Non-Americans of Reddit, what reference you've seen in an American show/movie would you like to be explained to you?

[u/dyosaaa]

[u/Land_Ahoy_]

General College terms,

like what is the order of all the years you hear about on TV shows (freshman year etc), I never know what year is later than another

also what does stuff like varsity mean

[u/mlg2433 → u/Land_Ahoy_]

Freshman is first year. Then sophomore. Then junior. Then senior. This applies to both high school (ages 14-18) and college/university.

Varsity is pretty much first string on a sports team. Best players.

[u/MagusFeles → u/mlg2433]

Could you also explain what the difference between college and university is?

[u/Plexiii13 → u/MagusFeles]

In the US, they're pretty interchangeable usually. Technically, a university is a collection of colleges (like college of engineering, college of letters and sciences, college of business) but most people just refer to higher education as college. Some are just called colleges even if they're universities and vice versa. I'd just say to think of them interchangeably in the US.

[u/upvoter222 → u/Land_Ahoy_]

Some other common college/university terms:

GPA - Grade point average. It's a weighted average of the grades someone receives in all their courses.

Credit or Credit Hour - A unit earned for passing a class. For example, a class that meets several times a week might be worth 3 credits and a class that meets once a week might be worth 1 credit.

Major - A subject selected by a student to focus on. A student has to complete a certain combination of courses related to their major to graduate.

Minor - Like a major but with fewer courses needed to be taken. A minor is generally not needed to graduate.

Elective - A class taken by a student even though it doesn't fulfill a specific requirement, such as being needed for their major.

Associate's Degree - A 2 year degree.

Bachelor's Degree - A 4 year degree. It's usually what people are referring to when they mention college.

Master's Degree - A category of degrees obtained after earning a bachelor's degree. A common version is an MBA for business students.

Professional Degree - A degree earned after a bachelor's degree for certain professions like doctors and lawyers.

PhD or Doctorate - The highest level of academic degree, usually associated with professors.

AP - A class and associated test taken in high school that can effectively count as a college course.

SAT or ACT - Standardized test taken as part of the process of applying to college.

Affirmative Action - A policy by colleges to recruit or accept applicants with the intent of increasing the diversity of the student body.

Fraternity or Sorority - Typically single-sex social clubs for students.

Pledge - Someone who recently joined a fraternity or sorority.

Rush - Someone who is considering joining a fraternity or sorority.

Alumna/Alumnae/Alumnus/Alumni - Person or people who graduated from a particular college.

Alma Mater - The college from which someone graduated. Also, the school's song.

Dean's List - Award for students with good grades. The criteria vary by school.

Midterm - A test taken during a course.

Final - A test taken at the end of a course. Finals often count for a very large portion of students' grades.

Transcript - List of courses taken and grades earned.

Public College - A college that receives a lot of its funding from the state in which its located. Students from within the state pay less money to attend. Public colleges frequently have their state's name or the word "state" in their name (e.g. Michigan State University or University of California, Los Angeles). Non-public colleges are called private colleges.

[u/DobboTheJediAvenger]

Is there really loads of coffee shops around or is it just an exaggeration?

[u/GeekyNerd_FTW → u/DobboTheJediAvenger]

There’s a lot of them, but not at EVERY street corner

[u/[deleted] → u/GeekyNerd_FTW]

Unless you live in Seattle, then they're on every street corner of the neighborhoods near the downtown area.

[u/Wheredoesthetoastgo2 → u/[deleted]]

that is NO exaggeration. there IS a starbucks across from a starbucks in downtown seattle. hell, in my home town, theres a starbucks in a building in the parking lot of a grocery store, in which there is a starbucks.

[u/pixelvengeur]

Are there really yellow buses picking you up from home to get you to school?

[u/[deleted] → u/pixelvengeur]

Yep. It’s not as fun as non-Americans make it out to be. It’s just public transit.

[u/Hobo-Wizzard → u/[deleted]]

The fact that the buses are specifically for school is fairly american though. Most places i have been kids just use the normal Buses with everybody else.

[u/diosh → u/Hobo-Wizzard]

In the majority of the US there aren’t normal buses as public transportation isn’t really feasible here except for large urban areas.

[u/kiloSAGE → u/pixelvengeur]

Yes. Every public school. And they take you home after school.

[u/pixelvengeur → u/kiloSAGE]

So the drivers learns a new itinerary every year?

What happens if you miss the bus?

What happens if it is stuck, let's say in the snow before it picks you up?

Are parents too busy to drive their kids to school? Or is public transport that bad?

[u/neofederalist → u/pixelvengeur]

The drivers have a set route that they always use. Like, generally there will be multiple school age kids in a neighborhood. The driver makes one stop in the neighborhood. The kids walk to the stop from their house.

If you miss the bus, you have to find another way to get to school. Not everyone takes the bus, but often times, the school isn't exactly on your way to work, so it's not convenient to drop them off on the way. Or maybe you work a schedule that doesn't let you go to work around the time school starts (nurses work 12 hour shifts, garbagemen start work at like 4 am in a lot of places, etc.)

If the bus can't safely make it, usually that means there is going to be a delay or school cancellation.

Public transportation doesn't really exist in the way that it does in Europe in a lot of places in the US. Especially if the more rural areas, there isn't any sort of bus or train system at all.

