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People Online Listed 30 Things Americans Are Familiar With, But Europeans Can’t Relate To
While both the US and Europe are mostly considered Western cultures, and they are deemed neighbors from across the pond, there are still some substantial differences between the two that people just can’t stop pointing out because they are curious and they want to partake in this cultural learning experience.
Reddit user u/Dependent-End5909 turned to r/AskReddit with the question what is something Americans have which Europeans don't have? Over 21,000 comments later, the post went viral with nearly 22,000 upvotes and over 60 Reddit awards.
110-volt outlets, huge refrigerators and garbage disposals were just some of the many great things Reddit pointed out, so strap up and start scrolling to see the best answers found in the post. And while you’re at it, vote, comment and give us some examples of things.
More Info: Reddit
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Crippling debt due to medical care
NsG 4 years ago
Yes, not everything the US has that Europe doesn't is something to be proud of.
Otter 4 years ago (edited)
THE US NEEDS UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE! MEDICARE FOR ALL!!! But sadly, there's a huge propaganda machine in place, and one of its major tasks is to convince the people who need universal healthcare the most that they're better off risking economic ruin if they get sick.
Tonya Wallace 4 years ago
The US was founded by tax dodgers. It's in the blood now to fight paying more taxes. The US will have to go through what Britain went through during WW2. An event that puts the 1% in the sinking boat with the rest of us. Then it can hopefully rebuild with compassion in the mortar.
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ThoughtsAreNotFacts 4 years ago
This!!! Unfortunately some people won't care about until it affects them
Vanessa Gibson 4 years ago
I just went through a round of IVF in Australia. It cost me $1500 (aud) in TOTAL, including pharmaceuticals, day surgery, councillng and storage for 6 months. If you are a low income earner it's free. I wonder how much this would cost in the states?
Amy Stone-Chandler 4 years ago
I don't know how any country can brag about theirs as being the best if it doesn't take care of medical/medicine for its people without prejudice. Tax payers pay for these countries with medical coverage. Gov used propaganda to make it sound horrific in neighbouring lands..horrible
Anaïs Grobin 4 years ago
I have "good" health insurance (anthem bcbs) and had to have an ekg in the urgent care 2 weeks ago on a Thursday. Friday, they denied my insurance. The following Tuesday I was already getting letters from a collection agency for around $4000. All that was done in the urgent care was the ekg and blood work to check for clots. Nothing else. I was there for an hour. For 4k. Ugh. 8 years ago we spent 28k to give birth, and my insurance was "good" then, too.
Johanna munoz 4 years ago
I had Anthem in the past. And it’s no good. The deductibles are ridiculous. It makes you feel like going to the doctor is a crime.
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Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
I wish this one didn't exist. It's ridiculous that health care does this to us in the US. Medicine should be patient-centered, not profit-centered!
Allen Lavine 4 years ago
No shi+ I have insurance at my job I broke my back in a wreck and I still owe over 17k I'm not working never got approve for my disability and about to lose everything I work for f this System
Pia kjærgaard 4 years ago
In Denmark we pay higher taxes so EVERYBODY Can be treatet… High or Lowe….
RELATED:
#2
Ulf67 said:
The Grand Canyon
dimacq replied:
Oh yes!!!! And I’d say the whole system of National Parks is just amazing! Open 24/7 (unless some weather or gov’t shutdown), maps available, trails laid out, camping spots designated… It’s the most treasured and inderappreciated thing in the US, IMO.
Jef Bateman 4 years ago
The Grand Canyon is so big that it only looks like a canyon in certain places. I prefer narrower canyons (Walnut Canyon is also in Arizona and is less crowded).
Titas Burinskas 4 years ago (edited)
The rest of the world mostly adopted the US national park system. But of course, everybody envies your canyons, America. *wink*
StrangerOfTheDark 4 years ago
Try yosemite, yellowstone, arches, a shared part of niagara falls, everglades, and badlands :)
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Tom Bolton 4 years ago
Not a formation of any kind, but if you're in the area check out the great salt flats. Amazing.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
In 1976, Amtrak offered a USA railpass for some greatly discounted price that I no longer remember, so I moved back to California from Washington DC via train. I’ve always been a night owl, so I was awake when we creeped across a section of the Great Salt Lake, going no faster than 5 MPH because there were waves so high they washed over the top of the train, and when morning came and we got out to stretch our legs, I was one of the few passengers to not be surprised to find the car rimed with salt.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
It is a phenomenal natural wonder. No photos have ever done it justice. You cannot comprehend its magnitude and beauty without being there in person.
Ma Fra 4 years ago
That's exactly my though after having visited the Grand Canyon. I even felt stupid taking pictures as I knew I couldn't get that on camera.
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Huddo's sister 4 years ago
Are they open for free camping in warmer months? I love that all the National Parks here in Australia are free for camping and I wonder if it is like that in other countries
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#3
Hummingbirds!!!
Kirsten Dugger 4 years ago
I'm like "what???? No humming birds in Europe???" My mom lives in Northern New England. I don't know how she does it but she gets dozens of humming birds outside her porch. I tease her she should call in a hummingbird zoo and charge admission.
Anaïs Grobin 4 years ago
I live in New England and we have a crazy amount of ruby throated hummingbirds. We're directly in their migratory path and they stay from late April to early October! Half of my property is set up to house and feed them through the warmer months and we've even had eggs a couple times!
Load More Replies... Otter 4 years ago
The Eastern US has fireflies, too! Which is the one genuine advantage the eastern US has over the western.
Esca Sav 4 years ago
Wait, the Western U.S. doesn't???? That's news to me (I'm from Jersey, I thought they were everywhere)
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Linda HS 4 years ago
I have two permanent hummies! Spot and Wendy. Spot was actually born in our garden and never left and Wendy is his pair! Yay me!
My Name Is Mars 4 years ago
I have several hummingbird feeders around my house and garden. I love watching them feed and just hang out. There are some gorgeous green and red ones here in Washington state, green body and almost metallic red heads. They're gorgeous and magical looking ✨❤
Kelly Hicks 4 years ago
A whole flock of hummingbirds fly over my house and land in my backyard tree around 5pm every evening. It will NEVER get old.
Jef Bateman 4 years ago
I'm surprised somebody hasn't exported these fellows to Europe. I'm not saying it's a good idea! Just seems like something people would do. PS - I love hummingbirds.
otplus 4 years ago
They are a really delicate species, they are not really domestic animals.
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Tuna Fish 4 years ago
I love my humming birds. I have feeders up but I worry if something happens to me and they are used to having my feeders what will they do. So I am now trying to cultivate all their natural flowers on my property (10 acres in Mississippi) So they will always be able to find what they need on their way to Mexico each year.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
I'd be setting up a feeder like this ASAP if I lived anywhere near those cuties!
#4
Space. I love spending time in Europe, but man, it is amazing to come home and have hundreds of thousands of square miles of just open country to explore, hike, ride, camp, etc...
A lot of it isn't even in national or state parks (which are also amazing).
graffitiwomen 4 years ago
My grandfather was from near Namsos, Norway, my Mom and I visited Norway in 2017 and it was gorgeous! I've been to 45 states and 4 Canadian provinces and several other countries in Europe but Norway was breathtakingly beautiful and the sky felt closer(if that makes sense?). I absolutely want to visit again, and spend a bit more time there! Happy Holidays!
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Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
Scotland is full off beautiful countryside all free to roam as no such thing as trespassing - plenty of ben's and lochs to explore - we're a small country but a small population so plenty of space, that you don't need to travel for hours to get to. Just bring a raincoat and sunscreen, you'll likely need both in the same day
Janine B. 4 years ago
😂 I remember a phrase my English teacher told us: "You don't like the Scottish weather? Well, wait a minute." Don't you guys even have some palm trees growing at the west coast?
Load More Replies... Otter 4 years ago
Well in the US, a lot of that "empty space" is desert or privately owned or leased rangeland, where it takes 10 acres of dry country to support one cow. The American West is thinly populated, because the land won't support much population.
Mary Rose Kent 4 years ago
I just want to clarify that what you mean by The American West is all east of the Sierras...am I correct?
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moon 4 years ago
where is this in america that has this much space that you can go on for free-
Johanna Chavez 4 years ago
This just makes me laugh. That week you spent in Paris or Prague was not indicative of what Europe looks like. Take a road trip.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Any country that can offer me a few hundred square miles of no-people-at-all... I'll take it!
