American life sure is unique, and sometimes it’s the small stuff that throws people off the most, especially the things that seem “normal” at first glance. We spoke to a few of our readers who shared the American habits that confuse them. Here are eleven of them. Which of these have puzzled you before?
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock.
Using miles, pounds, and Fahrenheit
The weather forecasts say it’s 70 degrees & cars measure gas in gallons. Our speed limits are in miles per hour. Sure, Americans technically know Celsius or kilometers exist, but most couldn’t tell you how far a kilometer is without Googling it, and our everyday life just runs on this system. Yet nearly everyone else in the world doesn’t.
Writing dates month/day/year
Anytime that you fill out a form here, you’ll always have to write the month first, then the day & then the year. That means that 9/3/24 is September 3rd instead of March 9th. But this confuses most Americans who have been abroad recently or looked at some international paperwork. Surely day, month, year makes more sense?
Driving short distances
You’ll see most Americans pulling out of the driveway just to get to a store they could walk to in under ten minutes. Sure, the sidewalks are right there. But using the car feels automatic. Many people feel like it’s a waste of time, because why should they burn gas & fight for parking when the walk would’ve been easy?
Keeping peanut butter as a staple food
American kitchens nearly always have a jar, or three, of peanut butter. People slather it on sandwiches & add it to smoothies. Some even eat spoonfuls straight from the tub. What’s strange is how normal it feels, and most Americans don’t realize how much peanut butter they consume until they notice friends abroad rarely keep it stocked.
Asking for ranch with almost everything
A similar American quirk is putting ranch on practically everything. It doesn’t matter if we’re eating pizza, fries, wings, or carrot sticks, as we’ll usually have it with a side of ranch. It’s just normal here. But the real confusing part is how it became the all-purpose dip when, half the time, there’s already sauce on the plate that we could’ve used.
Eating dinner very early
In many American towns, dinner at 5:30 isn’t early, but rather, just dinner. That’s quite different from the rest of the world. A lot of Americans are confused by our early eating times, especially younger people or travelers who feel like they’re eating what should be lunch portions at twilight. But that’s just how it is here.
Making everything “to-go”
Coffee & full meals all come in to-go cups. Some states even do cocktails this way. The truth is, many drive-thrus hand out family dinners in bags that barely fit on car seats, and it confuses some people because sitting down often isn’t even seen as an option. We joke about eating in cars. But we keep doing it anyway.
Mixing ice cream with soda
Root beer floats & Coke floats aren’t really drinks that you’ll find in many other countries. What’s so puzzling is that half the population swears it’s delicious & nostalgic, while the other half believes it’s merely sugar soup. Diners keep serving them.
Buying giant packs of everything
Yes, you’ll find warehouse stores in other countries, but none of them are like American warehouses. It’s only here that you can find such huge snacks by the case & condiments in gallon jugs. It’s completely normal for people to stockpile here until their closets look like mini-marts, although some of us admit the habit feels excessive.
Obsessing over lawn care
Living in an American suburb involves watering & trimming your lawn. You have to fuss over it. Just a few weeds cause panic, and all this drama makes some Americans laugh at themselves for spending weekends on grass they barely step on. But the pressure from neighbors & HOAs makes the habit stick.
Asking “what do you do?” right away
Americans often go straight to asking someone about their job when they’re at parties or even in line somewhere. It does feel casual to ask. But plenty of us also admit that it sounds like we’re sizing someone up, and it’s confusing as to why such a question became the default icebreaker. Lots of people hate answering it.
Like our content? Be sure to follow us.
