The big dumb cars that seem to be infecting the world.
Asking “so what do you do for a living?” when meeting someone new as if their job defines them. It’s one of the first questions Americans will ask someone when meeting them for the first time. I am American, but as I understand it, this question is far less common elsewhere in the world.
I ask, “So what do you do?”
If they answer with hobbies and interests, they’re more my kind of person. If they answer with their job stuff, well that’s just their main life thing.
If you ask an American they will assume you MEAN their job, whether it’s their “main life thing” or not, because that’s how people talk here
Depends on where in America, too. It literally is question #1 in D.C., but has been less so elsewhere, in my experience.
This has always gotten under my skin as well. I generally downplay it to make my job sound as common as possible, and I do not return the question. What I do for money has very little influence on who I am or what I enjoy.
I just ask, in a screaming tone, WHO DOES NUMBER TWO WORK FOR???
They usually just look at me, and assume there’s been some kind of language barrier. Nope. I’m just referencing an obscure scene that nobody remembers from Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. A film that came out in 1997. So a lot of people these days weren’t even BORN when that movie came out.
Can we get a courtesy flush?
new account - check
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inflammatory post - check.
deleted account - TBD…
Saying “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”. Annoyingly incorrect but not exactly a critical issue.
Oh we non-idiot Americans find the doofuses who do that annoying too
I think the best response, because it amuses me greatly, is to reply simply with “as if”
I wait to see if they figure out that I’m just pointing out 2 words they missed saying at the beginning of that phrase to make it resemble what they intended.
I mean, I could care less, but calculating exactly how little I care would take more effort than I care to give.
Having to answer constant questions about Americans.
Pretending they’re well travelled by bragging about how many states they’ve visited.
I certainly wouldn’t call that “well-traveled” and bragging is kinda dumb in general, but it is worth pointing out that the US does have a huge diversity of different cultures, demographics, and environs in different states (so much so that they can often feel like different countries), so it’s perhaps not as quaint as it sounds. It’s not like traveling within a European country. Much closer to traveling within the EU.
Still would never call that being “well-traveled”, though.
Yo, I went to South Korea once¹
¹been at airport waiting for a transfer flight to the US
But okay for real, I’ve been to China.² I’m a legit international traveller! 😏
²Was born there lol. Does immigration to the US technically count as “travelling”?
The obsession with brands. Insisting off brand medication is different when it literally HAS to be the same.
Thinking cheaper automatically means you’re getting more value out of something, (example: I got this whole cake that can feed 10 people for $15 bucks!) ignoring the quality of that thing.
Thinking something expensive automatically means you’re getting something of better quality (example: This bottle of wine is over $100. It’s definitely better than one that uses much better methods of wine production that only costs $20).
Basically, my beef is with Americans having little sense of discernment and/or lack of good taste.
I reject the assertion that this is an American thing… I’ve been in enough other countries and they’re all mostly consumerist cultures that care more about perceived social value than actual quality.
Perhaps, but America is known to export their “culture”, including consumerism. Maybe it’s tainting the world at large…
Comparing everything to their insignificant home town.
“Wow! Ancient aqueducts! We don’t have that back in Springfield, but we have faster table service.”
Okaaaay…
The same variety every country finds annoying about tourists from different cultures because foreigners. Loud, demanding, not obeying local social cues or courtesies, not speaking any of the language, walking too slow because tourist, crowding, messing up local living conditions thanks to vacation rentals, drunks, etc.
Eating with only a fork instead of knife and fork. Cutting the food into pieces first, then shifting the fork to the right hand and eating the pieces like a toddler.
Do toddlers where you are keep a hand free to multi-task, be available to lend a hand where needed, or use a napkin?
Or is dedicating both hands to stuffing your face the more toddler-like method? Maybe think before you fling shit.
You can put the knife down when needed, Janice. It’s not rocket science.
We do. That’s exactly what the “toddler”-insulter is lambasting.
I’m American, but I’ve heard in a lot of countries they hate how we start talking to someone who is still kind of far away. Like when your friend is approaching from the other direction and you say “Hey, how’s it going?” but you have to talk more loudly because he’s several paces away.
Treating their assumptions about others as facts.
Being Northern Irish I see this a lot. Always about The Troubles, Political Identity, and the modern working of Northern Ireland.
When Michelle O’Neill became First Minister all the plastic Paddy’s came out the woodwork to say that Ireland would be united in 5 years time.
Despite Unionists still holding the majority of seats, the larger share of votes, and British being the most popular political identity.
Saying the state or city they’re from when asked where they are from…like the world should know what a Jackson is.
pancake and honey on it
