s/o "European" myths about Americans

[Anonymous]

Spin off from the European myths thread, I am English (so soon I won't be European ) and here are some of my stereotypes about Americans:

- Americans require EXTREMELY cold drinks. If it's a cold drink, it must be served filled with ice. Fridge-cold drinks without ice are not acceptable

- Americans can be identified in the summer by their shorts. Shorts are worn in some places in Europe in the summer but not very commonly outside the beach. Extra American points if there is a shirt tucked into the shorts and a belt, with white socks and running shoes.

- This doesn't apply to people in NYC, but Americans love their cars, have enormous cars (even the ones many people consider to be "small" or "average" are big to me) and drive everywhere. This is a function of low gas prices and poor public transport/infrastructure

- Americans eat at really weird (to me!) times - really early. Lunch at 12, sometimes even earlier. Dinner at 6, sometimes earlier. Before I moved here, the first time I encountered this was a client coming from here who I invited for dinner; he said yes but he'd be arriving late so did I mind having a late dinner.... at 7:30. I thought he was joking, but no!

I will think of more but I think that's a start!

[Anonymous]

The car thing is true though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Spin off from the European myths thread, I am English (so soon I won't be European ) and here are some of my stereotypes about Americans:

- Americans require EXTREMELY cold drinks. If it's a cold drink, it must be served filled with ice. Fridge-cold drinks without ice are not acceptable

- Americans can be identified in the summer by their shorts. Shorts are worn in some places in Europe in the summer but not very commonly outside the beach. Extra American points if there is a shirt tucked into the shorts and a belt, with white socks and running shoes.

- This doesn't apply to people in NYC, but Americans love their cars, have enormous cars (even the ones many people consider to be "small" or "average" are big to me) and drive everywhere. This is a function of low gas prices and poor public transport/infrastructure

- Americans eat at really weird (to me!) times - really early. Lunch at 12, sometimes even earlier. Dinner at 6, sometimes earlier. Before I moved here, the first time I encountered this was a client coming from here who I invited for dinner; he said yes but he'd be arriving late so did I mind having a late dinner.... at 7:30. I thought he was joking, but no!

I will think of more but I think that's a start!

This is not a myth.

My American husband hates coming to visit my family because they do not have cold drinks. I tell him we do - just our version of cold and his version of cold are different.

[Anonymous]

I didn't realize how obsessed with ice Americans are until I went to Europe and thought all the drinks were too warm. HA. That one is RIGHT on .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
- Americans require EXTREMELY cold drinks. If it's a cold drink, it must be served filled with ice. Fridge-cold drinks without ice are not acceptable

Ha! My mother is English and her father was appalled the first time that she went back to stay with them after living in the States for a while and took 3 ice cubes from the freezer for her cold drink.

[Anonymous]

-Americans like free bathrooms everywhere
-they like to tip
-they like to use credit cards and hate carrying cash
-air conditioning

[Anonymous]

When we've been traveling in Eastern Europe, many people immediately peg us as Americans. I've asked a couple different people how they they knew and they said some variation of , "You have straight, giant, white teeth and you awkwardly smile at seemingly nothing."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:-Americans like free bathrooms everywhere
-they like to tip
-they like to use credit cards and hate carrying cash
-air conditioning

Clean and with toilet paper too! Who doesn't like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
- Americans require EXTREMELY cold drinks. If it's a cold drink, it must be served filled with ice. Fridge-cold drinks without ice are not acceptable

Ha! My mother is English and her father was appalled the first time that she went back to stay with them after living in the States for a while and took 3 ice cubes from the freezer for her cold drink.

NP but it's weird how Europeans (and I generalize because I've found this true from Italy to Sweden) think that a Coke from the fridge is cold. I absolutely can't drink soda without ice- it's just weird.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Americans like free bathrooms everywhere
-they like to tip
-they like to use credit cards and hate carrying cash
-air conditioning

Clean and with toilet paper too! Who doesn't like this?

NP but there aren't many free bathrooms in Europe. And a lot of times they're very, very difficult to locate even if you're willing to pay.

[Anonymous]

About the shorts thing: I think at least part of the reason Americans are more likely than Europeans to wear shorts is that in most of the us it gets hotter in the summer than it does in most of Europe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:-Americans like free bathrooms everywhere
-they like to tip
-they like to use credit cards and hate carrying cash
-air conditioning

OP here. Yes to all of these! The tipping thing - they expect to tip for everything and are happy to tip 20%+. I still can't get used to having to do this and also find the idea of actually handing someone cash really awkward.
The credit card thing - yes also, I've started doing it here too, and it's because everything has an annoying price, because of the tax. So if you pay with cash you get so much annoying change because everything costs $3.68 or whatever.
And yes, everywhere is extremely air-conditioned and I find it hard to get used to that - both the way it is SO cold inside when it is hot outside, so that you actually need extra layers, and the drying effect of the a/c.

[Anonymous]

Americans typically wear brighter colors and clothing w more patterns, slogans, "graphic" tees
Americans tend to smile a lot more

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:-Americans like free bathrooms everywhere
-they like to tip
-they like to use credit cards and hate carrying cash
-air conditioning

OP here. Yes to all of these! The tipping thing - they expect to tip for everything and are happy to tip 20%+. I still can't get used to having to do this and also find the idea of actually handing someone cash really awkward.
The credit card thing - yes also, I've started doing it here too, and it's because everything has an annoying price, because of the tax. So if you pay with cash you get so much annoying change because everything costs $3.68 or whatever.
And yes, everywhere is extremely air-conditioned and I find it hard to get used to that - both the way it is SO cold inside when it is hot outside, so that you actually need extra layers, and the drying effect of the a/c.

I lived in Germany and a lot of the locals thought that AC wasn't healthy. French friends said the same. I've never, ever heard an American think AC was unhealthy.

[Anonymous]

we all own guns, ALL of us. in fact, the reason Americans keep their hands on/above the dining table is to show everyone that you're not holding a firearm. (explained to me by a slightly inebriated French hostess, some years ago)