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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Millennial mom struggles to organize her son's room.Image via Canva/fotostorm
Boomer grandparents have a video call with grandkids.Image via Canva/Tima Miroshnichenko
Information from the NICABM website regarding the "Window of Tolerance."Photo Credit: The National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine 
Waves cycle in the ocean. Photo by
Gen Xers and Millennials share 17 of the strangest things their Baby Boomer parents do
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
A Baby Boomer couple.
Generational fights have raged since the dawn of time, and a recent spat between Millennials and Baby Boomers is no exception. Baby Boomers, who raised Millennials, accuse the younger generation of being entitled and irresponsible with money. At the same time, Millennials accuse Boomers of having it easier economically while making it harder for those who came after them.
Where is Gen X in the battle? Probably off in the corner somewhere, saying, "Whatever." Aside from the generational sniping, there are some things the older generation does that are just plain baffling to younger people. Whether it's outdated worldviews, a refusal to adapt to modern technology, or a lack of self-awareness, Baby Boomers can do some strange things.
To help the younger folks get over their frustrations with parents from the "Me Generation," a Redditor asked: "What is the most Boomer thing your parents still do?" The stories were pretty funny and relatable, showing that almost everyone with parents over 60 is dealing with the same thing.
Here are 17 of the "strangest" things people's Baby Boomer parents do:
1. Phones on full blast
"Play iPhone slot machine games at full volume in the doctor’s office."
"My dad pretty much exclusively has his phone on speaker, and just walks around in public talking with it at max volume (and talking really loud himself). I’m like 'Dad, the entire supermarket doesn’t want to listen to you, and Uncle Jim complains about how often you have to pee.'"
2. Still using checkbooks
"My mom balances her checkbook every week. They still have a landline."
"And she probably has way more money than you will until she dies!"
3. Email issues
"My mom writes her emails in MS Word, then attaches the Word document to the email."
"Like the email is just the virtual envelope for the digital letter."
4. Restaurant jokes
"All those little restaurant comments.
'Wow, they'll let anyone in here!' when seeing a friend at said restaurant.
'Thanks for having us, not everyone will' to the waiter at the end of the meal.
'As you can see, it was terrible' when the staff takes away the clearly entirely eaten plate.
'You're going to have me floating away in a minute' when more water is put into their glass"
5. Always have to mention race
"Constantly mentioning the race or ethnicity of everyone she mentions. Never with any negative connotation or comment, but usually, there is no reason for it to be relevant to the conversation."
"My Jewish mother will always whisper the word 'black' in case anyone hears her: 'So the nice black man at the hardware store helped me find the right garden hose.'"
6. Googling their Google
"Typing Google on Google before they Google the thing they’re looking for."
"In the Google search bar, they type Google? Lol."
7. Getting a job is a cinch
"Believing you can walk into a business and hand in a resume. If you have a college degree in any field, they'll hire you."
"Just physically hand over your resume to HR or the hiring manager. You'll make a mark and get hired!! Call the office and ask to speak to HR/Hiring Manager."
Any Millennial who argued with their Boomer parents about how hard it is to land a good job should feel vindicated by a 2022 study, which found that most older Millennials didn't secure good jobs until their early 30s, while most Boomers did so in their 20s. "To secure a good job, young adults need to acquire more education and high-quality work experience than was necessary for previous generations," the researchers wrote.
8. Why are they together?
"Stay married forever while they behave like neither one of them can stand each other."
"I'm on the other side of that. After my mom passed, my dad now acts like their marriage was picture perfect and they were the love of each other's lives, even though they couldn't stand each other for at the very least 40 of the 54 years they were married."
9. Collectables or hoarding?
"Think their 'collectibles' are truly valuable."
"My mom insists her Hummels are going to put my kids through college!"
"Mine are the Thomas Kincade paintings. She has a Victorian glass piece that might actually be worth something, but those damn paintings are the real investment."
10. Can you grab the mail?
"Ask me to bring in the mail when they go away for more than 24 hours."
"My parents think everybody is standing at the door waiting for the mailman every day, and don’t believe me when I tell them that some people go days without checking their mail. They think everybody is waiting for the mailman every day because 'somebody might send them a check.' Like, really?"
11. Zero responsibility
"'Well, I guess I was just a bad father.' Yeah. That attitude of anti-responsibility is exactly why 3 out of 4 of your children don't talk to you."
"Ha! Have the same dad, do we?"
12. Comment on people's appearance
"Comment on EVERYBODY’s body/appearance/weight. The first thing my dad does after not seeing me for a year is poke me in the gut and tell me how fat I am."
13. Boomer panic is real
"Literally throwing their hands up in a panic when they don't understand something. Where did they learn that?"
"Or just saying 'well, I don't know', especially when that comes right after you explaining it and showing them how to do something, with them nodding along and asking relevant questions all the way through."
In a video by YourTango, editor Brian Sundholm tried to explain Boomer panic in an empathetic way: "Most of us nowadays know the importance of recognizing and feeling our emotions." Sundholm then quoted therapist Mitzi Bachman, who explained that when people struggle to express their emotions, it can result in an "unhinged" reaction.
14. Annoying Facebook posts
"Post nonsensical rants on Facebook for other boomers to like, share, and comment. Often these rants are political, but not always. Basically cringe-fest."
"Most people won't do it, but share this post if you believe in god and freedom."
"I do NOT give Facebook permission to use my photos and personal information!"
15. Dinner pushers
"While we're eating breakfast. What do you want to do for supper?"
"Can't we enjoy this meal without worrying about the next?"
16. They print everything
"My boomer in-laws print EVERYTHING! The number of times I have said, 'quit wasting ink, email it to me, or text me the link. Or just text me the schedule, don't print it out.' GPS on their phones? Nope...print a map."
"Boomers and their paper man. My dad has finally started using the internet, but he still prints everything he likes. Like he'll see a boat listing on Craigslist and print the entire page, including a massive color photo of it, and he's definitely not going to be buying it either. He's got a stack of papers that is the internet that sits by his recliner. He just sits there with Fox News on (though it's usually muted for some reason, that's a plus) and looks at his papers."
17. Flirting with servers
"My dad is 77 still flirts with the young waitresses. It's f**king weird for everyone."
"He thinks he is in cute old man territory, but he is not."