Like it or not, when you come from a country that dominates news headlines, movie screens, and sports stadiums worldwide, others tend to notice the things that set you apart. On the subreddit r/NoStupidQuestions, user Vector1013 sparked an evocative discussion, asking what makes Americans instantly recognizable in an international crowd.
Thousands of direct replies rolled in, with people mentioning habits and features they consider both positive and negative. Does that mean everyone from the United States shares these traits? No, but apparently they’re common enough.
#1
A default assumption that people outside of the US have general knowledge of US states, cities, geography etc. (while not having that same knowledge about other countries).
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#2
Americans are loud. I say this as an American. After a few weeks in Scandinavia, encountering other Americans in public made me think, “why are you so damned loud?”.
Image source: anon, Getty Images / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#3
The American lean is a big one. We see a wall and immediately assume we need to lean on it to hold it up. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.
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#4
Loud, love small talk, exaggerate everything and speak in absolutes “this is the best meal I’ve ever had”.
Image source: anon, Yura Timoshenko / Unspalsh (not the actual photo)
#5
The clothing is a definite tell. Much more athleisure for all scenarios.
Image source: Senior_Term, Jamar Crable / Unspalsh (not the actual photo)
#6
I’ve heard that we are sometimes seen as being overly friendly to strangers.
Image source: fermat9990, Anna Tarazevich / Pexels (not the actula photo)
#7
My grandfather telling every European he met that we saved them in WWII.
Image source: Same-Chipmunk5923, Getty Images / Unspalsh (not the actual photo)
#8
Preternaturally white teeth.
Image source: ConsciousTangerine75, Tony Litvyak / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#9
How we use a knife and fork. Many Americans will cut something with the knife, set it down, move the fork to the hand the knife was in, then eat the food; repeat. That’s not as common in most other countries. Most people keep the utensils in their hands the entire time without switching which hand they are in.
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#10
Americans inevitably have a drink in their hands when out (water,coffee,fancy Stanley cup…). One of my Asian colleagues pointed this out to me when we were in Belgium for a work meeting.
Image source: Bastyra2016, Daiga Ellaby / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#11
Tipping. If you want to look less American, then stop tipping for every little thing. It’s a dead giveaway.
Image source: ChopSueyMusubi, Lala Azizli / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#12
As someone from The Netherlands, Americans stand out to me because they speak quite a lot louder in public than other native English speakers. There’s also common phrases only Americans tend to use like they ask “how are you?” to someone they’ve never met before. It’s just meant to be friendly but it often confuses non Americans where this sudden interest in a stranger’s private life comes from.
Image source: Robcobes, Jarritos Mexican Soda / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#13
Americans hold a bouquet of flowers like it’s a trophy but Europeans carry them downward as it’s gentler on the flowers.
Image source: YoucantdothatonTV, Secret Garden / Pexels (not the actual photo)
#14
Smiling. Very American thing to smile at people when making eye contact. It’s actually an interesting anthropological anecdote. Since America was more diverse (albeit mostly European) smiling was a way to indicate you were friendly with someone who might not speak the same language.
Image source: cbmom2, Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
#15
Expect to pay in USD everywhere. Like, no. Just no.
Image source: bridgehockey
#16
Americans wear a lot of sports team clothing.
Image source: Hof525, Alex Haney / Unsplash (not the actually)
#17
Personal space. American here. Been around some French people while vacationing at a national park. Not sure why they need to be right next to me. I was close enough the French tourist often; so close I could’ve whispered sweet nothings into their ears.
Image source: Oohhhboyhowdy, Meizhi Lang / Unsplash (not the actual photo)
#18
I lived in England for awhile for grad school, and one of my English friends told me and another American early on that she knew we were American right away because when we were meeting people at the start-of-term grad school function where we met, we’d go up to people and immediately introduce ourselves by name– maybe one sentence of small talk first if the conversation started from someone making a side comment to us, but then right to “I’m Amy, I’m studying anthropology” and possibly even shaking hands (though I don’t think I did that). She said English people had to do small talk first before even exchanging names, though I’m not sure how true that is.