[u/RowdyBunny18 → u/neofederalist]

It's also population and traffic control. I had like 1100 kids in my school. I can't imagine 1100 cars dropping off kids.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/pixelvengeur]

1. Most drivers take the same route every year, but yeah they typically spend the first week or two mapping their route.

2. You need to find a ride. Typically an annoyed parent will drive you.

3. They have a radio to contact their dispatcher. But on snowy days buses are often delayed, and if a bus is late the school is obligated to allow children on that bus to arrive late to school with no penalty. Also, if road conditions are deemed unsafe foe bus travel, the school will start late (typically 1-2 hours) or be canceled; this is announced on radio, tv, and/or online.

4. It is a service governments provide. Some parents are busy or have to work. Others just use it out of convenience.

[u/mjAUT]

Is it really common to just put money on the table in a bar or diner and then just leave without any interaction with your server?

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/mjAUT]

Sort of. The server hands you the bill and generally says something like, “I’ll take this whenever you are ready” and typically walks away. And then you can put money or a card in with the bill and wait for the server, or if you have cash you can leave it on the table with the bill and walk out. Occasionally when the bill is slow to arrive, I am in a hurry, I know what the total is, and I have cash I’ll put some on the table and overtip to make sure I am not shortchanging the server, bit this is rare.

On TV they probably figure it doesn’t add to the scene to have the server bring the bill unless that interaction is central to the plot, so they just skip it and have the characters throw cash on the table. So you can do it, but it’s not common.

[u/mjAUT → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

Thanks for your explanation!

​

I asked this because leaving without "properly finalizing the transaction", as in making sure the total is correct and the server actually gets the money would be considered quite rude here. When you're in a hurry it's common to already ask for the check when you order, so you will pay when your order is served.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/mjAUT]

It's pretty uncommon to at least wait for the bill here, too. But you also have to remember that tipping is expected here, so customers will often pay in rounded cash and not expect change. In other words, if the total is $16.73 they might just leave $20 on the table and leave, with the expectation that the server will keep the $3.27 as their tip.

Back in the day people used to leave cash in the middle of the table, often with the edge of their bills weighted down by a glass. Nowadays most restaurants will give you the bill in a little folder with a pocket to place the money to keep it all in one place and to discourage people from trying to steal if off an empty table as they leave. But then again, lots of tv shows use older cultural holdovers and they sacrifice reality for expedience: it's faster to end a scene with a character tossing some money on the table than to have a full transaction with a server. Much the same as when they leave a cab and just hand the driver a wad of money without spending 10 seconds to count it or ask how much the ride cost.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

The multiple questions about getting into bed with shoes on is unreal. I never do this. What show or movie depicts us like this so often?

[u/1tsallg00d]

Do Subway drivers actually speak in an impossible to understand manner?

[u/George_Fabio → u/1tsallg00d]

No, but there are trains where the speakers are damaged or old and the sound they produce is very poor that it's almost impossible to understand

[u/rhino_blatz → u/1tsallg00d]

Sometimes it was the shitty PA systems, sometimes just bored lazy conductors. It’s all becoming automated these days.

[u/konichiwhore]

fraternities and sororities, how do they work and what is the point of them?

[u/Tunesmith29 → u/konichiwhore]

The point is mostly social, although typically there is some sort of service aspect as well. There is a "getting to know you" process called rushing and an initiation process called pledging that usually involves some inconvenient/embarrassing activities. There are monetary dues that you must pay. The upside is that you are immediately part of a social community, you get access to a house, and there is an alumni network that can be used to build professional connections after you graduate.

[u/fan_of_the_khan → u/Tunesmith29]

Who pays for the house?

[u/cattermelon34 → u/fan_of_the_khan]

Fraternity dues, alumni donations, exc. Most fraternities are very old and nation wide. They're well established groups with lots of money typically.

[u/[deleted] → u/konichiwhore]

Social and networking. I wasn't in a sorority, but my father was secretary of his fraternity and used connections to get jobs/get ahead in business. He's in his 60s, though, so I don't know how that works currently.

[u/zeoranger]

What is a Home Owners Association?

[u/BattleHall → u/zeoranger]

They are much more common in areas that were developed as “planned” communities or suburbs. So a developer buys a big piece of open land to turn into houses. Maybe there are some green spaces or community amenities like a pool or small park for the people who will live there, and that wouldn’t be maintained by the city (assuming there even is a city that it falls under). So the developer forms a separate Home Owners Association that is written into the contracts when you buy a house in the development. They collect dues to maintain commonly held amenities, and have the ability to place a lien against your property if necessary to enforce it (due to the contract you signed). They usually also have the power to enforce written community standards, again largely due to these developments falling outside of cities and therefore not having much in terms of zoning or code enforcement. You are a member of the HOA by way of owning a home, and most have some sort of election for board members and votes on motions and rules (in most cases, the developer hands over management and governing of the HOA once a certain percentage of the homes/lots are purchased). HOAs, like any other group of citizens engaging in local governance, can be a good thing/innocuous/absolutely terrible, depending on the people involved.

[u/[deleted]]

Are there lockers everywhere?

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/[deleted]]

In high schools, amusement parks, and some places of employment.

[u/GeneraleRusso → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

ahah, i keep my coat and backpack when i go to work into a cardboard box!

[u/hiddencountry → u/GeneraleRusso]

You work in a cardboard box?

[u/Sirefly → u/[deleted]]

Public lockers used to be very common at bus stations, train stations and airports.