Corinna S. 4 years ago
Of course you won't find out about Europe's beautiful wide open spaces and landscapes if you always visit the tourist attractions and big cities ;)
#5
"Refrigerators the size of my flat." - every European who has seen my moderately-sized refrigerator
May 4 years ago
The US fridges I've seen have been the same size as I'm used to from Scandinavia.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
I think this is in part due to available living space, but also the fact that most Europeans have a supermarket in walking distance and don't need to fit in all their shopping for an entire week into the fridge at once.
Helen Haley 4 years ago
Our unpredictable weather combined with poor city layouts means we need to store/stock more food in our actual house.
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
I'm in Scotland, have a huge fridge freezer I could easily stand in if I removed the shelves - you get them easily here
RNA 4 years ago
OK, two doors refrigerator would be more than most of us Europeans can fit in their kitchen although it's not totally uncommon. Sure many would like to get one but it's all about the space optimisation.
Otter 4 years ago
American homes are getting smaller and smaller, and the yards are shrinking from spacious layouts to tiny little borders, but the refrigerators are staying the same.
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Anna Tannehill 4 years ago
This is true, we had small refrigerators when I was a kid in Germany because we get fresh bread and meats daily from the bakery and Butcher shop..
Faith Hurst-Bilinski 4 years ago
I am often reading various fiction from around the world and see "US Style refrigerator" or "American Style Refrigerator". I had to look it up because there are all kinds of different refrigerator.
Tee Witt 4 years ago
No, obesity rates in the USA are directly related to the sub standard food (against other countries standards) they consume.
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Kely Toboologlou 4 years ago
Nobody seems to care about the energy consumption of a "huge" refrigerator? It can make sense if you are a family of seven or eight people, otherwise what's the point if you are less than 30' away from a supermarket?
#6
No-Dark-9414 said:
Florida Man
Ilmara said:
Europe has Polish Man and Russian Man.
Tom Bolton 4 years ago
Can't hold his meth quite like Florida man though.
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Vilma 4 years ago
I don’t know how about you, but we don’t consider Russians as Europeans. Most of their country lies in Asia, but they’re not Asian either. They’re just..Russians :D
Giobemo 4 years ago (edited)
I lived in Moscow for 7 years and I would up marrying one of them. They don't consider themselves European either.
Load More Replies... NsG 4 years ago
I genuinely saw a headline that basically said England was Europe's Florida Man and I've never felt so identified! 🤣 (I've never been less proud of my country than what happened in the years between 2008 and 2016. After 2016 it flatlined)
Khalil Giovanni 4 years ago
It's been said that the U.S is the Florida Man of the world. So proud.
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Joe Reaves 4 years ago
Was watching a listicle youtube (They Will Kill You, if anyone cares) and they covered Florida man. One of the entries was Florida Man arrested after trying to get an alligator drunk. He was easy to arrest as he was seeking medical care at the time as it had taken exception to him trying to pour a can of beer into its mouth.
Anna Tannehill 4 years ago
One of my favorite YouTube channels... and that Florida man trying to have sex with a gator was hilariously insane
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Humble SpamBot 4 years ago
Florida Men are insane. One Florida man was arrested and charged with assault with deadly weapon because he threw an alligator at a woman working in a Wendy's drive through.
Janine B. 4 years ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Man Never heard of it before either. :)
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Friend from Germany told me: "Bavarian Man". Any Germans to confirm/deny?
Anna Tannehill 4 years ago
Nope.. true german here and I never heard this
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#7
Mourning doves. They're cute and chubby, and their boo-hoo-hoo songs sound like wooden flutes.
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Mourning doves are rural areas' pigeons, but much, much nicer to have around. They are monogamous and mate for life, and their call is lovely.
Ruth Gottesman 4 years ago
I live in a huge city and there are a pair who made a home under my next door neighbor's awning. I will say when I was a kid, we didn't have them (nor raccoons, possums, etc) so maybe they've urbanized recently.
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago
These are cute! We have common wood pidgeons in Europe, that are also more shy and sweet than your average pidgeon.
Jo Davies 4 years ago
We have them in South Africa. The only difference is that ours have a black "collar". Sound 8s the same.
DE Ray 4 years ago
Collared doves are invasive in some parts of the US. Not as "take over the environment" as rock doves (pigeons), but adding pressure on the mourning dove population.
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Linda HS 4 years ago
As well, I have two permanent pairs in my garden. Don't know what happen, but one afternoon I had more than 15!!!!!! Again, yay me!!!
#8
Ranch.
Like why is it so good, why don’t we have it. And can we please exchange boris Johnston for a bottle. He’s be good in your circus
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
And homemade is WAY better than that bottled garbage.
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Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
I'm going to be hated for this no doubt but I don't get it, I really don't like it - I've tried it on several occasions always thinking maybe I've just had bad luck with it, but both in the US and home in Scotland it's just horrible - and available in every supermarket
Elwood Schwartz 4 years ago
Hoosier here. I can steadfastly state that ranch is vile.
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zak 4 years ago
Ranch dressing as a condiment is an abomination. Only slightly worse than mayonnaise. Yeah I said it. I'm an American, but I don't get the appeal. Especially on things like pizza 🤮
Tom Bolton 4 years ago
Only aberrations masquerading as humans put ranch dressing on a pizza. Some folk call them "Oklahomans." (I kid, I kid. Oklie has always been real hospitable to me.)
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Nicholas Kraemer 4 years ago
You want an entire full bottle for a politician? Does this Boris fellow know any tricks?
CrunChewy McSandybutt 4 years ago (edited)
I think we have enough clowns, we don't need Boris. However, Ranch is basically, mayo, sour cream, a little milk to thin it out, onion powder, garlic powder, a tiny bit of salt, and a f**k ton of dill.
#9
Trek1973 said:
Good Mexican food
burningfirelily replied:
Man so im a Mexican who wants to move to a European country but my biggest fear is losing access to ingredients to make my food and also having to endure whatever the heck people in those countries believe is "authentic" Mexican food.
Ina McCart 4 years ago
American, that lived in Germany for a decade, here. (2009-2019). I also come from San Diego, Ca. Mexican food is a central part of our culture. I will say this, getting the ingredients is absolutely possible.....in a major city. It's the process of getting the ingredients and the cooking that's a arduous. You have to take the s/u bahn to get to 7 different stores that all close before 6pm, Mon thru sat. Then Lug 20kgs of stuff through city only to get home and have to make everything from scratch. Tortillas for example. You can go to the one Mexican specialty store in all of Berlin to get masa (because the pre made ones they have are gross) then get home, knead it, throw it in the tortilla press, and bake them. However, that is just step 1 of 20 in your dinner making process. Try finding pinto beans at a Lidl or Rewe. I used to do Mexican nights on Sundays for all of my friends when I was over there. In order to do this, I would have to start shopping on Friday and cooking on Sat.
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Joe Reaves 4 years ago
I have a friend in Texas and she definitely would not agree that all of America has good Mexican food. Only the regions near Mexico do. The rest just *think* they have good Mexican food.
Rcktgirl05 4 years ago
This is accurate. I've lived in Arizona for over ten years and I've been spoiled here. Anywhere else I go visiting family I'm usually disappointed.
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Iriané Marie Laurentwolff 4 years ago
This made laugh my mexican grandma who was raised in a farm and cooked her entire life from zero. Taking her ingredients from the crops and the most processed stuff was the carton milk when a cow wasn't available lol
Otter 4 years ago
The last time I was in Paris (circa 2000), the whole city was full of Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants. I didn't eat there, because I can get Mexican at home, but French food is scarce. Is the French version of Mexican food any good?
rn42 4 years ago
I would assume you can get decent Mexican in Paris, it's large enough for it... But then again France is home of the abomination that is O'Tacos so I wouldn't risk it
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Al Christensen 4 years ago (edited)
Sadly, most Americans think "good" Mexican food comes from fast food chains or the supermarket freezer. Or they think it's just one type (Tex Mex, for example). But my eyes were opened WIDE when I traveled in Mexico. Oh, wow! There's basic regional food that can stand side-by-side with the snooty cuisines of the world.
