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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_
This post may include affiliate links.
#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"
Bobert Robertson 3 years ago
That's a huge insult to Norwegians - they are rivals with the Swedes (in a mostly friendly kind of way)
Aragorn II Elessar 3 years ago
F*****g Swedes. -me, a guy with Finnish heritage
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Hilu 3 years ago
An American couple asked me where I was from once. Told them that I'm from Finland. They didn't know the place but started a lenghtly conversation about whether a book series the lady had been reading might have taken place in Sweden and how that's basically the same, right?! Then they told me casually that they're from Chicago. Not a country, not even a state but a city. They didn't even know my home country exists and didn't think anything about it but plain and simple took it for granded that I knew their home city.
Dark_flame 3 years ago
But this I almost get. I'm from Northern Europe and I can't tell you all smaller asian or African countries and their capitals... I wouldn't blame an American for not knowing about small European countries
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Thank you. B/c I always get tangled up in western Africa and southest Asia, no matter how hard I try, and being old, I was raised on "Yugoslavia", and that's a whole other thing now.... ACK!
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Oliver Manger 3 years ago
thats almost die hard :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lqnhA9d_B8
Marc Dennler 3 years ago
I am Swiss but live in Africa, after 30 years here, we still get the Switzerland/Sweden thing
CatWoman312 3 years ago
All Americans said this really? Norway is a country, Sweden is a country. I’m not daft. Please don’t assume we’re all like this it’s not nice
#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.
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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
Brivid 3 years ago
Yes, Bored Panda, why don't we drum up some more hate and resentment today?
Jonathan 3 years ago
It's a light hearted article, quit getting so defensive. Plenty websites post european 'bashing' articles but we don't whine about it.
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Cats 3 years ago (edited)
Okay, we get it, BoredPanda. Give it a rest. --- 50 Times People Just Had To Take A Screenshot Of Americans Being Unbelievably Clueless --- 30 Of The Dumbest Points People Saw Americans Make Against Canceling Student Debt --- 50 Times People Took Screenshots Of The Dumbest Arguments Americans Have Made Against Free Healthcare --- Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize --- Person Asks Non-Americans To Share “Scams” That Americans Think Are Normal, And Here Are 39 Of Their Replies --- 30 Embarrassing Posts From Americans Who Don’t Know Their Own Flag --- 32 Seemingly Normal Things About American Schools That Confuse The Hell Out Of Non-Americans --- 30 Things Americans Can’t Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans --- “How Are Americans This Embarrassing”: 30 People Loving “Breathable” Face Masks On Etsy That Offer No Protection From Covid-19 --- 30 Non-Americans Who Tweeted Their Confusion About America --- 40 Things Only Americans Think Are Normal --- 26 Photos Of Americans ...
SykesDaMan 3 years ago
When I've been to the U.S, I've met people that never heard of my country (in north Africa), but they were smart enough to ask questions (even the simplest ones were welcome), have no assumptions and actually listen to the answers.
NoodleBear 3 years ago
Do y’all on BP just hate Americans/America? It seems like you’ve rarely got a good thing to say about it
Aliquid A 3 years ago
To point out faults in something does not equate to hating it. There are people posting here saying "yeah as an American, I know it it bad, I want it to get better too"... that's a positive response. But people saying "stop being so mean to us" are the people that create or enable the problems in the fist place.
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Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Idiots are everywhere. Anti-vax, just plain culturally isolated/parochial, etc. It's everywhere. I freely confess to enjoying a bit of schadenfreude now and then, but I think we've all gotten the point. Everyone hates the US, the US is all evil and stupid, we are a blight on the planet, etc etc etc.... It's like listening to Russian Cold War speeches, only from everyone *else*.
HooowlAtTheMoon 3 years ago
Thanks boredpanda, another post that makes me wish I weren't an American. I'm sorry about all of these people's ignorance, but most of us aren't like that, I promise.
Cosmetica Solist 3 years ago (edited)
I have a lot of brilliant and wonderful friends and colleagues from the US. These are, however, two of many real conversations I had while studying at a high ranking university in California: In a group of people we saw Babettes Gæstebud, a movie from 1870s Norway. One person asked if this is how we lived in Denmark. I thought it was a joke and said "yes absolutely, we basically haven't developed in 150 years", and they all just nodded and started asking questions about living that way. They were not joking. On another occasion, a woman told me I shouldn't be wearing my handknit traditional Scandinavian sweater because it was cultural appropriation. I explained that this is from MY culture, and my family pattern, and not that it matters, but my family is of indigenous decent (my family on my mothers side is Sámí). She looked so confused and betrayed by the thought of a 'white' person being indigenous, and not being able to colour-code indigeneity 'american-style'.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
For what it's worth, I was once asked if everyone in the western US rides horses to work instead of driving cars, and was once asked if everyone drove trucks, when cars are smaller and more fuel-efficient, and my fave remains being asked how I could tell if I was "appropriating culture" b/c my "background is mixed". ..... Really strange world, isn't it? Most people are great. And then come the loud ones.