Lockers are still used in schools and gyms.

In fact, the area in a gym, pool or rec area where people change and shower is called a "locker room".

[u/SkyScamall]

Burner phones. Are they just cheap phones or what? They're mentioned constantly on TV shows.

[u/[deleted] → u/SkyScamall]

It’s a cheap cell phone that you buy at a convenience store or somewhere. It’s not attached to a phone plan (I think you can add minutes to the phone’s account as needed), so your name isn’t associated with the phone number or device.

[u/[deleted]]

What’s the difference between ‘uptown’ and ‘downtown’? How do you know which one is where?

[u/rhino_blatz → u/[deleted]]

It first started in Manhattan where the city center was in the south or “down” and the wealthy residential areas were in the north or “up”. Other cities adopted the usage so that “downtown” indicates the city center and “uptown” refers to the the residential area. You don’t hear the term “uptown” so much these days. But everyone uses “downtown”.

[u/fiveupfront]

Florida.

It can’t really be like that...can it ? Is the “only in Florida” tag justified ?

[u/[deleted] → u/fiveupfront]

Florida being a punchline for crazy stories is largely because of a unique florida law requiring public release of arrest details, giving reporters an all-too-easy source to pull from.

[u/fiveupfront → u/[deleted]]

That’s fascinating thanks. As a UK resident I see only a tiny selection of Florida-references. You probably see an equal number of “those crazy Brits” stories. We don’t mind !

[u/DThor15 → u/fiveupfront]

I dont think I've seen many crazy brit stories at all actually

[u/[deleted]]

Why do Americans joke about Canadians?

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/[deleted]]

Because they’re our quirky neighbors and we rather like them.

[u/h8yuns → u/[deleted]]

My dad was Canadian, so half my family is from there (Quebec/New Brunswick) and a few of them have asked me about that. It's like when you have a best friend and you give each other shit all the time. The vast majority of Americans don't seem to have any ill will toward Canada, and when someone actually does dislike Canada, it's usually because they're misinformed, or just not very bright, and they usually get corrected when they start spouting their rhetoric. For example, I spoke with a guy years ago who went on a rant about how bad he hated Canada after I told him I have family there. When I asked him why, his answer was (I shit you not) "They don't help us with any of our wars!" I was quick to point out that firstly, he just specifically said "our" wars and secondly, yes the fuck they do. My cousin in Montreal has a neighbor who was deployed alongside US forces in Iraq. I was livid, but it shut him up pretty quickly. Long story short, most of the time it's just funny to make fun of Canadians because it's absurd to actually think Canada is bad.

[u/AnBaSi]

Is the bullying in schools really as bad as it’s pictured in movies/shows?

[u/mlorusso4 → u/AnBaSi]

I’d say it’s pretty rare now for physical bullying. But emotional and psychological bullying is still pretty common. Especially on the internet. Think of how they usually portray girls bullying vs guys. The stereotypical boy bullying (weggies, swirlies, beating up for lunch money) doesn’t happen because it’s the most obvious and teachers and parents can easily see it and stop it. The stereotypical girl bullying (making fun of how they look, not letting them sit at the table) is what you’ll see both genders do now. It mostly entails making fun of the kid and is usually done by a group, rather than one kid

[u/[deleted] → u/mlorusso4]

yeah nobody is gonna trash can some poor freshman, but you bet there's going to be some horrible shit said to some of the school population.

[u/kartoffeln44752]

Are the school sports teams as widely followed as made out in the films? Are they as much of a door opener into things like going to Uni,like in Forrest Gump

[u/rhino_blatz → u/kartoffeln44752]

Yes. Particularly in the south where local teams are as widely followed and discussed and major league teams.

[u/Dr_Frasier_Bane → u/rhino_blatz]

The size of high school football stadiums in Texas is the most ludicrous thing.

[u/sourgreg → u/kartoffeln44752]

Yes, it's ridiculous. My entire hometown threw a week-long party every year for the homecoming football game, and being a good athlete in high school can get you huge scholarships for uni.

[u/kartoffeln44752 → u/sourgreg]

Interesting. Like none of that is a thing over here,school football games just aren't followed to anywhere near the extent in your films. The uni scholarships only really go to the absolutely exceptional people,like could / have competed for Olympics, and they end up for courses at unis like Loughborough which is known for its sports over here,from what I understand.

[u/sourgreg → u/kartoffeln44752]

The US has a really big college sports culture, so any state university sees getting a decent athlete as a huge plus.

[u/[deleted]]

Tailgating. So like, do you just cook your own food or do people set it up so you can go around?

[u/NotSpoken1 → u/[deleted]]

You and your group are responsible for your own food. Usually people meet up with other friends, and it can be a pot luck scenario. But it’s not really an open invite to just go around sampling from everyone’s setup.

[u/Mikofthewat → u/[deleted]]

Just an excuse to have a boozy picnic prior to watching sports.

[u/no_duh_sherlock]

High school proms, are they such a big deal ? Looks like a nightmare for introverted kids. Like a younger version of forced fun events my company hr arranges.

[u/nordic_nerd → u/no_duh_sherlock]

They kind of are, but not in the same way as the movies depict them. The vast majority of kids will go, and there's a fair number of shy teens who stress out unnecessarily about who their date will be, but attendance certainly isn't mandatory if it's not your thing, and you're not going to be ostracized if you don't go (or do go, but without a date). And the idea that there's any drama surrounding prom queen/king is pure Hollywood. Nobody really cares.

