24 things that are considered 'normal' in the US but the rest of the world finds weird


Jessica Booth, INSIDER
Aug. 21, 2018, 5:59 PM

http://www.businessinsider.com/things-normal-in-the-us-but-considered-weird-2018-8

Drinks filled with ice isn't as common in other places in the world.Flickr/Mark Finney


Sometimes people in the US forget that the way we do things isn't necessarily the way it's done everywhere else.

That doesn't necessarily mean these American customs are bad, it just means that they aren't the norm throughout the world. Here are some regular things we do in the US that people from other cultures might think is a bit abnormal.

1 Using money that is all the same color.

In the US, dollar bills are all the same shade of green, and they all look very similar, aside from slightly different images.

If you travel to other countries, you'll find that their bills are typically all different colors and sizes according to what they're worth. Many foreigners find our currency to be a bit confusing, since it all looks the same.

2 Putting a lot of ice in our drinks.

One small thing that stands out when you visit Europe is that they don't use a lot of ice — at most restaurants, you won't get it unless you ask for it.

Americans are some of the only people who use an excess of ice in their drinks. Articles have even written about why we do it. The Smithsonian believes it may be related to our "more is more" vibe in the US.

3 Using "America" or "Americans" to describes ourselves, our customs, and our country.

If you grew up in the US, you may think of "America" and "United States" as interchangeable. As it turns out, much of the rest of the world does not.

The United States is not the only "America" out there — there's also the rest of North America and all of South America. Many can't understand why we refer to the US as "America," and people from other countries often refer to our country as simply "the States."

4 Writing the date beginning with the month.

People in the US typically write the date out in the format of month-day-year. People in other parts of the world, like the United Kingdom and Europe, write it out in the format of day-month-year. To us, that format is quite strange. But many people from other countries can't understand why we write the month first, as to them it seems out of order.

5 Advertising prescription drugs all over the place.

In a Reddit thread asking the weirdest things Americans do, many users discuss how strange they think it is that the US advertises prescription drugs. Many said they found it to be one of the weirdest things about being in the US.

Reddit user NoDownvotesPlease said, "That was the weirdest one for me. 'Ask your doctor for brand x antidepressants' type commercials on TV. In the UK, your doctor tells you what drugs you should take, not the other way round."

6 Hanging American flags everywhere.

In that same Reddit thread, users expressed how strange it was that that American flags are everywhere, from businesses to historical sites to homes.

7 The fact that our pharmacies sell so many things.

As BBC America pointed out, there are many differences between pharmacies in the US and drugstores in Europe and elsewhere. Many people from other places can't believe that, in the US, our pharmacies sell drugs and junk food. They can't believe that pharmacies basically double as convenience stores in the US.

8 Eating bread that almost always tastes sweet.

In the Reddit thread, many users discuss how they found it incredibly strange to constantly encounter sweet bread in the US.

9 Using the imperial system of measurement instead of the metric system.

The United States is one of only three countries who still use the imperial system of measurement, and everyone out there thinks we're strange for doing so.

10 The constant commercials on TV.

When it comes to advertisements, the rest of the world can't believe how many we have.

Reddit user WhatWouldTylerDo wrote, "I love America. But the one thing I hate is the placement of commercials on TV. It might be only for certain channels, but for a 30-minute show, there will be about four commercial breaks. And not even evenly spaced. Including one before the credits at the end of a show. Then it'll jump straight from the credits to the next show."

11 Expecting free refills everywhere we get a drink.

Many foreigners think it's strange that free refills are offered and generally expected. It's not the norm in many other places — France banned unlimited refills in 2017.

12 Using a lot of water in the toilet bowls.

Toilets are certainly different in the US than other parts of the world, and one amusing difference to note is how much more water there is in American toilets than other countries.

In the Reddit thread, one user wrote, "Seriously, why so much?!"

13 Putting giant gaps in between bathroom stalls.

Some people from other countries can't believe how large the spaces are between bathroom stalls. It was brought up in many comments in the Reddit thread, with users saying they found the "massive" gaps to be an invasion of privacy and just plain strange.

