How to spot Americans abroad

[Monello]

In my military overseas days it was the cowboy hats and hub cap sized belt buckles that gave away a yankee. Always asking for ketchup was another red flag.

1. We’re the only ones wearing white athletic socks.
2. We have superwhite, supernice teeth
3. We’re shocked by all the naked breasts. (FWIW I'm only shocked by the ancient, saggy ones)
4. We don’t care about the soccer match.
5. We say ethnocentric things like: “What’s that in normal degrees [a.k.a., Fahrenheit]?”
6. We clap at everything.
7. We’re obsessed with Purell.
8. We ask for tap water.
9. We’re the ones sporting all The North Face jackets.
10. We eat while walking.
11. We talk to strangers.
12. We tip.
13. We speak English. Only. And we expect everyone else to, as well.

USA, USA, USA

 

[Larry Gude]

In my military overseas days it was the cowboy hats and hub cap sized belt buckles that gave away a yankee.

I find that ironic.

 

[TPD]

In my military overseas days it was the cowboy hats and hub cap sized belt buckles that gave away a yankee. Always asking for ketchup was another red flag.



USA, USA, USA

14. We wear our Las Vegas/Disney World t-shirts.
15. We ask for ice when ordering water/sodas at restaurants/fast food joints.

 

[RoseRed]

What about socks with sandals.

My Dad was a total embarrassment in Lyon, France when he asked for some Grey Poupon. :cringe:

 

[Monello]

I find that ironic.

I'm not sure what is ironic about it. Those were the cold war days. We got multiple lectures about blending in and not standing out. But the lecture meant different things to different people.

 

[Larry Gude]

I'm not sure what is ironic about it. Those were the cold war days. We got multiple lectures about blending in and not standing out. But the lecture meant different things to different people.

Cowboy hats. Big belt buckles = Yankees.

Or, pin stripped suit, wing tips = Southerner?

Or, khaki's, docksiders, plaid shirt = Johnny Reb.


I'm just commenting on how the stereotypical dress of an American most likely from the South would get them labeled, over seas, as one thing they'd never identify themselves as; a yankee.

 

[Gilligan]

LOL...true stuff. Back in the late 80s when I started working and living part-time in Norway, my Norwegian gf went to some lengths to de-Americanize me (clothes, footwear, eating habits..) so I would blend in at least enough to avoid embarrassing her in public too often. ;-)

 

[Monello]

I'm just commenting on how the stereotypical dress of an American most likely from the South would get them labeled, over seas, as one thing they'd never identify themselves as; a yankee.

Yankee is a universal overseas term for American. I'm not sure why but it is. Back in the Reagan days there were a few local protests at joint US/foreign bases against the nuclear build up. A common chant was Yankee go home. I saw it spray painted on walls around bases. I remember seeing it spelled as Yanqui, but I forget what country that was. So it didn't matter where you originated from, we were all lumped in together.

 

[Larry Gude]

Yankee is a universal overseas term for American. I'm not sure why but it is. Back in the Reagan days there were a few local protests at joint US/foreign bases against the nuclear build up. A common chant was Yankee go home. I saw it spray painted on walls around bases. I remember seeing it spelled as Yanqui, but I forget what country that was. So it didn't matter where you originated from, we were all lumped in together.

Oh, I know that. I get that. It was just funny, as an American, seeing cowboy hats and belt buckles in context of being a Yankee. It is illustrative. Just as we really have no real clue about who is who in Iraq and Afghanistan, other nations do the same; lump us all together even when there are very real, very deep differences.

 

[Monello]

LOL...true stuff. Back in the late 80s when I started working and living part-time in Norway, my Norwegian gf went to some lengths to de-Americanize me (clothes, footwear, eating habits..) so I would blend in at least enough to avoid embarrassing her in public too often. ;-)

The US military had a weeklong program for new arrivals called cultural indoc. 3 days of class room do's & don't followed by a 2 - 1 day field trips. The outings were interesting as they showed us how to get food or drink at a café or showed us how to read the train schedule. Imagine my shock when I saw in an Italian tavola caldo something labeled as Arincini al Burro. I thought burro was like the Spanish word for donkey. I figured they had some donkey meat in this fried rice ball. Turns out burro is the Italian word for butter.

In the end using common sense made an overseas tour enjoyable. What also surprised me was how many of my co-workers would save up leave and fly back to the US to take an extended vacation. Many had no interest in seeing the sights of Europe and craved a big mac, sweet & sour chicken or crappy chain pizza.

 

[Monello]

Oh, I know that. I get that. It was just funny, as an American, seeing cowboy hats and belt buckles in context of being a Yankee. It is illustrative. Just as we really have no real clue about who is who in Iraq and Afghanistan, other nations do the same; lump us all together even when there are very real, very deep differences.

Sort of the same thing where different Asian cultures can tell by looking at someone their country of origin. Other than knowing they are from Asian, I can't tell the difference between folks from China, Japan & Korea.

 

[Larry Gude]

Sort of the same thing where different Asian cultures can tell by looking at someone their country of origin. Other than knowing they are from Asian, I can't tell the difference between folks from China, Japan & Korea.

And you'd agree they are VERY different, yes?

It's just an observation as to how much people are alike the world over.

 

[Merlin99]

13. We speak English. Only. And we expect everyone else to, as well.

And if they still haven't understood, say it louder and slower.

 

[Monello]

And if they still haven't understood, say it louder and slower.

While exaggerating your facial features while you do it.

 

[Monello]

And you'd agree they are VERY different, yes?

Not any difference that I notice. Stereotypes aside, all 3 groups are small in stature, somewhat polite, dress conservatively, eat with chopsticks and are fairly capable mathematicians.

 

[Gilligan]

And if they still haven't understood, say it louder and slower.

And try to emulate the broken english of your target audience. Reverting to heavily-accented stilted pidgin engrish makes you much easier for them to understand.

 

[itsbob]

In my military overseas days it was the cowboy hats and hub cap sized belt buckles that gave away a yankee. Always asking for ketchup was another red flag.



USA, USA, USA

friend of mine from High School posts pictures to his Facebook from Paris.. He's posing in the streets, in front of the Eiffel Tower.. replete in his Harley Doo-Rag and his cut off Harley Sweat Shirt.. All I could think was "C'mon dude, show a little f'n class!!"

I can just imagine how many people walked by him and muttered under their breath "Stupid F'n American!!"

 

[Larry Gude]

Not any difference that I notice. Stereotypes aside, all 3 groups are small in stature, somewhat polite, dress conservatively, eat with chopsticks and are fairly capable mathematicians.

Interesting. I was under the impression they are pretty different.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Sort of the same thing where different Asian cultures can tell by looking at someone their country of origin. Other than knowing they are from Asian, I can't tell the difference between folks from China, Japan & Korea.

A friend of mine who lived in Taiwan until he was 22 says he cannot tell the difference by appearance, only when they speak he knows.

 

[acommondisaster]

A friend of mine who lived in Taiwan until he was 22 says he cannot tell the difference by appearance, only when they speak he knows.

Seriously? I think there's a lot of difference; especially Japanese are easy to spot. I'm not quite as good at telling Korean from Chinese (I think because the Chinese is such a large swath of people...and NO they are not all small in stature).