There are so many stereotypes in the world and while some can be mean or totally false, as much as we hate to admit it some of them are totally true. If you’ve ever travelled to a foreign county and noticed someone do something stereotypically US of A, you’ve definitely been able to spot it and know where that person came from. The United States is a big country that the whole world seems to have opinions about and because of this, there are a bazillion stereotypes out there.
This article will highlight some goofy US stereotypes that have proven themselves to be true quite a few times before. Of course this does not represent all of us, but instead just pokes some friendly fun at the stereotype any non-US has noticed once or twice before. Be it their different eating habits, different choice of clothing or anything in between, there are definitely some easy signs that can help identify where everyone is from. If you witness a tourist doing one of these 25 things, they may or may not be from the US, but if you witness someone combining multiple of these I guarantee you that they carry US passport with them. Let’s see if you’ve noticed any of these before, or if you or your friends do these things!
25 Asking For Ranch Dressing
There’s definitely an epidemic going on in the United States right now, where it seems as though everyone’s obsessed with ranch dressing.
Whether they’re dipping their pizza in it or using it as actual salad dressing, this sauce is on every restaurant table in the states.
So, if you’re ever in a foreign country and you overhear someone requesting ranch with their meal or searching for it in the aisle of a grocery store, the possibility of them being from the US is oh so high.
24 Sporting The Flag
Our patriotism is something that is known around the world. America is indeed a cool country and we definitely don’t hesitate to show off our pride. It’s very rare to see anyone sporting their country’s flag on their clothing, but we often do this.
The flag is a symbol that’s become popular worldwide, so it’s possible the person with the US flag phone case just thought it was cool, but it’s also very possible that they are a proud citizen.
If you’re ever travelling and see someone wearing a US flag in a foreign country, chances are that they’re repping their hometown.
23 Walking Around With An XL Coffee
Everything is bigger in the States. Their meals, their celebrations, everything is extravagant, but nothing is much more extravagant than the size coffees you’ll witness people drinking in the States.
The US dream is still very real, and sure we can argue that people drink these big coffees because they’re hard workers, but it definitely cannot be healthy.
If you walk into a coffee shop outside the states and you witness someone ordering a venti coffee with four espresso shots to a very confused bartender, know it’s because they’re just like us, from America.
22 Shorts (No Matter The Weather)
Most of the southern states are super sunny and enjoy lovely weather, but a lot of the northern states have chilly, Canadian-style winters, but no matter the weather, these brave folk love their shorts.
We can reason that it’s what the southerners are used to wearing, because of the warm weather, but northerners totally do it too.
If you’re ever travelling to a chiller country, say a central European country in the spring and everyone you see is totally bundled up, the one person in shorts is 100% from the US. I don’t know why, but it’s just true.
21 Fanny Packs
Ok, I don’t even have anything to question about this one, because I totally get why tourists would use a fanny pack. They’re totally convenient, safe and you never get that feeling that you lost something because it’s right there: front and centre.
Despite its obvious practicality, the fanny pack has been laughed at by pretty much the whole world, except for US tourists.
It seems that we will always be found rocking the fanny pack, so they can totally allow us to walk around handsfree. Even before fanny packs made a total comeback in the fashion world, this was a phenomenon we’ve all noticed at least once before.
20 Skipping The Sunscreen
Admit it, we’ve all been on a lovely beach vacation and winced at a really painful-looking sunburn. The chances of this person being one of us are very high. Being tanned is something that is so coveted in the states, it seems we book a flight to Mexico and totally skip the sunscreen when packing their luggage.
While I’m sure that awful sunburn eventually transforms into some sort of tan, I’m not quite sure it’s worth the pain. No one other than us are willing to ignore all health concerns to get that glow.
19 Taking Cheesy Pictures
The selfie is a stereotypically US photo and while the whole world takes them now, it seems like the obsession with taking photos is slightly stronger in the United States.
If you see a tourist spending hours posing in front of an important monument or begging their friend to stand by while they splash in the ocean and snap a pic, they’re definitely Social Media obsessed and probably from the US.
While, of course, this speaks to the younger generation of Americans, you’ll often find parents trying to snap goofy photos now and then too.
18 Eating Big Portions
If there’s one thing America is known for, it’s their comfort food. There is absolutely nowhere else in the world where you can order a mac and cheese grilled cheese or a peanut butter cheeseburger. Nowhere, except the states, I guarantee that.
Their cuisine is known for being cheesy, greasy and totally delicious.
You’ll easily spot a US tourist if you overhear someone asking: “How big are your portions here?” Or “How many slices come in this pizza?” They love to eat and I don’t blame them.
17 Wearing A Winter Jacket In September
We LOVE our Canada Goose jackets. When I say love, I mean LOVE. It’s as though the second the temperature drops slightly and it’s time to maybe put on a sweater, they decide to whip out the Canada Goose instead.
I suspect that they might not know how to predict the weather in the country their visiting, which is totally understandable and they're solution is to rock the Canada goose anywhere and everywhere. You do you, but I’m sweating just thinking about it.
