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Do you prefer pancakes or crepes? Say “football” or “soccer”? Drive to work or pedal your way on a bicycle? These simple choices often spark entire debates about the differences between life in Europe and the U.S

People never seem to tire of comparing the two, especially on X (formerly Twitter), where the internet’s wittiest minds share hilarious observations about each other’s cultures. We’ve combed through their posts and rounded up some of their most amusing takes for you below. Scroll down to check them out and remember to upvote your favorites!

It’s well known that Americans and Europeans often argue about whose way of living is better. But to truly understand the differences, it’s helpful to hear from someone who has lived in both places.

Elizabeth Yuko, a journalist and professor of ethics at Fordham University, spent nearly a decade in Ireland before returning to the U.S. Reflecting on her experience, she says, “I knew that moving back to the United States after eight years in Europe would mean some sort of reverse culture shock. While I anticipated the big changes—like less paid time off and different attitudes toward food—it was the little things that really stuck out.”

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    #2

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    Spidercat
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I have a spoon on my kitchen wall that is dated before the declaration of independence...

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    #3

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    Agree to Disagree
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Poor, amateurish Canadians, try English measurements; I'm 6'2", weigh 19 stone, i take my milk and beer in pints and any other liquid in litres, my burgers are in lbs and my chicken in kg, I'll slow down from 70mph for the last 300m of the motorway before a junction. Oh, and if I had a horse it would weigh in imperial tons whilst trotting its chains and furlongs. If needed though you can still find things in hogsheads and hundredweight by the bakers dozen!

    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Americans: We use miles and pounds...and football fields...and bananas...and...well...anything but metric.

    actaeon cross
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Just gonna say that Southern USA measures distance in time as well. I can't tell you how many miles it is to anywhere but I know the closest large city is about two hours and my husband's parents are at least six hours but it depends on how many breaks he takes

    Andy Frobig
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    In the North, we can't do that as much. Newark to Manhattan could be 20 minutes or it could be three hours

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    Far_Rhubarb7177
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    American here: In 1976, we seventh-graders were told by a teacher that the U.S. was “about to convert to the metric system, so we had better be ready!” And 48 years later, I’m still waiting for it to happen.🙄☺️

    Paul Gerrard
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And in britain they drive on the left but you can buy left and right hand drive cars. That may have km or miles on the dashboard

    Richienotsorich
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Never seen a right-hand drive car for sale in the UK on a forecourt. All our cars have both Mph and KPH on the speedometer.

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    SkippityBoppityBoo
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The UK uses Stones and Pounds for weight... But as a born Canuck? I will stick up for measuring anything I need to in any which way I have to or need to!!! 😜

    David
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm so tired the overused "Americans don't understand metric" theme. Me - American - been using metric since the 70s and these days it is all around us on almost every package we purchase. With the exception of road signs, we are constantly exposed to both metric and imperial. Food packages, weather sites, etc. It is probably fair to say most Americans are "bilingual" when it comes to measurements.

    Agree to Disagree
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Good on you! I remember a story from an English plumber who moved to the south of France many years ago and was trying to get a pipe with a 12.5mm diameter and after a lengthy and confused discussion the gentleman in the French hardware shop exclaimed "ah! Le half-inch!" I can never wrap my head around cubic inches and foot/lb of torque though...

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    Vampiresscrow
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sometimes, grams and ounces are even in the same recipe. Dry stuff more in grams. Liquid is generally ounces (not even speaking of fl.oz. in this case). And then sometimes a liquid will be in grams, as well. Wt? What do I know?

    James016
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Brit here. We use a mishmash of both imperial and metric.

    Christina Dutta
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The British are also pretty confused. There has been strong resistance against full metrification.

    UKGrandad
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We're not confused at all, we simply have the ability to switch between systems.

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    Ge Po
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    3 months ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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    One of the things Yuko had to readjust to was the culture and habits surrounding grocery shopping. In Dublin, she typically shopped at modest-sized local stores near her house. “I had the option of getting my fruits and vegetables from the green grocer, my meat from a butcher, and my bread from a bakery. For everything else, I’d stock up at small grocery stores,” she explains. Large supermarkets were available but less accessible without a car, so she seldom visited them.

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    “When I moved back to the United States, I was overwhelmed by the sheer variety of foods in supermarkets—especially cereals, for some reason. The whole shopping process took longer because I had so many more choices.”

    Yuko was also struck by the constant presence of prescription-drug commercials when she returned to the U.S. There, it’s typical to see ads for everything from antidepressants to asthma medication. However, after so many years living in Ireland, she realized just how unusual they are.