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Sean Harrison 3 years ago
We need to have an article about the stupid things foreigners say to Americans to balance out the anti-American hate on Sad Panda. To be fair, I lived in England for 4 years and there are just as many stupid f*****s there as there are here.
CatWoman312 3 years ago
Why does the world have to continually make the US a laughingstock? Surely people don’t actually believe because they met one dumb American equates to all of them being dumb. It’s not fair to paint us all with the same brush. Most of us voted for Biden.
Just saying 3 years ago
Never thought I'd say this as a Brit, but in defence of Americans, who are getting an awful lot of bashing on Bored Panda at the moment.... 1) Every American I've ever met has been polite, respectful, warm and friendly. 2) America is huge - there is no need to travel abroad or even know much about other countries when there is so much to know, and just so much interest and variety in your own country. Many American states are larger than many European countries. 3) Contentious point, but many Americans do seem to be indoctrinated from a very early age with a very strong form of patriotism. It can be hard to break conditioning.
Petra Christovová 3 years ago
Endless BP cycle: Antitrump, pro-vax, disabled animals, evil businessmen and stupid americans. And all over again. And again and again.
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
You forgot the artists that tell you what is wrong with our society...
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LivingTheDream 3 years ago
More American bashing because we are all the same! Amazing how the people who promote love and tolerance are the least loving and tolerant
Rens 3 years ago
I was born and raised in South Africa, left in 1998; after I'd lived in the Netherlands for 5 years, I had to pass a test to become naturalised. I was sitting at a table with 2 (black) ladies, one was from Burkina Faso, the other from the Ivory Coast. When I said I was from South Africa, they both looked at me, "But you're white!" I looked at my hands and arms, and replied "Really?? I had no idea!" My sense of humour was not really appreciated....
Big 3 years ago
How about we make an "Americans, what's the dumbest thing a Non-American has said to you" thread next?
Just saying 3 years ago
I can start - I'd never realised America was so big until I flew across it - and I thought one of the great lakes was the sea! I also used to think California and Florida were the same place because of Disney Land and Disney world (I maybe still be a bit confused on what is where on that one).
Load More Replies... Snake of Eden 3 years ago
I can promise you, we are not dumber than any other country. Stop bashing us.
Aliquid A 3 years ago
Not true. A good portion of this is a result of the education system... and America's education system is really poor when it comes to teaching people about the world outside of America's borders. So, this is not a statement that "Americans are less intelligent", because you are right Americans aren't dumber than any other country.
Load More Replies... Aliquid A 3 years ago
A lot of this is ignorance, not stupidity, and that is because America has a horrible education system. So don't play the "stupid people are everywhere" card... Americans are MORE ignorant, but you can't blame the average person on the street for being ignorant when their education system and culture brought them up that way. A study showed that 69% of Americans couldn't point out the United Kingdom on a map... 83% couldn't find Afghanistan, and 11% couldn't even point out the US. So, the response to this isn't "stupid people are everywhere", the response is "wow, American culture creates people extremely ignorant about the world, we should fix that"
Danieletc 3 years ago
Ah, just this week I pointed out that BP is doing Bash Murca articles at lest once a week, and now it's twice a week. By the end of the year, safe money says three or four times a week.
s. vitkovitsky 3 years ago
By the end of summer, BP will change its name to 'Death To America' and that will be that!
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Legen ( wait for it ) dary 3 years ago
The few American people I've meet were very friendly and intelligent. Stereotypes are only funny until certain point.
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
How can a site promote diversity, love and an open mind and have such a unnecessary hate for the USA. Isn't that the worst hypocrisy?
Logic and Reason 3 years ago
Seriously starting to wonder if the people who run BP are just straight-up xenophobes. All this bashing of a specific country seems quite hypocritical coming from a site that often runs material calling attention to social issues.
Rannveig Ess 3 years ago
Will this article be followed by "“What Is The Dumbest Thing A German/Italian/Finn/Somoan/Asian/Russian Has Ever Said To You?" This is like polls where reporters go out and ask questions of people and then they only broadcast the utter idiots who were clueless to "show" how people don't know something. I've said it before - I'm not American born but live here for the time being and I'm really sick of the America bashing on BP. Shouldn't be bashing anyone, period. Making America/ns the target of mocking as much as is done is bullying
Daniel Marsh 3 years ago
I don't know why this has to be presented as a hate-America-fest. These ARE pretty damned funny.