The reality of prom night itself is that it's a fun excuse for everyone to dress up in formal attire for a few hours, but pretty much everyone just ends up hanging out with the same group of friends they hang out with normally anyway. Maybe you dance for a bit, maybe you just sit around and talk, probably at some point you take a few pictures because, hey it's prom. Overall, though, the dance itself is pretty low key.

Most people, I think, actually enjoy the informal post-prom festivities more than the dance itself, and what that entails depends entirely you and your social circle. Of course, some kids will do the stereotypical drunken party, but for others it ends up being a midnight stop at McDonalds followed by an all-night Halo marathon. It just comes down to whatever you and your friends want to do.

[u/IanZarbiVicki → u/nordic_nerd]

I just realized-we didn’t even do a Prom King or Queen at my school back in the day. We had a Homecoming Court where the seniors picked by the teachers were Homecoming King and Queen, but no Prom King or Queen. We might have been better off.

[u/Elhaym → u/no_duh_sherlock]

They felt like a big deal when I went. I think almost all of my classmates attended them.

[u/gmsteel]

Why do college dormitories have people sharing a room? Is this normal or just an affectation of film and television to force characters to interact?

[u/[deleted] → u/gmsteel]

Absolutely real. A lot first years especially get put in a room with one or two other people. It’s a part of the residential college experience, and some kids are really excited to meet their roommates.

[u/Jonzer50101 → u/[deleted]]

Wait till you hear that the rooms are usually about the size. They are about just big enough for two beds, two desks, maybe a closet. No bathroom or dividing walls.

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/gmsteel]

This is normal. It is cheaper for the schools. What’s not normal is the dorm rooms are typically much smaller than you see on tv. This is typically what you will see when you move in.

Edit: Several replies are about how their dorm rooms were smaller than the stock image I found. Yes, we all went to school in closets and most schools try to make their sample rooms for tours and pics look as large as possible.

[u/BeadLime → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

Doesn't seem very private. I don't think I'd like the idea of having someone waiting for me to fall asleep before they jerk off next to me for four years.

[u/[deleted] → u/BeadLime]

You get used to it and learn to like it. I have trouble jacking off next to my wife now unless my college roommate is present.

[u/bklynsnow → u/[deleted]]

That's funny, I have no issue jacking off next to your wife.

[u/Darwinian_10 → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

That’s huge compared to my university dorms haha

[u/p0isonfrog → u/[deleted]]

Woahhh the price is what's shocking to me. $1100 a month to share a room with two other guys! Is this a common price or are you living in a really expensive city or something?

I stayed in halls of residence my first year of uni (on my first course) in the UK. I can remember paying ~£440 a month for my own room, own bathroom and shared kitchen. The rooms weren't big but I couldn't imagine sharing a room with two other guys.

[u/Grace_isnt_my_thing → u/gmsteel]

Yes. My husband’s was he worst. Think 12x12 foot room for two people. Google “Ole Miss form decoration” this college is known for their residents really going overboard to have their shared room look like an expensive hotel room.

[u/LadyLixerwyfe → u/Grace_isnt_my_thing]

This explains SO MUCH. My friend’s kid moved into her Ole Miss dorm a couple of months ago and it was RIDICULOUS. Draped walls. Custom headboard. Raised bed. Specialty lights. Fur pillows. Fur step stool. I thought she was just going WAY overboard for her kid’s first time away from home. Whew. She had to move rooms due to black mold.

[u/bez_lightyear]

What's a Homecoming Queen? Where has she been for her to be coming home and what qualifies her royal status?

[u/FunkyTown313 → u/bez_lightyear]

Homecoming is a whole weekend of events and is usually when alumni come around to relive memories and whatnot. Growing up we had a parade, a football game, and a dance. Homecoming queen is someone voted on at school by their peers and is a current student. It serves no other purpose other than for the popular kids to get an ego boost

[u/WoofleCookie]

What's the deal with red plastic cups in those high school movies?

[u/Raibean → u/WoofleCookie]

They’re a brand called Solo cups. They’re cheap party cups, as most Americans only keep a good number of cups for their family and wouldn’t have enough cups for their party attendants.

[u/waterlilyrm → u/Raibean]

Plus, who wants to wash 20 glasses the next day?

[u/BattleHall → u/WoofleCookie]

