When Americans travel they often get the question, โSo, youโre an American?โ Yes, it can be that obvious. Read below for the tell-tale signs that give it away when Americans travel internationally. Letโs begin with:
You demand cold drinks
For example, whenever you ask for a glass of soda, youโre always given either a glass of soda (sans ice) and you promptly ask for ice or youโre given a glass of ice because they already know youโre going to ask for it.
Can you relate with these signs?
Wearing a baseball cap
During an appearance on a local British talk show, there was one thing British actress Emily Blunt told her American husband, John Krasinski, not to do while in the UK. Donโt wear a baseball hat because โitโs so American!โ Americans are usually the only ones who wear baseball caps whenever they travel. It may be cool for them but a sure sign for locals that youโre an American and they will treat you like a foreigner hence less immersion in their culture.
Source:
Pexels - Jimmy Jimmy
White socks
White socks are almost unheard of in Europe. The color of the socks you wear directly corresponds to the color of the pants you wear. Now if you were wearing athletic wear during your travels, then yes, white socks will go with it. However, do you really want to wear athletic daily during your travel?
Source:
Pexels - cottonbro studio
Perfectly aligned teeth
Americans are obsessed with perfectly white and aligned teeth. Thatโs why braces have become like a rite of passage during adolescence. Thatโs why, when theyโre in Europe or other countries, itโs easy to spot Americans because of their perfect teeth.
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Pexels - Alexander Krivitskiy
Clapping at everything
Americans clap at everything. When they see a server magically save glasses from falling down, they clap. When thereโs a street performance they see that they like, they clap. Not only that, they shout as loud as they can as well. Only Americans do this.
Source:
Pexels - cottonbro studio
Using American Slang
Other people will know youโre American with your replies, especially if you greet them with American slang like โbro,โ โbrah,โ and โdude.โ People from other countries will not respond to American slang. Even if they do, they will always reply with a laugh. When youโre in a different country, itโs better to talk like the locals.
Source:
Pexels - Allan Mas
Fanny packs
When in America, Americans donโt wear fanny packs. However, the rules change when they travel to other countries. Fanny packs come out because theyโre quite practical. Theyโre ugly but practical.
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Pexels - atiq rehman
Whatโs FIFA?
When Americans think of football, they automatically think of players rough playing and tackling each other. For the rest of the world, football involves kicking a ball across the field with no tackling. Americans are annoyed that football means anything else other than the sport they know. Thatโs also why they miss out on events like FIFA.
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Pexels - Andre Pombal
Eating on the go
Americans are always eating on the go. If they can carry it in one hand and eat it while they walk, theyโll take it. Since they want to see as much as they could while on vacation, they eat food they can eat while they go to their next destination.
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Pexels - Taryn Elliott
A visit to McDonaldโs
No matter how much Americans want to taste local food, they still gravitate towards McDonaldโs wherever they see it. Itโs even almost a must when youโre traveling with young kids. Although, there are also Americans who canโt or wonโt try local food and only want to eat American food, thus the daily trips to McDonaldโs.
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Pexels - Robi Pastores
Getting drunk
Because European countries donโt really have a strict age limit on drinking, they have learned to drink responsibly while still young. This is very different from Americans who have to wait until theyโre 21 to drink alcohol. Because they have to wait, they tend to overconsume and get drunk easily. When you spot someone getting drunk easily, theyโll most likely be American.
Source:
Pexels - RODNAE Productions
Shocked by nudity
Americans can be quite prudish. Thatโs why when they see โshocking performancesโ in other countries, they are, well, shocked to their core. Plus they obsess over these performances. If youโre looking for an American among these performances, look for the one with big shocks on their faces.
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Pexels - Andrea Piacquadio
Small talk
Americans love to talk to locals. They will strike up a conversation with anyone they find interesting. To be polite, the other person will smile and nod, hoping theyโll eventually go away. Unfortunately, Americans take this as a sign that the stranger still wants to talk so they talk even more and the conversation becomes endless.
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Pexels - George Pak
TMI
Because they love their small talk, Americans end up telling too much. TMI much? Theyโre in the zone though and itโs so hard for them to stop unless the other person tells them to stop.