Linda Cowley 3 years ago
I think the American bashing should stop. It's not even funny any more. And we've all got home grown eejits....
AndersM 3 years ago
Enough with the USA-Bashing. First 20 was fun, now I start to feel annoyed. Stupid people everywhere, also in the great country of Europe.
Róża Wróbel 3 years ago
Stupid people are everywhere, that being said american education system is a joke and it shows. You need more general knowlage from all over the world (which is being taught in other countries), you know almost nothing about other countries, their history, culture etc. and than try to claim "UsA iS tHe BeSt CoUnTrY iN tHe WoRlD". Fix your system people will stop laughing and as an extra bonus you might finally get this basic human right like normal healthcare system.
Christine Henkel 3 years ago
I find it interesting that bp continues to engage in America bashing. At first it was cute, after all who doesn't like a harmless roast. However, after endless rounds of this game, I am beginning to think that promoting and growing Bored Panda's biased view that the typical American is stupid, ignorant, selfish, obnoxious, etc, is actually the point. Does the world really need another platform to promote tribalism and hate!?!? Enough!
Cats 3 years ago
Wikipedia: Bored Panda is a Lithuanian website that publishes articles about "lightweight and inoffensive topics"...In November 2017, Wired reported that the site had flourished despite Facebook cracking down on attention-grabbing clickbait headlines, a change that had made controversial political news much more successful on the platform.[2] Banišauskas attributes the success of his site to his decision to publish a small number of higher-quality articles, and to avoid using clickbait headlines.
Cats 3 years ago
Aaaaaand there you have it, folks. Clickbait headlines to attract traffic to the site.
Load More Replies... Aliquid A 3 years ago
One more comment about ignorant Americans... I spoke to someone working in a tourist town in Canada. They said to me "don't get me wrong, most Americans I serve are nice people, but the loud arrogant ones are so annoying that they are the ones I remember when I go home at the end of the day. The quiet polite Americans just blend into the crowd and I forget about them. Tourists from other countries aren't like that. I've never had a French tourist annoyed that I don't give them change in Euros, I've never had a Japanese tourist assume everyone is here to wait on them". Although, after talking a bit they did admit that an increasing number of tourists from Mainland China were more even arrogant than the problematic Americans.
Jialing Zhang 3 years ago
They would say that's for 2 reasons . Didn't under other countries' culture and americans tip well .
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Bella10 3 years ago
“oh you’re from Australia? How is it living after apartheid?” Showing a picture of our colourful banknotes in Australia. “What are those? Play money?” Seeing my adaptors for charging phone, hair dryer etc “What do you need those funny plugs for” Sending dates through for meetings. “ I have no idea what those numbers mean”
Petra Christovová 3 years ago
Btw I love colorful australian banknotes - bought some lately since czech crown is probably going to s**t :)
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Violet Smith 3 years ago
Working in a gift-shop in Canada, I can't tell you how many Americans would ask "are these prices in American?" Why would they be!?? No Germans, Brazilians, Japanese, Finns, Scots, Brits, Cameroonians, Dutch, Chinese EVER asked this. They knew they were in a foreign country and had made sure they had the local money so that they could, you know, buy stuff. One American lady complained about the sales taxes; I said yeah, it sucks I guess but that is how we pay for roads, schools, and UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. Bam.
LunaThePotat 3 years ago
I’m so sorry that my fellow Americans are so dumb and I don’t claim them as my own
Helen Haley 3 years ago
To be fair the majority of the US won't ever have the money or time to leave the US. And so didn't pay attention or didn't really bother with geography. They thoroughly believe the outside world doesn't matter because our military is so very large. All of it is flawed thinking of course, but it is an insular world built on christian nationalist propaganda, they feel secure in not questioning the thinking. I would've fallen prey to this as well, had I not left the country a few times.
IlovemydogShilo 3 years ago
An American, who once worked with my Dad here in Ireland, once asked my Mother who is Scottish if all the Scottish men walk around the Highlands playing the bagpipes. He also thought that the Haggis was an animal you could hunt. There were a few other Americans there as well. My dad and his friend got them absolutely convinced that leprechauns really existed and not to mock them as they were doing so that particular day.
Donny Cromwell 3 years ago
Me and my friends like to say dumb stuff all the time, and it feels like a competition to see who can say the dumbest thing and just laugh at each other about it. I also do this to random people just out of habit and just have a chuckle to myself over it. Asking someone from Egypt if they live in a pyramid. I would of totally said that.
Carolina Fernández González 3 years ago
I haven't met many Americans in my life, but the few I know are very nice and educated people.