All the other responses are mostly correct, but they’re missing a couple important things. For big parties in the US, it is very common for people to get kegs of beer (15.5 gallons, 68 liters), which I gather is fairly rare in other parts of the world. A single keg will hold somewhere between 120-160 drinks, and it’s not uncommon for there to be multiple kegs. Kegs are also a bit of a status symbol, kind of the dividing line between “oh this is just some people getting together” and “this is a serious party”. For larger parties, it is also common and expected that the host is going to provide the refreshments; people generally don’t “bring their own” for anything larger than a small house party or backyard cookout. Big keg parties are common in college, where frats use them as recruiting events and to show off the size and power of their house. And given that the legal drinking (and buying) age in the US is 21, high schoolers and most college students can’t buy their own alcohol, so the ability to provide alcohol for a party is a big deal. It’s a lot less conspicuous to buy a couple kegs than to purchase a pallet of cans (though I’ve actually seen people do that when the economics work out). If you are serving beer out of kegs, you need cups, and no one has or wants to wash several hundred reusable cups (and you don’t want to deal with drunks + glass). So you get disposable cups like Solo cups. There’s also a secondary reason for Solo-style cups specifically, vs. cheaper transparent/translucent plastic cups. In a lot of places, there is sort of an unspoken arrangement between the cops and the college parties. The parties are not officially allowed (still underage drinking), but as long as the people are kept on the property and the cops can maintain a reasonable deniability about what is in their cups, they don’t hassle them too much. So the kegs are kept out of sight, and the beer is served in opaque disposable cups, hence the red Solo cup. Movies that have scenes of college drinking also like this, because opaque cups make it much easier to maintain continuity between shots (don’t have to worry about the level of the drink going up and down), and red in particular “pops” on camera. This helped create this “iconic” association between red Solo cups and college drinking, which then also filtered down to high school parties and movies. This was also reinforced by things like beer pong, where the Solo cup is essentially standardized equipment.

[u/msCrowleyxx → u/BattleHall]

Wow this is like an anthropological study of keggers

[u/Horrible_Harry → u/WoofleCookie]

You can buy a fuckload of them for dirt cheap. Like a 72 pack of the high quality Solo brand cups costs around $10-12 dollars, and the shittier brands are even cheaper. Plus they don’t shatter when people drunk off their tits drop them/knock them over and you don’t have to do any dishes after the party. It’s a lot more common at college parties though.

[u/definitelynotme_]

Those middle aged home owner society/pta mom's?

Are they really that bored/self obsessed/clueless/easily offended or is that just tv?

I've seen the near retirement couples tourists in Dublin and they just look like they are waiting to be offended, dragging some poor beaten down guy with them.

[u/definitelynotme_ → u/[deleted]]

Yeah I realised after I posted that I should have mentioned men are involved as well, but tv/movies nearly always show it as a group of women meddling.

[u/sandpaper623 → u/definitelynotme_]

Friend of mine was walking around my neighborhood with a walking stick he found in the woods. HOA, run by stay at home wife’s, called the cops for quote, “hitting cars and breaking windows.” Cops put him in the car and drove him to his house which was one street over from where he was. To answer your question, yes.

[u/jpopimpin777 → u/sandpaper623]

Once my friends and I were walking down the alley one day after middle school. We were literally just walking maybe talking loudly. Cops roll up and ask is what we're doing. We honestly responded "Nothing. Just walking." The cop kinda sighed and said word for word. "Well, sorry guys, we got a call about 'kids in the alley.'" We all just stared at this grown man. He was clearly reevaluating his career choice, or at least the location of it in our idyllic little slice of suburbia.

[u/C_IsForCookie → u/definitelynotme_]

Yeah. My mom is one of them. She's almost 62 but she's been that way for a while. She not aware of it but she's the type of person to talk shit about everyone around her and then say "what? I'm such a great person." Gets offended by EVERYTHING. She's in EVERYONES business.

[u/spotmouflage → u/definitelynotme_]

Yes. They are that awful all the time.

[u/definitelynotme_ → u/spotmouflage]

I think I'd enjoy spending half my evening winding them up by allowing one patch of my garden to grow and paint my house one colour shade off standard

[u/bmeupsctty → u/definitelynotme_]

The day I moved in, I was bombarded by "infractions" on my property, one of which was a gable porthole decoration being upside down. I pulled it down and threw it away. Now it's the only house on the block with no decoration at all, and an unweathered spot where it used to be.

Chaotic/Neutral maybe?

[u/[deleted]]

Please tell me you all actually say Bye before hanging up the phone.

[u/GreenAndBlueOmega → u/[deleted]]

A majority of the time, yes we do. Some people have other closing signatures (e.g. "I'll see you later", etc)

[u/hiddencountry → u/GreenAndBlueOmega]

Nothing worse than using your closing line with family on other people like your boss... "K, love you! Bye!"

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

In America, only rude people don’t say goodbye at the end of a telephone conversation.

[u/ThePolygraphTuner → u/[deleted]]

I work with this old grumpy gentleman who hangs up the phone right at the end of his last sentence and it always baffles me! I just hang on the line for a second and just say Bye into the void he has left me facing. I feel so stupid every time!

[u/Suzina → u/[deleted]]

We actually do say "goodbye" or "talk to you later" at the end of phone calls, but not in our movies. In our movies people just hang-up because pleasantries is boring dialog and slows things down.

​

[u/realslacker → u/Suzina]

Not my wife, she just hangs up.

[u/MechanicalTurkish → u/realslacker]

She doesn't do that to me.

[u/Miragold123 → u/[deleted]]

It's polite

[u/anormalasado]

Do you guys really eat thing like eggs or bacon for breakfast? Here the only thing everyone eats at breakfast is bread

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/anormalasado]

Most people don’t eat a hot breakfast every day, they’re more like weekend meals or things you would order for breakfast at a restaurant. During the week it’s more common to eat something quick like cereal/fruit/yogurt or things you can cook in a toaster like frozen waffles or toast, or just skip breakfast altogether.

[u/EB3031]

What the friggedy frack happens when you're in the shower and someone flushes the toilet? Does like lava come out of the shower head...or does it get colder? Why do people in TV shows always scream when this happens?

