Some things are even more American than baseball and apple pie.
The concept of "American exceptionalism" is usually associated with the idea that the United States is special and in some way superior to other nations, but there is another way to see it. Like other countries, there are things that are unique to the U.S., many of which we may now know are exceptionally American.
There are some obvious things we know are unique to us, such as referring to the game where you kick a ball into a goal as soccer, rather than football. There are also some of our nonsensical sayings, such as “See ya later, alligator,” or “Put your John Hancock on it,” that you won't hear anywhere else. However, there are also some specific aspects of American culture that are so American, most of us don't even realize they aren’t widely adopted elsewhere.
What besides our flag is unique to America?Photo credit: Canva
People on Reddit have asked multiple versions of "What is something Americans don't realize are very American things?" and the responses are eye-opening.
Here are 16 things many Americans don’t realize are an ‘American thing’:
1. Medical commercials
"I’ve heard that other countries don’t have commercials for medications."
"True in a lot of Europe, at least. You get what doctors prescribed you, that's it. You will see ads for some over the counter medication though, like antacids and ibuprofen."
2. Garbage disposals
"In-sink garbage disposers."
S'mores aren't s'mores without graham crackers.Photo credit: Canva
3. Graham crackers
"Graham crackers. I was telling some Aussies about s'mores and then had to stop and tell them about graham crackers."
"In the UK, we just use chocolate digestives."
4. Miracle Whip
"I recently realized Miracle Whip is a North American thing. For those who aren't familiar, Miracle Whip is often used as an alternative to mayonnaise, on sandwiches and in some salads & such. I've heard it's similar to salad cream in the UK. A lot of people say they don't like Miracle Whip, but I actually like it, at least in certain things."
5. Air conditioning everywhere
"Baffles me that most Europeans don’t have it. I don’t care if you 'don’t need it' most of the year, I can’t imagine not having control over the temperature of my own home. It’s almost never the perfect temp outside."
"The weird thing is it’s not just places like U.K. and Germany that don’t have it, they don’t even have it in Spain and Italy where it gets just as hot as the deep south!"
We even have a song about red Solo cupsPhoto credit: Canva
6. Red Solo cups
"Red Solo Cups really aren't a thing outside of the USA, except for explicit 'USA Theme' parties in Europe."
"They’re very handy. The bottom line is for single drinks, the second line is for mixed drinks, and the top line is for non-alcoholic drinks like soda, iced tea, lemonade, etc."
7. Athletic shoes
"Wearing athletic shoes everywhere."
"Look, after growing up watching Bourne, James Bond, and the Mission Impossible films, I’m convinced I need to be ready to engage in a high speed foot chance at any moment."
8. Window screens
"My sister lives in Australia. I can't tell you the number of times she's told me they just leave their doors and windows wide open and have had to chase things out or scare them off. I'm always like, wtf!! We have mosquitoes the size of airplanes here, and that alone is enough to make me NEED screens. I can't imagine living somewhere where everything wants to kill you and practically inviting them in for coffee."
9. Leaning on things
"What's this? The way we stand to the side when we talk? Isn't that normal?"
"It's not abnormal but I think Americans do it slightly more. People often say its Americans leaning AGAINST things, but I've always noticed that Americans more lean on one leg? If that makes sense? That's not to say other cultures don't do it (I do for sure), but that Americans do it more."
Americans do love their baseball caps.Photo credit: Canva
10. Baseball caps
"Wearing baseball caps all the time, all ages, all places."
"Wearing them faced the wrong way is usually what gets me. And then shielding your eyes with your hand. If only there was a solution for that."
11. Massive water bottles
"Carrying a gallon of water with you everywhere you go."
"Well, we do not have free water fountains everywhere and I am not paying $3 for a bottle of water."
12. Embracing ancestry
"I'm Polish because my grand-grand-grandmother from my dad side was from there."
"Americans view it differently. Stating your heritage is more akin to...a mix of zodiac sign combined with the holidays your grandma would let you drink on. But to be fair, we have millions of US citizens who were born in different countries, and I fully support them identifying how they choose."
13. Military idolatry
"In most places, you don't get special treatment because you joined the army. That was just a job. There's no such thing as "stolen valour" (already a weird phrase, implying that joining the army is valorous in general)."
Ranch dressing is quintessentially American.Photo credit: Canva
14. Peanut butter and ranch dressing
"Apparently Ranch dressing and peanut butter lol. Love both but they're not readily available or enjoyed outside the U.S."
"First one I've seen that I genuinely had no idea was American. Do other countries just not consume much peanut butter, or is it completely foreign?"
"I had an exchange student as a friend, all he wanted to eat was PB&J lol."
15. Fear of police
"Not talking to cops. And not getting out of the car when you get pulled over. Cops in other countries aren’t (usually) your enemy, and will listen. And (makes sense), what cop wouldn’t want the driver out of the car so they can’t speed off?"
16. High school and college grade names
"The terms freshman, sophomore, senior, etc. What do they mean?!"
"As an American these terms always confused me too, why can't we just say the grades, 9, 10, 11, 12.. Or first year of college second year, etc.."
It's always good to travel outside of your own country to see how much we all share in common and also how many things we do differently. Not only does it help you get to know other countries and cultures, but it can also help you get to know your own even better.
This article originally appeared in June.