Peter Korsten 3 years ago
Once I was on the phone with a shop in Brooklyn, NYC, because they required the first oversees purchase by credit card to be done over the phone. I was going to explain where I lived, which is Malta, and the guy said: "I know where Malta is." Come again? Plenty of Europeans don't have a clue where it is, or think it's part of Italy (or even Spain.) So there is hope yet.
Karolina Rogowska 3 years ago
Im from Poland and most dumb thing ever is when Muricans say they are "100 % Polish" and try to educate me on Polish culture... Honey you know like 3 heavily butchered words in "Pol-English" and your last ancestor from Poland emigrated in 1890... so no you are not Polish
Bruno Goodman 3 years ago
My brother in-law(American)who runs an online training(IT) told my wife that I can't get an IT job in Nigeria when my wife told him that I wanted to enrol for his class. Then my wife told me about it and I laughed and ask if her brother also thinks we are savages that lives on trees? My shock came when my wife(American)asked if we ain't savages and if we don't live on trees🙄🙄. She has been to Nigeria a dozen times.
CLB 3 years ago
This goes both ways sometimes. I remember moving from Texas to New York and my Indian co-worker telling me he was scared for his first job in Texas because he thought someone would ride up on a horse and shoot him. He thought there weren't any real modern cities there. This was in the infancy of the masses starting to get on the internet mind you. Pre-google - so, you couldn't just Google it ;)
Ji 3 years ago
I’ve had some of these happen to me, (ex. You speak Asian?, how come you know English) but it’s not always just “Americans”. I’ve visited the US a few times, and yes, there is definitely some,,, questionable people, but that happens in everywhere. America has pros and cons like anywhere else and yes I like my home place better than the US, but not every American is a insane idiot. Some, sure. All, no.
Stephanie IV 3 years ago
Dumb people are a universal fact of life. I teach in a city with a castle and literally half of my students have never been - because they’re completely unaware of it.
Smitten Kitten 3 years ago
I'm showing my age now, but I was once asked (by a police detective) in Florida if I knew Princess Diana. She thought Britain was like some small town where everyone knew each other.
Sarah da Costa 3 years ago
I'm Mexican and I'm super white (which is not weird in Mexico but to foreigners it is) so I've been asked if my parents are from Scotland, from Norway, France and Finland because no way I can be Mexican, but the best one is: I thought you guys in Mexico all dressed in white linen with sandals and a big hat and rode donkeys and horses...RLY!? We're not Speedy Gonzalez!
??? 3 years ago
I have had issues both internal and external with time zones. Foreign users on a site wanting to know what time it was in the US. I asked which of 6 time zones, she thought we were crammed into one. Some of our states are larger than countries. Then on this side of the pond, I live at the Eastern/Central crack in NW Georgia. People asked when I traveled to Illinois if they were on Georgia or Alabama time.
??? 3 years ago
It has been a while, so I don't remember what country of origin, but a foreign user on a US site was having issues and wanted the support email. I told her I get better results calling. She said international calls are expensive. I said it is a toll free number. I honestly thought it worked for everyone. What is the point of a free call if it costs some people?
Thalia Lovering 3 years ago
It wasn't a conversation, but while climbing the Acropolis (Athens, Greece) an American woman told her husband that "you would think that the Ancient Greeks knew better and put a lift up here".
Tabby_Sohee 3 years ago (edited)
One of my classmates keeps insisting that I actually DON’T know Korean, that I’m NOT bilingual, that I’m just using GOOGLE TRANSLATE all the time. It annoys the heck out of me. Dude, I literally learned Korean before I learned English. Whenever I’m teaching someone else who wants to learn how Korean letters work, he keeps jumping in and correcting me since he’s apparently been learning Japanese for two years and he knows alllll about the half-letters. Hon, I’ve learned Korean my entire life, and I think I know my own language apart from Japanese, thank you.
Jackson Gohn 3 years ago
Bored panda doesn't have what it takes to run a site or app. They've proven that time and again. The term "recycled material" doesn't even begin to describe their stuff.
Marc Dennler 3 years ago
How is it that US Sports finals are known as the World Series when there are only US and a few Canadian teams participating?
NATHAN ENGLANDER 3 years ago
I think I f****g hate this website. Stop bashing us. It's not funny.You guys should really reconsider this website. And most of the time the smartest people come from America. They go to colleges like Yale, UCLA, Harvard, USC, etc.
Islandchild 3 years ago
Mid-July, half an hour after crossing the border into Nova Scotia, American couple stopped to ask where the snow and polar bears were. They had skis with them. I know most Americans are not this dumb but the dumb ones do stick in your brain.
flimsynormalcy 3 years ago
"...wow, you have wedding ceremoniesl as well in your country??" - from a well educated multi-degree individual. Another good one is, "but your English is so good! And you only arrived here a few years ago??"
