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01
"This was me today at a restaurant in Oslo. It felt rude to call the waitress over to ask for the bill. Am American." said u/frgs72.
"It's curious, I'm European and if someone gave me the bill without asking I would think it's rude because it feels like they're rushing me to leave" said u/Ariia_.
"Lol- I'm american and I asked for the bill at a restaurant in France before we were finished eating because I'm aware of the need to ask for it and we wanted to be able to get up and leave whenever we wanted and not have to flag him down later (the restaurant was getting rather busy and didn't want to bother him if he was preoccupied later). He was deeply offended and encouraged us that we were in no rush to leave. And then didn't bring us the bill and refilled our waters and tried to get us to stay." said u/beeboopPumpkin. -
02
u/fancyllamapants had a similar experience, "I used to work in a call Center that took calls from Americans and Canadians. I'd ask 'Where are you from, Canada or the US?' Canadians would say 'Canada' and American would say 'Texas' or 'New York' etc. Never ever would they reply with their country name."
"'Where are you from?' Australian: Australia, Japanese: Japan, Indian: India, American: Texas" u/thisperson345 chimed in.
"Screw the state stuff. I am from Philly." said u/Bulky_Ad_3608. -
03
"And with ice" added u/grabityrises.
"Many, many years ago I was visiting the south of France with a friend. It was a hot summer day, we stopped at a little bistro and in broken French we asked for water--with ice. The waiter replied in English: 'Ah, American Champagne.'" said u/Cilicious. -
04
"When I first started working in hospitality, I had an American customer who just gave me their card. I took it to the register, paid the order with a swipe and gave it back. I was told by my manager to never do that again lol." said u/draw_it_now.
"That wouldn't have been even slightly unusual here in the US. Sometimes you'll even hand a waiter or bartender your card without receiving the check, if you're in a hurry." said u/KJdkaslknv. -
05
"Happy dancing while side effects are being listed" said u/Bluefortress.
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06
"Back when I worked in Panera Bread, a customer asked for ranch; we didn't carry it back then and when we informed him, he said: 'Are y'all communists?!'" said u/TheArowanaDude.
"Currently working at panera and this is a frequent occurrence" u/WoppyWalrus agreed. -
07
"Aussies do the drive through liquor stores/bottle shops/off licenses" said u/commndoRollJazzHnds.
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08
"I kept getting asked how many guns I owned and whether or not I thought Trump was a good president" replied u/thewonpercent.
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09
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10
"Don't forget to add cheese!" said u/LordChefChristoph.
"And breadcrumbs on top. Edit: lol y'all are making me hungry" said u/surfinberrypunch. -
11
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12
"It seems strange to anyone from Europe, but after starting to watch US sports I realised that a lot of states either don't have a team in a major league or will only have one. It's not like here in the UK where there are 92 teams in the football league and even more below that, most of the major leagues in the US only have 30-40 teams. That's why people are so invested in college sports, a lot of the time their the only local teams" said u/Natty_D.
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13
"Often with pictures not related to Christmas at all, such as beach pictures" added u/yoboi42069.
"Hey, as a New Zealander, the beach is absolutely a Christmas thing (it's fuckin great too)" said u/Deciram. -
14
"Saw this with my American friends when I lived in Moscow. They walked around with this pleasant, anticipatory smile on their face and people thought they were mentally challenged." said u/jew_biscuits.
"Hah. I remember a Russian friend explaining to me that Americans just look like idiots, smiling for no reason all the time. Russians apparently smile when they have something to smile about. I read a paper that basically says it is because of our high-immigrant past. Apparently, when people with diverse languages who cannot understand each other verbally all the time are in close quarters with each other, they use physical cues (such as constant smiling), to communicate." said u/ACaffeinatedWandress. -
15
"I once got 'silent lunch' (punishment of having to sit alone at lunch) for not standing for the pledge one morning. It's ridiculous! (public school, 2014)" said u/_mister_pink_.
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16
"we do that in australia too kind of" said u/Brewfishy.
"I feel like Australia is what would happen if america and the UK had a baby" replied u/Consistent_Spread564. -
17
"Yeah, in my country, it is either associated with the political centre or with (moderate) right wing, never with left wing." said u/Lvcivs2311.
"Yep, in Europe 'liberal' means someone who supports small government, less state intervention, less public spending, privatization, lower taxes. This is generally center or center-right. Similar to what Americans call a libertarian, but usually more moderate." agreed u/Tifoso89. -
18
"That's cuz there aren't any other countries" replied u/A_Trash_Homosapien.
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19
"Everyone else is making pancakes from scratch? You're right I didn't know this" said u/waterbird_.
"I didn't know you could make them from a box (not American)" said u/sandybeachfeet. -
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21
"Reminded me of a joke I heard. An old man walks into a grocery store and when checking out, he asks if he could have a discount because he fought in world war two. The cashier says 'Of course' and, in a particularly generous mood, gives him a 50% discount. The old man says 'Danke' then leaves." replied u/HwumbleSir.
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22
"American ACs are usually integrated into the homes with vents along the walls in every room but in Europe they tend to be relegated to a single tiny rectangular unit over the door. If you're fancy then the house may have two of these! When I visit family, I always hear from Mum before we leave the house 'Be sure to turn the blower OFF before you chaps leave the house!!!'" said u/intimate_existence.
"I think that's more due to the historical infrastructure. Like buildings in America have been designed with the ability to install central air. Brick buildings were not, and you can't just put that in, so you end up with a window unit." replied u/Tocoapuffs. -
23
"After paying $3,000 every year for 'health insurance.'" added u/prettypinkpuppy.
"Lookit this guy here with dirt cheap insurance." replied u/iceman0486.
People Observe Things That Are Uniquely American in Interesting Thread
As an American who recently moved to the United Kingdom, a lot of the funny observations in this amusing Reddit thread about uniquely American things really resonated with me. For example, when someone asks me where I'm from, my first instinct is to say, "well I grew up in California, but I just moved from New York." Whereas a European might simply respond with what country they're from. And I never realized that to many people outside the United States, certain Americans (especially New Yorkers) give the impression that they're perpetually on their way to some other place—always ordering food to-go or asking for the bill prematurely.
Whether you're an American who's curious about all the 'Murican things you didn't know were uniquely American, or you're a non-American ready to rant in the comment section about all the things you've noticed, you'll surely get a kick out of this thread.
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