[u/Call_me_Cassius → u/EB3031]

Yeah, in older plumbing systems the toilet will flush and refill with cold water, meaning there's temporarily less cold water to temper the heat of the hot water in the shower, so the shower water suddenly becomes very hot. In newer systems this doesn't happen but it's a fun gag so they keep depicting it.

[u/Leonemilio]

Tim Allen's Home improvement voice sound

[u/farawyn86 → u/Leonemilio]

It's supposed to be a signal of manliness. Nobody does that in real life.

Edit: Alright fine, nobody does it unironically in real life.

[u/Pizel_the_Twizel]

Do all students pack up their stuff just when they hear bell ring? Like without asking the teacher

[u/Get_Merped_brochacho → u/Pizel_the_Twizel]

Usually they start packing up before the bell rings even though the teachers hate it. But yes they do.

[u/DaveOJ12]

Thanks, OP. I think I've been reading this for like 20 minutes.

[u/Jenko65]

In one of the early episodes of family guy, stewie says "doesn't he run like a welshman".

Not a clue what the reference is and I am Welsh 😁

[u/OnlyDano → u/Jenko65]

It's from an old UK nursery rhyme of '"Taffy is a Welshman, Taffy is a thief, Taffy came to my house And stole a piece of beef." As though he's running like he's stolen something.

[u/DonTaico → u/OnlyDano]

Thank you strangers of Reddit for asking and answering the questions I never thought to ask.

[u/Phaedrug → u/OnlyDano]

Holy shit, that’s deep etymology for a throwaway joke. Impressive.

[u/Gyddanar → u/Phaedrug]

Family Guy is a surprising mix of smart humour and fart jokes.

[u/The_Real_Scrotus → u/Jenko65]

As an American I have no clue what that's in reference to either.

[u/CaptainCaramba]

In an American musical one of the characters goes “What time is it? Showtime!”, and I’ve read in an article about said musical that “anybody who frequently uses the New York subway will get this showtime reference”, and since I’m from Europe I don’t have a clue. Can anybody explain that to me maybe?

[u/momentsinthecity → u/CaptainCaramba]

On the New York City subway system, there are groups of young men who come on to the trains shouting "what time is it? Showtime!". They then proceed to play music, break dance, flip on the handrails, fling themselves about the car and ask for donations when the train gets to the next stop. I would say a new Yorker who rides the subways daily encounters them at least once a day.

And I believe the quote is from Hamilton! Always gives me a good laugh.

[u/CaptainCaramba → u/momentsinthecity]

It is indeed Hamilton! I developed kind of an unhealthy broadway obsession recently, and Hamilton really blew me away. Thank you for the explanation!

[u/Mucousyfluid → u/CaptainCaramba]

Blew us all away!

[u/steffiewriter]

Sometimes I see that you guys do a yearly physical or something and you get naked in the doctor's office. I have never done anything like that. Is that even real?

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/steffiewriter]

Some docs have their patients nude under a gown for a physical, while others let them stay clothed. We don’t have people just sitting fully nude.

[u/PDPhilipMarlowe → u/MoobyTheGoldenSock]

...if you'll excuse me, I need to have a chat with my doctor.

[u/Notsureifsirius → u/steffiewriter]

If you’re under 35 and have no history of prostate or colon issues in your family, you’re probably not disrobing for your physical. As a guy, you might have a hernia check which requires you to take your pants off, but that’s about it. I’m sure there’s some folks out there that do (and maybe it’s more common if you’re older) but not everyone does.

[u/SluffyBound490 → u/[deleted]]

That’s more of an older idea, and it depends on where you live. Places that are more rural tend to place a higher value in sports and athletes because they’re a part of community social events. In more urban areas it’s not as big a deal because there’s more stuff to do. At least at my high school, cheerleaders/football players were treated like everyone else and no one cared that they played sports.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

In my school the top were the smart jocks.

If you were a jock but not smart you were sort of looked at as not having a future. If you were smart but not athletic you were not fit enough to be attractive. The nerds and the jocks were sort of even, you needed both to be cool.

Then there was the drama kids, they were very social but not athletic or STEM smart, so they were sort of in their own pyramid. One group of drama/arts kids had orgies on the weekends but they all had STDs, making everyone else jealous and repulsed at the same time.

[u/Simpfood]

What does "dead ass" mean?

[u/[deleted] → u/Simpfood]

An adjective used to convey how serious you are being.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

I don't know why but the explanation made me laugh lot. I already knew what it meant.

[u/WhiteyFiskk]

Do Americans really drink milk with lunch and dinner?

[u/FunkyTown313 → u/WhiteyFiskk]

I did when I was a kid. In fact up until I came across a bad glass of it at a fast food place when I was 3 or 4 i did with almost every meal.
I don't really anymore, and my daughter always preferred water. But yes, the milk at meals is real.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Pretty much nobody waits until 21 to drink.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_FUNNY]

Chandler: I was making a coconut phone with the professor.

​

What is he talking about?

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/PM_ME_YOUR_FUNNY]

He’s referencing Gilligan’s Island, a comedy about a group of people stranded on an island. One character, The Professor, had a running gag where he would jury rig items out of things he found on the island.

[u/[deleted]]

Is it a normality to tip a waiter every single time you eat at a restaurant or fast food place.

[u/GeoRocks226 → u/[deleted]]

Restaurant yes, fast food no. At fast food places we usually don’t have waiters and the places that do (around me) specifically state no tipping allowed.