Skulduggery Pheasant 3 years ago
It scares me that this country is one of the most powerful in the world.
Big 3 years ago
People like this are a minority. Most of us aren't this clueless.
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Kate Kyffin 3 years ago
I am from the UK. Whilst in New York one time I managed to convince a number of people that every time a Brit leaves the UK for any reason, that we were obliged to visit the Queen for tea prior to departure.
Cathy Pierce 3 years ago
Maybe that's not because we're dumb, but because you are a citizen of another country, so when you tell us that's how things work there, we're going to be polite and not argue.
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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
Brivid 3 years ago
Yes, Bored Panda, why don't we drum up some more hate and resentment today?
Jonathan 3 years ago
It's a light hearted article, quit getting so defensive. Plenty websites post european 'bashing' articles but we don't whine about it.
Load More Replies... Cats 3 years ago (edited)
Okay, we get it, BoredPanda. Give it a rest. --- 50 Times People Just Had To Take A Screenshot Of Americans Being Unbelievably Clueless --- 30 Of The Dumbest Points People Saw Americans Make Against Canceling Student Debt --- 50 Times People Took Screenshots Of The Dumbest Arguments Americans Have Made Against Free Healthcare --- Foreigners Share 30 Of The Weirdest Things About The US That Americans Don’t Even Realize --- Person Asks Non-Americans To Share “Scams” That Americans Think Are Normal, And Here Are 39 Of Their Replies --- 30 Embarrassing Posts From Americans Who Don’t Know Their Own Flag --- 32 Seemingly Normal Things About American Schools That Confuse The Hell Out Of Non-Americans --- 30 Things Americans Can’t Seem To Live Without, As Observed By Non-Americans --- “How Are Americans This Embarrassing”: 30 People Loving “Breathable” Face Masks On Etsy That Offer No Protection From Covid-19 --- 30 Non-Americans Who Tweeted Their Confusion About America --- 40 Things Only Americans Think Are Normal --- 26 Photos Of Americans ...
SykesDaMan 3 years ago
When I've been to the U.S, I've met people that never heard of my country (in north Africa), but they were smart enough to ask questions (even the simplest ones were welcome), have no assumptions and actually listen to the answers.
NoodleBear 3 years ago
Do y’all on BP just hate Americans/America? It seems like you’ve rarely got a good thing to say about it
Aliquid A 3 years ago
To point out faults in something does not equate to hating it. There are people posting here saying "yeah as an American, I know it it bad, I want it to get better too"... that's a positive response. But people saying "stop being so mean to us" are the people that create or enable the problems in the fist place.
Load More Replies... Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
Idiots are everywhere. Anti-vax, just plain culturally isolated/parochial, etc. It's everywhere. I freely confess to enjoying a bit of schadenfreude now and then, but I think we've all gotten the point. Everyone hates the US, the US is all evil and stupid, we are a blight on the planet, etc etc etc.... It's like listening to Russian Cold War speeches, only from everyone *else*.
HooowlAtTheMoon 3 years ago
Thanks boredpanda, another post that makes me wish I weren't an American. I'm sorry about all of these people's ignorance, but most of us aren't like that, I promise.
Cosmetica Solist 3 years ago (edited)
I have a lot of brilliant and wonderful friends and colleagues from the US. These are, however, two of many real conversations I had while studying at a high ranking university in California: In a group of people we saw Babettes Gæstebud, a movie from 1870s Norway. One person asked if this is how we lived in Denmark. I thought it was a joke and said "yes absolutely, we basically haven't developed in 150 years", and they all just nodded and started asking questions about living that way. They were not joking. On another occasion, a woman told me I shouldn't be wearing my handknit traditional Scandinavian sweater because it was cultural appropriation. I explained that this is from MY culture, and my family pattern, and not that it matters, but my family is of indigenous decent (my family on my mothers side is Sámí). She looked so confused and betrayed by the thought of a 'white' person being indigenous, and not being able to colour-code indigeneity 'american-style'.
Leo Domitrix 3 years ago
For what it's worth, I was once asked if everyone in the western US rides horses to work instead of driving cars, and was once asked if everyone drove trucks, when cars are smaller and more fuel-efficient, and my fave remains being asked how I could tell if I was "appropriating culture" b/c my "background is mixed". ..... Really strange world, isn't it? Most people are great. And then come the loud ones.
Load More Replies... Sean Harrison 3 years ago
We need to have an article about the stupid things foreigners say to Americans to balance out the anti-American hate on Sad Panda. To be fair, I lived in England for 4 years and there are just as many stupid f*****s there as there are here.
CatWoman312 3 years ago
Why does the world have to continually make the US a laughingstock? Surely people don’t actually believe because they met one dumb American equates to all of them being dumb. It’s not fair to paint us all with the same brush. Most of us voted for Biden.
