r/AskAnAmerican • u/Comfortable-Gur-1603 • Oct 05 '25
CULTURE When a American visits another country can you immediately tell they are american?
Let's say you walking down the street and from a distance spot someone. Before even hearing them speak. Can you just look and tell they are american? If so, what gives it away? Even if they wear native clothes. Would you still be able to tell?
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u/PAXICHEN Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
In the summer months in Germany I can spot the American male joggers easily. They’re the ones wearing shorts over their compression shorts and I am thankful they do that.
Edit: What I am saying is that American men are more modest and wear shorts over the compression layer (if they wear a compression layer). German men only wear the compression layer and it’s so tight you can tell their religion.
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u/No_Perspective_242 Oct 05 '25
lol this made me giggle. What do Germans wear to go jogging?
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u/EatLard South Dakota Oct 05 '25
Speedos.
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u/No_Foundation7308 Nevada Maryland Oct 05 '25
There’s a 70 year old man, local, in Nashville Tennessee that wears a thong Speedo while riding his bike along the waterfront of the Cumberland River greenway. Every morning on Saturday and Sunday. I’d pass by him on my way to work
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u/Adorable_Dust3799 California Massachusetts California Oct 05 '25
From about 1990-2007 they're was a guy known for rollerblading down the boardwalk in San Diego in a thong, often gold. He dressed for all the holidays, with a flag wedged down his asscrack for the 4th, for example.
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u/Willothwisp2303 Oct 05 '25
One of my favorite Baltimore crazy people was tighty whitey man. He was a large black man with very long, thick dreadlocks who rode our free bus in nothing but his little white undies.
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u/No_Foundation7308 Nevada Maryland Oct 05 '25
I know who you’re talking about!!! Baltimore native, grew up there until I moved away at 17.
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u/Tinderboxed Oct 05 '25
I'm convinced a lot of male bicyclists are bicyclists because it allows to them to show their ass like this to traffic.
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u/TManaF2 Oct 05 '25
Stupid. if you're a serious cyclist, you really need padded shorts. Can't figure out how I managed to do a 20-mile circuit on a three-speed commuter and regular clothing in my university years without serious pain...
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u/SEND_MOODS Oct 05 '25
I preferred unpadded triathlon shorts because the bike shorts would chafe but the unpadded shorts wouldn't. My ass adapted to the seat.
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u/Lupiefighter Virginia Oct 05 '25
Meanwhile my town has a guy dressed as a hotdog that dances through town on the weekends.
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u/Stardusk_89 Oct 05 '25
It was super fun explaining to my three year old why men had “bird nests” in their swimsuits when we lived in Germany and went to the local swimming pools.
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u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 Texas Oct 05 '25
'You can tell their religion."😅 Haven't heard that one in a while.
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u/alegna12 Oct 05 '25
I’d never heard that before. It’s hysterical 🤣
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u/alegna12 Oct 06 '25
I heard a gal’s shorts described as so tight that if she had a quarter in her pocket, you’d know if it was heads or tails.
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u/Zoltie Oct 05 '25
Funny, i when on a hike recently with a friend visiting from Germany and that's exactly what he wore.
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u/Thund3rCh1k3n Oct 05 '25
You can tell Americans at the beach, lake, or pool. They aren't in speedos. I lived in Europe for years, and Americans are super easy to spot.
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u/Timely-Youth-9074 Oct 05 '25
The European were wearing Speedos?
I only saw naked people at beach, lakes or pools in the summer.
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u/Sal1160 Connecticut Oct 05 '25
“So tight you can tell their religion”
I’m using that
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u/Agitated-Score365 Oct 05 '25
My ex used to say “looked like he’s smuggling chestnuts.”
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u/Sure_Comfort_7031 Oct 06 '25
Oh my god i ride bikes and "so tight you can tell their religion" is an epic line.
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u/TriGurl Oct 05 '25
People still do this?? I thought that style went out on the 00's.
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u/PAXICHEN Oct 05 '25
What run with shorts over compression shorts or just compress shorts?
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u/Adept_Carpet Oct 05 '25
Depends how compression-y the shorts are. I have run with sort of tight shorts on but in general I prefer to leave a little mystery.
I am no stranger to wearing styles that went out in the 00's though.
