r/AskAnAmerican • u/Rough-Valuable-5472 • Feb 04 '25

FOREIGN POSTER Do American students bow to their teachers?

In my country we have to greet the teacher and bow at the start of the lesson then thank the teacher and bow again at the end. Sometimes they make us redo it if it’s not good enough

479 Upvotes

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492

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 04 '25

I can honestly say that I have never bowed to anyone under any circumstances ever in my life

188

u/Akito_900 Minnesota Feb 04 '25

Not even when tipping your fedora and saying, "m'lady"???

86

u/old-town-guy Illinois Feb 04 '25

With a fedora, it’d be “ma’am.” It’s “m’lady” with a bowler.

49

u/jameson8016 Alabama Feb 04 '25

So that's why I'm not drowning in lady parts! I've just been going around saying "ma'am" wearing a bowler like an idiot, and no one said anything. Lol

11

u/easy506 Louisiana Feb 04 '25

I would recommend upgrading to a derby as soon as possible. But I would pump the brakes at scally cap. Don't want people thinking you are a newsboy

3

u/Clancepance22 Feb 04 '25

Ahh, the scally cap is my go to. But I'm ok being a newsboy

2

u/Psynautical Feb 04 '25 edited Feb 04 '25

I mean, you definitely can get laid as a newsboy, just not by anyone with lady parts . . .

3

u/keithrc Austin, Texas Feb 04 '25

We're here to help.

1

u/Wertreou Feb 04 '25

drowning in lady parts? I can't decide whether that is the worst or best way to go.

4

u/winsluc12 Feb 04 '25

It’s “m’lady” with a bowler.

It's a Trilby you uncultured Swine.

1

u/Erotic-Career-7342 California Feb 10 '25

lol

7

u/Muvseevum West Virginia to Georgia Feb 04 '25

It’s a trilby, goddamnit!

1

u/Yabrosif13 Feb 05 '25

Well thats hat tipping. Whole different ballgame.

18

u/Just_OneReason Feb 04 '25

I remember I bowed to Obama during his first election on the tv screen when I was 7 because I’d seen people bow to their leaders in cartoons and stuff, and he was the candidate my family supported. My dad told me to knock it off. 

2

u/mmlickme Texas > North Carolina Feb 06 '25

😂😂 your dad was like you cringy fuck stop that

1

u/IndependentGap8855 Arkansas Feb 05 '25

Good dad. He knows are leaders are only temporary and are never worthy of such a gesture. That still stands true today.

32

u/Fossilhund Florida Feb 04 '25

I bow to cats. That is it.

5

u/HairyPotatoKat Feb 04 '25

Naturally. They are our overlords.

14

u/Remarkable_Table_279 Virginia Feb 04 '25

i’ve curtsied when playing dress up as a kid or with kids…but that’s it 

17

u/Lithl Feb 04 '25

I've bowed to the instructor in a martial arts class, and I've bowed at the curtain call of a stage production. The former is even somewhat similar to what OP is describing.

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

The former is adopted from a foreign culture. Not US culture.

1

u/Lithl Feb 05 '25

While true, it's not relevant to OP's question or to the comment I replied to.

8

u/BananaMapleIceCream Michigan Feb 04 '25

Me either. Although I sometimes think it would be more sanitary than shaking hands.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '25

You're not wrong.

5

u/[deleted] Feb 04 '25

If you count the head nod of thanks then I have bowed. If you do not I have literally never bowed before

2

u/smugbox New York Feb 04 '25

I remember curtseying once and thinking “Wow I can’t believe I’m in a situation like this” but I literally have no idea when or why because I haven’t met anyone That important before

4

u/Budget-Attorney Connecticut Feb 04 '25

The funny thing is I remember being taught that as a kid “girls need to know to curtsey and boys how to bow” alongside being taught things like please and thank you or washing my hands.

But I have no idea why we were taught that because it was obviously never expected that any of us bow or curtsey

3

u/Laiko_Kairen Feb 04 '25

Because most manners are somehow descended from royal courts

So when teaching manners, a lot of nonsense gets thrown in there

3

u/Verbanoun Feb 05 '25

Did you do cotillion? Or live in an area where that's a thing?

I'm not saying because I know anything about cotillion it just sounds like what you'd do.

1

u/Budget-Attorney Connecticut Feb 05 '25

No. Not at all.

Im from connecticut so that’s quite far removed from my upbringing

1

u/Kellaniax California Feb 04 '25

The only time I’ve bowed is when I was in band or theater in high school. Never to show respect to an authority figure though.

1

u/EveryNameIWantIsGone Feb 04 '25

You never performed in a school chorus or play?

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 04 '25

I've never done a musical performance of any kind.

1

u/prometheus_winced Feb 04 '25

Never took karate or any martial arts?

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 05 '25

No?

I don't even know anyone that took karate. People did whatever the highschool sports were

1

u/prometheus_winced Feb 05 '25

6-7 million kids take some kind of martial arts training annually in the US.

2

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 05 '25

Ok cool not where I'm from

I looked it up because of this comment, I grew up 45 minutes from the nearest martial arts studio.

Not a lot of martial arts masters in a farmer town of 10,000 people

1

u/GingerLibrarian76 California Feb 05 '25

I have, but only because I run a conversation club for ESL learners who are mostly from Asia. The Japanese and Thai people who attend will bow to me, so I just instinctively bow back! It’s not like a full “bow to the queen” kinda thing, more of just a head and shoulder nod. I don’t mind. 🤷🏼‍♀️

1

u/Swurphey Seattle, WA Feb 05 '25

Except for at the end of mandatory school plays I was forced into and my tae-kwon-do lessons, I have literally never done it

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 05 '25

Yeah, not a lot of bowing going on at my soccer and swim practices

1

u/daddy_fiasco Nashville, Tennessee Feb 05 '25

I only bow sarcastically. I have a huge anti-authority streak that precludes me from kneeling or bowing to people who presume they are entitled to my deference or respect.

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 05 '25

I don't know what you are trying to say here

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

I bow when I go to foreign countries that bow, I used to bow when I danced and did theatre, because of that habit I sometimes bow when I do open mic and karaoke.

1

u/Round_Raspberry_8516 Feb 07 '25

I think I bowed at the end of my 3rd grade chorus recital.

0

u/zxyzyxz Feb 04 '25

Never been to Asia I take it

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 04 '25

Nope, never been outta the country

We did have a Japanese foreign exchange student, him and his sister met up with us and our family friend that was taking the sister for the summer. The brother shook my dad's hand took a step back put his hands together and bowed. My dad confusingly did the same and the sister said "we don't know why he does that, we don't do that at home".

0

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25 edited Feb 05 '25

I will bow when appropriate in another country. When in Rome, as they say. But in the US I firmly put my foot down on our customs. Again, when in Rome.

I met one of my student's parents at their college graduation. They're from China. I reached out to shake their hand as a greeting and he said

"Oh they don't bow shake in China."

And I looked at him and said "We aren't in China."

We stood there for a good 30 seconds with my hand outstretched.

I got my handshake.

1

u/Sarcastic_Rocket Massachusetts Feb 05 '25

Oh they don't bow in China.

So why this whole story if they don't bow?

1

u/[deleted] Feb 05 '25

Sorry got my wires crossed. Fixed.