I know I got a *lot* of odd looks when I sat on the floor in a bookstore to look at some of the books on the lower shelves. And once I was sitting on the floor outside my advisor’s office, waiting for him and reading an article. I was sitting criss-cross and one of the other professors came by, walked past, did a double take, back-tracked, and then asked me what I was doing. I was like “Uh, waiting for a meeting with Jay?” and he said “Oh, I thought you might have been praying to Mecca or something” (again I was sitting criss-cross applesauce and. reading. He was pretty racist though). I think it’s not unusual to sit on the floor in a bookstore or library in the US, and it’s not unusual for students to sit on the floor in the hallway when there aren’t chairs, or to sit on the floor in a dorm to sprawl out and study. Apparently this is not universal.
We *are* generally loud. People in England also commented on how much Americans smile, which my mom also remembered being something people said a lot when she visited the USSR as a college student.
I think that while we can be blunt/direct, or maybe more like straightforward, we also tend to not like to say overtly negative things– I’ve heard comments like “When you ask Americans how they are, if they say “Great!” they mean “Fine,” if they say “Fine,” they mean “I’m hanging on by a thread,” if they say “Okay,” they mean “miserable,” if they say “Oh, hanging in there!” they’re on the verge of breakdown.”.
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#19
Very forward. In America, I can go to an event, make a new connection, and at the end they will hug me goodbye. A complete stranger! However, I am American so it never really struck me. When I lived in South Korea though, they would look at me as if I had 2 heads when I hugged them. Same with hand shakes. It was a reaction that I never really thought about until then. Oops. We are an overly friendly bunch.
Image source: anon, Priscilla Du Preez 🇨🇦 / Unspalsh (not the actual photo)
#20
I went to America and everyone was so outgoing and funny, one person asked me if i was from “butt chart gardens” in the most southern accent ever known to man. He meant to say the Bouchard Gardens in Victoria BC which is literally a garden centre and not a city but the thought was there. It still never fails to make me laugh.
Image source: radi0headgiver
#21
Besides loud and good teeth – look at the way Americans walk. We walk like we own everything and everyone- it is a sort of mega confidence that I have only seen in Americans (yes, there are elites elsewhere, but Americans have that strut and go fast).
Image source: professornb, Alan Bowman / Unspalsh (not the actual photo)
#22
The notorious American laugh can be heard from all corners of the world.
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#23
Apparently, we kick when we walk while Europeans step.
Image source: Scrotchety
#24
Didn’t see where anybody has mentioned the American lope. Maybe it’s less of a thing now?
When I lived in Central Europe in the latest ‘80s, Americans not only towered over the locals (just look out over the heads to see the American you’re meeting an in a crowd), Americans’ heads went up and down as they walked. Perhaps we habitually have a longer stride? Europeans were gliding like swimming ducks while Americans were bounding in and out of view across the way. Doing doing doing.
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#25
Atleast compared to us brits, Americans are way more animated than us in practically every way.
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#26
Our sense of entitlement is one thing. I was in France one time and we were at a restaurant ordering food. I had asked for a small change, like no onions or something. The waiter was shocked that I had asked for that. You’d think I had asked they change their entire menu or something. Me asking the chef to change the way he makes food was an insult to them. Haha. Lesson learned.
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#27
I remember reading that Americans squat on their toes not their heels, and that we wear tennis shoes everywhere.
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#28
I’m American and I tried impersonating a Brit once over text. Someone instantly called me out on my use of the word “got.” Apparently “get” and “got” are more frequent in American English than in British English, at least in this case between me and this other guy.
Image source: ei283
#29
I don’t know if it’s okay anywhere else in the world to walk out of your house in pajamas.
Also- the shorts. People everywhere talk about the shorts. You know the ones.