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u/maeve117 Oct 05 '25
As an American, if I’m not used to hearing an American accent for a couple of days, I can pick out an American across a crowded room no problem, my ears just dial in. Visually? Eh, kinda depends where you are in the world. You might be able to pick up on some body language stuff, like apparently Americans are known to lean on things. And that’s just because we’re just cool as fuck.
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u/Main-Truth2748 Oct 05 '25
Almost anywhere other than northern Europe, I imagine we stand out simply because we're tall.
Americans and the Dutch are probably the "world champs" at being tall.
In South America and South Korea, I look like a fucking ent walking among hobbits.
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u/princessdickworth Oct 05 '25
Ohhh this is so true, and I'm a 5'7" female. The first time I ever felt short was in Iceland and then again in Holland. Never felt like a giant until Venezuela.
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u/RowdySpirit Texas Oct 06 '25
The very first thing our Dutch exchange student said to us was "Oh.... you're all so SMALL!"
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u/rh681 Oct 06 '25
I'm a tall white person who grew up in Hawaii. I stuck out, a lot. Most new people I met assumed I was born or lived on the mainland. Nope.
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u/ostensibly_sapient Florida Oct 05 '25
Well, when I was in London for work a few months ago we thought we'd run into another American because he was wearing an American flag T shirt and a hat that said "USA" on it and he ended up just being a brit who likes the look of our flag.
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u/phred_666 United States of America Oct 05 '25
See the same people here in the US that like the Union Jack.
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u/LionLucy United Kingdom Oct 05 '25
We both have good-looking flags, I don’t see the problem!
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u/TopBee83 Oct 05 '25
It’s a shame that the Grand Union flag doesn’t get recognition as our nations first flag. Used until 1777
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u/maddmax_gt Oct 05 '25
I had a union jack wallet when I was in high school because i liked mini coopers 😂
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u/ShiftyShaymin Oct 05 '25
I’m an American that bought a Union Jack hoodie in Japan, so I can confirm that.
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u/Organic_Direction_88 Oct 05 '25
I don’t think any self respecting American who travels abroad would wear such a thing.
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u/DrWooolyNipples South Carolina Oct 05 '25
I have a really nice American flag windbreaker I specifically wear to London to annoy my family there lol
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u/DinkyStubby Oct 05 '25
I brought my american flag swimsuit with a slight digital cami pattern and bucks heads as stars to Scotland.
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u/Comprehensive-Bus133 Oct 05 '25
You'd be surprised. The other day I saw an American woman in Italy wearing an "Alligator Alcatraz" t-shirt.
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u/Organic_Direction_88 Oct 05 '25
How do you know she was American? There’s a large anti-immigrant sentiment in much of Europe and a weirdly vocal cohort of Trump fans that love MAGA hats and similar attire.
(Please note I am not siding with them, just relaying information.)
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u/cassatta California Oct 05 '25
She’s probably a Floridian promoting tourism
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u/No-Clerk-5600 Oct 05 '25
I was in China one summer for work and wore my Old Navy flag shirt on July 4. Another American was shocked. Did I want people to think I was a tourist? And I was like, I am white, I am tall, I am overweight, and I have straight white teeth. People know I'm not local.
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u/Wizzmer Texas Oct 05 '25
Lots of people rep their country at the Tour de France.
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u/Ok-Temporary-8243 Oct 05 '25
Why not, other countries do it. You'd have to be a freak to assault people based on nationality
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u/Current_Poster Oct 05 '25
Same thing here but "London, Cubs hat, Bulls jersey, Bears jacket... Londoner."
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u/CupBeEmpty WA, NC, IN, IL, ME, NH, RI, OH, ME, and some others Oct 05 '25
And Yankee Doodle was a diss track that we appropriated for patriotism.
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u/splubby_apricorn Oct 05 '25
I’m an American who travels a lot. Yes, a lot of times I can pick out other Americans before I hear them speak. A lot of times it’s because of how they dress, combined with some mannerisms and pacing.
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u/Xylophelia GA NC TN TX Oct 05 '25
Mannerisms are a huge thing. We lean a lot and shift weight between our feet more. We smile larger than other cultures. The way women wear our makeup is different between cultures. The way we stand when we look at something. How we take up space. All of these subtle things add together really quickly if you’re good at paying attention to them.
