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It’s no secret that to an outsider, Americans often look like a quirky bunch of people. Red solo cups, free refills, and bulk shopping are all just the tip of the iceberg where it does get much weirder. But what the rest of the world finds particularly interesting about Americans is how bold they can sometimes be in the ways they approach foreigners.
So when an Aussie TikToker, @Voidable from Brisbane, asked people “What is the dumbest thing an American has ever said to you?” it blew up immediately all over the social platform, with people spilling the beans big time.
From questions like “Do you speak European?” or “Asian?” to genuinely wondering if a person from Egypt lives in a pyramid, these are some of the most “seriously?” queries thrown at non-Americans. Get ready to chuckle, and then make sure to check out our previous post with Americans being clueless to the moon and back.
Image credits: voidable_
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#1
“She went to Europe”
“What country?”
“Europe”
“Yeah what country in Europe?”
“The country Europe”
“Europe is a continent”
“What's a continent?”
Rose the Cook 3 years ago
I have lost count of the number of American teachers I have met who insist Africa is a country. No wonder people are confused.
RELATED:
#2
Got asked if we have electricity in Germany, I replied that in Germany we have to run in our giant hamster wheels to generate power.
#3
My grandma went on a European cruise and came back complaining that there were too many foreigners. LIKE ??? YOURE THE FOREIGNER.
Bored Panda reached out to social media influencer @Voidable from Brisbane whose TikTok video has gone viral. The creator now has 36.2K TikTok followers and 1.8M likes on the TikTok platform but his audience is ever-growing.
“At the time these kinds of videos (the asking people questions) were all over TikTok and I noticed that no one had asked about this topic which as someone who is not American I hear a lot,” he explained about the idea for the TikTok.
#4
They asked if I lived in a pyramid. I’m from Egypt. It has happened multiple times.
#5
"I didn't know Alabama had its own language." After I said I speak Albanian.
#6
I have a foreign ID card and my date of birth is written as 18/04/95 and I had someone ask me once “you guys have 18 months in your country?”
King Joffrey 3 years ago
That allowed me to drink a bit early in when I lived in the US as a 20-year old.
“When I hear some of the ways they do stuff it just makes me feel uncomfortable,” TikToker told us and added: “like how they microwave water instead of using a kettle, that one hurts.”
When asked how in his opinion Americans differ from the rest of the world, @Voidable said: “I think they differ as they are brought up and taught blind patriotism. I like America but you can’t sit here and not acknowledge its flaws.”
#7
"Why do YOU care who runs OUR country, it's not like it affects you"
Pretty sure WWIII affects the planet, bud.
#9
“Your English is so good, how long have you been learning it?” Ummm as an Aussie, my whole life.
And when it comes to the dumbest thing @Voidable has heard an American saying, it’s “when I had an argument with an American who told me that the US had 40 states. Still plays back in my mind,” he laughed.
#10
“I’m Spanish”
“Where in South America is Spain at?”
“I’m European”
“I thought u said u were Spanish”
“Spain is in Europe”
“What’s Europe?”
#11
him: "you don't study US history?" me: "no, just like you don't study Chilean history". him: "but it's different, we're an actual original country"
#12
German here - asked if we had nice cars in Germany.... like the BMW he was driving.
#13
"Our sun is brighter than yours."
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
They must have been talking about the sun they think shines out of their arses. Lol
#14
One said to me “wait it snows outside of America?” Like wait until you hear that it snows in Africa.
#15
When they ask you if you have internet access - while chatting online.
#16
Girl said I was insensitive for making jokes about the Pompeii volcano eruption. She said it happened 2008, and not 79 C.E
#17
"Australia is the Florida of Europe" I thought they were joking, but no, they were dead serious.
Truth Monster 3 years ago
I kinda view Australia as the Florida of Europe....except its not in Europe. I'd say its the Florida of the English colonial system...but that would go to America...namely because we have the actual Florida. And America is always stealing headlines for some kind of wacky news. And a lot of that is from Florida.
#18
"Does gravity work opposite in Australia?" I was half amazed that he knew what gravity was and half dumbfounded.