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#30
Chino shorts and polo shirts with trainers is the American tourist uniform.
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#31
Baseball caps and leaning on things.
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#32
I always spot American plus size women because they dress amazingly! Here In Greece plus size clothing is either ugly or pricey.
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#33
One of the examples from that class (allegedly) is the way we count on our fingers. We start with the number 1 on our pointer finger, while Europeans start with their thumb. Obviously not exclusive to Americans, and I have no idea how they count on other continents.
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#34
You’ve been programmed that America is the best.. and it drips off of you.
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#35
Imma go against the usual grain of Europeans c***ping on Americans and everything American
They’re the best kind of tourists here (Greece) and somehow in recent years, they’ve all decided to come here?
Anyway, polite, smiling, enthusiastic, chill/down to earth. You MAY think this is how most people are on their holidays but believe me, they’re NOT. I don’t wanna mention here other uh… potentially problematic nationalities I compare them to (ALL from Europe btw…)
So as far as I am concerned, what makes Americans stand out is being this cheerful, outwardly polite person. MAYBE that’s a facade, it probably is, but this salesman type of personality is what I think of when I think of a stereotypical American.
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#36
As a Brit
-Leaning a lot more
-Smiling at people
-Loud or projecting voices
-American English terms “sidewalk”, “diaper” “freeway” etc
-Asking for coffee creamer
-Being resistant to walk places
-Starting conversation with shop workers
-Spreading out on public transport
-Tipping all the time
-The term “Irish goodbye” (this isn’t even a thing in Ireland)
-Expecting food shops to be open really early
-Talking about suing people
-Having the chicken pox Vaccine
-Using medication to treat everything
-Always saying “*Blank* in the world” or “*Blank* in history”. Like if you’re talking about the worst serial killer. It will always be “the worst serial killer in history” or “in the world”. Whereas they may only be the worst in America.
-Talking about your rights
-Equating constitutional rights to human rights. So saying “*Blank* is against my human rights”. When it’s not against the human rights act it against the United States constitution.
-Talking about people “having an accent”.
-Thinking South Africans using the term “Coloured people” is offence
-Referring to someone’s heritage by region or race. In Britain people are more specific than the US so someone is Nigerian or Bangladeshi etc.
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#37
When they travel they dress like they’re going to Walmart, or about to mow the back yard..
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#38
Calling people Maam and Sir. Being super friendly and optimistic.
Ducking and looking around when they hear a loud bang, like someone dropped a plank of wood in a hardware store. Americans tend to be quite edgy about that kind of thing happening unexpectedly.
Saying excuse me when walking around in a crowd and thinking you are getting too close or they are in the way when they aren’t. Partly because most of America isn’t as densely populated as most European countries. Americans typically have a larger personal space and talk loudly too.
I’ve been living here for a couple of decades, and still not really used to it.
Image source: Antmax
#39
In my experience you guys seem to try and always have something to say about anything. Whether it’s prompted or not.
I’m not saying this is a bad thing, but it’s an observation that’s brutally confirmation biased. :D.
Image source: anon
#40
Based on my experience. When we ask you, “Where are you from?” Americans will typically mention the state that their from instead of United States. I’ve only gotten this type of response from Americans haha.
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#41
Americans are either the most fit, built, athletic, people you have ever seen or overweight. For some reason there are not as many average build people. I think this fits in with the theme of America the land of extremes.
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#42
I’m in Denmark now and a waiter told us that Americans always order drinks first and then food while Danes order food first and then drinks. I had never heard that before or thought about it and thought it was kind of a sweet simple thing to notice.
Image source: TheLovelyLadies
#43
It will also depend on where you are. In many places e.g. Russia (well 20 years ago and further. not sure if its that way now): smiling in public. Immediately known as american. Also, frankly, weight. And not like grossly obese, just not as angular, regular eating is evident.
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#44
Loud and interrupting. Demanding .
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