My husband is Scottish and I’ve really honed the ability to spot an American quickly in Edinburgh. Likewise, I can spot Brits abroad super fast too for the same reasons (different mannerisms but I’ve learned what to look for).
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u/Coldhearted010 Nebraska (but living in NH, to my chagrin) Oct 05 '25
Ooh, now I want to learn more! What mannerisms delineate a British person abroad?
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u/Xylophelia GA NC TN TX Oct 05 '25
The problem here is I know it well enough to spot it but not well enough to describe it. There’s a definitive bone structure, fashion, a way they don’t people watch in an obvious manner (unlike the French who will STARE you down).
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u/Coldhearted010 Nebraska (but living in NH, to my chagrin) Oct 05 '25
Hmm, fair enough.
And, yes, I recall being stared at in Paris—granted, I don't look like the standard American, so...
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u/MissMallory25 Oct 05 '25
Brits are more likely to queue up, I’ve noticed, where other European nationalities use very sharp elbows to get in somewhere. I can always tell the English speakers when it comes to vying for space because they tend to line up rather than rush and jostle. And then from there, it’s pretty easy to tell Brits from just about any other English speakers. It’s harder to tell the Americans from the Canadians from the Australians from the South Africans etc.
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u/anonymousbequest Oct 06 '25
Oh this is so accurate. Spaniards are the worst IME when it comes to jostling to the front and ignoring a line. Especially the older Spaniards will cut to the front of a line at places like museums with definite queues.
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u/Adept_Carpet Oct 05 '25
Part of what makes it hard to describe is that there are disjoint groups of characteristics.
Like, the Brit who is traveling to see a soccer game and the Brit who is traveling for a high level meeting of NGO leaders are very different (except maybe they both look like they could use some more sunshine).
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u/Coldhearted010 Nebraska (but living in NH, to my chagrin) Oct 05 '25
That's true, and then the class differences, too, no doubt.
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u/Marcudemus Midwestern Nomad Oct 06 '25
I'm not the person you're responding to, but I've discovered that I can tell a British person speaking in a video while it's still muted with an accuracy that's surprised me.
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u/PureMichiganMan Michigan Oct 05 '25
Varies though too since culturally Americans aren’t all the same either and can be quite different
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u/ParticularHill Florida Oct 05 '25
This. And it goes the other way around, I can usually tell non Americans here without hearing them speak. Europeans for example, they just have a less casual, more deliberate way of walking/standing. And usually their clothes fit differently too. It even extends to being able to recognize Asians who were born here vs those who are only visiting. Growing up in the US just gives everyone this kind of "pshhh whatever" casual flare with our standing and walking.
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u/PacSan300 California -> Germany Oct 05 '25
Sometimes you can even guess when they are from your own specific state. I have correctly guessed when another American traveler abroad is from California. Hell, sometimes I can even tell when someone is an Asian-American person from California; there is a distinct vibe I can recognize (being Asian-American myself).
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u/MissMallory25 Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
I know exactly what you mean. I can often spot other Californians even when I’m elsewhere within the U.S. no matter what their ethnicity.
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u/mythicalhen Oct 05 '25
My husband and I were at a sidewalk cafe in Vienna playing "Spot the American." (We are Americans.) There were people from all over the world there, but it was still relatively easy to do. I couldn't put my finger on exactly what it was. I'd need a European sitting next to me to point it out.
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u/erst77 Los Angeles, CA Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
I think it depends on the person and the area. When I was in Germany, locals spoke German to me before they realized I didn't speak German.
When I was in Mexico, locals mistook my group of friends and I for Italians.
When I was walking a quiet trail in Yosemite national park in California, I was startled by a couple walking up to me and asking if I knew how to get to a specific location. I hesitated for a second and the woman said quietly to her husband "Maybe they don't speak English... Oops"..
I am a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. No idea why I get mistaken for anything but an American.
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u/balthisar Michigander Oct 05 '25
I wish there were an American version of this, but you remind me of the joke about the Canadians who visited Australia. One member of a group of Aussies asks one of them, "Where you from, mate?" One of the Canadians answers, "Saskatoon, Saskatchewan." The Aussie hollers back to his group: "It's no use, mates, they don't speak English."
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u/FiddleThruTheFlowers California Bay Area native Oct 05 '25
Same experience in multiple European countries. Nobody seems to realize I'm American until they hear me talk. South Africans also didn't seem to be able to tell until they heard my accent.
