If you live in the USA, you're probably used to certain things that you don't even realize might seem abnormal to an outsider. So Reddit user u/TJBullz asked, "What is something you didn't realize was typically American, until you went abroad?"
Here are some of the responses they received. If you have another one to add, share in the comments!
1. Free ketchup with your meal:
2. Ranch as the default dressing:
"Ranch dressing, especially at fast-food places like McDonald's. Sour cream and chive sauce is not a worthy replacement." —u/DesignatedDiverr
"Ranch dressing. Or, as they say in Europe, 'No, we don't have any American sauce.'" —u/AnonymousBromosapien
3. The ubiquity of red Solo cups:
4. Strong water pressure:
"When abroad, showers are like a flower watering pot. I like to feel my shower. Like, make the pressure strong enough to tear my skin off, then back it off like 10%." —u/petertmcqueeny
5. Giant gaps in public restroom stalls:
6. Garbage disposals:
"When I moved to the UK, my flatmates asked why, in movies, people would stick their hand in the sink drain and have it be ripped apart. I then told them about garbage disposals and they were very weirded out." —u/ShayBriar
7. Bacon being called "bacon":
8. Convenience stores that stay open 24/7:
"It's weird not being able to buy random shit at 4 a.m." —u/TheSensualSloth
9. Clothing colors that aren't "neutral":
10. Guesstimating tax when buying something:
"The prices abroad don't add tax after the fact. You pay what the price shows. No need to figure the tax." —u/ChicagoTrader71
11. Generous portion sizes:
12. Strict rules around drinking:
"People can just drink in public in other countries? That was wild to me." —u/Raze321
"When I studied in the UK, the lack of public drinking laws was a bit of a culture shock. Being able to walk outside with a bottle of beer was very freeing." —u/OneCoolStory
13. Enormous grocery stores:
14. Constant air-conditioning:
"Keeping AC on 100% of the time in the summer. I visited Madrid for about a month to see the exchange student we'd housed, and found that they typically only turn on AC at night to sleep or when it reaches a damned 105 degrees." —u/GardenGnome35
15. Getting fined for jaywalking:
16. Wearing shorts in general:
"I swear there are 14 million people in Istanbul and I was the only one wearing shorts." —u/Gerreth_Gobulcoque
"I stayed in Mexico City with my sister once, and one of the locals told us the easiest way to spot a tourist was to look for the guys wearing the shorts." —u/CaptainRogers1226
17. Refills on water (without having to ask):
18. And tons of ice in that water:
"Ice in your water." —u/12Madeline12
"Cold drinks. In every European country I visited, the drinks would best be described as cool, but definitely not cold like in the US." —u/chuckles65
19. Cashiers bagging your groceries:
20. Constantly "dieting":
"Or, rather, thinking you’re dieting. Americans will eat margarine instead of butter. They will eat egg whites instead of the whole egg. Fat-free milk instead of full-fat milk or cream. The rest of the world eats the whole egg, drinks milk with fat in it, and doesn’t drink diet soda all the time." —u/spaghatta111
21. Wide, multilane highways:
22. Free public restrooms:
"When I visited Europe, I thought it was the strangest thing that you had to pay to use a public restroom." —u/bikeboy3
23. The sweetness level in desserts:
24. Being obsessed with sports (other than soccer):
"The rest of the world loves soccer. They really could give a baker's fuck about any other sport." —u/lifeishardasshit
25. Adding cheese to everything:
26. Being overly friendly:
"I grew up in the US and moved to Europe about 10 years ago. I learned quickly to get out of the habit of smiling or saying hello to strangers on the street. I didn't understand why people found it so off-putting at first, because I thought I was simply being polite. A European friend explained that it comes across as phony or untrustworthy and puts people on their guard. It can still be hard sometimes to shake the feeling that I'm being 'rude' by not smiling at everyone I pass by." —u/let_them_eat_kale
27. Eating pizza and burgers with your hands:
28. Being loud:
"The stereotype about us being loud is true. I never thought of myself as being loud until I went abroad and would hang up the phone after speaking in what I thought was appropriate volume, to find that everyone around me was staring at me, and I realized how much more quiet they were." —u/ProfanePly
29. Working late nights and after hours:
30. "Rooting" for a team:
"When I went to Australia, I found out very quickly that no one down there 'roots' for a team — they 'go for' a team. So when I said I root for the Red Sox, I got a lot of weird looks. ('Rooting' means 'fucking' in Australian.)" —u/ConfidentMarionBerry
31. Peanut butter:
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.