We have already told you about typically american stuff, even if the Americans themselves do not realize it. Now let’s get to all those things that are anything but American. Those that we accept everywhere else, but which are strange to the ears of our dear Americans (yes, this word does not really exist).
1. Store eggs outside the refrigerator
In the vast majority of countries, eggs can be stored outside the refrigerator without any problem. On the other hand, in the USA, it is quite simply inconceivable. The reason ? A very common food poisoning: salmonellosis, which can easily be found on shells with chicken droppings. The Americans are therefore obliged to clean them, but that removes the protective layer of the shell. So, why is it more risky across the Atlantic than at home, you will ask me? Well… In France, chickens are simply vaccinated against the disease. No need, therefore, to wash them and put them in the fridge!
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2. Do not ask travelers if they are terrorists
More exactly, if they already have been involved in espionage, genocide, terrorism or were allies of Nazi Germany during World War II.“. Ok, these are really weird questions that are rarely answered “yes”, and it’s a pretty flawed counter-terrorism system. But you still have to understand… This questionnaire, put to travelers arriving on American soil, follows the attacks of September 11, 2001, responsible for the death of several thousand people. A real trauma, which explains why, in the USA, it is inconceivable to let in anyone capable of answering “yes” to these questions.
3. Serve reasonably sized burgers
In the land of XXL, a burger is equivalent to 15 burgers everywhere else (I’m barely extrapolating). They must not understand well when they go to a Mcdo abroad… When the Maxi Best of Menu is the size of an appetizer. Oupsie.
4. Have opening/closing times for stores
In the States, most stores are open 24/7. Too strange for other countries to have moments of rest in your days… Nah, but it’s not going well, or what???
5. Not celebrating Thanksgiving
In the United States, IM-PO-SSIBLE not to celebrate the fourth Thursday of November! Even more than at Christmas, the inhabitants get together as a family, around huge meals and traditional dishes (roast turkey, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce and a pumpkin pie), to express their gratitude and their happiness. Too cute. Suffice to say that over there, not being part of it is clearly being weird. In other countries, don’t celebrate Thanksgiving, well… It’s normal, really.
6. Don’t shove pumpkin all over the place
Speaking of pumpkin pie… Americans love “Pumpkin spice” and don’t give a shit about it everywhere. In their coffee, their pie, and even… In their Oreos. Yes yes.
7. Talking about “football” to talk about “soccer”
If you propose a game of “football” to your American colleagues, then you come back with a round ball… OUH LA BOULETETTE. We risk taking you for someone who came straight from another planet. Or just another country, actually. With the exception of a few other English-speaking territories, “foot” generally refers to “soccer” and not “American football”.
8. Not being able to get a weapon easily
Wow but yes, too weird not to let anyone collect weapons to kill… Would miss them having unarmed police, too, right? Oh, wait….
9. Display prices including taxes
Ok, this is not true for all the rest of the world, but still, in a majority of countries, the price displayed on the shelves is the same as at the checkout. In the USA, this is simply impossible. The prices displayed are necessarily the prices without taxes, and the checkout systematically hurts more than expected!
10. Speak in Celsius, not Fahrenheit
Only the USA, the Cayman Islands, Liberia and Belize have adopted this system. In Canada, it can be used as a complementary scale. Using Celsius across the Atlantic is nope. Everywhere else is normal.
11. Do not entrust your credit card to the server
We usually ask for the bill and then move to the counter or ask the waiter to bring us a TPE. But we jamaaaaais never entrust our card, like that, to the staff of a restaurant, so that they operate the payment for us. Well, in the US, it would be weird to do that. There, we put our credit card in a small case, and we let the waiter charge us, away from all eyes and control. It’s beautiful, this degree of confidence.
12. Say “zed” the letter “z” (not “zee”)
For this point, we will only make a comparison with other English-speaking countries, otherwise it makes no sense. (No, because in Spanish for example, we say “ceta”, which has absolutely nothing to do with grub). In England or Ireland, for example, it is pronounced “zed”. The British “zed,” which dates back to the 1400s, is actually the older of the two pronunciations. It comes from Latin and Greek, which pronounced the “z”, “zeta”. If we pronounce “zee” in the USA (since 1677), it is quite simply to “respect” the “ee” effect of the alphabet (bee, cee, dee, ee, gee,…). This pronunciation was really adopted in the 1800s, with the mythical song of Charles Bradlee, who preferred the “zee” to the “zed” to rhyme with “sing with me”. There you go, you know everything. Saying “zed” is not weird anywhere, EXCEPT… In the USA.
13. Do not display excessive patriotism
Americans love their country, and above all love to show it off. Really. Walk anywhere in the country, and you will come across American flags on every street. All. Without any exception. There is absolutely only there, that not displaying his excessive love for his homeland is weird. In the rest of the world, putting the flag of his country in his garden, on each of his balconies, on his garage and the back of his car, it’s more freaking than anything else.