Just saying 3 years ago
Never thought I'd say this as a Brit, but in defence of Americans, who are getting an awful lot of bashing on Bored Panda at the moment.... 1) Every American I've ever met has been polite, respectful, warm and friendly. 2) America is huge - there is no need to travel abroad or even know much about other countries when there is so much to know, and just so much interest and variety in your own country. Many American states are larger than many European countries. 3) Contentious point, but many Americans do seem to be indoctrinated from a very early age with a very strong form of patriotism. It can be hard to break conditioning.
Petra Christovová 3 years ago
Endless BP cycle: Antitrump, pro-vax, disabled animals, evil businessmen and stupid americans. And all over again. And again and again.
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
You forgot the artists that tell you what is wrong with our society...
Load More Replies... LivingTheDream 3 years ago
More American bashing because we are all the same! Amazing how the people who promote love and tolerance are the least loving and tolerant
Rens 3 years ago
I was born and raised in South Africa, left in 1998; after I'd lived in the Netherlands for 5 years, I had to pass a test to become naturalised. I was sitting at a table with 2 (black) ladies, one was from Burkina Faso, the other from the Ivory Coast. When I said I was from South Africa, they both looked at me, "But you're white!" I looked at my hands and arms, and replied "Really?? I had no idea!" My sense of humour was not really appreciated....
Big 3 years ago
How about we make an "Americans, what's the dumbest thing a Non-American has said to you" thread next?
Just saying 3 years ago
I can start - I'd never realised America was so big until I flew across it - and I thought one of the great lakes was the sea! I also used to think California and Florida were the same place because of Disney Land and Disney world (I maybe still be a bit confused on what is where on that one).
Load More Replies... Snake of Eden 3 years ago
I can promise you, we are not dumber than any other country. Stop bashing us.
Aliquid A 3 years ago
Not true. A good portion of this is a result of the education system... and America's education system is really poor when it comes to teaching people about the world outside of America's borders. So, this is not a statement that "Americans are less intelligent", because you are right Americans aren't dumber than any other country.
Load More Replies... Aliquid A 3 years ago
A lot of this is ignorance, not stupidity, and that is because America has a horrible education system. So don't play the "stupid people are everywhere" card... Americans are MORE ignorant, but you can't blame the average person on the street for being ignorant when their education system and culture brought them up that way. A study showed that 69% of Americans couldn't point out the United Kingdom on a map... 83% couldn't find Afghanistan, and 11% couldn't even point out the US. So, the response to this isn't "stupid people are everywhere", the response is "wow, American culture creates people extremely ignorant about the world, we should fix that"
Danieletc 3 years ago
Ah, just this week I pointed out that BP is doing Bash Murca articles at lest once a week, and now it's twice a week. By the end of the year, safe money says three or four times a week.
s. vitkovitsky 3 years ago
By the end of summer, BP will change its name to 'Death To America' and that will be that!
Load More Replies... Legen ( wait for it ) dary 3 years ago
The few American people I've meet were very friendly and intelligent. Stereotypes are only funny until certain point.
ivan bolitekurac 3 years ago
How can a site promote diversity, love and an open mind and have such a unnecessary hate for the USA. Isn't that the worst hypocrisy?
Logic and Reason 3 years ago
Seriously starting to wonder if the people who run BP are just straight-up xenophobes. All this bashing of a specific country seems quite hypocritical coming from a site that often runs material calling attention to social issues.
Rannveig Ess 3 years ago
Will this article be followed by "“What Is The Dumbest Thing A German/Italian/Finn/Somoan/Asian/Russian Has Ever Said To You?" This is like polls where reporters go out and ask questions of people and then they only broadcast the utter idiots who were clueless to "show" how people don't know something. I've said it before - I'm not American born but live here for the time being and I'm really sick of the America bashing on BP. Shouldn't be bashing anyone, period. Making America/ns the target of mocking as much as is done is bullying
Daniel Marsh 3 years ago
I don't know why this has to be presented as a hate-America-fest. These ARE pretty damned funny.
Linda Cowley 3 years ago
I think the American bashing should stop. It's not even funny any more. And we've all got home grown eejits....
AndersM 3 years ago
Enough with the USA-Bashing. First 20 was fun, now I start to feel annoyed. Stupid people everywhere, also in the great country of Europe.
Róża Wróbel 3 years ago
Stupid people are everywhere, that being said american education system is a joke and it shows. You need more general knowlage from all over the world (which is being taught in other countries), you know almost nothing about other countries, their history, culture etc. and than try to claim "UsA iS tHe BeSt CoUnTrY iN tHe WoRlD". Fix your system people will stop laughing and as an extra bonus you might finally get this basic human right like normal healthcare system.
