Non-Americans Share 20 Things About Americans That Easily Give Away Their Identity

There are certain things that apply to a large group of people in a country, and those unique features help people identify someone’s national identity. For example, most Americans appear to be incredibly friendly and sociable in foreign countries.

When someone asked on r/AskReddit, “What’s an obvious sign someone’s American?”, many non-Americans revealed how they quickly identify an American without even talking to them. Scroll below to read some interesting answers posted by people in this online community.

More info: Reddit

#1

Image source: Thecoolbeans, baffos

“I’ve always observed my US friends like to point at stuff while walking and say what it is….

We were out walking around Amsterdam recently and they were like ‘hey look it’s a smoke shop’…. ‘Oh look a sex shop’…. ‘Oh hey, it’s a prostitute’ …. ‘Look at the canal’…. ‘Wow it’s another prostitute’….. ‘another canal’ etc etc

It was like watching Netflix with Audio Descriptions turned on.”

#2

Image source: chonesmcskidds

“According to the CIA- when training to be a spy- you have to unlearn how to lean. Americans tend to lean on things when standing still.”

#3

Image source: KevMenc1998, Nick_Paschalis

“From what I’ve been told by European friends and travellers, our complete and utter lack of an indoor voice.”

#4

Image source: ComesInAnOldBox, gstockstudio

“They’re wondering why everyone is speaking German. In Germany.

I wish I was making that up.”

#5

Image source: maldobar4711, Wavebreakmedia

“Drive from one shop to the next even if it is 50 meter by walk.”

#6

Image source: Fatigued_Otter, svitlanah

“When I lived in Europe, people said only Americans eat while walking. I’d be eating a bagel or something on the way to work or class and multiple people asked if I was American lol.”

#7

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“They want ice in their water.”

#8

Image source: MagazineOk6401, borodai

“An Italian told me that Americans walk confidently in the wrong direction.”

#9

Image source: Aterakel, RossHelen

“I worked as a cashier in a touristic place in Paris, I always recognised Americans because they were kinda friendly to me and they always left tips.”

#10

Image source: muppetpastiche, pondsaksit

“An inordinate amount of small talk (unprompted).”

#11

Image source: saimerej21, Nuwanhaha

“Assuming something is about america on the internet because it isnt declared otherwise.”

#12

Image source: MCRN_Lopez, engy91

“To quote a Latvian woman I met at a hostel: you hear them coming like the thunder.

More often than not, if they’re talking and laughing louder than everyone else, they’re American.

Edit: I love my American neighbours! Sorry if I sounded rude. Canadians are also pretty loud when we get going.”

#13

Image source: Dusepo, Unai82

“Amazed by things which are more than 200 years old, presumably because they don’t have many things that old in the USA.

Quite often on the heavy side weight-wise (sorry!)

Hand-held fans, maybe because air conditioning is very common in the USA.”

#14

Image source: waitwhatahok, ollyi

“Dunno in all context, but Americans in Europe stand out with their ceaseless optimism and enthusiasm.”

#15

Image source: 8Eriade8, seventyfourimages

“Retail worker here, not living in the US. I can generally spot an American because they greet me with “hey how are you?”… and since I usually have the standard “tired from life” retail worker expression at first I thought they were mocking me so i didn’t know how to react. Took me a while to realize they weren’t really expecting an answer lmao.

Mind you, might just be my personal experience but it’s happened too many times for it to be a coincidence.”

#16

Image source: 6bfmv2, Rafael Rocha

“Extremely white bleached teeth.”

#17

Image source: Ted_Dance_Son, DragonImages

“In Salzburg I went to grab something from the drug store. As I was checking out I said hello to the cashier (thinking there was very little difference between how I said it and how Austrians say it). She immediately started speaking to me in English and I asked her how she knew I spoke English.

She deadpan stared me in the eye and goes “hellloooo”. I just about died laughing since I’m a very stereotypical friendly American that says hello exactly like that. One of my favorite memories from that trip.”