RNA 4 years ago
If you're looking for seasoning mixes easily available in US, you'll probably be disappointed in Europe. When it comes to the raw ingredients though i don't think you'll be struggling at all.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
I have been surprised at all the recipes from the US that will say however much of this spice mix, and I have to google what exactly is in it because we do not have them commonly in Australia.
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Jassel Torres Zafra 4 years ago
Mexican in Europe who has lived in USA (Chicago). I don't think there is still a huge difference between access to ingredients anymore. You do need to cook for proper Mexican food imo
#10
Legal right turn on red, I don't always agree with Jeremy Clarkson but in this instance he's correct that's it's one of the US's greatest contributions to society.
RNA 4 years ago
Well, in some of the countries there are 'green arrows' under the red light meaning that conditionally you might turn right on red IF there's no traffic you'd interfere with. I believe it's basically the same.
Robert T 4 years ago
In the UK this is called a "filter". Usually it means that you have right of way in a junction, but sometimes it is followed by a dotted line a little further up the road indicating that you should "give way" to traffic already on the road you are turning into. On busy roundabouts there is often a permanent left turn lane (equivalent of above). At lights you can turn right on red (opposite to abobe) if you entered the junction whilst on green - i.e. you complete your turn and vacate the junction. The main reason we don't have a universal turn left/right on red is because our lights normally include pedestrian crossings and they are phased to allow pedestrians to cross whilst that section of the lights is on red.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
The reason that it works in the USA is because a lot of the cities are designed in a grid formation where four lanes meet at a right-angled crossroad. In places like DC, which was built in a much older, not-so-geometric system, you can't do the right turns. In places like the UK, France, Germany, where the roads are multiple lanes, meeting at multiple angles, right turn on red just doesn't work.
NsG 4 years ago
Not in the UK, since we're contrary enough to drive on the left, a right turn on red would just lead to massive traffic fatalies. Left turn on red, while not as catchy, would have to be our version. (BTW, where are those adorable traffic lights?!)
Annette Menzel 4 years ago
The figurine is called "Mainzelmännchen". They origin in the German town Mainz. I think the trafficlight could be from around there
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago
This is very dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists actually. But Germany at least has the green arrow, which essentially does the same at crossings that hev them.
CrunChewy McSandybutt 4 years ago
The greatest contribution? Not Jazz, stand-up comedy, Rock & Roll, Hip Hop, Beat poetry? No? Just right turn on red? Ho-kay.
#11
Drive in EVERYTHING! Drive in Starbucks, I’ve head Drive in Banks, that’s so crazy to me
Kookamunga 4 years ago
Drive-in liquor stores, pharmacies, food.....I'd trade in all those drive-ins in for drive-in movies. Wish they would come back everywhere like it used to be!
Lisa Simpson 4 years ago
We have one here in Oregon that was declared a historic land mark so its gonna be there for a long time!
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Personally I much prefer being able to walk places since I don't like driving.
Karin Gibson 4 years ago
I loved the drive through banks as did my kids as the cashiers always put lollies into the serving section.
Tom Bolton 4 years ago
True, some of this is also influenced by the pace of life in certain areas.
#12
Root beer is a popular beverage in the United States. Visitors from Europe frequently comment on how "strange" it tastes.
The road splits in two. It's a beloved American ritual that foreigners are unfamiliar with. Imgur
Fiona Parky 4 years ago
I tried it once. It tasted like cough medicine that had been carbonated. No thanks.
Lisa Simpson 4 years ago
What brand... there's some brands that are smoother and have a softer creamy taste and then some that have a sharp bite i don't like those brands either.
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Karin Gibson 4 years ago
We all have odd drinks that the locals enjoy. In Scotland there is Irn Bru and Ginger beer in the UK
Fiona Parky 4 years ago
Now you’re talking! Irn Bru defies description but it’s gorgeous. Ginger beer is nectar.
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Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
I'm from California and I've always thought root beer was and is friggen disgusting. Don't you DARE ruin good ice cream by mixing the two around me! Lol
Jesus Ortiz 4 years ago
I'm Hispanic, to me it taste like Coca Cola that has gone bad, mixed with minty fresh toothpaste.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Tried it once out of curiosity and hated it. It tastes of anise and just reminded me of ouzo which I also don't like.
#13
Free drink refills at restaurants
Jellyfish 4 years ago
Restaurants serve more drink choices than those full of sugar. As someone with type 1 diabetes (aka juvenile diabetes), free refills of unsweetened tea or water didn’t give me diabetes. My body that decided to attack my pancreas for no reason at all gave me diabetes. Even people with type 2 diabetes get the disease for many different reasons. A quick Google search would be beneficial in decreasing the amount of ignorance spread online.
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Letty Guerra 4 years ago
I love reading the comments from Europeans, they are so vitriolic and full of scorn and hatred for Americans. The "Enjoy your diabetes " comment is my favorite. All I can say is What's it to you? You're not paying Americans medical bills. Save tge scorn for your own compatriots!
Samantha Melnychuk 4 years ago
They really should get rid of free refills of pop and other sugary drinks. They do nothing but harm. They should start offering things like bubly or some other sparkling water as a free refill instead.
abetlew wiroqw 4 years ago
Depends where you go. Most dispenser machines have vitamin water or soda water.
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Rata Robinson 4 years ago
Yeah, I don't think this is a good thing. Refills being free just underlines how cheap (and crap) the ingredients of the drinks are!
Aria Whitaker 4 years ago
Huh? My free refill of homemade lemonade means...what? The lemons were cheap? The sugar? You think that just because you dont get free refills that automatically means your drinks' ingredients are inherently better? Um, no.
Load More Replies... RNA 4 years ago
Paid for my coffe in SF diner. Every refill was on the receipt i got. Turns out it wasn't 'free' ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Travis Fox 4 years ago
That's not the norm unless it's somewhere like Starbucks that specializes in coffee/specialty drinks. Most restaurants offer free refills during your meal, even fast food.
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Arianna Ibbotson 4 years ago
We have free water refills. Healthier than just unlimited free sugary drinks
Dodo 4 years ago
Brewer's Fayre does free refills on some soft drinks too. At least, they did last time I went to one
Load More Replies... #14
zephyr1004 said:
We have a high drinking age at 21.
UnilateralWithdrawal replied:
Europe is definitely more laid back. I’ve been to manufacturing plants in Germany where beer is sold out of vending machines.
FailBunny17 4 years ago
I do wonder sometimes if having a high drinking age or even maybe just having an age restriction at all possibly does more harm than good. Not saying we should be giving our children shots or anything but just making it such a taboo and not really discussed thing in family life outside of don't do it. When people finally can drink whether legally or through just having the means we typically overdo it and don't have a good sense of how to moderate (or want).
Erik Lawrence 4 years ago
The US has created a weird culture around drinking... Its this big taboo until youre 21.... but then, alcoholism is essentially celebrated, the whole wine mom thing drives me crazy. I about lost it when there was a whole section of dog toys all based on beer/liquor/wine. its ridiculous.
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Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
I raised my daughter the European way, because that's how my parents raised me. From the time she could drink from a glass, she got a tiny liqueur glass with a drop or two of wine, then filled with water. As she got older, she got more wine and less water. By the time she was a teen, she was having a glass of wine with dinner like a civilized person.
Viviane 4 years ago
That demystifies alcohol and treats it like an accompaniment to a meal. As against it being a recreational drug or a competition to see who can get alcohol poisoning first.
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Cecily Holland 4 years ago
If you are old enough to marry and vote at 18 then you are old enough to drink
Tom Bolton 4 years ago
To clarify, technically the drinking age is set by the individual state. IF, however, a state sets their drinking age lower than 21, they lose out on federal funding for highways. The intention is to reduce drunk driving accidents among young people. This is less in relation to the prevalence of alcoholism and more to do with the sheer number of drivers in the country.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
Australia debated raising the drinking age again about 20 years ago, but they decided to find other ways to curb drunk driving in teens. I'm not completely sure on all the restrictions for other states, as roads and driving come under state law but I can tell you what it is like in my state, Victoria. You have to be at least 18 to pass your license test and then you go on top Probationary License. There are two levels, red Ps and green Ps, and each has certain restrictions. Both require your blood alcohol to be at 0, and the red Ps have restrictions on the amount of passengers you have (within certain age ranges) to stop over crowding which was a common problem for young drivers who got into accidents when driving home from parties. It can be a drag to be on 0, especially if, like me, you are actually an older driver who is on their Ps, but it's not a big deal really. It seems to work too, as the stats are going down.