Christine Henkel 3 years ago
I find it interesting that bp continues to engage in America bashing. At first it was cute, after all who doesn't like a harmless roast. However, after endless rounds of this game, I am beginning to think that promoting and growing Bored Panda's biased view that the typical American is stupid, ignorant, selfish, obnoxious, etc, is actually the point. Does the world really need another platform to promote tribalism and hate!?!? Enough!
Cats 3 years ago
Wikipedia: Bored Panda is a Lithuanian website that publishes articles about "lightweight and inoffensive topics"...In November 2017, Wired reported that the site had flourished despite Facebook cracking down on attention-grabbing clickbait headlines, a change that had made controversial political news much more successful on the platform.[2] Banišauskas attributes the success of his site to his decision to publish a small number of higher-quality articles, and to avoid using clickbait headlines.
Cats 3 years ago
Aaaaaand there you have it, folks. Clickbait headlines to attract traffic to the site.
Load More Replies... Aliquid A 3 years ago
One more comment about ignorant Americans... I spoke to someone working in a tourist town in Canada. They said to me "don't get me wrong, most Americans I serve are nice people, but the loud arrogant ones are so annoying that they are the ones I remember when I go home at the end of the day. The quiet polite Americans just blend into the crowd and I forget about them. Tourists from other countries aren't like that. I've never had a French tourist annoyed that I don't give them change in Euros, I've never had a Japanese tourist assume everyone is here to wait on them". Although, after talking a bit they did admit that an increasing number of tourists from Mainland China were more even arrogant than the problematic Americans.
Jialing Zhang 3 years ago
They would say that's for 2 reasons . Didn't under other countries' culture and americans tip well .
Load More Replies... Bella10 3 years ago
“oh you’re from Australia? How is it living after apartheid?” Showing a picture of our colourful banknotes in Australia. “What are those? Play money?” Seeing my adaptors for charging phone, hair dryer etc “What do you need those funny plugs for” Sending dates through for meetings. “ I have no idea what those numbers mean”
Petra Christovová 3 years ago
Btw I love colorful australian banknotes - bought some lately since czech crown is probably going to s**t :)
Load More Replies... Violet Smith 3 years ago
Working in a gift-shop in Canada, I can't tell you how many Americans would ask "are these prices in American?" Why would they be!?? No Germans, Brazilians, Japanese, Finns, Scots, Brits, Cameroonians, Dutch, Chinese EVER asked this. They knew they were in a foreign country and had made sure they had the local money so that they could, you know, buy stuff. One American lady complained about the sales taxes; I said yeah, it sucks I guess but that is how we pay for roads, schools, and UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE. Bam.
LunaThePotat 3 years ago
I’m so sorry that my fellow Americans are so dumb and I don’t claim them as my own
Helen Haley 3 years ago
To be fair the majority of the US won't ever have the money or time to leave the US. And so didn't pay attention or didn't really bother with geography. They thoroughly believe the outside world doesn't matter because our military is so very large. All of it is flawed thinking of course, but it is an insular world built on christian nationalist propaganda, they feel secure in not questioning the thinking. I would've fallen prey to this as well, had I not left the country a few times.
IlovemydogShilo 3 years ago
An American, who once worked with my Dad here in Ireland, once asked my Mother who is Scottish if all the Scottish men walk around the Highlands playing the bagpipes. He also thought that the Haggis was an animal you could hunt. There were a few other Americans there as well. My dad and his friend got them absolutely convinced that leprechauns really existed and not to mock them as they were doing so that particular day.
Donny Cromwell 3 years ago
Me and my friends like to say dumb stuff all the time, and it feels like a competition to see who can say the dumbest thing and just laugh at each other about it. I also do this to random people just out of habit and just have a chuckle to myself over it. Asking someone from Egypt if they live in a pyramid. I would of totally said that.
Carolina Fernández González 3 years ago
I haven't met many Americans in my life, but the few I know are very nice and educated people.
Peter Korsten 3 years ago
Once I was on the phone with a shop in Brooklyn, NYC, because they required the first oversees purchase by credit card to be done over the phone. I was going to explain where I lived, which is Malta, and the guy said: "I know where Malta is." Come again? Plenty of Europeans don't have a clue where it is, or think it's part of Italy (or even Spain.) So there is hope yet.