#19
Me telling Americans I'm from Norway: "ohh the capital of Sweden?"
dhiguthila 3 years ago
Once I got one asking me where I am from, I said Lake Como, right at the boarder with Switzerland, and the guy said "oh lucky you, you can visit Stockholm often, then"... and me "mmm na bro that's Sweden, 2k km away"
#20
He told me that the USA is the best country in the world, they are the only country where you can vote freely and give your opinion
#21
“Wait, some other countries have presidents too? I thought it was just an American thing.”
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago
No, American things are going shopping with an assault riffle strapped to your back and going bust on medical bills.
#22
Someone corrected my spelling of Sydney, apparently it's sidny (I'm Australian)
Sue Simmons 3 years ago
Love this. I was told England is spelt Ingland. I'm English. Lived in USA 21 years and was shocked by the lack of common sense and knowledge about other countries.
#23
My dads American co-worker was shocked that my dad had a drivers license, because he seriously thought that we only ride horse and buggy in Denmark.
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago
They will be shocked to hear we don't ride kangaroos in Australia.
#25
An American who thought Canada was a third world country. Because every country except the USA is a third world country. They really thought that.
#26
“The closest I've ever been to Brazil was in Spain last year.” She lived in Florida.
#28
"I have freedom of speech because I'm American... You don't" I'm from Britain by the way.
WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago (edited)
The American freedom of speech means you can promote fascism, racism, sexism, homophobia and xenophobia in public without consequences. In Europe not so. That's why we don't have free speech, according to some Americans.
#30
I’m Italian: “is it true that you think in English and then translate it to Italian when you speak Italian?”
#31
An American dude, about 25-30, laywer, mindblown that we had fields in the French countryside cause he "thought that France was only made of cities"
#32
“Do y’all have grass in Mexico?” GRASS, she thought we were a big dessert.
#33
"In Finland you have polar bears walking around the streets, right?"
#34
“When’s December for you?”
#35
I had someone ask me what it’s like having Christmas in the middle of the year. I had to explain that we still have it in December, it’s just hot.
Anna Banana 3 years ago
Haha I remember struggling with that concept myself, except I was about 5 at the time.
#36
My dad was asked by a Harvard graduate how long it would take to drive from New York to Ireland.
#37
“Do you watch TV in English or Australian?”
Foxxy (The Original) 3 years ago (edited)
We watch TV in any language the show comes in. We even get the news in foreign languages.
#38
I got into an argument with American cousin about whether or not it's safe to play with the liquid inside a thermometer. BTW ITS MERCURY.
#39
"Yeah I am from Libya."
"Ohhhhh do you guys have a sun?"
#40
While visiting LA, a girl asked where I lived and I said Australia (I was living there at the time) and she said “OMG, my dream is to go to Europe!”
#41
An American asked me how comes British people speak English and thought it was so we could understand Americans. He didn’t know England was a country.
#42
“You don’t have dollars in France ?” Biggest laugh of my life.
#43
"I'm from Serbia" "omg how did you learn english, don't you live in like" and I quote "PAPER HOUSES?"
Tamsin Far 3 years ago
Actually, according to some other threads here, it seems to me like Americans live in paper houses.
#44
"Where are you from?" "Sweden" "Omg, I love swiss cheese and chocolate!"
#45
I told someone I'm Hungarian and she responded with: "But why do you look European?"
#46
I had an American ask me if we IN Canada are celebrating the 4th of July. ??? No... Because that is an American Holiday. ??? What?
#47
They genuinely thought that Canadians have to live underground in the winter because it’s below 0.
Bobert Robertson 3 years ago
If you've ever been a student in Ottawa, you'll find that a lot of us actually do. Half the students are pale as a ghost come late February from sticking to the tunnels and avoiding going outside.
#48
I've worked at the Viking Shop Museum in Denmark, and Americans often thought Vikings are a living race, that live in territories nearby our museum..
#49
"Argentines are not from latin america because most of them are white" guess I'm european now and I didn't even notice lol
#50
"So you guys have politics? I thought you didnt get to chose the queen."
Eliška Hůlková 3 years ago
Some people seem to think that monarchy is when Queen runs rampant around London and screams "Off with his head!"