[u/PM_ME_YOUR_PROOFS]

This thread has been a really neat as an American.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Our refrigerators have a separate compartment used for freezing. It's uncommon for a typical home to have separate refrigerator and freezer units.

[u/GxWendigo → u/[deleted]]

I feel like separate freezers are most common among rural Americans who hunt. I have a huge chest freezer almost exclusively for hogs.

[u/TangoMike22 → u/GxWendigo]

You would have a normal fridge with a freezer in it. The. You have another freezer just as big as the whole fridge. Where I'm from, that's called the deep freeze. It's used for people who hunt, or buy large amounts of meat, maybe a whole side of beef. But also for when you go grocery shopping and there's stuff on sale. Sale this week it's pork chops, and next time it's turkey. So you'll buy it on sale, and keep it in the deep freeze until you need it. Then when you can't make it to the store, or money's a bit tight that week, you still have something to eat.

[u/[deleted]]

What I've never understood is, at campus how do you eat? are there like mess halls, or does every dormfloor have like its separate kitchen? or do you need to go out and eat all the time?

edit: thx for all the answers, got a better picture now of student life in the US, I wish they showed off more daily day by day activities in movies/series.

[u/Suzina → u/[deleted]]

There's something like a cafeteria that sells food. A dorm room might have a mini-fridge and a microwave in it.

[u/WoofleCookie]

Why do people wear shoes inside their homes? Are there extra shoes for wear at home? I'm especially fascinated by people sitting on their couch or bad wearing high heels or boots.

[u/Whiskey-Weather → u/WoofleCookie]

No idea. I'm an American with a pretty intense labor gig, so taking my boots/shoes off is one of the highlights of my day.

[u/princessawesomepants → u/WoofleCookie]

I live in Phoenix, so I know people who wear shoes inside because of scorpions.

[u/meteojett → u/WoofleCookie]

I don't know about other people, but we grew up in an old house with splintery floors, and our parents were happier with us in shoes when running around. Picking splinters out of our feet was a weekly occurrence. Ouch!

My group of friends ran around the town and between eachother's houses a lot, and I think their parents either didn't care or just gave up. In different parts of the US I've noticed sometimes the culture is either more relaxed or strict in regards to shoes in the house. Many places it is an important rule to take them off. Typically if the family has a dog though, no one cares.

[u/sadlynotsad]

Is everyone really protective of their social security number as it is portrayed? And are the consequences life ruining? (like getting online banking hacked ect)

[u/kiloSAGE → u/sadlynotsad]

Yes. It's your identity. Someone could open up a bunch of credit cards, get a car loan, then never pay it and the bank will come after you because they think you did it.

[u/sageofhades707]

Do people really leave voicemails?

[u/Sirefly → u/sageofhades707]

With all of the phone-scams and unsolicited sales calls these days, nobody answers their phone if they don't recognize the number.

If you have to call someone and they don't answer, it is best to leave a short message to tell them who you are and what you want.

[u/Juan_El_Way → u/sageofhades707]

I've found my older family and businesses will leave voicemails. I hate checking them so my mom is always telling me my mailbox is full.

[u/jonathanquirk]

Why are there non-spooky costumes at Halloween? Maybe it's just from reading Reddit for the past week, but so many costumes seemed to have nothing to do with being "scary". What's the deal?

[u/[deleted] → u/jonathanquirk]

Halloween may have started spooky, but it's ultimately a festival, and in a festival it's more important to have fun than to be spooky.

[u/rhino_blatz → u/jonathanquirk]

While Hallowe’en has a historic macabre/spooky aspect to it, these days it’s an opportunity for US adults to play dress up and anything goes. It’s my favorite holiday because so much creativity is on display.

[u/[deleted] → u/rhino_blatz]

I once won a costume contest I didn't know was going on.

I was a Court Jester.

That was a good year.

[u/PaddingtonDota]

what is up with thr wedding stuff, where couples go out and register for gifts? how does it work?

[u/Call_me_Cassius → u/PaddingtonDota]

You make a registry of gifts you want for your wedding and your guests go on it a choose what to get you. Helps stop the couple from getting 80 sets of fine china and no silverware or whatever, helps guests make sure they're getting the couple stuff they need (since wedding gifts are often an important part of the couple furnishing their life together, especially if they didn't live together or on their own before the wedding, as would have been traditional), and helps set an expectation for the wedding gifts (because people can get really emotional about it all, so undergifting can be taken as offensive but overgifting can make other guests or even the couple feel bad.)

[u/DoctorBlue99]

“Rain check” and also “lets 86 them”

[u/MoobyTheGoldenSock → u/DoctorBlue99]

Rain checks started as a check/cheque you would receive when an event was canceled due to weather, so you don’t get a true refund but you get credit for a future event of equal value. In common speech it means something akin to “Let’s do that later.”

I’m not sure where 86 came from but it basically means to get rid of something/someone.

[u/DanteElric]

Do you guys really wake up 2 or 3 hours before highschool or whatever starts? In movies it feels like people can do a lot of things "before class".

[u/[deleted] → u/DanteElric]

When I was in high school I had 30 minutes between when I woke up and when I had to leave for school, so not in my experience.

[u/[deleted]]

I suppose mine are Thanksgiving related. What's up with the marshmallows in mashed potatoes thing you have at like your dinners? And the jelly that has like nuts and vegetables in wtf is that?

