An unnamed social media user took to Reddit to ask people on the web to dish out the obvious signs that someone is from the United States.
In the Ask Reddit subreddit, people flooded the comments section and shared that the way Americans greeted each other, tipped, and even stood were telltale indications that they were from the States.
*****
They left out the most obvious clue - it's because they look American. The clothing, hairstyles and mannerisms are somewhat of a clue, but Americans look like Americans in their facial features.
That's true of almost any nationality of White folks. Men, anyway. Women are harder. When I was younger and living in Europe, I could tell an American from a German from a Frenchman from a Spaniard from an Italian. Granted, some nationalities were more difficult - Belgians look more like Frenchmen to me, but you can still see the Germanic features. Swiss and Austrians look German, but their features are different somehow. If you can't guess the exact nationality, you can pretty much pin down the region.
The English, Scots, Irish and Welsh..... I can tell they're all from across the channel because of the way their teeth are all jacked up, but if they ain't talking, I'll be damned if I can tell which is which.
But Americans? We just look American. It works the other way around, too.
Check it out: My first girlfriend was half German, half American. Any time we went anywhere in Germany, say a neighboring town or downtown Kaiserslautern, people who saw her photographing landmarks or old buildings would come up and talk to her in German while ignoring me completely.
When I ran into Rhonda 10 years later and I was showing her around the Mother Lode, a pair of German tourists came up to us on the street to ask for help or clarification on something they'd seen, and they immediately started speaking German to her without asking if she spoke the language, even when they heard us speaking English to each other first. They just knew.
Asians are even easier. Chinese look Chinese, Japanese look Japanese, Vietnamese look Vietnamese and flat faced Koreans look like flat faced Koreans. I will admit though that I can't tell a Cambodian from a Laotian.
I agree. Except with the enforced migration, a random Nigerian or Afghani can now claim to be dutch or swedish. The characteristics that made us unique will be subsumed into the borg.
ReplyDeleteWe lived in Italy for 10 years; I dressed Italian, spoke, read, and could write Italian but was pegged as American every time. Americans are quite easy to spot.
ReplyDeleteWent to Australia about 10 years ago and mustard was the give away. I asked for it on my cheese burger and they instantly knew I was a yank.
ReplyDeleteI am an American. I don't give a flying $@&*! what eurotrash thinks of me.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there beside you
DeleteJD
In Hungary I was being stared at until I ordered a meal in German. I guess 100% Finn in North Face and Addidas can pass as German to Hungarians if you're blonde.
ReplyDeleteThere were a lot of Finns in the Hotel Merkur Korona, and it had a good sauna to drink in...
when I was over there, Ktown, i was approached by an American couple, who thought i was german, and tried speaking german to me. funny faces when i said, i"m american.
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Even though I am of German descent, when I was in K-Town, I was pegged as American. But then, the military haircut gave it away.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is getting her masters in German at a German university.she’s been told her accent is nearly perfect. Because she’s 5’10” she passes for Dutch.
ReplyDeletePictures or she doesn’t exist. 🤪
DeleteWhen I lived in Europe you could always tell an American vs a European by their shoes.
ReplyDeleteCambodians look like Cabbage Patch Kids with punched in faces.
ReplyDelete