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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

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European other
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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

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Prince Maroochy
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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.

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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.

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#4

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Kaisu
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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?

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Thomas brennan
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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.

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Alan Green
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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.

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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.”

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Foxxy (The Original)
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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.

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#8

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Petra Schaap
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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.

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Just Carmen
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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.

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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.

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Colin Bayler
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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!

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Just Carmen
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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.....

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#12

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Stimpy
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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

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#13

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Carol Lewis
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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.

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#14

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Mette Olsen Douglas
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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!!

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#15

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Kaisu
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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

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#16

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Brick
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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

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#17

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Winston Smith
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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

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Bill
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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"

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Chewie Baron
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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!

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#22

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Foxxy (The Original)
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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.

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#23

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C Black
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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.

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Marcellus the Third
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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.

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

I don't think people do, at least where I'm from in the states.

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

We don't think that... lol I think that may just be your dumb a*s friends

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

Never heard of such a thing. Been playing a lot of Call of Duty with high school kids, eh?

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

Lol, we are fully aware it is not a city, it's just a country we can go to considering for us "6 hours" is not bad of a distance. Everything genuinly worth seeing is far

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

I've never met anyone who thinks Canada is a city. However, most people, I think, forget how big Canada is.

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

lol that is kinda like me picking a word used only in the Bayou, never heard that word used ever in 59 years in Canada, maybe in some Newfoundland areas.

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

I've literally never heard anyone do this and I'm only 3 hours driving distance to Canada.

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Junebug04
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have literally never heard of someone thinking that, where the hell do ya'll come up with all these, like bruh lmfao

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

What Americans are these people talking to that think Canada is a city because I sure don't.

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

Uuhhhh who the hell did you talk to lmao? I haven't met one American yet who thinks Canada is a city

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

For the same reason people in Canada say they're in the "states." If I am in Canada, I will often just say I am in Canada because, unless it's someone who cares, NO ONE CARES exactly where in Canada I am.

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

510mi at interstate speeds with a Radar Detector, lol. But, those are illegal in Ontario.

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

Some people think Canada is a state... It's unbelievable... One time when I was young some older kids asked me if Canadian was a language, which is understandable I thought at that age that Belgian was a language, (no it isn't they speak French and Catalan in Belgium and French and English in Canada), but I now realize that Canada knows more about the US than visa versa!

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

Sadly a fair portion of my countreymen are almost mind shatteringly stupid, some are racist, very often the two are comorbid.

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

My grandparents are six hours away, in the middle of Washington, while we are right on the border of Washington and Oregon. Six hours is not that long. Than again, my mom says that me and my sister are the best kids on car rides, because we read our books the whole time rather than ask 'are we there yet?' so it might seem shorter.

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Jolee Hang
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3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well, if you were going to Greece, or France, or another country, than unless you are going to a really famous city, like Athens or Paris, or you were giving directions for the plane ticket they should get, you wouldn't say the city. It's enough to know that they are going to another country.

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

in fact, there are many in America who do not realize that, outside of America, the other nations are not countries, small or otherwise rotatable in one day. they seem convinced that only america is big, without realizing that the others are also nations. to go from south to north of Italy it takes 7 hours without stopping, plus the time of a crossing from the tip of Italy to the island of Sicily. and to cross England from east to west, it takes a day and a half, always without stopping. same thing for other nations

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StillBrian'smom
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Many? How many? Many means a bunch. So out of 328.2 million Americans (I won't include the non residents here) how many have you talked to long enough to find out we think only America is big and not other nations? Are you sure? You are right about this though, I did not know it takes 7 hours without stopping to go the full length of Italy. Hmmm...google says 13 hours but hey who really cares? It takes 5 hours to drive the width of Wyoming. did you know that?

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

Do not know one American who thinks that. Plus, we are not sure what Canada is.

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#28

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Anne
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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.

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