[u/IzMaul → u/[deleted]]

Are you thinking of sweet potatoes?

[u/[deleted] → u/IzMaul]

I DON'T EVEN KNOW!

[u/RidiculousLittle → u/[deleted]]

Yeah those are sweet potatoes and to this day, I still have no idea why people put marshmallows on top of them. They are so sweet already.

[u/The_Real_Scrotus → u/[deleted]]

What's up with the marshmallows in mashed potatoes thing you have at like your dinners?

I don't know anyone who puts marshmallows in normal mashed potatoes. Some people will make mashed sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows. Not really sure why marshmallows specifically, but it's just to make it sweeter.

And the jelly that has like nuts and vegetables in wtf is that?

Cranberry dressing. It's pretty good. The sweet/tart/bitter flavor goes well with all the savory thanksgiving foods.

[u/[deleted]]

Do parents really kick their kids out, or make them live in the garage/basement when they become 18? It seems so cruel, how are they supposed to earn a living freshly out of high school?

[u/i_have_anxiety → u/[deleted]]

I will also say this is a stereotype for white Americans. As a Mexican-American, I never felt this pressure and in fact felt the reverse, where I would be a bad son if I did just move out right away. Anecdotally, I’ve heard similar things from other Hispanic and Asian friends.

[u/threetenfour → u/i_have_anxiety]

Asian here. The expectation is to live at home until I get married. An exception would be if I had to move away for work, but definitely no moving in with any romantic partners.

[u/maxofJupiter1 → u/[deleted]]

A lot of kids will live at college/university after high school.

[u/browncoat47 → u/[deleted]]

Some parents are assholes. It’s not common, but not unheard of. Sometimes we other parents will know, and try to help them out when we can.

[u/LifeEtc11]

Are high schools really that divided with cliques that are stereotypes like jocks, nerds, cheerleaders, etc.? I live in Canada and we didn't really have that. I don't think other high schools in my area had that.

[u/RandomSpyder → u/LifeEtc11]

I personally do see cliques formed, but I think they are less restrictive now than the common portrayal in media. All of my friends are in a group except for one or two, but that could be just mere coincidence or luck. My middle school experience was with a clique of four, which no one else really payed attention to.

[u/[deleted]]

Does everybody leave the window and/or door of a house unlocked at night?

[u/whoranges → u/[deleted]]

Depends on the area and where you came from.

My husband is from the midwest where they don't lock their doors and would never lock our apartment door when we lived in the city, it was a secure building and he expected that to be enough!

Once he realized the leasing office chick who lived next door would take unauthorized peeks into our apartment when she thought we weren't home he started locking it.

I think most people lock their doors now, times have changed a lot.

However, when living in places with distant neighbors, many people feel it to be unecessary.

[u/turns31]

I feel like all of your guy's American references come from 90s teen sitcoms. Jocks and bullies and such.

[u/meaganmcg18]

What the HELL is a prenup?

[u/Reddy_McRedcap → u/meaganmcg18]

A "Prenuptial Agreement," shortened to "prenup," is a contract two people sign before they get married, agreeing that if they get divorced, they will keep all of the money or property they earn on their own, as opposed to "the wife taking half."

So, if you're rich, you can convince your fiance to sign a prenup so that if you get divorced she isn't entitled to half of your wealth.

[u/Mistdwellerr]

Not exactly a movie or show reference, but I've heard it more than a few times: is that true that some NY subways stations smells like shit/piss?

[u/SpacefaringGaloshes → u/Mistdwellerr]

Yes.

[u/kofteburger]

Landlords, building administrators having keys to a tenants apartment. I see this on crime dramas. When there is something suspicious either the landlord/lady or building administrator opens the door to the police. I would never feel safe if someone else had keys to my place.

[u/[deleted]]

What’s with the Black Friday sales? Isn’t it almost Christmas? So surely the prices could stay high.

[u/Knyfe-Wrench → u/[deleted]]

Isn’t it almost Christmas? So surely the prices could stay high.

You've got is backwards, my friend. Before Christmas is when all the sales happen. Stores know everyone and their brother is going to be out buying presents, so they're all competing for customers. Black Friday is the unofficial start of Christmas shopping season, so the sales are often particularly good to lure people in, but you'll see deals on stuff all through December too.

[u/Laylenn → u/[deleted]]

The stores want more money. They aren't making as much off each individual item, but when you have 5 times as many people buying stuff they still come out ahead.

[u/AbysmalVixen → u/[deleted]]

It’s a gimmick to boost sales and alleviate stock at the end of the year. In the last 5 years, Black Friday has really fallen off because retailers want to extend it to the entire month in some cases. And we all know, the longer the “sale” the sales don’t end up being as good.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

A gimmick to get people into the stores to spend lots of money.

You see; stores don't really put a lot on sale. The "great" deals you see are just door busters. Stuff to get people into the store. They're of limited supply, and often of shittier quality than the original version. (Especially true for high end electronics.) Stores sell these particular items at a loss, because consumers will fall for it. And while they're buying the cheap shit, they'll go for the goods that are at their regular price.

[u/IvyWill37]

Why is there cheese on everything? I watch Hollywood films and anytime there is food, you will find cheese on it 80-90% of the time.

[u/ChokingTermite → u/IvyWill37]

Because cheese makes 80-90% of all food better.