Karolina Rogowska 3 years ago
Im from Poland and most dumb thing ever is when Muricans say they are "100 % Polish" and try to educate me on Polish culture... Honey you know like 3 heavily butchered words in "Pol-English" and your last ancestor from Poland emigrated in 1890... so no you are not Polish
Bruno Goodman 3 years ago
My brother in-law(American)who runs an online training(IT) told my wife that I can't get an IT job in Nigeria when my wife told him that I wanted to enrol for his class. Then my wife told me about it and I laughed and ask if her brother also thinks we are savages that lives on trees? My shock came when my wife(American)asked if we ain't savages and if we don't live on trees🙄🙄. She has been to Nigeria a dozen times.
CLB 3 years ago
This goes both ways sometimes. I remember moving from Texas to New York and my Indian co-worker telling me he was scared for his first job in Texas because he thought someone would ride up on a horse and shoot him. He thought there weren't any real modern cities there. This was in the infancy of the masses starting to get on the internet mind you. Pre-google - so, you couldn't just Google it ;)
Ji 3 years ago
I’ve had some of these happen to me, (ex. You speak Asian?, how come you know English) but it’s not always just “Americans”. I’ve visited the US a few times, and yes, there is definitely some,,, questionable people, but that happens in everywhere. America has pros and cons like anywhere else and yes I like my home place better than the US, but not every American is a insane idiot. Some, sure. All, no.
Stephanie IV 3 years ago
Dumb people are a universal fact of life. I teach in a city with a castle and literally half of my students have never been - because they’re completely unaware of it.
Smitten Kitten 3 years ago
I'm showing my age now, but I was once asked (by a police detective) in Florida if I knew Princess Diana. She thought Britain was like some small town where everyone knew each other.
Sarah da Costa 3 years ago
I'm Mexican and I'm super white (which is not weird in Mexico but to foreigners it is) so I've been asked if my parents are from Scotland, from Norway, France and Finland because no way I can be Mexican, but the best one is: I thought you guys in Mexico all dressed in white linen with sandals and a big hat and rode donkeys and horses...RLY!? We're not Speedy Gonzalez!
??? 3 years ago
I have had issues both internal and external with time zones. Foreign users on a site wanting to know what time it was in the US. I asked which of 6 time zones, she thought we were crammed into one. Some of our states are larger than countries. Then on this side of the pond, I live at the Eastern/Central crack in NW Georgia. People asked when I traveled to Illinois if they were on Georgia or Alabama time.
??? 3 years ago
It has been a while, so I don't remember what country of origin, but a foreign user on a US site was having issues and wanted the support email. I told her I get better results calling. She said international calls are expensive. I said it is a toll free number. I honestly thought it worked for everyone. What is the point of a free call if it costs some people?
Thalia Lovering 3 years ago
It wasn't a conversation, but while climbing the Acropolis (Athens, Greece) an American woman told her husband that "you would think that the Ancient Greeks knew better and put a lift up here".
Tabby_Sohee 3 years ago (edited)
One of my classmates keeps insisting that I actually DON’T know Korean, that I’m NOT bilingual, that I’m just using GOOGLE TRANSLATE all the time. It annoys the heck out of me. Dude, I literally learned Korean before I learned English. Whenever I’m teaching someone else who wants to learn how Korean letters work, he keeps jumping in and correcting me since he’s apparently been learning Japanese for two years and he knows alllll about the half-letters. Hon, I’ve learned Korean my entire life, and I think I know my own language apart from Japanese, thank you.
Jackson Gohn 3 years ago
Bored panda doesn't have what it takes to run a site or app. They've proven that time and again. The term "recycled material" doesn't even begin to describe their stuff.
Marc Dennler 3 years ago
How is it that US Sports finals are known as the World Series when there are only US and a few Canadian teams participating?
NATHAN ENGLANDER 3 years ago
I think I f****g hate this website. Stop bashing us. It's not funny.You guys should really reconsider this website. And most of the time the smartest people come from America. They go to colleges like Yale, UCLA, Harvard, USC, etc.
Islandchild 3 years ago
Mid-July, half an hour after crossing the border into Nova Scotia, American couple stopped to ask where the snow and polar bears were. They had skis with them. I know most Americans are not this dumb but the dumb ones do stick in your brain.
flimsynormalcy 3 years ago
"...wow, you have wedding ceremoniesl as well in your country??" - from a well educated multi-degree individual. Another good one is, "but your English is so good! And you only arrived here a few years ago??"
Skulduggery Pheasant 3 years ago
It scares me that this country is one of the most powerful in the world.
Big 3 years ago
People like this are a minority. Most of us aren't this clueless.
Load More Replies... Kate Kyffin 3 years ago
I am from the UK. Whilst in New York one time I managed to convince a number of people that every time a Brit leaves the UK for any reason, that we were obliged to visit the Queen for tea prior to departure.
Cathy Pierce 3 years ago
Maybe that's not because we're dumb, but because you are a citizen of another country, so when you tell us that's how things work there, we're going to be polite and not argue.
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