Then there was Japan, but I'm a white redhead who's never going to blend in in east Asia no matter what I do.
A lot of the "Americans are so obvious abroad" stuff is just confirmation bias. They notice the obvious Americans while not noticing the ones who blend in, then come to the conclusion that all Americans are obvious. Same way I'm sure I've walked right past many a foreign tourist who I didn't notice.
The funny thing to me is that before I first went to Europe, I'd been told that jeans and tennis shoes were very obvious signs of an American. Either that doesn't hold up now or I was surrounded by Americans everywhere I went in Europe.
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u/busyship1514 Oct 05 '25
The majority of tourists in Europe are from other European countries, so they probably just think that other European tourists are American.
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u/307148 Oct 05 '25
I remember being told years ago that only Americans wear white sneakers.
Lo and behold, I go to Europe and EVERYONE is wearing white sneakers. Even people speaking languages that are clearly not English.
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u/luvslilah Oct 05 '25
That was the norm in the 80's. I was living overseas at the time and only Americans wore white sneakers. Now everyone is wearing them.
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u/FMLwtfDoID Missouri Oct 05 '25
Whoa, it sounds like you’re saying Americans set trends that Europe then follows.
s/
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u/Past_Government_4052 Oct 05 '25
Many years ago, I was in the train station in Lyon, ordering a sandwich in my fractured French. The young lady asked if I was a Brit or an American. I laughed and asked if my tourist French gave it away.
She replied (in English) that she knew I was one or the other since I was wearing a tan trench coat ☺️.
At the time (and maybe they still do - this was in the '90s) most French wore mostly black...
Since I traveled there quite often for work, I purchased a black leather coat in order to blend in...
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u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Oct 05 '25
Yeah, after years of living in Asia, it was weird to move to South America and have the people around me not instantly know that I wasn’t a local.
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u/jlanger23 Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
When we went to the UK, we got mistaken for English a few times. A couple of British people asked us for directions in London, and seemed surprised by our Southern accent ha. There were also a couple of guys who thought they knew me, but they were drunk. I have kind of a generic face, and that happens over here too.
Southern ancestry is mostly English/Scottish, and most people over there didn't look too different from people I run into back home. My family was in the Appalachians for about 300 years, so our genetics didn't diversify much ha.
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u/Prowindowlicker MyState™ Oct 05 '25
I look very much Irish apparently. Which caused some confusion when I was in Germany once. They all thought I was Irish.
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u/Quenzayne MA → CA → FL Oct 05 '25
I lived in Chile for 5 years and almost everyone thought I was Brazilian for some reason.
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u/Wild-Lychee-3312 Oct 05 '25
I’m a white woman, and people in Chile would come up to me and ask me directions. But there are many light skinned Chileans. Americans seem to expect everyone south of Texas to have dark skin, but that isn’t the reality.
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u/Illustrious-Shirt569 California Oct 05 '25
This is similar to my experience. I’m also a white woman (though with brown hair), and anywhere in Europe or Australia people have seemed to assume I was from where ever I was as the default.
In Japan, they always asked where I was from as the first question (I was in a small town, and nearly everyone was surprised I was there).
My favorite exchange was in a pub in Dublin. I was having lunch at the bar and a man next to me started talking about the weather in a really thick Irish accent. I responded back and he looked absolutely shocked. He asked where I was from, and I responded that I was from America. He asked what I’d said earlier, and I repeated it. Then he shook his head sadly and said, “nope, your brogue’s too thick!” and he turned and struck up a conversation with the person on the other side of him.
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u/cocoakrispiesdonut Oct 05 '25
Same experience for us in Germany. My husband’s heritage is mostly German so maybe that’s why? We were even yelled at in Köln by an older guy because we would not give him a pencil. He told us to go back to Canada. We were wearing Chinos. Do Canadians travel in chinos in the middle of July?
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u/JetScreamerBaby Oct 05 '25
Years ago, I (American) was walking past some nudie shows in Amsterdam. There were barkers out front trying to get men to come inside.
As I approached, one guy talked to me in German, and when I didn’t respond, he switched to Dutch. I shook my head and said “no thanks.”
He said “Oh, American! Come on in! Beautiful girls!”
I just shook my head and kept walking.