Load More Replies... Kookamunga 4 years ago
It's difficult to resist something forbidden. I had my first taste of alcohol at around 15, all the more fun because we were sneaking around being bad.
Steph Harrison 4 years ago
Alcohol was never off-limits when I was growing up. We were always allowed to try it and at christmas we were allowed a small glass of ginger wine or something similar. Never had a problem with alcohol or a desire to drink to excess. I had a similar theory about cigarettes, my parents knew a couple of smokers and I never had any desire to pick up the habit.
Load More Replies... Erik Lawrence 4 years ago
drinking responsibly is never taught... the only time the phrase comes up is when companies are forced to pay to have it shoved in our faces so politicians can feel like they are doing something productive.
Robert T 4 years ago
I'd be a bit wary of vending machines in manufacturing plants, as the last thing you want is a tispy machine operator, but when I was in Denmark, we had beer in the vending machines at the software company I was working for. What's more, the beer was cheaper than bottled water! We used have a can of beer with our wash up meeting at the end of the day. Was really nice and social, and nobody abused it either.
Dave P 4 years ago
This is not exactly true. Federal Age for Drinking is 18, however there is a law from the 1970's that states that any state that has a drinking age under 21 cannot get federal highway funds. The bill was sponsored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The 21 is the states who want federal highway funds. Technically on federal property within federal jurisdiction it would be 18. Further this is the age for sale, you can drink at a lower age under a wide variety of conditions.
#15
Pancakes with maple syrup.
...date German, and she is super confused why there is so much sugar in the American breakfast. Go to the U.K. and there is none...go to Amsterdam where pancakes are practically the national specialty, and they are mostly savory!
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Not entirely. We have loads of sugar maples in New England, and a thriving maple syrup business. Vermont, in particular, controls its inventory and the quality thereof much like European wine and cheese standards are controlled. My daughter taps our sugar maples every year; we get about a gallon per year.
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago (edited)
In Germany, pancakes with sugar and apple sauce are a popular sweet lunch for kids, same as milk rice with sugar and cinnamon or semolina porridge and cherries. Our pancakes are unleavened though and taste different.
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
Pancakes and maple syrup definitely exist in the uk - you can either get maple flavoured syrup which is cheap, or get the good proper maple syrup that costs way more - I prefer the proper stuff.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
I guess the difference is it's not an everyday breakfast thing. In Australia it was mostly a 'sweets' aka dessert thing, until the influence of America in, I'm guessing, the 70s. Now it's can be either sweets or breakfast (usually on a weekend, especially after a sleepover).
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Karina H 4 years ago
Well, I visited Scotland and had some really nice proper Scottish Breakfast. I guess you can count fruit pudding as something sweet :-) but with black and white pudding, haggis, sausages, bacon, beans, eggs, tomatoes and mushrooms there is not much space for anything else. except maybe toast :-D Did I miss anything? God, I love that food.
NsG 4 years ago
OPmay be referring to the Full English Breakfast. Aka a fry-up. Arguably less unhealthy than the full sugar cereals (since baked beans contain natural fibre, as well as sugar in the sauce). It IS possible to do a healthier version by grilling the meat and poaching the egg and get low sugar beans.
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Zedrapazia 4 years ago
Less sugar is actually more healthy, I'd say that's a plus. Nonetheless, maple syrup from your Canadian neighbor is delicious
ZAPanda 4 years ago
You are wrong. Pancakes and maple syrup has been colonised. Many restaurants here in africa offer it, or something similar. And it's perfectly acceptable to have sweet stuff for breakfast. Well, not breakfast cereal, as W***y Wonka says, that's pencil shavings.
ZAPanda 4 years ago
BOOOORRRRED PANDA IT IS A CHARACTER IN A NOVEL NOT GENITALIA YOUR ALGORITHM IS LAMEEEEE
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Leslie Crittenden 3 years ago
New York State (not New York City) has lots of sugar maples, in Western NY State where I live (between Buffalo and Rochester) there are half a dozen maple farms within 30 miles of here. It's a big business for many people. Yes pancakes and maple syrup is sugary for breakfast but you'd also have meat such as bacon or sausage with it, and fruit, you wouldn't have pancakes and syrup by itself.
Lady of the Mountains 3 years ago
American breakfasts are very sweet I agree with her there. A donut or cinnimon roll is not brealfast
#16
Garbage disposal units are installed beneath the kitchen sink.
Mermaid Elle-Jaye 4 years ago (edited)
I had one, once in Melbourne, I turned it on to play around with it, but never used it. I can just walk and scrape my plate into a regular bin just fine 😆
Stannous Flouride 4 years ago
It's largely because most of the US is blessed with copious and inexpensive water sources.
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Pat Bond 4 years ago (edited)
Eh? Waste disposal units are readily available in the UK and have been for decades, they are just not fashionable or that friendly to water & sewage systems. Recycling being more environmentally friendly. To clarify these are for food.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Maybe only in UK? Haven't seen them anywhere else in Europe in 5 different countries at least!
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Just Brandi 4 years ago
Literally every single person I know is on city water and definitely have garbage disposals. "Less of a thing" nope
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
We always had one growing up in my parents house, hated the thing - it's so loud and annoying, and would get really smelly. We barely used it. We now gave separate bins to put food waste in that has biodegradable bags that go in a sealable bin outside and gets collected weekly, much easier, less smelly and much quieter
Tonya Wallace 4 years ago (edited)
God, yes, I know what you mean about the smell! But you can easily clean them. I use baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water. We eat citrus fruit daily, and put the peels in the disposal. The disposal grinds the peels and release the scent of the oils in the peel. It smells so fresh! Like a ride on Soarin' at Disney. ☺️
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
I onlly encountered these, as a US citizen,in two places I've lived, out of many, so.... Not sure that it's really that common? Maybe regional?
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
Many European sewage systems were created so much earlier than many American ones that they simply aren't built for taking away that amount of solid waste.
Leslie Crittenden 3 years ago
The reason for having them in cities is to reduce the volume of waste that has to be removed. That's why just discarding food in the bin isn't an equally valid choice. The disposal liquifies the food and it goes down the drain into the sewer system.
#17
Automatic ice dispensers in your fridges. It's such an American thing you only find it on fridges that are labelled "American style"
May 4 years ago
In Norway we call them side by side fridges. I live in Denmark currently and there's too much limescale in the water, so they're very rare here. Common at home, though.
Just JoLynn 4 years ago
Most of the fridges we (Americans) have that dispense ice are called side by side fridges too.
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Dumb person 4 years ago
I mean this is fairly common in the US but it's a somewhat new thing, there are still plenty of (usually older) fridges that don't have them
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Depends, I suspect. And I don't have one in my fridge, and I'm an American in the US, so.... Maybe this is just one of those things that we think is typical and isn't?
D S 4 years ago
They definetely exist all over Europe for decades now. I just don´t think most people like or buy them. We bought a side by side frigde and went precisely for one without ice dispenser because it made no sense to us.
Load More Replies... Lady of the Mountains 3 years ago
Wow this is literally so normal to me but i guess it makes sense that its unique to the us
#18
AC. Been back a forth a lot, AC.
MikeWheelerFan 4 years ago
I live in Florida and without AC you could die of heat stroke. It’s not throughout the entire country though. When I went to Carmel (near Monterey) they didn’t have AC. As a Florida girl I was shocked.
Theoretical Empiricist 4 years ago
And now, areas in the Pacific NW are finding that AC is more important than it used to be.
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Loty 4 years ago
It might come as a surprise but New York is on the same latitude as Barcelona and Istanbul. Florida is on the same lattitude as Saudi Arabia. AC is not a luxury, it's an absolute necessity in most of the United States.
Mystery Egg 4 years ago
Huh? I live in the Med. Literally everyone has an AC. We’d frazzle in the summer without them. They are very common in Southern Europe.
D S 4 years ago (edited)
I live in Portugal and while I have an AC unit (and it´s used once or twice a year or during heat waves) I barely know anyone who does. It´s not that common in private homes but really old houses used to be built with stones, have tick walls and be comfortable even during heat waves. Since the 70s/80s to the 00s they made awfully insulated houses and they had to impose certain rules and regulations to construction to make sure they started to take insulation serious again.
