this post was submitted on 05 Jan 2026
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No Stupid Questions

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[–] PierceTheBubble@lemmy.ml 1 points 17 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

When some of them have the audacity, to arrogantly correct non-English speakers' language, when it isn't even their first language; hell it isn't even my second, it's my third. How's your Dutch motherfucker? I guess this isn't exactly restricted to Americans, but still...

[–] Multiplexer@discuss.tchncs.de 152 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (5 children)

Invading other countries to kidnapp head of states?

[–] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 39 points 3 days ago (1 children)

They said QUIETLY annoying. Things you wouldn't speak up about. I feel like kidnapping world leaders doesn't qualify as that. I'm American, and it's been about a full day now, and it's just now setting in just how insane it is that we just kidnapped a world leader. Just.....took him. Meanwhile, here in the states, we're also kidnapping random people off the street in unmarked cars for committing the crime of being not white.

These are things that should be screamed about, not silent.

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[–] ThunderLegend@sh.itjust.works 10 points 2 days ago

Saying the state or city they're from when asked where they are from..like the world should know what a Jackson is.

[–] SaneMartigan@lemmy.world 89 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

The big dumb cars that seem to be infecting the world.

[–] FaceDeer@fedia.io 108 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The assumption that the American legal, political, and cultural context is the "default." They say "X is illegal" without specifying jurisdiction. They assume a "right wing" or "left wing" party must be like their Republicans or Democrats. And so forth.

[–] RisingSwell@lemmy.dbzer0.com 37 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It's funny hearing Americans say they hate liberals, and me being able to agree except meaning the exact opposite. Liberal party is right wing for me lol

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[–] Thorry@feddit.org 24 points 3 days ago (4 children)

Yes, this is also very noticeable in media. They can have some kind of aliens in a future sci-fi universe that somehow have a legal process and trial that exactly mirrors the American way of doing things. For Americans that's just normal, not realising this is absolutely not the norm in the rest of the world. Same thing with malls, hospitals, roads and many more things.

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[–] phr@discuss.tchncs.de 90 points 3 days ago (57 children)

their obsession with genome analysis / where one of their great-great-grandfathers came from.

"i am italian, german, polish, chinese and cree!" "no, you are us-citizen and don't speak any language but english."

[–] ViperActual@sh.itjust.works 16 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

The whole ethnic identity is mostly to identify where in the world you ethnically originated from to other Americans. Because almost every single person in the US is either an immigrant, or a descendent of one. So we identify to each other where we came from as Americans.

Where people go wrong with this is if they happen to be traveling internationally and take this US centric identity with them. If traveling internationally, you could be ethnically from the place you are traveling. But in that context, you'd be American. This is a part of that whole well traveled awareness thing.

The genealogy thing is their curiosity in tracing that ethnic origin with greater detail. I personally don't find it too interesting myself, but different strokes.

Edit: I'd like to add, this is mostly in case other people reading this thread are wondering why this is even a thing. It's truly an annoying behavior.

[–] blarghly@lemmy.world 1 points 1 day ago

Really, I think a far more charitable (and common) instance of this is an american, say, travelling to Ireland and noting that they actually have Irish heritage. And then some nice local appreciates their interest and they have something to talk about. American tourists these days don't seem any more annoying or tone deaf than, say German, Israeli, or UK tourists. If you encounter a tourist off the beaten path, then they are almost always polite, curious, and a very nice person. And if you are hanging out where the big bus tourists congregate... well, what did you expect? They are dumbasses fishing for selfies - the lowest common denominator doesnt differentiate based on nationality.

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[–] 1984@lemmy.today 27 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Voting. You guys are really bad at voting.

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 3 points 2 days ago

Good thing we have the electoral college to make sure we vote correctly :3

[–] Wigglesworth@retrolemmy.com 9 points 2 days ago

annoyi-

Starting your next sentence even if you know the other person hasn't finished thier last word yet.

[–] deafboy@lemmy.world 52 points 3 days ago (1 children)

new account - check

zero comments - check

inflammatory post - check.

deleted account - TBD...

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 26 points 3 days ago (2 children)

TBF I myself might create a throwaway for asking a controversial question. And they're not trolling imo.

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[–] DarkDinner@quokk.au 81 points 3 days ago (15 children)
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[–] SeaSgt@lemmy.zip 48 points 3 days ago

Their support of pedos.

[–] SnotFlickerman@lemmy.blahaj.zone 69 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (16 children)

Asking "so what do you do for a living?" when meeting someone new as if their job defines them. It's one of the first questions Americans will ask someone when meeting them for the first time. I am American, but as I understand it, this question is far less common elsewhere in the world.

[–] mech@feddit.org 24 points 3 days ago (6 children)

There are worse first questions.
Like the "Where are you from? No, I mean originally" you get asked in Germany if you aren't white and straight-haired.

[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 4 points 2 days ago

“Where are you from? No, I mean originally”

I can have so much fun with that question! Esp. because in German ("Wo kommst du her?") I can logically answer "from work" first, then my home, then I ask them to specify what they mean by originally. By that point they are usually sufficiently humbled.

Some keep on stumbling not realizing that the words they choose don't matter, it's their attitude I resist.