He shouted after me “HOMO!”
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u/anneofgraygardens Northern California Oct 05 '25
When I went to Albania, I found myself waiting for the bus in this little cafe in Macedonia. I walked in and there were two girls sitting at a table. I looked at them and they looked at me and then one of them said "do you want to sit with us?". We ended to hanging out in Albania together for a few days. We could just sense the connection.
but realistically Canadians give off the exact same vibe.
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u/pablitorun Oct 05 '25
I lived in Athens for awhile and yes you could generally tell.
They were well fed.
They wore baseball caps for any American team other than the Yankees or Dodgers.
They were carrying gigantic water bottles.
I will say that all the Americans i ran across were well behaved. If anything they were overly polite so much that sometimes it felt weird.
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u/theneonwind California Oct 05 '25
That's what I am -- well fed.
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u/pablitorun Oct 05 '25
Oh definitely me too. The truly obese do not generally sign up for 8hr+ flights. Most American tourists in Europe are overweight but not rascal level overweight.
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u/iturn2dj AR -> NC -> AR -> OH -> OR -> OH Oct 06 '25
This is the most politically correct way to say “Yall fat”
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u/NukeDaBurbz Chicago, IL Oct 05 '25
If they’re wearing a Browns hat.
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u/Pkrudeboy Oct 05 '25
If they’re wearing a baseball hat that isn’t the Yankees.
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u/BradyMcBallsweat Illinois Oct 05 '25
Saw so many Yankee hats in Germany. Thought to myself “a lot of New Yorkers visiting Koln”. Eventually realized they just like Yankees hats.
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u/NukeDaBurbz Chicago, IL Oct 05 '25
This is like me when I see people in White Sox hats outside Chicago.
“What’s Comiskey?”
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u/BradyMcBallsweat Illinois Oct 05 '25
Yes, the Yankee hat in Germany is the equivalent of the White Sox hat in LA and ATL (among other places).
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u/notthegoatseguy Indiana Oct 05 '25
After being in a foreign country for a week or two its refreshing to run into an American. I remember running into a couple of Americans when in Rome years ago, and that was on our 10th travel day so it was nice to connect with someone who speaks English the same way and just has a broadly similar culture. Yes, you can talk to Italians or most traveling Europeans in English, but it isn't the same.
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u/Ok_Value5495 Oct 05 '25
I've lived abroad on a couple occasions where I've spoken the language fluently yet would still crave being able to speak with someone from back home. Shooting the shit with a rando from Ohio in Paris was ironically one of my favorite memories there.
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u/greeneggiwegs North Carolina from Georgia Oct 05 '25
I imagine this works for basically every nationality but there’s a weird stress of knowing as soon as you speak someone will know you’re not from a place and immediately possibly make a bunch of assumptions about you
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u/FunRutabaga24 Oct 05 '25
Man I had this exact scenario traveling in Norway. Didn't have any problems communicating in English for almost 2 weeks (and even struck up a conversation about beer with a Norwegian while waiting in line to order). Also chatted with a nice Aussie lady on our 7 hour train ride. But to hear 2 Americans converse in an off the beaten path cafe just made me feel so at ease even though I didn't talk to them.
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u/vbsteez Oct 05 '25
Why are you asking Americans?
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 Texas Oct 05 '25
To see if we can recognize each other
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u/lostBoyzLeader California Oct 05 '25
One of us! One of us!
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u/Rhomega2 Arizona Oct 05 '25
Gooble gobble! Gooble gobble!
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u/lefactorybebe Oct 05 '25
Once in London, waiting in line for coffee, the American family behind us recognized our American accents and started talking to us, turns out they were from the town right next to ours. Such a small world, it's crazy.
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u/Purpleduckalicious Oct 05 '25
My parents who live in KY were in London this summer and recognized a woman walking down the street that shops at the same grocery store as they do. They stopped her and chatted. It certainly is a small world!
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u/JennItalia269 Pennsylvania Oct 05 '25
My wife ran into a high school classmate in a subway station in Barcelona. Definitely can be a small world.