Load More Replies... julien 4 years ago
older houses in Europe have thick stone walls and it's stay cool inside. my house which is only ten years old has a pretty good insulation, all I need is a fan and sometimes I've got to turn it off because it gets too cool ! lol. perigord-6...6d0fda.jpg 
Vicky Z 4 years ago
Thick or not if you get heat waves like 45° degrees you need AC! It's not about houses it's about where exactly in Europe you are
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RoseTheMad 4 years ago
Gotta give the Americans that one, especially with how Hot the UK now gets in summer. xD thing is, AC is crazy expensive over here, and a pain to install.
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Have you looked into a ductless system? The actual AC unit hangs on the wall inside your home, and is connected to the compressor outside by a quite small hole. You can pretty much install them yourself, if you're handy.
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Karin Gibson 4 years ago
Window mounted AC I enjoyed ironing in front of it when the temperature was 100+ Fahrenheit and the humidity at 98
Anna Tannehill 4 years ago
Yes in the southern states it is essential but I also lived in Northern Michigan and California where we did not have AC
#19
OkAnteater9569 said:
At home or somewhere else, they have screens on their windows.
blackwe11_ninja replied:
You mean mosquito screens? We have them too. In my city you would have to be insane not to have one.
Otter 4 years ago
Flies, mosquitos, palmetoo bugs, gnats, deer flies, wasps, etc. Some parts of the US have monumental insect populations, or at least, they did before pesticides were used everywhere.
Fiona Parky 4 years ago
Erm no. That’s because I don’t really get mosquitoes here. I mean, if you want you could screen out butterflies and fresh air. If you live in Scotland there’s no point either. The “Scottish woolly sabre toothed midge” goes through a fly screen like a bear goes through a paper wall.
Nevid 4 years ago
We do have windows screens. I lived in southern France, and a lot of houses had screens, because of the mosquitoes. Now I live in central France, where it's colder, but I still have a screen because I live right next to a swamp.
Karin Gibson 4 years ago
We don't have an awful lot of bugs. It was an experience to have cicadas hanging off your screens.
Leslie Crittenden 3 years ago
Many places still do have monumental insect populations, here in rural upstate NY you can't go outside after dark, the mosquitoes would eat you alive. If we're going to open windows to cool off the house, window screens are a necessity
Shelley DuVal 4 years ago
Also so do Australians. We prefer to keep the flies and mosquitoes outside. The are actually called flywire screens here.
#20
Just found this out on another post: our own graves. Apparently graves are often dug up and reused in Europe and Australia. They’re owned by the government and will not always be yours. The only reason why we don’t do the same is because we are a younger country and we haven’t run out of room to bury people yet.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
I don't think this is accurate, I've certainly never heard of it happening in Aus. There are cemeteries in cities that are getting more filled, but they don't seem to get dug up, they just build new cemeteries, which fits as the areas of population growth moves further out anyway.
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Maiun 4 years ago
The government doesn’t own graves in the UK. The land owner does. In order to have burials on private land you have to get permission from your local council. For example if I wanted to be buried in my back garden, I would need permission. Basically this is just to check there are no water sources which could be contaminated by decomposition. The church mostly owns the graveyards, though more natural and non consecrated burial sites are appearing.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
I learned about that on the show 'Finding Alice' :) In Australia it is extremely rare for people to be granted permission to bury people on their land anymore, certainly not in suburban backyards, probably only on big cattle stations or whatever where the local cemetery is not really local.
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Sarah Richardson 4 years ago
Would love to know where people get some of these nuggets from. The UK government does not own people’s graves, why anyone would think that’s true is just ridiculous. A family can re-use a grave, assuming one can be dug up and resettled lower but it can’t be ordered by government. Some graves are centuries old and still standing.
Vicky Z 4 years ago
In my country they reuse all the time cause there is no space especially in big cities! It's needed but it's horrible cause sometimes they call you in 3 years and you have to be present to take the bones of your beloved ones but if they are not decomposed completely they bury them again! And you are there to watch the whole thing because there has to be a relative present
Load More Replies... Mystery Egg 4 years ago
Another weird and not a strictly true one. I’ve seen plenty of gravestones with death dates on longer ago than the US has existed.
RoseTheMad 4 years ago
I've never heard of that happening, at least not at any graveyards near me. Apparently it can happen though (usually after close to 100 years) But still.. I don't think it's actually common. The UK has graves that are hundreds of years old with their original headstones, and depending on the religion of the person buried, their resting place cannot be destroyed iirc.
#21
Bigger homes and wider streets
Aria Whitaker 4 years ago
Some. Some are brick. Some are stone. Some are concrete. Have you ever actually BEEN here, Rale? Certainly does NOT sound like it. LOL
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Rata Robinson 4 years ago
I think it really depends where in the USA you go... apartments, trailer parks, a lot pf places the average person lives don't look like the above
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
That's adorable. i would much prefer to live in a cottage-style home like that than a cookie-cutter large and more modern home.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
Yes, I would say the average American home is way bigger than the average European home, again, because the country was settled hundreds of years later, there has been the opportunity to keep building big. When I lived in the States, my daughter and I had a townhouse that was considered lower end in terms of price and quality. It had three floors, two full and two half bathrooms, three bedrooms and a fully finished basement. Total square footage was about 2,500 square feet. Now I live in the UK with my daughter and my mother, and our house is about half that size.
Ren Karlej 4 years ago
Maybe I'm weird but I don't like my home to be too big. I have a reasonable sized detached property but anything much bigger just costs more to heat or cool, is more work to clean. My husband would just fill up more space with his crap... er, lovely hobby stuff. It is what you are used to, to some extent of course.
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Caro Caro 4 years ago
I wouldn't mind living in a house like that. Imagine what I could do to that garden instead of just a lawn !
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Thank yoU! I *hate* the US lawn thing. Such a waste of good soil!
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#22
I worked for a US firm (I’m From the UK). There are many differences, but the one that used to cause so many problems was the term “Fortnight” - not commonly used in that part of the US, so they used “Bi Weekly” for the same thing. Except in the UK that means twice a week
Maiun 4 years ago
British person here, bi-weekly definitely doesn’t mean twice a week here. It means fortnightly or every 2weeks. We don’t really have a word for twice weekly in colloquial English.
Jo Choto 4 years ago
That's not quite accurate. In English, biweekly, bimonthly, etc. can mean either twice in the time period, or once every two time periods. Very confusing.
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Huddo's sister 4 years ago
And in Australia bi-weekly could be either, which I guess is why we more commonly use fortnight
Ren Karlej 4 years ago
Aussies use English in a far more similar way to the UK than the US does. Not a criticism btw - just a statement!!
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Veronica Connelly 4 years ago
They know that they are talking about biweekly not fortnight it has been established that fortnight is two weeks :)
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DragonflyGreen 4 years ago
I do understand that biweekly can mean twice a week in the U.S. (American citizen here) but the comparison of fortnight and biweekly is not relevant. A fortnight is two weeks, basically a noun, and biweekly is a descriptor. "Biweekly paycheck." Not comparable.
Dawn Marshall 4 years ago
I'm English and a fortnight has always been 2 weeks and I'm 56 years old
veronica bingham 3 years ago
Aussie here. Maybe l'm reading it wrong but Fortnight here is every 2 weeks while bi-weekly is twice a week. Not sure in Europe, USA or Britain & Scotland?
yellowphantom 4 years ago
The only places you see "Fortnight" used in the US are very old writings, British TV shows, and a video game.
Sarah Saunders 4 years ago
Have had this here, sons teachers hate what he hears at home. Another prime example is the word 'nor' .
#23
I always find myself finding everything cheaper in america online stores than in european stores. Especially with hardware, woodworking, light machinery.
As many pointed out, USA don't include sales tax in the price. But then again as others pointed out, its only 6% whilst mine is 25% on all goods at home. So USA prices are still comparatively low even when included American 6% tax. It would only be worth to order tho if I actually lived in USA tho because of import duties.
Loty 4 years ago
Yes, most consumer things are cheaper in the USA but when you add costs of education, childcare and health care you'll find that Europe is a much much cheaper and less stressful place to live.
Lioness Nature 4 years ago
Feel like not enough people are aware of this. College is cheaper overseas and in other countries also you get paid maternity and paternity leave for up to a year in European countries. But in America you get only 3 months UNPAID maternity leave (even despite scientific knowledge that the female human body hasn't even healed 1/3 of the way after giving birth) and there is no such thing as paternity leave in the US. Plus it costs too much to own anything in the US, house, car, store, restaurant etc.