16 Sneakers… Anywhere
The athleisure trend is the real deal in the States. Everywhere you go in the world, people will turn to sneakers when exercising or going on a hike or somewhere muddy, but that’s about it.
We will rock sneakers for literally every occasion.
Dresses with sneakers, suits with sneakers, no matter what, they pair it with their Nikes.... even the beach! You can easily spot a person from the US by entering any restaurant outside and looking down at their feet. Those wearing brightly coloured sneakers are totally from the United States.
15 White Socks & Birkenstocks
I said the athleisure trend was real and I meant it. The grandma of all sneakers, the Birkenstock, has somehow made its way back in style. Don’t ask me how, but this shoe is owned by nearly all of us.
Pro tip to make these old lady shoes even more comfortable? Add white socks.
These two things are only owned by people from the US and they’re only worn together by them as well (and maybe the Germans, they probably started it). I can guarantee you that no one other than us own white socks. Any tourist rocking white socks, Birkenstocks or both together is most definitely from the States.
14 Giant Phones
I cannot keep up with all the latest trends in technology even if I try. Phones keep getting bigger and bigger and it feels as though phone companies are battling each other to make the biggest sized phones ever.
While the whole world is totally obsessed with iPhone and Apple as a company, we are the most up to date, especially considering products are usually released their first.
If you spot someone with a giant phone and it looks like one of the latest models, there are high chances that this person is…. you guessed it...
13 Baseball Hats
Baseball is a US sport. While I’m no sports lover, I know that around the world, soccer, football and basketball make the headlines but only in America do you overhear people talking about baseball. This goes hand in hand with their love for the classic baseball hat.
Whether it's printed with a funny quote, a Nike logo or a sports team, only we seem to have large collections of these ordinary looking hats.
I suppose it is also linked to their love for athleisure and anything sporty-looking. If you’re travelling and amongst a sea of tourists you see one person in a baseball hat, you know where they came from.
12 Lugging Around A Plastic Water Bottle
America loves brand names. Some of us love Gucci and other designer brands, but you’ll also overhear famous celebrities talking about their favourite water brands. For anyone that is not from the US, this is a completely confusing concept… brands of water?
Most of us opt for reusable water bottles and drink tap water or we pick up the pack of plastic water bottles on sale, but only we have a favourite brand of expensive water that they proudly lug around.
That one person on your plane that buys a smart water bottle instead of drinking the free water provided by the airline, yep they’re from the US of A.
11 Always Wearing Khakis
Another totally US trend, the khakis. If you’re one of us and reading this, and you’ve ever travelled with your dad (or maybe you are a dad), you know the first thing that’s thrown in their luggage is a hilariously outdated pair of khakis.
Even better, maybe they unzip at the knees for even more convenience and versatility.
Khakis do have really great sized pockets and are very breezy, but they’re so hilariously ugly that no one outside the States would be caught dead wearing them and we all know that’s a fact.
10 Travelling in Giant Groups
Whatever it is, we definitely go big. Before I mentioned food, drinks and coffee, but now it’s all about HOW we travel.
We tend to be the opposite of low-key.
If you see a girl group that looks as big as your entire senior class hopping out of an uber at a foreign airport, I’ll tell you right now, they’re one of us. It’s not a bad thing, having friends and a exploring the world with them is a great thing, but it’s also a totally a US thing.
9 Shop ‘Till They Drop
Another stereotype that just happens to be true, is their love for shopping. If you see someone pointing hysterically at a foreign store and saying “oh my god, I need to go there,” you’ve spotted one of us.
If you see someone holding so many shopping bags they can barely fit in the uber back to their hotel room, oh yes, you’ve spotted us again.
Shopping and a love for fashion are a worldwide phenomena, but people from the US just go a little harder than the rest of the world. You go, glen coco!
8 Purell Obsession
I guarantee you, that nowhere else in the world will you find Purell dispensers everywhere except the States. Nowhere else in the world will you see people pass around a bottle of Purell before eating in a restaurant, instead of getting up to wash their hands, except in America.
We have a bizarre Purell obsession, and while it can be handy in certain sticky situations, they’re the only country that chooses to use it over actually washing their hands.
If ever you’re travelling and witness people sanitizing their hand instead of using a nearby washroom, they’re without a doubt one of us!
7 Big Tippers
While I have poked a little fun at the way we drink and eat, one thing is certain they have big hearts and are very generous. Many other countries do not view tipping the way we do, and rarely tip anything close to 15% after their meal, yet in America tipping closer to 20% is customary.
If you receive tips at your job, whether you’re a waiter, bartender or anything else, and you receive a hefty tip from a tourist, I bet you they are one of us.
6 Pearly Whites
We have access to a lot of new technology and they also have a lot of tools to better their appearance. Nowhere else in the world will you overhear someone getting a vampire facial, a vegan manicure or a SECOND nose job, but in the States, they have it all.
I don’t know what products they have over there, but there’s definitely a secret method they use that keeps their teeth extra white because they have the nicest smiles in the world. On your next trip, if someone smiles at you with blinding pearly whites, well, you know.