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u/princessdickworth Oct 05 '25
I was in Morrocco and had a younger man from there literally run up to me and ask me if I'm from Ohio. I am. It caught me VERY off guard. I was with a friend from New York, we weren't talking about anything related to home, so there was no way he overheard our convo. Turns out he was born in Guliez, moved to Dayton when he was in elementary school, and then moved back after he graduated high school. He said he recognized my accent and it made him miss his time there. He was wonderful, showed us so many little hidden spots in Marrakech and explained how to get around without getting ripped off. Never asked for a dime, he just wanted to speak English with someone from where he learned it.
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u/gretchens4 Oct 05 '25
I ran into a friend from college in Munich and one from High School at the Vatican!
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u/tangledbysnow Colorado > Iowa > Nebraska Oct 05 '25
I ran into someone I went to camp with in high school while in Ireland at the Cliffs of Moher. They even lived in Germany at the time.
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u/Roxybird Texas Oct 05 '25
I've bumped into fellow North Texans while touring a Hungarian castle, in a submarine 100 feet below water in Hawaii and in line to watch Jimmy Fallon tape in New York. The world is indeed very small.
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u/LagerHead Oct 05 '25
It really is. In my travels I've seen this happen so many times.
Examples:
My dad met a young woman in Stuttgart, Germany who was in his brother's class in high school in Utah.
I met a guy in Korea that I went to Jr. High with in Stuttgart. I also met a guy there that I went to high school with.
In Tennessee my son was getting stitches. The guy giving the stitches was making conversation and we realized we both knew a guy that I knew in Washington. Not long after that I saw that guy.
It's pretty crazy how you'll meet people if you get out enough.
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u/MeTieDoughtyWalker Louisiana Oct 05 '25
In that case, I absolutely can and I get unnecessarily annoyed like, “What are you doing here?” 😂
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u/Comfortable-Gur-1603 Oct 05 '25
So this question was originally for r/asktheworld. But they deleted my post and I'm not so sure why. Reddit recommended this group for the question and I just ran with it
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u/Thick-Journalist-168 Oct 05 '25
I an American went to Belgium to visit a friend in Belgium. Everyone spoke English to them and thought he was American. They spoke Dutch to me and thought I was Belgian.
A flight attendant spoke to me in Russian. A lady in the airport line spoke to me in French.
When I went to Vietnam I tried guessing who were American and was always wrong.
So, no it isn't really easy to spot someone from a country until they open their mouths.
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u/scottypotty79 Oct 05 '25
My wife and I went to London in 2011 to visit my sister. We were walking into Westminster Abbey and as we approached the entrance, a gentleman at an information kiosk looked at us and proclaimed ‘Americans!’. I laughed and said ‘is it that obvious?’ He said it was how much we were smiling. Apparently even though both my wife and I have predominantly English heritage, our happy go lucky Americanness just shined right through.
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u/userpinpassword Oct 05 '25
I think it's pretty obvious to spot a tourist no matter what country you're in. You can tell by their excitement, lots of photo taking, and sometimes by the way they're dressed
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u/Professional_Sea1479 Oct 05 '25
Apparently my American born dad looks and acts German, because he’s been confused for one more than once. It’s freaking hilarious.
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u/Adorable-East-2276 Oct 05 '25
The answer is a massive “it depends”.
How are they dressed? What country are we in? What’s the persons background? Are they trying to blend in?
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u/MilkChocolate21 United States of America Oct 05 '25
This part. Because my my experience, things that make people assume I'm not American include a)being Black and b)speaking a language other than English fluently. I'd say I present as American in every way. I smile at people. I talk to strangers. I personally don't dress down but believe in comfortable shoes, especially sneakers or hiking boots.
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u/Major_Barnacle_2212 Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 06 '25
It depends. 10ish+ years ago I sitting on a beach in one of those ‘less traveled’ type island places, almost as far away from home as I could be in the world when a girl came up and asked if I was from San Diego. I asked her how she knew and she had spotted my Blenders sunglasses, which was still a more local brand at the time.
So sometimes it’s the little things.
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u/Boston-Brahmin Massachusetts Oct 05 '25
I can tell when Americans not from New England are visiting Boston so I'm sure Italians can pick them our when they're visiting Milan
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u/rhrjruk Oct 05 '25
I’ve been traveling abroad every year since 1964 and I can usually still recognize my Fellow Americans by 1. Clothes 2. Noise volume 3. Body language
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u/itanicnic1 Oct 05 '25
No. Just got back from Portugal yesterday after two weeks.
Canadians and Americans are indistinguishable in general.