Load More Replies... All's Gravy 4 years ago
But you gotta save for health insurance, and even with that, there's so much not covered. You're allend up bankrupt.
Gabrielle Martin 4 years ago
My job pays for most of my health insurance. The affordable care act Obama put in place is a huge money saver, too.
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Hemlock Tea 4 years ago
Sales tax is by state and local municipality, it's not the same everywhere in the US.
Anaïs Grobin 4 years ago
A lot of people don't understand how large the US actually is, and that each state is different. And even more so, that each region has its own distinctive culture.
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Isa Trip 4 years ago
because of taxes BUT Europe actually gets benefits from the taxes unlike here in the US. No health insurance, no education, no help, nothing! If you are rich and/or corporation you do not pay taxes. But if you are poor like me I have to pay taxes AND have to pay more in tax season because I have no children.
Tanya Robinson 4 years ago
Not all states have a sales tax. Oregon doesn't have a sales tax. But we do have property taxes.
Gabrielle Martin 4 years ago
OK so reading the comments it's clear that some folks don't know that with the affordable care act most low earning folks can qualify for health insurance for something like 50 bucks a month. There are many public (free) schools that can give a kid a good education, and many young moms can qualify for grants to help put their children in prek and daycare. There's many programs here that can help a lot of people. This is coming from someone who went to public school, used the affordable care act for health insurance while I didn't have a job that paid for my insurance, and who has friends who use grants to put their kids in daycare so they can go to work.
Sarah Saunders 4 years ago
You have to look online even in store, it's crazy how they don't discount in store but online it's a different price, if it's over $20 I always check , my hubby will prob divorce me for just this, it drives him crazy when I'm showing the cashier's the online price to get the discount.
#24
PixieBaronicsi said:
College sports
Oneinchwalrus replied:
This one I'll give you. Universities play each other in sports, but nowhere to the scale in America. For football (soccer), most players can be in clubs' academies from the age of 5/6, finish school at 16 and then just go straight into reserve/first team squads, whereas in America they play sports in school, university, then get picked up by clubs
Titas Burinskas 4 years ago
However, the bad thing is that college sports raise millions in profits, but amateur sportspeople don't get any of it.
Helen Haley 4 years ago
And its a giant distraction from the real reason of college.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
The only reason college sports is such a thing in the USA is because it's all about MONEY and PROFIT, and not a lot to do with sports at all.
Dave P 4 years ago
and it brings in millions to the colleges that fund scholarships, science labs, etc. That Football team is also the reason why the Bio Lab is fully funded
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Don't Look 4 years ago
I feel personally offended by college football. It seems to sort of concentrate in Alabama - a state with no real sports, no pro sports (and I am not counting A, AA and AAA etc). And these (southern redneck) people get far too excited about something that is incredibly inconsequential like winning a bowl. These kids didn't go to college to get educated. They went for a free ride. What a f*****g joke.
Mike Beck 4 years ago
While I mildly resent the "southern redneck" (but only because you intended it to be an insult), I must say your views on the topic here are perfectly in line with mine.
Load More Replies... Karin Gibson 4 years ago
Kids in the uk are picked up from clubs or school football clubs at about 14 and they go to the football academyfor 3 days and school for two.
Mir Adwari 4 years ago
Varies within the clubs. Friend of mine's son was offered different options with Aston Villa and with Brighton.
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Sunshine Sunshine 4 years ago
Not just college but high school sports. We don't have teams here in the Netherlands. Would be great
Sonia Bailey 4 years ago
It disgusts me that some brainless moron who happens to have some skill at a random sport can get a free ride at a top university, when those who are truly gifted - esp. POC - have to scrimp and scrape, work 3 jobs and still end up saddled with a debt equivalent to a GDP of a small African nation to get access to the same colleges.
Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
Isn't putting such pressure to perform in sports in high school a bit much for kids? I always played in sports growing up but it was fun and stress free thing to do, especially during exam time - I'd have hated that outlet to then be turned into another stressful thing to try to navigate around.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
The reason for this difference is that in Europe sports are not organized via the education system, but private clubs. Anyone who is good in any kind of sports won't be playing for a university team, generally speaking. They'll be at a club being paid a lot of money which our public universities would definitely not be able to afford to pay anyway.
BenMaharaj 4 years ago
We don’t call the professional organizations clubs either. They’re leagues or associations. Actually only the NBA, basketball, is an association
#25
Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
Hemlock Tea 4 years ago
Why are they trying to spread jelly on the peanut butter like a sociopath.
idle.threat 4 years ago (edited)
That's the way to do it if you're packing for lunch. Helps keep the bread from absorbing the moisture of the jelly and getting soggy inside :) Although I appreciate and enjoy your word choice.
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All's Gravy 4 years ago
Of course one can make PBJ sandwiches in Europe. Choosing not to is a different matter.
James016 4 years ago
My son loves these but it’s jam in the UK not jelly. Jelly is something else.
Travis Fox 4 years ago
Then what is jam called? Jelly is made exclusively from the juice, jam the whole berry or fruit. So if jelly is jam, what is jam there?
Load More Replies... Karin Gibson 4 years ago
You can make fruit jelly in the UK but it is more usual to use the whole fruit. Jelly in the uk is a glycerine based dessert
John Smith 4 years ago
Jelly is a very different thing in the UK, here Jam or preserve, US Jelly.
Weeblet 4 years ago
I eat peanut butter sandwiches. No jelly. No jam. No drinks. My favorite part is the crust.
Ryan Wisniewski 4 years ago
salty and sweet. New England area has Fluffernutters (PB and Kraft marshmallow fluff).Same idea, the salt in the Peanut Butter brings out the flavors of the jellies or fluff.
#26
Bigger portions/sizes. As an example I think a small or regular pb jar is probably considered large in European countries.
David Butler 4 years ago
Bigger people can always become smaller, but being a rude snob; your stuck with that for life. Lol.
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Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Every time I go to a restaurant, I bring home at least half my main course, because it's way too much food for me in one sitting.
Caro Caro 4 years ago
I think you just made a good point. You don't eat it all but take it with you for the next day or whatever. What is shocking is that most eat what is put before them. That's the problem.
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Viviane 4 years ago
Another solution to oversized proportions: share it with hungry people. My favourite memory about that: I handed a panhandler some food, warned "It's Thai food, it's pretty spicy". He gave me a big grin and said, "I loooove Thai food". Hell, if I'm ever starving, I hope someone gives me their leftover sashimi.
Karen Renee 4 years ago
Ok, let the fat-shaming begin. It's a complicated issue. American obesity began to rise around the 1970s-80s. It's not a coincidence. It's so complex. Scientific and medical research are uncovering a multitude of contributing factors. Its also socioeconomic. I'm sorry, but making fun of people for being big isn't solving the problem. Remember that this is also a nation that will throw edible excess food in dumpsters while many are starving from poverty. I'm hopeful for a better future.
Karen Renee 4 years ago
And yeah, my name is unfortunately Karen. I'm over it ;-)
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Big Chungus 4 years ago
I will say the plus side of bigger portions is you can take it home and eat on it for days without having to buy anything else, that is always nice
Francesca Annoni 4 years ago
Like free refill..I don't think this should be a positive thing, smaller European food portion aren't small, maybe are the right amount...
julien 4 years ago
"For the past 8 weeks, I have been amazed while food shopping in SW Europe, including France, Spain, and Portugal. Fruits and vegetables are 30-50-70 percent less expensive, and usually, they are organic and much better quality (flavorful and aromatic). Poultry has been 30-50 percent less costly, and seafood is extremely fresh, with much local variety, far better quality, and 50-75 percent less expensive." 1/People eat what is produced locally. 2/People eat what is seasonal. 3/Local farmers sell their products to local markets. 4/European food doesn’t have set sizes and color requirements.5/Buyers in Europe expect fresh, excellent quality, and they won’t settle for less. 6/If you are able to shop at the local market in Europe (which exists in every small town) instead of a large grocery store, the food is often less expensive. STEVEN MASLEY . MD.
veronica bingham 3 years ago
Many years ago l used to go to the markets, now they've become cliques where mainly the trendies Not the Locals go to.
