Normal Things About America That Non-Americans Find Strange

Red dog lying down on the grass and holding American flag

Normal Things About America That Non-Americans Find Strange

July 06, 2020

The Bottom Line:

  • A recent Reddit thread asked folks from around the world, “What do Americans think is normal for everyone, but is actually not normal for anyonebutAmericans?"
  • Answers include asking everyone what they do when you first meet them and traffic stopping for a school bus
  • Also prescription meds revealing side effects in ads, big glasses of water with ice at restaurants and toilets where people can peek inside or climb through the bottom
  • Source:Buzzfeed
The Full Story:

While most of us are proud to be an American, there are some things that may seem completely normal to us, that leave folks outside the U.S. scratching their heads. Well, now some of those folks are sharing.

A recent Reddit thread asked people from around the world, “What do Americans think is normal for everyone, but is actually not normal for anyonebutAmericans?" and folks didn’t hold back.

Those things include:

  • "Asking everyone 'What do you do?' when you first meet them. I live outside the US and realized there are some people I’ve known for years and I still don’t know their job. I think in the US jobs are a bigger part of a person’s identity than in some other places."
  • "That the entire traffic has to stop when a school bus stops."
  • "Writing dates as MM/DD/YYYY."
  • "Being able to vote before reaching the legal drinking age."
  • "Calling a main course an 'entrée.'" [In other parts of the world, 'entrée' refers to an appetizer.]
  • "Big glasses of water WITH ICE at restaurants."
  • "Pledging allegiance to the flag in class."
  • "Extra large bottomless cups for cola or soft drinks...you could bathe in those..."
  • "Toilet stalls where people not only can peek inside, but an adult person could crawl into your cubicle. There is so much space under the 'door.'"
  • "Naming side effects on medication advertisements. F**king hilarious to us Brits."
  • “Gratuitous violence in entertainment is normal. But show one boob and people lose their sh*t."
  • "Not owning kettles and MICROWAVING their water for coffee/tea." 

Source:Buzzfeed


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