    “The European Union has strict guidelines on TV ads for prescription drugs, so they’re not part of the advertising landscape,” she says. “And when you think about it, rewriting the lyrics to pop songs to try and sell diabetes medication to potential customer-patients is a pretty odd premise.”

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    One more surprising difference Yuko encountered was the style of local news in the U.S. “Dramatic music, flashy graphics, and glamorous newscasters—these are all parts of local news programs that I took for granted,” she says. In Ireland, with a population of 4.8 million, national and local news are combined into one “straightforward, no-nonsense” broadcast.

    “Adding to the somber nature of the news was a one-minute segment immediately preceding one channel’s six o’clock news that used to feature the Catholic prayer ‘The Angelus,’ but has been toned down to tolling bells and different scenes of everyday life.”

    “Though I didn’t expect a minute of quiet reflection before the American local news, it did take a while to get used to the high-energy, sensational local-news broadcasts in the United States again,” Yuko notes.

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    KatSaidWhat
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My job in medical office: Patient - I sent you an email this weekend. It's 9am on Monday, Felicia, and I don't do out of hours or weekends, thanks.

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    You may be amazed to learn that refrigerators in Europe and America aren’t the same size either. “The first house I rented in Ireland had three bedrooms, two bathrooms… and one tiny refrigerator,” Yuko recalls. She soon discovered this was standard in most homes, except for some larger families.

    Yuko eventually came to love the smaller fridge because it reduced waste and encouraged more frequent shopping for fresh foods. “When I first moved back to the States, I couldn’t wrap my head around the fact that I had my very own giant ‘American’ refrigerator all to myself in a small studio apartment.”

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    Alro
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    don't vs these 2. One is great and the other one makes better sandwiches. different uses

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    Yuko was also fascinated by how elections are handled in the U.S. and Ireland. Before moving to Europe, she had volunteered on several political campaigns and wanted to continue this work abroad, so she decided to intern with the Irish Labour Party.

    “There are no paid political television commercials,” says Yuko. “Each party is permitted a short broadcast before a general election, but it’s typically focused on the party itself rather than specific candidates, apart from the party leader.”

    “When I came back to the United States, the election season here seemed so long, and all the TV commercials served as a reminder of the importance of money in American politics.”

    #17

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    Michael P (Perthaussieguy)
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Whenever I get a fast food meal here (not very often) I always request the drink 'No ice, please', you get twice the drink.

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    pep Ito
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The border shown is that of the Schengen territory, nothing to do with the borders of the Schengen territory with the outside.

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    Yuko sometimes misses the ease of travel she enjoyed in Europe. “I could pop over to France or Finland for a short trip without totally breaking the bank,” she shares. Thanks to budget airlines like Ryanair and EasyJet, traveling to other countries was very affordable, and having friends across the continent meant she often had a place to stay.

    In contrast, air travel in the U.S. isn’t as straightforward. “While there are flight deals to be had in America, the budget options are limited, making air travel less accessible,” Yuko says. “With the exception of Canada, Mexico, and parts of Central America, most of my quick trips now are within the United States. Though staying in the same country is a change, it has been interesting getting to explore new states and regions.”

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    Yuko’s experiences reveal some of the many ways life varies between Europe and the U.S. However, instead of focusing on which is better, let’s appreciate the unique qualities each place has to offer. After all, it’s these differences that make our world such an interesting place.

    #27

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    pep Ito
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The European one, the original, has real orange juice (although not in high percentage), while the North American one has 100% natural flavors, whatever it is.

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    Bernd Herbert
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is a typical thing where it's necessary to look at the details and often enough the higher pay in the US may become relatively the same or less than in Europe. I know I'd have a higher pay in the US than here in Germany, at first glance, but my pay already covered taxes and insurances (health, care and unemployment). Adding to a general higher quality of life the higher sum in the US doesn't seem that desirable anymore

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    #31

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    Victor Botha
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I feel the same way about Farenheit as OP does about Celsius. How difficult is it. O° = freezing 100° = boiling

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    #33

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    pep Ito
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If you drink six glasses of water at lunch, you may have a serious hydration problem or you may need water because you are not able to generate enough saliva to swallow.

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    #34

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    Lavern Defazio
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Is this supposed to be irony? I mean, it is Starbucks for gosh darn sakes. Besides Starbucks being in Europe, I think there would be better choices.

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    #37

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    Victor Botha
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Working yourself to death at the expense of family and a decent balanced life is not the flex you think it is.

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    #39

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    SlightlyTarnished
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe stay the hell out of Europe, I'm sure the locals would appreciate your absence.

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