14 Drinking huge coffees while we walk around.

In many other countries, like Europe, coffee is consumed in smaller quantities. That means they drink it quickly and they don't take it to go.

But in the US, large to-go coffee cups are common. People from other countries find it very strange.

15 Taking leftover food home from a restaurant.

In the US, we don't think twice about asking a server to box up our uneaten food so we can bring it home to finish another time. In other countries, this is incredibly strange and even considered to be rude. In France, for example, it's so frowned upon that a law had to be passed to allow "doggy bags" to happen in order to get rid of food waste.

16 Eating giant portions.

Speaking of leftover food, people from other countries also can't believe how big American portions are. That's true when it comes to the size of dishes in restaurants, sodas and other drinks in fast-food chains, and even items that aren't food.

17 Paying sales tax on pretty much everything we buy.

We might not like sales tax here in the US, but we expect it.

In other countries, the sales tax is often built into the price, so the price doesn't change when you bring something to the register, and they find it strange that the US doesn't do the same. It's such a big difference that there are even advisories to people traveling to the US warning them of sales tax when shopping.

18 Tipping waiters and waitresses and other service professionals.

Not tipping in the United States is extremely frowned upon. In other parts of the world, a tip is not expected — it can even be considered rude. Tipping is another thing travelers are often warned about when coming to the States.

19 Chatting with strangers and making small talk.

One thing many Reddit users noted is that they found it strange that Americans chat with strangers so often. While some found it odd in a weird way, others found it nice.

Reddit user CompleteWoks said, "The hospitality, generosity and kindness to strangers, the friendliness and welcoming warmth is paralleled nowhere in the world."

20 Using red cups to drink alcohol out of.

People around the world can't believe how often Americans use red cups. In some countries, people throw "American parties," where they all make sure to use red cups.

21 Wearing swimsuits to the beach.

In some other countries, like Europe, it's considered totally normal to be topless on the beach. In fact, individuals who travel to the US often have to be warned to wear swimsuits in public, and keep them on.

22 Going into debt in order to go to college.

It's no secret that going to college in the US can be extremely expensive and students can end up in debt to get a degree. A lot of other countries offer free college educations, and they can't believe how much we spend on ours.

23 Throwing baby showers.

Baby showers are a fun custom in the US, but it's not something many other parts of the world partake in. Outside of the US, some people find them strange, kind of rude, and aren't interested in partaking in them.

24 Working constantly with very little vacation time.

According to research by the Center for American Progress, the United States is officially the most overworked country in the "developed" world. Some people in other countries can't believe how much work we do, how long our hours are, how we eat lunch at our desks, and how we don't take advantage of vacation time. Some other countries offer six weeks of paid vacation time as a standard. That's certainly not the case here.

I would debate number 19. But traveling back and forth to the UK, I would agree with the others.

I'm pretty good at throwing a ping pong ball into one of those red cups.

Owners of restaurants should pay staff.

I like refills. Ice takes up a lot of space in drinks.

I often like talking to stangers.

Baby showers are a good way for mom's to have everything they need.

Our portions here are too large.

i never been out of this side of the world : (
so really not a clue even though i talk to people all over the world
most of these things have never came up in talk

only thing i knew was that my aunt used to get bummed cause they sold the bikinis as a pair here (top and bottom) so when she got home she had no idea what to do with the tops since they wear them topless in England (i think she was from , i was only 1-10 age when i seen her)

I don't do 2, or 8...
I hate a lot of ice in my drinks (I'm paying for the drink..not a bunch of ice or a watered-down drink)...
And..sweet bread?
Nope...and good bread here is SO hard to find..

20?
I don't get this one at all..
I can honestly say in all the years and times I have drank alcohol (beer, wine, mixed drinks, etc..) I have never used nor *seen* a "red cup"...

Some of these are so funny, I don't know where to begin.

drinking warm beer is a horrible thing to do.





well,STARTING OUT drinking a warm beer is a horrible thing to do,any way!!