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Pexels - Jopwell
Men wearing shorts
Do you know who wears shorts? Young local boys and American men. Local men usually wear different types of pants. They never wear shorts outside of the beach. Americans wear shorts every day when they travel. So easy to spot!
Source:
Pexels - fauxels
Always tipping
Tipping is already a tradition in America. Itโs already ingrained in their psyche so wherever they are, they tend to tip everyone. For them, itโs a way to appreciate the service or product of the other person. However, there are some who find this unnecessary or even insulting. So know who and when to tip.
Source:
Pexels - RODNAE Productions
Your American accent
Even if youโve never done any of the above things, thereโs still one major giveaway that youโre an American. Itโs your accent. An American accent is undeniable and can be spotted from miles away.
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Pexels - cottonbro studio
Disguising your accent
Whatโs worse though is trying to disguise your American accent and trying the local accent. It just comes across as trying too hard and very unauthentic. Next time, just try speaking their language. The locals will appreciate it even more.
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Pexels - fauxels
Speak English only
When youโre in a foreign country, a lot of Americans think everyone knows English so they donโt bother learning the local language. Then they get frustrated no one understands them. People in other countries may know several languages but it doesnโt automatically mean that English is one of them.
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Pexels - Andrea Piacquadio
Not knowing the traditions
Americans tend not to learn the customs of a town or country before they visit. Thatโs why a lot of them get into trouble because theyโve done something offensive. A simple innocent act can be offensive in another country. Itโs usually Americans who violate this rule.
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Pexels - Aditya Agarwal
Long-lost strangers
When Americans meet other Americans abroad, they scream so loud as if theyโve just met a long-lost friend or family member. Theyโre not though. Theyโre strangers. They just rejoice at the fact that they have seen familiar people in an unfamiliar land.
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Pexels - Diana Titenko
Coffee to go
In countries like France and Italy, coffee is meant to be savored. How do you know an American is drinking it? When they order their coffee to go. Sit down and enjoy your espresso, bro!
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Pexels - Bradley Hook
Hand sanitizer routine
Hand sanitizers have become a permanent part of an American travelerโs handbag. Especially when itโs time to eat, theyโll whip out their hand sanitizer faster than you can say clean. Americans arenโt germophobes but it just seems theyโre so fascinated by killing them.
Source:
Pexels - cottonbro studio
Graphic tees
Americans love to show off their personality, their passion, their interests, and their causes with their shirts. The truth is only Americans care about this. People abroad wear fashionable attire. If youโre looking for an American, spot the tourist with the statement shirt.
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Pexels - Displaced by Design
Patriots
Being a patriot is a good thing. Loving your country is a good thing. However, when you suddenly connect the good olโ USA to just about anything (even if doesnโt make sense), thatโs when things can go awry. The locals donโt really care, especially if they love their own country, too.
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Pexels - Sawyer Sutton
Messy hotel room
More often than not, Americans leave behind messy hotel rooms. Housekeeping staff can attest to it. There are clothes and towels everywhere. The bed is unmade with the cover hanging off the bed. There is trash and luggages everywhere. Only Americans mostly do this.
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Instagram - Anna Tsvell
No sense of space
Because Americans are used to big spaces back in their country, they are not aware of the amount of space they occupy in other countries. They take up the whole sidewalk while so many people walk past them and around them. Unfortunately, Americans get shouted by locals, even if they donโt want to, because theyโre always blocking everybody elseโs way.
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Pexels - Tim Gouw
Packing the entire house
Few Americans can practice the concept of packing light, especially when going abroad. They usually carry big luggages. Their luggages are sometimes even bigger than them!
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Pexels - Vlada Karpovich
More time on the phone
Americans can be obsessed with their phones. Sometimes, they spend a lot of time on it than their travel companions while traveling. Americans are just too preoccupied with their phones that they miss out on actually experiencing the local scene.
Source:
Pexels - Andrea Piacquadio
Preoccupied with selfies
Thereโs nothing wrong with selfies. Even Europeans take loads of selfies every day. However, if you are spending too much time obsessing over how you looked in your selfie photos instead of appreciating the place youโre visiting, youโre taking too many selfies. When you take out your selfie stick, thatโs a dead giveaway, thatโs an American.
Source:
Pexels - Tommy Huang
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