Load More Replies... julien 4 years ago
GMOs are now present in 75 to 80 percent of conventional processed food in the U.S., according to the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
veronica bingham 3 years ago
Over 40 yrs ago visited Las Vegas from Australia, Strange but Wonderful...they had a 49 cent Buffet, true. ONLY ONE RULE: The only thing you pay extra for is what's left on your plate! But you are NOT allowed Containers for take homes... At the end of each shift, the food was packed up for a couple of nearby Homeless Shelters & the Meat sent to an animal Shelter. Such a Good Hearted thing to do. They Never Advertised, They were just Quiet Achievers. If Only More Could Do It Now. Then l Might Believe The Human Race Had Advanced!
#27
A flag on the moon
Todo Nada 4 years ago
Well, by now it is a white peace flag, since the original colors have faded-out.
smugdruggler 4 years ago
Yep. There are 96 bags of human faeces left on the moon from the various landings. We just pollute every environment that we encounter.
Load More Replies... Caro Caro 4 years ago (edited)
Hang on. This is true. The Americans do have a flag on the moon. Good for them. The thread is what Americans have and do that Europeans don't so this is correct. The British have planted flags around the world too when discovering and conquering. Many countries did this. Stop being assh0les.
aaaggg hhh 4 years ago
After spending several billion dollars for the program, HELL YEAH we're gonna swagger a bit about it.
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Synsepalum 4 years ago
They were planted by landers. The US is the only country to have put humans on the moon.
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#28
Perfect conditions for road trips. Nice roads, no border control, gas stations, sights, motels. Its perfect.
julien 4 years ago
24 Countries With Better Infrastructure Than America (https://www.businessinsider.com/countries-with-better-infrastructure-2013-3?IR=T ) While the U.S. benefits greatly from the sheer size of its economy, excellent universities, flexible labor markets, and innovative businesses, it's falling behind on the overall quality of infrastructure. The U.S. ranked 25 in this category, falling behind countries like Saudi Arabia, Spain, and South Korea. France ranks 1st for quality of roads and 4th for quality of railroads. It ranks in the top 30 for all categories and fourth for overall infrastructure. Source: World Economic Forum
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
This is because Republicans hate spending money on things that are actually needed, preferring to give more and more tax cuts to the wealthy.
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Caro Caro 4 years ago (edited)
This is old fashioned. We don't have border control here! EU - Schengen took care of that and guess what: we actually have gas stations here too, it's terribly handy when driving a car!. BUT a road trip in America would be awesome as you have a beautiful country. I would want to go from coast to coast through the northern states.
All's Gravy 4 years ago
But its full of obnoxious Republican Americans with guns refusing to be vaccinated or wear a mask, so why would you go out?
KaySt 4 years ago
Not so much, I think. If you stay in the Schengen area in Europe, there are no border checkpoints and roads are good. You also get to see just as diverse a landscape as in the US but with a lot more in terms of culture. Don't get me wrong, I've done a big road trip in the US and I absolutely loved it but I don't think it's necessarily better than Europe.
Aria Whitaker 4 years ago
"You also get to see just as diverse a landscape as in the US" Just looked up that area...and this is NOT true. At all. Not even a little bit. Where are the deserts? Jungles? I can go to FL and be in a swamp, HI and I am in a tropical jungle/rainforest, up to AK to see the iceburgs, go into AZ and NV to see the desert, hills in the midwest, huge mountains in CO, flatlands and meadows for miles in KS or OK. Looking at landscapes in Schengen, it is certainly is not as diverse, IMO.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
There's no border control if you stay in your own country in Europe either. Duh!
All's Gravy 4 years ago
There's no border control within the 26 Schengen countries for EU passport holders either.
Load More Replies... Don't Look 4 years ago
I've taken too many road trips across this land and I would NEVER have thought to look at it this way. I'm going to try it next week when I head out again.
Jyri Hakola 4 years ago
In the EU Shengen area you can practically accidentally drive from one country to another without even noticing that if not paying attention.
Thomas Sweda 4 years ago
I have visited the U.K.many times, and I love Britain and it’s people, but some of their roads haven’t been improved since the Middle Ages!
#29
As a middle (or east?) European who was in the US 16 years ago, amazing sweets selection! Please send Twizzlers to Slovakia!
Loki’s Lil Butter Knife 4 years ago
Hershey Bars have a really odd, vile aftertaste that I can't quite place. It's like eating chocolately wax.
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Jo Choto 4 years ago
I am a sweets freak and I'm afraid America has absolutely nothing in the way of chocolate or sweets that matches Europe.
KMill 4 years ago
That’s because in some European countries (maybe all?) you have to use x% or more of butterfat (or some magical delicious ingredient). In the US, we can still get good quality chocolate - but it’s not illegal to make crap.
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mcborge1 4 years ago
American chocolate has a chemical in it that is also found in vommit (Butyric acid) so you are not far from the truth. I think it's something to do with how the milk is treated during production.
Load More Replies... Karin Gibson 4 years ago
The sweets in the USA are full of E numbers flavourings and additives banned in the uk. American chocolate is gritty and rank.
RoseTheMad 4 years ago
Yea.. American sweets pale in comparison to anything from Europe I'm afraid.
All's Gravy 4 years ago
No its just different coloured and flavoured sugar. No craft. No artisanal ingredients, always quantity over quality. Even US versions of UK classics taste terrible. And how has anyone ever bought Hershey's thinking it was chocolate?
smugdruggler 4 years ago
American chocolate is seriously inferior to European chocolate. (Although I don't think twizzlers are chocolate).
buttonpusher 4 years ago (edited)
There used to be a shop in my town that sold American sweets. Stuff was stupidly expensive though. I was baffled at marshmallow fluff. I had a Twinkie problem for a while too.
#30
AioliEnvironmental58 said:
Outlets with 110 volts
-Reddit_Account- replied:
We have 220v outlets as well, but they’re usually reserved for applications that actually need it like dishwashers and washing machines.
Next time you clean behind your washing machine, look at the plug - it’s a much different one from the one you usually see on walls. That’s a 220v plug.
On your breaker box you’ll also notice that the breaker switches for those appliances are twice as thick.
either 220 or 240, I forget the exact number. Point is, you have plugs that have twice the potential of normal US wall plugs.
Timmy Pillinger 4 years ago
Harder to electrocute yourself with. Less efficient.
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Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
I remember I went to New York years ago and because I was staying with a friend I decided to take my own hairdryer from the uk, it would've been quicker just to stick my head out the window and shake it, it had zero power using their electric.
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Neither dishwashers nor washing machines use 220v, but electric ranges and dryers do.
Leslie Crittenden 3 years ago
110 volt plugs are for lamps, tvs, vacuum cleaners, blenders and small kitchen appliances. 220 volt plugs are for things that carry a larger current, so need a heavier wire,such as kitchen stoves and electric clothes dryers.
#31
High fructose corn syrup...
Cheaper gas, cheap v8 cars and trucks.
Land is cheaper.
NsG 4 years ago
I keep forgetting that some of these items contain multiple entries. For a moment I was genuinely trying to connect corn syrup with V8 cars...
Samantha Melnychuk 4 years ago
The same corn that makes the corn syrup makes the ethanol for the fancy pants cars?
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Loty 4 years ago
Land is only cheaper in places where noone wants to live. High fructose corn syrup is one of the main causes of obecity epidemic, cheap v8 cars that only produce 120 horse power and consume a gallon of gas per each mile and you can only like trucks if you never drove on american highways.
DragonflyGreen 4 years ago
This is NOT a good thing. The high fructose corn syrup thing, that is.
The Scout 4 years ago
HFCS is not only unhealthy, but also completely unnecessary except as a cheap filler. Manufacturers even claim you cannot really taste it apart form its sweetness - which is completely wrong. It's just that due to it being added anywhere, most americans do not taste it any longer. It gives any food item a sickly sweet aftertaste that personally reminds me of vomit...
Anonymous User 4 years ago
Like everywhere in the world, the cost of the land directly relates to the desire to live there.
#32
Extracurricular activities at school.
Playing a specific sport or being part of a team isn't something schools offer here. My cousins live in Texas and the fact that their school has tennis courts and a pool blows my mind.
Some schools here have small clubs like theater or choir but those absolutely don't compare to those in the States. Your high school theater plays look like professional productions sometimes it's insane.
olx 4 years ago
if the uk counts as europe in this context then we totally do. it isn't as insanely competitive and not as much stress is put on the students based on success but at my school there's football, rugby and netball teams, as well as theater and multiple choirs.