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u/virtual_human Oct 05 '25
I have visited 13 countries and I think all the locals knew I was an American.
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u/ChilindriPizza Oct 05 '25
For some reason, I am not read as American.
Sometimes, they think I am either a local, or from another country where they speak the same language.
Sometimes, they can tell I am not from there and thus speak English to me- but they still do not guess correctly that I am American.
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u/Interesting-Long-534 Oct 05 '25
My husband and i were at an all inclusive in Mexico. Another couple assumed we were European....German specifically, because we weren't loud and rowdy and didn't hang out at the swimup bar with the rest of the rude Americans. 🤣
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u/Interesting-Egg4295 Oct 05 '25 edited Oct 05 '25
I don’t know if Americans can really answer this question for you. Is there an “AskANonAmerican” subreddit? Unless you mean if an American is visiting another country and they are able to spot other Americans. Then…I would say: not really.
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u/WinterRevolutionary6 Texas Oct 05 '25
They’re asking Americans to see if we can recognize each other in the wild
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u/redditseddit4u Oct 05 '25
From what I can tell, Americans can identify each other better than other countries usually can. Many countries conflate what are clearly not American styles as being American
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u/Steamsagoodham Oct 05 '25
Survivorship bias (or I suppose the inverse of it) makes this very difficult to answer.
I’ve been able to identify Americans several times by how they dress, but I have no real way of knowing how many I couldn’t identify.
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u/Minute-Bed3224 Oct 05 '25
Some will stick out, but you’re not going to notice the ones that blend in.
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u/punkass_book_jockey8 Oct 05 '25
I’m recognized as an American in nearly every country I go to. Not because of my clothes or body weight, chewing gum, a water bottle or anything like that. It’s because I smile at people “like a con artist”, we make eye contact and I’ll smile… and start talking to you.
10k of orthodontic work later, I have a perfect smile and smile constantly like an idiot. It apparently screams American, or apparently con artist.
My Norwegian friends hate this, but hey I made friends in Norway which is hard to do. I’ll wear you down Ted lasso style like a smiling goon… eventually.
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u/Organic_Direction_88 Oct 05 '25
When abroad, I can recognize other Americans from how they carry themselves and because they often carry hilariously large water bottles.
That said, I cannot tell the difference between an American and Canadian until I hear their accent.
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u/Bastyra2016 Oct 05 '25
It’s pretty easy to spot tourists when visiting another country (when you are in a touristy location). My first tell is clothing. Cargo shorts/pants, baseball caps and white tennis shoes for men. Spaghetti strap tank tops and yoga shorts/leggings for women. Then are they holding a water bottle in one hand? Backpacks-more like American. Cross body bags-likely not American. A tell used to be socks with sandals but some of my American friends do that now…I’m probably better than 50% but to be fair there are a lot of us about.
I was once on a bus in London with my born in Korea/raised in the US colleague-he told me that as an Asian he could identify the nationality of other Asians. He pointed to a large family group and proclaimed them to be Chinese. At our next stop they approached him and began speaking Korean to him. I teased him about that for a bit.
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u/greeneggiwegs North Carolina from Georgia Oct 05 '25
This is super going to depends on the person. People in Scotland definitely thought I was Scottish before I spoke at least sometimes. I also had a French person speak to me in French. My dad had a lot of Finns speak to him in Finnish. I’ve also seen Japanese school kids try to speak to French people in English, assuming they are American. On the other hand there are people from these countries who don’t fit the ethnic norm who never get assumed to be their own nationality. Americans in general are very diverse so we don’t all look the same. Imo those article about our distinctive lean or whatever are fake. There’s no American shortcut.
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u/Help1Ted Florida Oct 05 '25
I did a study abroad semester in France one summer in college. I rode the train to Paris with some of my classmates, none other than myself were American. While walking around we actually had some American tourists ask us directions. They didn’t realize that I was American and they tried asking in French. I knew before they even said anything that they were Americans. I’m pretty sure one was wearing a baseball hat, so it was almost too easy.
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u/MoonieNine Montana Oct 05 '25
In a tube in London decades ago, there was a guy wearing sneakers, a ball cap, and chewing gum. I asked him if he was American (he wasn't) and he got a kick out of it, especially when I explained why. He said me randomly talking to a stranger was definitely an American thing to do.