Top 10 Things Europeans Find Strange About America

[thetopher]

- US supermarkets not selling spirits is odd. Plus the fact that in the US the off-licenses put booze in brown paper bags. No-one must be seen to be buying wine, apparently.

2. Why is BBC always going in like every country??

I think it seels its channel to foreign networks. The Beeb is always grasping for money even though its tax-payer funded. And yes, even if you don't ever watch those channels you still have to pay if you have a TV.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

- US supermarkets not selling spirits is odd. Plus the fact that in the US the off-licenses put booze in brown paper bags. No-one must be seen to be buying wine, apparently.

We are God fearing folk... that’s why. 😛 Gotta hide your sins.

 

[Taake]

Scoffs at the whole collective "European" thing
Laughs at #7

As for #10. Standard greeting here too, I still shiver with displeasure remembering that time I said "hey, how are you?" to a co-worker, whom I barely knew at all by the way, and instead of the normal "fine" he was all "Me and my wife decided to get divorced this weekend"



Oookay then... I'll just, awkwardly stand here and wait for the elevator with you now.

2. Why is BBC always going in like every country?? I could be in Italy or France or Germany and I will always find like 3 BBC channels. Don’t Italy or France or Germany have their own big news conglomerate?

Because CNN got a lot of complaints from Swedish viewers about being too crude. 😛
I actually read that somewhere. Apparently they got removed from a family friendly cable package due to complaints.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

I still shiver with displeasure remembering that time I said "hey, how are you?" to a co-worker, whom I barely knew at all by the way, and instead of the normal "fine" he was all "Me and my wife decided to get divorced this weekend"

That's when you say "hot damn! You're single. My wish has been granted! What time you want me to come over tonight?"

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Scoffs at the whole collective "European" thing

/this

I mean, the EU has been working very hard to establish a common European identity, but it not really going very well, is it? And we were never in the club to begin with.

 

[Skanky Vamp]

And we were never in the club to begin with.

Right, wrong or indifferent, when I read that this is what popped in my head

 

[brinkster130]

I dont watch the vids from my phone, whats the top 10 list?

I don't remember the order but here they are:
-Greeting people with "hi, how are you?" but not really expecting a convo
-Tipping
-Healthcare system
-College being $
-Being super patriotic
-Drinking laws
-Not using the metric system
-Price tags list the amount BEFORE tax
- Pharmacies are also convenience stores
-Little vacation time


I think the laws allowing for the sale of alcohol are odd. I couldn't imagine living someplace where I had to go to multiple stores to buy groceries, wine, and liquor.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

I think the laws allowing for the sale of alcohol are odd. I couldn't imagine living someplace where I had to go to multiple stores to buy groceries, wine, and liquor.

In Norway, wine and liquor are sold in special stores owned by the government. In the county where I grew up, there were also special shops for beer until very recently, but not beer that were as strong as wine, because they were only sold in the government owned shops.

 

[ILLYRIAN]

That list was made by American's who have little or no idea what is. Europeans don't normally bother about the country next to them or what the people in those countries do.
The reason why Europeans think so little of America is mainly because the President keep making ludicrous comments on twitter, the last one was that the side of the cyclone was going to make everywhere so wet, and that was mainly due to the rain.
I wouldn't have a clue how the person in the street lives.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

I think the laws allowing for the sale of alcohol are odd. I couldn't imagine living someplace where I had to go to multiple stores to buy groceries, wine, and liquor.

Wait but does Cali sell liquor at grocery stores?

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

13. Why is the deal with taboo words? Why is the "F-bomb" in particular so bad? How come Spike can swear as much as he wants, as long as he sticks to British terms or misogynist and homophobic slurs? I would christen this the Pinkman-paradox.

Spike can say whatever he wants because no US censor has a clue about the "Berkley Hunt" or any other rhyming slang. I always know when a fanfic is written by an English person.. they're the ones using the UK based slang right.

F bombs are mostly an issue because a certain portion of the US populace are prudes. People in other developed countries worry more about guns than swearing. Never did get it. Swearing only bothers me when people hurl abuse *at* others - it is insults, disrespect and meanness not "bad words" that I find truly offensive.

 

[Mrs Gordo]

In Texas, our grocery stores don't sell liquor. Beer and wine only. For liquor we need to go to a liquor store. Like Specs. And there are all sorts of weird laws about what times you can sell alcohol. Liqour stores cannot sell liquor on Sunday, but after noon on Sundays, bars and restaurants can sell alcoholic drinks, and stores can sell beer and wine.

I heard it was all Ted Cruz's fault. If people don't like it they should vote for Beto.

 

[DeepBlueJoy]

I must be american. I like ice. Then again, i drink tea all day. Meh! I think i'm just confused! Shrugs.

Cold, cold water.
Boiling hot tea.

Take what you need, leave the rest!

 

[Anyanka Bunny Slayer]

12. Talking on speaker phone or singing in public. Who even calls someone on the phone anymore, let alone on speaker phone?

Other than telepathy or smoke signals, I can't think of any other option. 😛

Americans have this funny polite voice thing they do when they don't know you, where they call you Sir and whatever, but when you get to know them, they swear like sailors.

Ah ha!! You noticed that! 😂

 

[ILLYRIAN]

Good grief no, whatever you do don't send smoke signals. The nation that did and saved the Americans from starvation sent smoke signals and the Americans thanked them by almost killing all of them. Like NeddaSai said, Carrier pigeons.

 

[November]

-Greeting people with "hi, how are you?" but not really expecting a convo

This one is confusing to me haha, possibly because I spent so much time in therapy. It is commonly used in Oz too, as is "you alright?" from the pommies. I get stumped.

I am good with "Howsit goin'?" Cos I know the answer to that, either "yeah good, mate" or "yeah.. nah".

 

[Skanky Vamp]

Other than telepathy or smoke signals, I can't think of any other option. 😛

In polite society normal people text. So that they can have a private conversation while concurrently reducing the risk of making eye contact and/or perhaps having an actual conversation with a stranger.

 

[Taake]

In polite society normal people text. So that they can have a private conversation while concurrently reducing the risk of making eye contact and/or perhaps having an actual conversation with a stranger.

It also helps them have a conversation about the strangers around them, and how annoying they are, without the strangers knowing. That way you can stew in your righteous annoyance but not attempt to make whatever is annoying you better. I did it today! Feels great 😉

 

[Skanky Vamp]

That way you can stew in your righteous annoyance but not attempt to make whatever is annoying you better. I did it today! Feels great 😉

I dub thee honorary American. Rise, Citizen Tooker, and complain about... whatever.

 

[WillowFromBuffy]

Other than telepathy or smoke signals, I can't think of any other option. 😛

Sane people text. Speaker phone is for literal psychopaths.