One I’ve heard is that we stand farther apart when in lines than lots of other nationalities.
5 Likes
Yes, and walk around more upright and, broadly? We’re generally used to having a lot of space, so also to being able to take up more of it.
6 Likes
I feel seen
4 Likes
I don’t know if you mean manspreading, but that’s obnoxious anywhere, and also likely something that not only US men do.
5 Likes
Nah, I meant taking up more room in a general sense. (As someone who likes their personal bubble, I try to avoid man-spreading whenever possible.)
4 Likes
As in, having a larger body, or like, moving about in ways that call for others to make room? I’m talking about the latter-- the ways a lot of USians act.
4 Likes
I don’t know exactly why, but I have always done this (switch knife to right hand to cut and then switch back). My Dad saw me do it about 15 years ago and asked me why I use my cutlery “European Style”, so your mileage may vary. I mostly do it to put the knife in my right hand so I can use it better, as I’m right handed. Better than fumbling and dropping a knife with my left hand.
2 Likes
Meh, it’s what I learned in school, and what makes sense to me. America shares a lot of history across its continent.
2 Likes
where did you read this? cause thats news to me. at least as a german living in berlin I can say thats not the case here, at all and I can assure you, mostly its totaly fine to ask for a glass of tap in any given restaurant here as far as I can tell. furthermore;
Tap water is described in Germany and many European countries as “the best controlled foodstuff”. The pollutant content is generally lower than in many mineral waters, as the Mineral and Table Water Ordinance is less stringent than the (german) Drinking Water Ordinance
3 Likes
It is true that culturally we don’t expect to get tap water at a restaurant, but bottled water when we order water. Which also has to do with the fact that restaurants operate on such small margins in Germany that they make almost all of their income from selling drinks rather than food. Ordering tap water would be rude AF as you’re basically depriving them of your business. But they will do it if you ask.
Also, if I go out to eat, I don’t want to drink tap water. It’s a special occasion. And I suspect that may be a difference as well. Germans don’t eat out nearly as much as Americans, so they are maybe more willing to spend more on making it nice.
ETA: oh, and a third thing: when I am at home, I don’t drink tap water either. Well, I do, but only after running it through my soda stream. If a guest asked me for water, I would assume they mean sparkling water (at least I would if I still lived in Germany and the guest was German, too). Germany, especially, has a long history of mineral water consumption and sale. It is no coincidence that the word seltzer is a corruption of the German town of Selters. We have been bottling and selling mineral water all over the world since the early 19th century.[1] We have always been a nation of bottled carbonated water drinkers.
Many saloons in the old American west, when excavated, showed more debris of imported German mineral water bottles (and French champagne bottles) than whisky bottles or whatever else the movies will make you believe ↩︎
7 Likes
Ordering only tap water would be rude AF. never got mean looks from waiters if I wanted tap after ordering the meal and/or drinks. sometimes even got asked, when I just said “can I get some water, please”, “tap or bottle?”. guess if its fancy-schmancy enough, they would get annoyed by such boldness to ask for tap.
well, I dont. I mean, I do, uncarbonated tap is my main source of moisture. always has been. and to my knowledge to every current friend of mine.
sure. except it was never meant as a main-drinking-water, but as a heilwasser in heal resorts.
3 Likes
Many years ago, I switched to the “no-switch” style after watching Mike Leigh’s hilarious Grownups. The beleaguered Mrs. Butcher was the only real grown-up in the film, and her “no-switch” style (noticeably slow and careful) stuck with me.
3 Likes
2 Likes
On a visit to Hong Kong, I was introduced to a friend of a friend’s father at a party, he asked me what I did for a living, after responding I asked him what he did. “Oh, I am with the CIA”, which came as a surprise*.
*It turned out this was true
2 Likes
This line got blurred really quickly with bottled water. After it was discovered that semi-industrial stoneware production in the Westerwald allowed for making essentially disposable bottles and as people realised how refreshing carbonated water was, it became a mass produced drink rather than medicine rather quickly. That can be seen above by the excavations in the American west I referenced. These bottles didn’t go to the apothecary, they went to the saloon. I read an interesting paper recently on the thriving water bottling industry in 19th century London driven mostly by Ticinese immigrants. They bottled local water and ginger beer, so there is no doubt that this was drinking water, not a health tonic. With German mineral water, the distinction is a bit harder to make, since even today it is seen as a mixture of the two by many people. There was definitely a claimed health benefit that made people buy water sometimes shipped halfway across the world, but it was also the excitement of carbonation and the luxury of an import.
4 Likes
6 Likes
One time in China, I was waiting in a really long line to buy a train ticket, and they had a separate window below a sign that said 党員 (“Party Members”) with nobody in line at all. It was only written in Chinese, and I only knew what it meant because it’s the same in Japanese.
When I had been in line for twenty minutes and had another twenty minutes to go, I saw a couple of foreign backpackers go up to that window and buy tickets without any hassle. I was like, “Shit, I could have just pretended not to know what that sign says.”
I don’t know that they were Americans, but this thread made me think of that.
11 Likes
I’m pretty sure this is true in the USA as well, at least for “sit-down” restaurants
4 Likes
Phrasing 
… 
(language is such fun!)
I’ve had a number of experiences in Japan where a local will ask me “American?”. On answering “no, English”, I hate to say it but the welcome became warmer - usually “ah, England!” in an enthusiastic tone. I think it’s because the English are generally (yes, I’m stereotyping somewhat) more laid back and reserved, on a similar wavelength to the Japanese.
I’ve also had the misfortune of visiting bars and encountering loud, obnoxious Americans in Japan - mostly military types - and the side eye and tutting from the Japanese bartenders were legendary.
6 Likes
Yeah, I’m sure that if the primary exposure to Americans was to the folks from military bases (who have not always behaved themselves, especially in Japan) rather than tourists, that would certainly affect the attitudes of locals.
The Brits didn’t fare too well in the survey I was looking at but that probably varies from region to region.
2 Likes
