20 things that are normal in the US that the rest of the world finds weird

In the US, dollar bills are all the same shade of green, and they all look very similar, aside from slightly different images.

If you travel to other countries, you'll find that their bills are typically all different colors and sizes according to what they're worth. Many foreigners find our currency to be a bit confusing since it all looks the same.

One small thing that stands out when you visit Europe is that restaurants there don't use a lot of ice — at most restaurants, you won't get it unless you ask for it.

Americans are among the few people who use an excess of ice in their drinks. Articles have even been written about why we do it. Writer Lisa Bramen for The Smithsonian speculates it may be related to our "more is more" vibe in the US.

If you grew up in the US, you may think of "America" and "United States" as interchangeable. As it turns out, much of the rest of the world does not.

The US is not the only "America" out there — there's also the rest of North America and all of South America. Many can't understand why we refer to the US as "America," and people from other countries often refer to our country as simply "the States."

People in the US typically write the date out in the format of month-day-year. People in other parts of the world, like the United Kingdom and Europe, write it out in the format of day-month-year.

To us, that format is quite strange. But there doesn't seem to be a clear reason for this — and many people from other countries can't understand why we write the month first, as to them it seems out of order.

Some are surprised to find that many print advertisements and commercials in the US advertise prescription drugs.

The advertisements must follow a few FDA regulations — that's why many will say, "Ask your doctor about X" and not just tell you to take a drug — but they're not common in most places around the world.

The US and New Zealand are the only countries that allow companies to advertise drugs directly to consumers.

Although many other countries love their flags and display them proudly, you likely won't see them hung all over the place quite as much as you would in many parts of the US.

In the US, American flags can regularly be seen above fast-food joints, hanging off the back of trucks, and at all sorts of businesses.

Many visitors to the US have noted that the bread here is really sweet. Recipes certainly vary, but sugar is found in many American breads.

Many typical European breads don't include sugar as an added ingredient, which means it's often less sweet.

The US is one of only three countries that still use the imperial system of measurement, and it seems everyone out there thinks we're strange for doing so.

Many foreigners think it's strange that free drink refills are widely offered and generally expected in the US.

It's not the norm in many other places — France banned unlimited refills of sugary drinks in 2017, in part to combat national rising obesity rates.

Toilets are certainly different in the US than in other parts of the world, and one amusing difference to note is how much more water there is in American toilets than in other countries'.

US toilets may have more water, in part, to reduce how much effort is needed to clean a toilet and produce more powerful flushes.

In many other countries, in places like Europe, coffee is consumed in smaller quantities. That means they drink it quickly and they don't take it to go.

But in the US, large to-go coffee cups are common. People from other countries find it strange.

In the US, we don't think twice about asking a server to box up our uneaten food so we can bring it home to finish another time.

In other countries, this is incredibly strange and even considered rude. In France, for example, it's so frowned upon that a law had to be passed to allow "doggy bags" to happen to get rid of food waste.

Speaking of leftover food, people from other countries also can't believe how big American portions are.

That's true when it comes to the size of dishes in restaurants, sodas, and other drinks in fast-food chains, and even items that aren't food.

In part, large portions can perhaps be linked to companies in the US wanting bigger profits. Bigger serving sizes mean you can charge more money.

We might not like sales tax here in the US, but we expect it.

In other countries, the sales tax is often built into the price, so the price doesn't change when you bring something to the register — so many find it strange that the US doesn't do the same.

It's such a big difference that there are even advisories to people traveling to the US warning them of sales tax when shopping.

Not tipping in the US is frowned upon. In other parts of the world, a tip is not expected — it can even be considered rude.

Tipping is another thing travelers are often warned about when coming to the US.

People around the world can't believe how often Americans use red cups. In some countries, people throw "American parties," where they all make sure to use red cups.

In some other countries, in places like Europe, it's considered normal to be topless on the beach. The US has a few nude beaches, but most require you to cover up.

In fact, people who travel to the US often have to be warned to wear swimsuits in public and keep them on.

It's no secret that going to college in the US can be expensive, and students can end up in debt to get a degree.

A lot of other countries offer free college education, so many foreigners can't believe how much we spend on ours.

People in countries around the world celebrate the birth of new child in their own ways, but baby showers are very American.

Baby showers are thrown for expecting parents and usually have games, cake, and presents — but you won't find many celebrations like these in places like Russia or England.

The US is widely considered to be the most overworked country in the developed world.

People in other countries can't believe how much work we do, how long our hours are, how we sometimes eat lunch at our desks, and how we don't take advantage of vacation time.

Some other countries offer six weeks of paid vacation time as a standard. That's certainly not the case here — the US has some of the least paid time off in the world.

This story was originally published on August 13, 2018, and most recently updated on April 11, 2024.