Using the imperial system of measurement instead of the metric system.

___________________________________________________________________

This is a big one.In all my travels in this world most every other country uses metric. And I use it when I am in those countries... have to. And it is much more precise then our system.

and we use Miles Per Hour driving
thinking most if not all other use other ways
<shrug>

I think it is really weird that there are so commercials on tv about prescription drugs in the United States, and I live in the US.

Surprised our game of football was not in there considering most of the world is into football that we call soccer and most find quite boring. Also our fascination with automobiles new and old and driving everywhere with no regards to energy consumption. For our homes to eating to consumer goods we are a very wasteful people. 8 oz ( not sure what that is in metric) used to be considered a normal serving, they started filling with ice so you would seem to be getting more but somehow it turned into the bigger the better, not only in drinks but also food. To make you think your getting more for your money even thou beverages are relatively cheap, high profit goods. We are also into junk food and snacking more than the rest of the world. McDonald's is what it is because of sweet bread, we even have Hawaiian bread and corn bread with honey as that is the palate that we have acquired over time. We have no Royal family. Its the United States of America so USA, US, or even America are just shortened versions. No doubt metric is an easier system, but its very complicated to change all that is out there and convert peoples thinking to relate, we do sneak things such as 2 liters of pop in there, think it will slowly change over time, just not all at once. Same with our calender, just what we are used to. It would make more sense to be on a 24 hour clock like military instead of am, pm too, but its what we do and most clocks are designed in just that way. We do vary from different regions in our diverse USA, but a lot of that also gives it its character be it seen as good or bad by others.

LOL, Interesting...

3 Using "America" or "Americans" to describes ourselves, our customs, and our country.

If you grew up in the US, you may think of "America" and "United States" as interchangeable. As it turns out, much of the rest of the world does not.

The United States is not the only "America" out there — there's also the rest of North America and all of South America. Many can't understand why we refer to the US as "America," and people from other countries often refer to our country as simply "the States."

I find this one a lot on the forums I attend.
People think US citizens are pompus because they refer to themselves as "Americans" like the rest of the hemisphere is insignificant.
I try to refrain from using that term unless I am referring to the hemisphere or the North, Central or South Americas.

Something many don't realize is that Hawaii is not part of America.
Its part of the United States of America but it is an island that is not part of the American continent. So, technically, nobody from Hawaii is an American.

It may be far worse than I first thought. They just played a prescription medication, fast food, and swiffer throw away mop commercial when I got up to check the cats blood sugar level for her diabetes on my way to grab a soda out of the fridge! We probably are the laughing stock of the world, but oh well I'll get over it.

I don't know why using ice in a cold drink is considered unusual.

its not that we use ice , it's how much ice we use in a glass

I've only lived in the United States, so I don't know what other countries think is weird.

yeah. because it is such the norm to us. When I would stay in the United Kingdom, you had to ask for ice, the norm was drink without it. And even when you asked they only gave you a few cubes. I am accustomed as an American to having cold drinks, made cold by ice. I really cant stand any drink warmer than that unless its an intentionally hot drink.

The ice thing is done so that restaurants, bars, etc. give less of the actual drink you order and it seems like you're getting more than you actually are. I always order drinks with no ice as to get what I actually pay for. Half the time people are too simple minded to grasp the concept of no ice, so I do give the drink back and firmly let them know NO ICE.

BINGO.

Like I said earlier...you fill my cup/ glass with 2/3 ice...I am getting less actual drink that I pay for.
That's probably why every place has "free refills", because no one actually gets an entire glass in 3 glasses worth, due to all the dang ice.

Also...there's a reason why American beer has to brag about being so cold....
Cold masks flavor...and most American beer is swill/ horse pi**.

Beer overseas is *not* served "warm", but at room temperature.
No need to freeze it up to cover the taste....

P.S. I make my own..I do home brew.

Yeah. in restaurants I have to have ice. If I am taking it home, I get no ice and use the ice from our ice maker.