10 Reasons Americans Are So Easy to Spot in Foreign Countries

Facebook X (Twitter) Pinterest Flip it Email

Are you an American curious to know what makes it evident to Non-Americans? Me too! So when I came across the question, “What are obvious immediate giveaways that someone is an American?” I jumped right in to discover these top-voted responses.

10. Tipping

“Every time I visit my relatives in Italy, they say, ‘don’t ruin it for us.’ They don’t want the whole tipping thing to catch on,” one user admitted. Another replied, “Tipping has also stopped being connected to the level of service; it is kind of a social contract where people are afraid to get yelled at for tipping poorly. It also is fairly arbitrary which parts of the service industry you tip.”

9. Baseball Cap

One user posted, “British man once told me he knew I was American because I was wearing a baseball cap backward.” Another replied, “This is what I was told in three countries when my brother and I went to Australia years ago. People in England, Singapore, and Australia immediately identified me as American because of the baseball cap.”

8. Speaking Voice

“In a museum in London where everyone is speaking quietly, and then BOOM, an American accent out of nowhere just catches you so off guard,” one person commented. “Oh my God, they’re so loud…their talking volume is our screaming for help volume,” a second commenter agreed.

Finally, Walruzs replied, “Yes, yes, yes. So many Americans I’ve met always project their voice like they want everyone around them to hear the conversation.”

7. Small Talk

One person said, “I’m Canadian; generally, Americans are far less reserved and love small talk.” “This was one of my biggest culture shocks in Germany. I’m not much of a small-talk person, even as an American.”

“But I tried to be polite and chat with a cashier at a market, and he looked baffled and didn’t know how to reply,” they concluded. “Americans will chat with anybody and everybody, especially if you’re from the south,” another American confessed.

6. Talking to Strangers in Public

Image Credit: Boise Convention & Visitors Bureau

One Redditor commented, “Talking to strangers in public. After living in Germany for two months, I was horrified when a stranger on the bus commented on my shoes.”

“This explains why Mormons accosted me on their mission. I was on my way to go for a swim with my headphones in. I genuinely thought I’d dropped something because I couldn’t fathom any other reason for striking up a conversation,” a Non-American shared.

5. Ranch Dressing

Mess-maker shared, “Someone who works in my office building went to France and told me that she asked for ranch dressing at a restaurant. They told her they didn’t have ranch dressing, and she was shocked and asked how it was possible they didn’t have RANCH. The waiter told her to go back to America if she wanted ranch dressing. I died of embarrassment, and I wasn’t even there.”

4. State vs. Country

A Non-American said, “Right? We don’t know what Deleware is. Say you’re from the states.”Acurrell replied, “I tell them Baltimore, and their eyes light up, and they ask, Like The Wire?!” “When I’m in Japan, and they ask where I’m from, I say Texas. So they say, ‘Ah, TEXAS, Cowboys, bang bang, yee haw’ I smile and die a little inside, haha.”

“I went to Ireland a few years ago, and a Middle Eastern waiter asked where my family and I were from. We said Texas, specifically Dallas, and he went, ‘Dallas? Like the show?? Finger guns BANG J.R!’ Crazy, that reference still hits with some people.”

3. Distance

TheBishopOfNorwich commented, “I’m an American that works for an international company. Europeans are often amused by how we describe distances. Instead of saying, we’re X number of miles from that city, we’ll say, we’re two hours away, or that’s a four-hour drive. They’re also universally blown away once they realize how big the U.S. is.”

2. Big Backpack

Waffleline commented, “They either carry huge backpacks for a one-day trip into the jungle or carry nothing and walk in barefooted.” “I’ve seen people carry huge backpacks just to the office and back. I don’t understand the phenomenon, but you’re right,” another replied.

1. Y’all

An American shared, “I said y’all when I went to Europe. Immediately outed me.” “Rest assured. You outed yourself before then,” a Non-American replied. “It’s so easy and makes the meaning clearer. Now, to normalize the double contractions, y’all’re, and y’all’ve,” a user joked.

Another American admitted, “Saying y’all was such a stigma growing up, to see it achieve the prominence and respect it deserves brings a tear to my eye.”

We hope you enjoyed this Reddit list of things that are dead giveaways if you’re an American. Check out these things Americans aren’t ready to hear, according to Non-Americans.