Monday, August 17, 2020

AskReddit Thread: Weirdest Habits In The U.S.


Someone on AskReddit got a thread going about some of the weirdest customs in the U.S. that the rest of the world quite simply, doesn't understand. Some social customs are harder to get used to than others. For a similar thread check out some non-Americans biggest culture shocks when coming to America.

1.

Text - Master-Manipulation • 4d According to my parents, it was people giving them thumbs up. In their country of origin, thumbs up = middle finger in the US. So they kept jumping thinking they were being flipped off by random people. Took years for them to get used to it and understand no one was trying to insult them. Reply 1 5.2k ...

2.

Text - mokshmoon • 4d As a woman when I first moved to the US, felt like there was something wrong with me because I didn't do my nails, or color my hair, or wear makeup like my friends did. The way I grew up, women who were not celebrities didn't do stuff like that at that frequency. I felt like maybe I wasn't feminine enough because those things seemed so tied to femininity.

3.

Text - meh2557 • 4d A friend of mine is Russian. Her parents came to Russia and was still getting used to America. In Russia when you are pulled over by the police you get of the car and walk over to them. Her dad got pulled over and so he got out and started walking towards them. He didn't know you are supposed to stay in the car. He learned that lesson very quickly.

4.

Text - make_reddit_great • 4d 3 1 Award My immigrant wife has had to learn not to publicly state any broad generalizations whatsoever about racial/ ethnic groups. Such things are commonly said in other countries but are less acceptable in the U.S. Reply 1.5k

5.

Text - Spiralstatic32 • 4d 1 Award There is a toot-your-own-horn culture here in my experience that I find hard to deal with, especially in the workplace. It's not usually a typical someone saying they're good at something, it's more about making themselves out to be better and top-dog. I'm from the UK and l'd say we are kind of modest. Also, writing the date, I just can't get used to writing it with the month first. Reply 752

6.

Text - soulsista12 • 4d Not a social custom, but wheni returned from my study abroad in Europe back to the US, I realized how enormous everything is here. The houses, cars, stores, drinks, food portions, and unfortunately many of the people. Reply 269 ...

7.

Text - BillHader2247 • 4d Only lived there for five months for exchange. I'm from Scotland, and we use the word c*nt often as a term of endearment. You will know when it is NOT being used as a term of endearment, it's all about tone. My first week in the country I went to a house party where I said c*nt casually in conversation. I'm not joking when I say everyone stopped their conversations and stared at me. One girl was properly glaring at me and then told me to apologise to the person I was ta

8.

Text - Snoo_47873 • 4d I still don't know how to get invited to parties, so there's that. Also the drug TV ads with the long disclaimers while showing video of happy people living their lives. Really weird. Reply 3.9k ...

9.

Text - fidelkastro • 4d Keeping my shoes on when walking into someone's home. I feel like a barbarian Reply 1.2k ...

10.

Text - fizzy_eyes • 4d Gaps under public toilet doors. Why are they so high up... Why are there gaps between the doors..? Reply 26 ...

11.

Text - Paddington3773 •4d My wife is an immigrant so l'll pass on a couple that she struggled with. Potluck dinners. Inviting people over to your house for a meal and then telling them to bring the food just isn't culturally acceptable in her background. She understands how the variety of foods can be exceptional and the amount of food automatically adjusts to the number of people, but it's a cultural form of hospitality that runs counter to offering what you have to your guests. The way many Am

12.

Text - hills2019 • 4d Not hugging, kissing on cheek or handshake when saying hi to family. I'm from South America. Reply 2.5k ...

13.

Text - PrisonMike2020 • 4d Flags everywhere. Asking how we're doing rhetorically and being burdened by having to listen to the answer. Bragging about working while being sick as a dog Bragging about avoiding doctors/medical care MLMS Reply 118

14.

Text - ssatyd • 4d Carpet everywhere. I thought at first I had that beige, slightly too fluffy standard issue carpet in my first apartment because it was cheap and in a shitty area. Moved to a nicer place, still carpet. Visited relatives who have a really nice 5BR house in the best part of town: the same carpet! Add to that what someone already posted, that people don't take their shoes off, I am still bewildered. And don't get me started on carpet at high traffic public spaces, like banks, offi

15.

Text - SteveBored • 4d I'm from New Zealand. Lack of vacation days. Weird as shit health system tied to employment. Food portions. Otherwise it is a pretty easy adjustment. Reply 1.8k ...

16.

Text - Zooty007 • 4d People saying they will pray for me. Either in agression to insult me by saying I need to be prayed for (as sometimes I can be an asshole or a victim of prejudice). Or, they are trying to be empathetic when told of a sad/ unfortunate situation. Of course I don't ever doubt that they'll remember. As a Canadian this sounds incredibly strange and intrusive. "I will pray for you" - it's creepy. It seems dishonest insofar as the motivation often seems self- serving, to boost thei

17.

Text - sick_sadlittleworld · 4d Saying "hi how are you?" to strangers and nobody actually answering the question. The size of food serving when going out to eat. Thanksgiving and black friday. And lastly, the fact that every form I have to fill out, they ask my race. I guess these are not technically social customs, or maybe they are, but I find all of the above very strange. Ugh, l'll never get used to living here. Reply 4.3k ...

18.

Text - |_Mow • 4d Walking into someone's house with your shoes on. And waving, everyone waves. Wasn't sure why. Did they think they knew me? Did they need help? Reply 119 ...

19.

Text - Theleas • 4d The weirdest thing to me was getting used to say "how are you doing" instead of hello. Reply 60 ...

20.

Text - bolyai • 4d Sales tax not being included in the price (got pretty used to it after 4 years, but it still occasionally caught me off guard). Healthcare bills. Tailgating on highway (even people complaining about tailgaters were themselves often tailgating). Porch sitting, people sitting on their porch and watching passers by. Distances (drove coast to coast, I thought it would never end). Most men being pretty knowledgable about cars. Drive thru ATMS, never stopped being funny to me for so

21.

Text - adometze • 4d The crazy giant gaps in bathroom stalls. It drives me insane. My partner told me that it's there to prevent people from doing drugs/having sex. But I still don't understand why I need to see everyone while I poop. I'm from Israel. Reply 1.2k ...

22.

Text - throaway212421 • 4d 1. Homelessness 2. Talking/asking about money 3. Asking you what you do for work Reply 28 ...

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