12 Things You’ll Only Understand if You’re American
If you’ve ever traveled abroad and tried to talk about one of the things on this list, you probably just got a lot of strange looks. There are many things Americans think are universally understood but don’t realize are very American until they visit another country.
The Kool-Aid Man
As one commenter said, “‘Oh yeah!’ <giant smiling man/pitcher hybrid creature breaks through a brick wall>.” We don’t really think about how strange this ad campaign was until we try to explain it to someone who’s never seen it.
It’s 10 pm. Do you know where your children are?
This one might only be familiar to people older than 30 years old. Between the 1960’s through the 1990s a commonly aired public service announcement would echo the phrase “It’s 10pm. Do you know where your children are?” as a way of keeping kids safe in various cities throughout the U.S.
Conjunction Junction, what’s your function?
The catchy songs from a series of educational musical cartoons named Schoolhouse Rock influenced many generations who still remember the lyrics decades later. One user said, “My teacher in elementary school had us watch all the schoolhouse rock songs instead of teach us about things like conjunctions in a formal lesson, and I still have a distinct memory of failing the test on it because I really did not learn well in the form of song.”
Tailgating
We might think that tailgating happens all over the world, but it’s an especially American tradition. One commenter said, “Been to soccer games in Europe, which don’t get me wrong, are a total blast in their own way, but man for all the talk of the atmosphere in the games… I feel like they’re missing out huge by not tailgating (yeah, yeah, a lot of them aren’t taking cars to the game etc but plenty are). That’s a vital part of the gameday experience for me.”
SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY!
If you grew up with these advertisements, you can probably hear the announcer’s deep booming voice in your head when you read the words “SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!”. Monster truck rallies are not something you see very much in other countries besides the U.S., but for Americans, the constant repetition of these ads will remain in our memories forever.
This is your brain on drugs
In the 80s and 90s, the war on drugs inspired this public service announcement that aired on TV to warn youth about the dangers of drugs. A woman started the ad holding a whole egg and said, “This is your brain.” She would then crack the egg into a frying pan, and as it sizzled, she said, “This is your brain on drugs.”
Biscuits and Gravy
Although this may be a regional American food, it’s very popular in the South. Traveling or living in other countries you might be sad that you won’t find real biscuits and gravy in any restaurant.
Homecoming
Homecoming is a very American tradition that you won’t find in any other country. One user describes it as a “school dance in the fall, usually around the same night as a high school football game alumni are invited to (ie are ‘coming home’).” Usually, a homecoming king and queen are voted on and crowned at the dance.
Freshman, Sophomore, Etc.
In the United States, we commonly refer to high school grade levels as freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. Other countries have various naming conventions, but many just use numbers like grade 9, 10, and so on.
Superbowl Sunday
Considering that American-style football isn’t very popular anywhere else in the world besides America, it’s not surprising that other countries don’t celebrate Superbowl Sunday like the national holiday it is here. Even people who don’t like football might still have a party or attend one because it’s such a big deal.
Bless Your Heart
This saying is mainly heard in the Southern part of America. If you’re not from the U.S., you might think this sounds like the sweetest thing someone could say to you, but it’s really more of a back-handed comment. One user said, “‘Bless your heart’ is one of the most blistering insults a Southern church lady can give you.” It’s almost like a pitying way of calling someone stupid.
FREEBIRD!
If you’ve ever been to a live concert in the U.S. you’ve likely heard someone from the audience yell out “FREEBIRD!”. It seems like a way to request that the musicians on stage play the famous nine-minute-long Lynyrd Skynyrd song, but it has become more of a heckle from drunk audience members.
Source: Reddit
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