's old.
Why do Americans say, "I did it on accident?" It's 'by accident' dammit!
Only ignorant, uneducated Americans say that, and it drives me batty too.
Load More Replies...“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. Completely agree. Bizarre, skewed, c**k eyed, unfair, cruel.
Bored Panda owes me the five minutes it took to read this nonsense.
As for calling these things "stupid questions" -- I'm sure we all have mistaken impressions and ideas that we've picked up over the years about other countries that they'd think were silly.
A mistaken impression is one thing. A troll question is quite another.
Load More Replies...In the States it's actually spelled 'aluminum' and pronounced that way. According to quora.com "According to the Online Etymology Dictionary English chemist Sir Humphry Davy named the element alumium in 1808 and then changed it to aluminum in 1812. British editors changed it to aluminium to be more in keeping with other elements such as potassium and sodium, while the Americans retained the spelling as aluminum." So a British scientist called it aluminum, but then others wanted it to sound more 'sciencey' but we didn't cooperate, as usual LOL.
Load More Replies...This proves only that foreign trolls are just as stupid as American trolls.
For American and non-Americans alike, I think the book that explains best exactly how different and diverse the US is is https://www.amazon.com/American-Nations-History-Regional-Cultures/dp/0143122029 -- or if the link doesn't work, just look up American Nations by Colin Woodard. It truly explains why we'll never really be UNITED states -- we're really 11 separate nations (some partially in other countries) joined together. We think, talk, act, and look at the world in very, very different ways depending on where we grew up because of when and by whom each area was first settled.
Can we make it so that people can add questions? I’ve one I’d like to ask.
I scrolled down here to find all the comments by bitter Americans who constantly make jokes about other countries but can't take it in return. I was not disappointed.
Why do muricans believe having healthcare, paid maternity, paid vacation, paid sick days, pensions for elderly, education will drain their economy to bancrupsy and can not work. It works in all other countries in the world, not only the developed ones, but actually all others. Meanwhile they spend billions for military and they just gave the most rich people in the world trilions of dollars. To save them from... what. I dont even know how many zeros a trilion has. Meanwhile the people got some spare change to survive longer in pandemic. Btw if those people die, rich wont have profit - because if the people who do all the real work while paying all the taxes, bills and goods, if those people die who will create the profit. This is insane. And they believe they are the greatest nation. Just WOW.
No worries Nirity, you country is way better in every sense! *sarcasm*........smh
Load More Replies...Probably because your s**t isn't funny and we're damned sick and tired of it.
Load More Replies...Not necessarily, but it is a big fixation on the US I don't get. Probably because it's such a unique country compared to the rest of the west. I wouldn't have any interesting questions about Norway or Canada for example.
Load More Replies...I hate this. I was married to an American who flat out refused to remove his shoes when entering someones house while we were living in Canada. He thought it was weird. Look at the American TV shows. They are wearing shoes on the bed, on the sofa. It is gross.
Probably because it's spelled aluminium in the UK and Ireland
Load More Replies...Are there posts non-stop about your country's stereotypes, creating a situation where you constantly have to defend yourself, OR clarify that the stereotypes are completely incorrect? There's a point when it switches from laughing with you to laughing at you, and that gets tiring.
Load More Replies...Ok, we get it, Americans do weird things. But so do all other countries? I mean, British people call steak fries "crisps"? They're soft? Chips - potato chips - are crispy, and I can see if you'd call steak fries "chips", because they're chips of potato? But "crisps"? They're soft?
No, sorry that's not true. We do not call 'steak fries' crisps in the UK. They are chips. Hot, fried chips made from chips of potato and soft (though if cooked properly slightly crunchy on the outside). Crisps in the UK are what Americans call potato chips and ARE crisp - the thin, crispy, crunchy, slices of potatoes sold in bags and eaten cold. I don't care what they are called personally but didn't want you to have the wrong idea. I am very anti the US bashing thing so not joining in on that.
Load More Replies...So a lot of people have been getting this wrong just wanted to clarify. The United States of America, its the CUSTOMARY system. OK?
I only use checks to pay my rent, because that's what my landlord wants. I use my bank card for everything else.
Load More Replies...Yes - and what the heck is a "stone", meaning some measurement of weight??
Load More Replies...