Sometimes all it takes is a second to guess where a person is from, be it their looks, their accent, their behavior, or something else that gives it away. Often affected by customs, cultural norms, or widespread behaviors, they tend to do things they might not even realize are representative of their home; but for people around them, they are pretty clear telltale signs.
Redditor u/Frosty-Ad3575 recently turned to the ‘Ask Reddit’ community, seeking to learn what things people consider obvious signs that someone is American. Netizens’ answers covered everything from the way people stand to how they greet each other, among other things, so scroll down to find them and see what might give away that a person comes from the United States.
#1
MM-DD-YYYY date format.
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#2
Claiming to be of a certain nationality (e.g. Irish), but can’t even locate the eponymous country on a map.
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#3
They’ll use any form of measurement other than metric. Freedoms per eagle is a popular one.
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#4
They assume everyone knows about american geography, politics, news etc. but they know nothing about any other country.
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#5
Aggressively white teeth.
Image source: orthostasisasis, Gus Ruballo / Unsplash
#6
Referring to ‘Europe’ as if it were a country.
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#7
I’m Canadian and the biggest giveaway to me that someone is American is simply in their spelling. For example, we would spell it “the colour grey”, and Americans would spell it “the color gray.” We use paycheque instead of paycheck, and neighbour instead of neighbor. Our vernacular is very British.
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#8
Talking about the extortionate cost of healthcare and the struggles of navigating the health insurance system.
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#9
When asked where they’re from. They instantly say the state not the country.
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#10
When I lived in Estonia, a local once told me that if anybody smiled and said hello unsolicited on the street they knew “that person was either drunk, crazy or an American.”
I laughed and said, “In this case, it might be all three!”
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#11
Not to be rude or offensive as I am American and this, but we are fat.
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#12
Anything under 4 hours is “close by”.
jayhitter:
Everything is Europe is around the corner if you’re from the US. I can drive the whole day and not leave my state but in Europe I can pass through 4 countries in that same time frame.
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#13
As an American man, I’ve been told repeatedly by European and Asian friends that we simply take up space (not by being fat) as though we’re entitled to it. Men in other countries apparently don’t claim the same personal space we do.
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#14
They talk loud. Very loud.
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#15
Apparently the CIA trains American agents to not lean on things if they go undercover in foreign countries because Americans lean on anything they can while standing around.
Image source: clown1998, Andrea Piacquadio
#16
Shorts and running shoes.
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#17
I was in Germany this past summer and I realized smiling at everyone you make eye contact with is very American. When I went to London on the same trip they seemed less weirded out by it but would awkwardly return the smile.
I was taught to always start with a disarming smile. Never realized it was American.
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#18
Immediately asking someone what they do for a living when meeting them. Our jobs and work are our entire identity.
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#19
To me – it is the habit of choosing convenience over all else (note that my observations are mostly of people who consider themselves middle class). Small example – if you need to wipe down your kitchen counter, Americans always reach for a paper product while back in India, it would always be a cloth towel. Reason for Indians to use cloth – it is reusable and hence, economical. Americans using paper – it is more convenient. Transport – wait a half hour extra for train or drive… the Americans in my group always chose to drive and the Europeans and Asians chose public transit. Lunch at work – most Americans in my group but lunch every day, even if it is a simple deli sandwich. Most non- Americans bring homemade lunches. Now I don’t make value judgement about how people spend their money but the way they gravitate towards convenience first and only then consider finances, environmental impact, etc.
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#20
At least in Finland, I find them as quite friendly, easy to get with and genuine. They aren’t afraid to ask questions if it is not clear to them and say the things that matter. Of course shoes, laughter and the way they carry themselves without thinking much about what others would say.
Image source: Visible-Field2311
#21
In the touristy cafe-restaurant I worked at:
1. If they asked me for the nicest spot we had
2. If they asked me my recommendation without seeing the menu first
3. I would walk to the table, and they would say right away “hey how are you doing?”. This one threw me off a lot at first. Why is this person asking me how I’m doing?? I’m just there to take the order. I got used to it, and I think they found my awkwardness to it cute.
4. They would ask my name when I greeted them and took their order
NB I’m Northern European
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#22
Americans outside America will often claim that people are Scottish-ing or Italian-ing wrong because their great great great grandfather came from Scotland/Italy.
I have been corrected on my Scottishness by an American who claimed direct descent from a famous Scot who had no children.
On the other hand I also find Americans to be incredibly open and friendly and kind and generous.
US tourists seems to be of two opposite types.
Image source: Magnus_40
#23
I was told, “Americans carry water bottles around like they’re worried they’ll never have access to clean water ever again.”
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#24
They typically only speak 1 language.
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#25
I’m half Italian and my biggest pet peeve with American culture is Americans are averse to walking
Inb4 “American cities aren’t walkable”. That’s true to a point, but Americans a big country. There are still walkable places and even in the instance where something is, people prefer to drive. I used to walk 30 minutes to class from home and people thought I was crazy.
I also used to be an Uber driver. Many people I picked up were college students that didn’t want to make the 10-15 minute walk from the off campus dorms. I’ve had friends ask to drive to places that are only 10 minute walks. It’s kind of pathetic.
Image source: BandoTheBear, Paweł L. / pexels
#26
They cut their food, then switch the fork to their right hand and put the left under the table while eating.
XL shirt on an average guy (6 ft 172 lbs / 1.82m 78 kg) also trousers with enough room for another person.
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#27
Making casual conversation with random strangers.
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#28
Good taste in music, intolerance of monarchy, and near cult-like worship of pizza.
Image source: t20six
#29
Expecting to drive to everything.
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#30
Baseball cap… even on an infant riding in a pram.
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