And if someone asks me that question before asking my name I refuse to answer anyhow.

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[–] A_norny_mousse@feddit.org 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

"Quietly" annoying? That's a tough one.

[–] Honytawk@feddit.nl 20 points 3 days ago

Yeah, nothing about Americans is quiet.

And we should inform them!

[–] bstix@feddit.dk 30 points 3 days ago (4 children)

The size bragging.

No, Texas isn't that big. Texas is about the same size as France.

USA also isn't that big. Europe is larger than USA.

Sure it's big and all, but the main difference is really just that there are fewer people in USA than in Europe. It has a lower population density, making everything seem further apart.

The reason I find it annoying is that the most obnoxious types have a tendency to use it to validate their own opinions on every fucking topic. Obviously we tiny Europeans just can't comprehend the scale of their American way of doing things in the most backwards and old fashioned manner.

I've met plenty of American immigrants. Most of them are really nice and humble and appreciate learning how stuff works here. However some will eventually encounter something that doesn't make sense to them, but rather than learn, they'll cave in on trying to explain in the role of the world conquering strongman why it just won't work in the scale that they're used to in America, as if that would make any sense to do in that situation.

It's delusional.

[–] ABCatMom@lemmy.ca 38 points 3 days ago (1 children)

On the flip side, as a Canadian, I always get a chuckle out of European tourists who think they can drive from Montreal to Vancouver in a day.

[–] StickyDango@lemmy.world 8 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I used to work on a local mountain in Vancouver and I once had someone ask about taking a day trip to Niagara Falls. What.

[–] ABCatMom@lemmy.ca 6 points 2 days ago

😂 I love it!

[–] OlPatchy2Eyes@slrpnk.net 15 points 3 days ago

I mostly see size pointed out to people who try to draw comparisons between USA and another singlular European country.

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Invading other countries, ignoring international law, supporting palestinian genocide, toppling foreign governments... i find them kinda annoying you know?

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thinking cheaper automatically means you're getting more value out of something, (example: I got this whole cake that can feed 10 people for $15 bucks!) ignoring the quality of that thing.

Thinking something expensive automatically means you're getting something of better quality (example: This bottle of wine is over $100. It's definitely better than one that uses much better methods of wine production that only costs $20).

Basically, my beef is with Americans having little sense of discernment and/or lack of good taste.

[–] 3abas@lemmy.world 15 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I reject the assertion that this is an American thing... I've been in enough other countries and they're all mostly consumerist cultures that care more about perceived social value than actual quality.

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 1 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Perhaps, but America is known to export their "culture", including consumerism. Maybe it's tainting the world at large..

[–] brap@lemmy.world 54 points 3 days ago (17 children)

Saying “I could care less” instead of “I couldn’t care less”. Annoyingly incorrect but not exactly a critical issue.

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[–] ohulancutash@feddit.uk 50 points 3 days ago

Not using indoor voice.

And pretending to be anything but american.

[–] CombatWombatEsq@lemmy.world 31 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Pretending they’re well travelled by bragging about how many states they’ve visited.

[–] expr@programming.dev 14 points 3 days ago

I certainly wouldn't call that "well-traveled" and bragging is kinda dumb in general, but it is worth pointing out that the US does have a huge diversity of different cultures, demographics, and environs in different states (so much so that they can often feel like different countries), so it's perhaps not as quaint as it sounds. It's not like traveling within a European country. Much closer to traveling within the EU.

Still would never call that being "well-traveled", though.

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[–] remon@ani.social 42 points 3 days ago (4 children)

The fake friendliness, especially in customer service.

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Having to answer constant questions about Americans.

[–] GeneralEmergency@lemmy.world 10 points 2 days ago

Treating their assumptions about others as facts.

Being Northern Irish I see this a lot. Always about The Troubles, Political Identity, and the modern working of Northern Ireland.

When Michelle O'Neill became First Minister all the plastic Paddy's came out the woodwork to say that Ireland would be united in 5 years time.

Despite Unionists still holding the majority of seats, the larger share of votes, and British being the most popular political identity.

[–] tiredofsametab@fedia.io 33 points 3 days ago (8 children)

Americans are mostly super loud. You can hear them from forever away like they're competing to be the loudest in any space. ~ someone originally from the US that had this pointed out to me.

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[–] karashta@piefed.social 26 points 3 days ago

Lmfao at the super salty person. 

As an American, I find all of these criticisms largely true and things I also find annoying about us and our culture.

[–] saltesc@lemmy.world 29 points 3 days ago

Comparing everything to their insignificant home town.

"Wow! Ancient aqueducts! We don't have that back in Springfield, but we have faster table service."

Okaaaay....

[–] Zier@fedia.io 22 points 3 days ago (1 children)

AMERICANS ARE LOUD DRAMA QUEENS.

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[–] RememberTheApollo_@lemmy.world 16 points 3 days ago

The same variety every country finds annoying about tourists from different cultures because foreigners. Loud, demanding, not obeying local social cues or courtesies, not speaking any of the language, walking too slow because tourist, crowding, messing up local living conditions thanks to vacation rentals, drunks, etc.

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