May 4 years ago
You'll always be part of Europe - can't vote your way out of geography :D
Load More Replies... Anonymous User 4 years ago
Well, since sports are such a huge deal in the US, we have to start our kids young. Far fewer community centers or places to play sports outside of schools and clubs.
All's Gravy 4 years ago
1. You are too quick to generalise. It depends on the school. 2. I'm sure even those who don't do drama club in the UK could spell "theatre". In the US school/college teams often find sponsorship and when there is $ involved things are taken much more seriously. As the education isn't automatically a way to social mobility in the US, for the poorest, sports are often the only hope for university entrance.
#33
Boozy Sunday brunches.
The only other country I saw have these is England. Most countries are rather closed on Sundays. Not the US. Unlimited mimosas and football.
Somewhat-Guilty 4 years ago
OMG!!! Yes we do!! My two siblings are gay and they took my mom and I to one.
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Martha Meyer 4 years ago
Why does this person think restaurants are closed on Sundays in Europe? They aren't. You can go and have Sunday brunch wherevere you like. Most restaurants close on Mondays instead.
Rata Robinson 4 years ago
NZ has these. Hard to get into anywhere on a Sunday morning sometimes, brunch is so popular.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
Same in Melbourne! Hipsters love their brunches :)
Load More Replies... idle.threat 4 years ago
If you're gonna have brunch it had better be boozy! Although I feel like most people here (u.s.) are a bit opposed to alcohol earlier in the day unless they are, for the most part, of the college aged crowd.
Huddo's sister 4 years ago
Americans seem to be very hung up on the appropriateness of alcohol, maybe because of the impact of the prohibition?
Load More Replies... #34
The most sunshine hours per year (thanks to Arizona, Nevada, Texas, Cali…).
Mindy 4 years ago
Or any other country the same latitude as these states.
Load More Replies... Loty 4 years ago
Have you been in Arizona, Nevada or Texas in summer? Does 120F (48C) sound like fun?
Hemlock Tea 4 years ago
You say that like it's a good thing... Sunshine in Texas means being fried.
#35
Massive tubs of cheap peanut butter. Its rare and expensive in most of Europe, sold only in small 4-8oz containers.
May 4 years ago
No idea how much an oz is, but we have peanut butter in the size shown in the picture
Mir Adwari 4 years ago
On bread? Neither!! Give me a really strong extra-mature cheese thanks! Nutella and PB make great ingredients for baking various things though.
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Daniel Ikelman 4 years ago
That's because PB in Europe doesnt have all the chemicals and nasty s**t that America allows in their food..less nasty s**t=smaller container
Roxy Eastland 4 years ago
I buy our peanut butter (we have the type that is literally just ground up peanuts, no additives at all, no palm oil, no sugar, no salt, it's so yummy) in 1kg tubs. Aldi has them cheapest.
Søs Rasmussen 4 years ago
In Denmark our healthy food i cheep and unhealthy food is expensive.
Johanna 4 years ago
Thats the way it should be! In Germany its challenging, cheap food is worse and unhealthy.
Load More Replies... Borariet 🇳🇱 3 years ago
Dutch peanut butter is available mostly in 350g, 650g or 1 kg. De branded kind is €7 for 1kg.... It's not American peanut butter, just peanut, a little oil and salt. Or straight peanut
ZAPanda 4 years ago (edited)
American peanut butter is universally fake, and loaded with palm oil and sugar and HFCS. We have a brand here called Black Cat which has a 100% peanuts only version (ok they add a small amount of salt). I can't abide american PB. If I want diabetes I can add maple syrup to my PB.
#36
Hot pockets and pizza rolls
Nikki Sevven 4 years ago
Ugh. Pizza rolls are so easy to make. Wonton wrapper, sauce, cheese, toppings. Fold to enclose filling, then deep fry.
What do you think ?
Jo Choto 4 years ago
My experience of Americans (over 22 years and citizenship) is that they tend to think that everything they have is "the best" and that nobody else has it. I have been told the following things are exclusively American and don't exist anywhere else in the world: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, best education system, best social life, best income, best medicine. I find these arguments are generally made by people who have never been outside North America. Nothing you say will convince them otherwise.
FailBunny17 4 years ago
*snort* most of America's stuff was made somewhere else lol
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Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
I bit of research could have been done on this, very few of these are actually unique to the US, many are available all over, if they're unusual then it's through choice more often than not - especially the food related ones
Loty 4 years ago
My favorite american expression is "As American as apple pie." I think it perfectly summarizes american mentality given the fact that apples are not even indigenous to the Americas and people in Europe had been making apple pies for thousands of years.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
As Irish as potatoes, then? As Italian as tomato sauces? both used for *thousands of years* before Europeans got them, but they're seen as iconic even in Europe, of European nations, to which the plants are not indigenous? .... We inherited the mindset from our European ancestors, as you can see.
Load More Replies... Pezor Zass 4 years ago
it's at least not a "here's what sucks" article, but really there have been sooooooo many of these. is the internet really this out of content?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
My takeaway, which is from someone who *has* traveled outside North America: People from abroad have ideas of what is "American" that can be just as false as any ideas about any country held by an American. Assuming beer is "just German" is just as silly as thinking maple syrup is only Canadian, for example. And yet... People fall into these stereotype traps anyway.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
You are right, but I always thought maple trees that give mape syrup only grow in Canada and some of the Northern parts of the US?
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Viviane 4 years ago
Several decades ago, a relative from France worked in San Francisco for two years. His two favourite aspects: big breakfasts and calling his bosses by their first names. His ex-wife did not adapt. She brought her biases and left a year later, biases and lack of English intact. Too bad. I'm happy for their kids, though. Both learned English and one now works as a medical translator.
ZAPanda 4 years ago
That's sad, SanFran is one of those places that has a good reputation outside USA for being more openminded and cultured etc.
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Theo Blackwood 4 years ago
I wish Goldfish Crackers were more available in Ireland. They’re my favourite.
Jo Choto 4 years ago
My experience of Americans (over 22 years and citizenship) is that they tend to think that everything they have is "the best" and that nobody else has it. I have been told the following things are exclusively American and don't exist anywhere else in the world: freedom of speech, freedom of the press, best education system, best social life, best income, best medicine. I find these arguments are generally made by people who have never been outside North America. Nothing you say will convince them otherwise.
FailBunny17 4 years ago
*snort* most of America's stuff was made somewhere else lol
Load More Replies... Got Myself 4 Dwarves 4 years ago
I bit of research could have been done on this, very few of these are actually unique to the US, many are available all over, if they're unusual then it's through choice more often than not - especially the food related ones
Loty 4 years ago
My favorite american expression is "As American as apple pie." I think it perfectly summarizes american mentality given the fact that apples are not even indigenous to the Americas and people in Europe had been making apple pies for thousands of years.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
As Irish as potatoes, then? As Italian as tomato sauces? both used for *thousands of years* before Europeans got them, but they're seen as iconic even in Europe, of European nations, to which the plants are not indigenous? .... We inherited the mindset from our European ancestors, as you can see.
Load More Replies... Pezor Zass 4 years ago
it's at least not a "here's what sucks" article, but really there have been sooooooo many of these. is the internet really this out of content?
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
My takeaway, which is from someone who *has* traveled outside North America: People from abroad have ideas of what is "American" that can be just as false as any ideas about any country held by an American. Assuming beer is "just German" is just as silly as thinking maple syrup is only Canadian, for example. And yet... People fall into these stereotype traps anyway.
Martha Meyer 4 years ago
You are right, but I always thought maple trees that give mape syrup only grow in Canada and some of the Northern parts of the US?
Load More Replies... Viviane 4 years ago
Several decades ago, a relative from France worked in San Francisco for two years. His two favourite aspects: big breakfasts and calling his bosses by their first names. His ex-wife did not adapt. She brought her biases and left a year later, biases and lack of English intact. Too bad. I'm happy for their kids, though. Both learned English and one now works as a medical translator.
ZAPanda 4 years ago
That's sad, SanFran is one of those places that has a good reputation outside USA for being more openminded and cultured etc.
Load More Replies... Theo Blackwood 4 years ago
I wish Goldfish Crackers were more available in Ireland. They’re my favourite.
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