#51
"ohmygod you're Dutch? Write my name in your alphabet!!" -Rebekah
#53
Once one person asked me if there are beaches in Brazil...
#54
I was asked whether I‘m from West or East Germany and if the Berlinwall is still standing. That was in 2008
#55
I'm from Indonesia. They said, "Is that in India?"
Joseph Georgiadis 3 years ago
yep, it's the island of India (from Greek: Indo=Indian, Nesia=Islands)
#56
A girl asked me where I’m from... I said Spain... and then she told me she drove there last summer ( we were in Texas)
SykesDaMan 3 years ago
Even though you were in Texas, you WERE near Spain but the S is silent...
#57
Someone asked if it’s true the UK doesn’t celebrate Christmas.
#58
Me: I just got my new iPhone! American: I didn’t know they had iPhones in Germany!
#59
one person believed the capital of Paris was Italy. You know, a separate country
#60
"Do you guys have any supermarkets?" or "Which US state is Serbia?"
grafxgal60073 3 years ago
Being an Alaskan and having worked for the tourism industry, we got "what bench should I sit on to see wildlife walk by; What kind of money do you use in Alaska; and, who's your president?" Double face palm.
#63
Do you speak moozlim? WHAT IS MOOZLIm? iTS MuSLIm AND ItS A RELIGION
Victor Botha 3 years ago
Incorrect, Islam is the religion and the followers or adherents of that religion are called Muslims. Also all my muslim friends pronounce it Mozlim here in SA, how do you pronounce it?
#64
"Oh you're from Poland. Have you seen any polar bears?"
Hun, I'm from Central Europe, not Antarctica...
#65
“Canada? Isn’t that a US state?”
Jos Poisquet 3 years ago
No, but Alaska is an island. You can see it on every map of the US. It lies under California.
#66
My us host mom thought human blood is blue until it‘s out of the skin..
James Thompson 3 years ago
That was actually taught, or at least widely believed to be true for a long time. The "fact" was that un- oxygenated blood is blue, and only turns red after being enriched with O2. It's not unusual to see this myth debunked on listicles entitled something like "6 myths about your body that we were taught ".
#67
“Do you have swimming pool in Indonesia?”
M O'Connell 3 years ago
Perhaps they were acquainted with Eric "The Eel" Moussambani Malonga who swam for Equatorial Guinea at the 2000 Olympics, and won his heat of the 100M freestyle in spite of the largest swimming pool in the country being only 12 meters long (at the time).
What do you think ?
H G 3 years ago
I promise you, not all of us are this dumb. Americans are embarrassed by dumb Americans too.
chi-wei shen 3 years ago
I've worked for 6 months in the US and met a few dozen people. Also at my job in Austria, I have to communicate with Americans and over the past 20 years, there were maybe more than a hundred people. At the end of the day, I didn't have to deal with a single dumb American, so I guess the percentage of dumb Americans is not higher than anywhere else, but somehow it seems to be very entertaining to non-Americans to point out stupid Americans. That's something I don't like and don't fully understand.
Load More Replies...
JessG 3 years ago
These "America bad/stupid" posts are getting to be as bad as "Artist reimagined Disney princess'" posts. We get it already, stop! Also, some context for these would be helpful, as I'm sure a lot of these were kids, or people that didn't finish school or ever left the country. Once again: There. Are. Stupid. People. EVERYWHERE
H G 3 years ago
I promise you, not all of us are this dumb. Americans are embarrassed by dumb Americans too.
chi-wei shen 3 years ago
I've worked for 6 months in the US and met a few dozen people. Also at my job in Austria, I have to communicate with Americans and over the past 20 years, there were maybe more than a hundred people. At the end of the day, I didn't have to deal with a single dumb American, so I guess the percentage of dumb Americans is not higher than anywhere else, but somehow it seems to be very entertaining to non-Americans to point out stupid Americans. That's something I don't like and don't fully understand.
Load More Replies... JessG 3 years ago
These "America bad/stupid" posts are getting to be as bad as "Artist reimagined Disney princess'" posts. We get it already, stop! Also, some context for these would be helpful, as I'm sure a lot of these were kids, or people that didn't finish school or ever left the country. Once again: There. Are. Stupid. People. EVERYWHERE
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