12 things every American has in their house, according to non-Americans
“This is the most wholesome I've felt about my country in a while.”
"You can never have too much BBQ sauce." – American
For a country that’s so diverse, America has some obvious cultural staples, especially visible to those who don't live in the U.S. Surprisingly—and thankfully—those staples don’t always conjure up a cringeworthy image of ignorance, bravado or unsavory politics.
Self-described “non-Americans” listed things that would be found in every American home, and a lot of the responses could remind Americans of what they might take for granted—whether it’s the ever-expanding variety of foodstuffs or appliances that make everyday life easier.
But perhaps more importantly, they could add a new level of appreciation (and perhaps a sigh of relief) given the amount of, let’s say, bad press the nation has been receiving as of late.
“This is the most wholesome I've felt about my country in a while,” noted one American after reading the thread.
The answers were also astonishingly accurate, as indicated by some of the comments.
“I haven't seen a single one I don't have tbh and I don't know how to feel about it lol,” wrote one American.
The answers were prompted by Reddit user Ryrylx, who asked, “Non-Americans, what do you think every American person has in their house?” to the online forum.
Below are 12 answers—along with a few funny confirmations from Americans—for your viewing pleasure.
1.
“Bbq sauce” — ThrewawayXxxX
“I have at least 5 varieties of BBQ sauce in my fridge at them moment, including 2 that are homemade 😆” — @Ruckbeat🇺🇸2.
“A switch that when you flick it it turns your sink into a blender.” — @Kingdom-Kome
To be clear, they’re talking about garbage disposals.
@ryder_patash added:
“I'm so astonished by it, like where the trash goes from there...I want to visit America just to experience that!” — @thatsabingou
3.
“Popcorn setting on their microwave!” — @someone_somewear
“Popcorn, pizza, and (oddly) potato.” — @ BracedRhombus 🇺🇸4.
“Apparently Americans are rather fond of Pickles and Peanut Butter. Is that a fair assumption to make?
Edit: I meant either or not both at the same time. ☠️” — tree_of_lies
“Yes. I have three kinds of peanut butter, and five kinds of pickles. I went and looked.” — judgymcjudgypants 🇺🇸5.
“Oh oh, the washing machines where you put everything in the top! This fascinated me when we visited the states. They’re huge!” — Tired3250
“Washer Collector Here. Automatic washers became popular in the US during the early 1950's, and you had your choice between front load & top load. Top loaders had larger capacity (important with the baby boom). Had higher spin speeds so drying time was faster (important when many didn't yet own a dryer). Went out of balance less often (not trying to distribute a sloshing horizontal load). Had very fast cycle times (clothes washed in 20 minutes). And clothes/detergent could be added at any time after start of cycle. Plus you don't have to stoop to get the clothes out.
In Europe, the constraints were different. Typically there was no dedicated laundry room or basement for the larger machine. Laundry tended to be done more frequently so capacity wasn't as much of a concern. Water was/is more expensive so a longer cycle time was acceptable for less consumption. And machine size was dictated by countertop height, as many were installed in kitchens out of convenience (and plumbing).” — @eldofever🇺🇸6.
"A sofa that faces a studio audience." — @AlterEdward
"When you walk into your living room and you hear the applause, it really helps you get through your day." — @donedmeat🇺🇸
7.
“Drywall....lots of drywall.” — @JoeTisseo
“It’s a staple of home renovation shows in the US because it’s so easy. Just knock all the walls down and make it an open floor plan!” — @drinkallthecoffee8.
“Large quantities of over-the-counter drugs in huge bottles.” — @Wombattalion
“Costco $3.99 for 500 Benadryl and $5.99 for 500 ibuprofen for the Win!!” — @Old_Perspective4835🇺🇸
9.
“Ranch dressing.” — @Killpop582014
“As an American I was expecting guns, but ranch dressing hurt for some reason.” — @tdogg1967🇺🇸10.
“A plastic bag filled with plastic bags.” — @Sexyhumblebee
“The Bag of Bags is a time honored tradition in many American homes.” — @Left_Debt_8770🇺🇸11.
“An entire refrigerator door with sauces.” — @Buster_Bluth__
“When your country's food is made up of parts of every other country's cuisine remixed and combined, you end up with all the sauces.” — @RoboNinjaPirate🇺🇸12.
“Eggs in the fridge.” — @lordfaffing
“Like we have a choice.” — @ RobbinsBabbitt🇺🇸- Which non-president deserves to be on Mount Rushmore? - Upworthy ›
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."