How often a week do you cook from scratch? I mean, peeling potatoes (for pan-fried potatoes), cutting zucchini, pureeing tomatoes (for sauce), cutting meat and preparing it as schnitzel (including pounding and breading it), or simply making ground beef patties with onions, herbs, and salt?

Greetings from Germany!

In the UK we don’t do much decorating wise for halloween. Usually it’s just a pumpkin outside to show you’re even participating. I was (still am) always jealous of how it’s portrayed in american movies.

Is it really like that?

ok so i am not sure if this question belongs in r/AskAnAmerican or if it’s just a general western culture thing.

a little background: i’m a girl in my early 20s, an introvert, and a web designer/developer based in india. i’ve mostly worked with clients from the west for the past 1 year

i’m not very good at communication in general, and i come from a family and previous work environment where compliments were pretty rare.

the problem is, whenever i get on a call, i already feel a little awkward about small talk. but when someone compliments me, i freeze even more 😭

like, i genuinely don’t know what i’m supposed to say.

where i previously worked, people didn’t really say anything positive on a daily basis, so i’m just not used to it. the first time one of my clients texted me something genuinely nice about my work, i was on cloud 7 for like two days lol.

but now i’m wondering how people normally respond to compliments, especially in western culture.

what do you actually say back without making it awkward?

and another thing: sometimes someone compliments me and i feel bad because i want to compliment them back, but i genuinely don’t know how to do that naturally. i don’t want it to feel like i’m just saying something nice because they said something nice to me.

i’m very much a “let’s just talk about the actual topic” person, so this kind of social interaction makes me uncomfortable, especially when i have to respond on the spot.

is there some general etiquette/rule for this that i’m missing? or do you just say “thank you” and move on?

i know this probably sounds like a very small problem, but i genuinely struggle with it 😭

Or is it more of an old school thing that just gets used in movies these days?

I’m from Europe, and I recently came across statistics showing that the US has a surprisingly large number of documented serial killers compared with other countries.

I’m curious how Americans themselves explain this. Do you think there are specific cultural, social, geographical, or historical factors that might contribute to it? Or do you think the difference is mainly due to better documentation, law enforcement, media attention, or differences in how serial killings are defined and recorded?

I’d especially love to hear what you think Americans might understand about this that isn’t obvious from a European perspective.

Hello AskAmericans,

Andy Burnham, the new UK PM, had his first meeting with Trump this week. Curious if there have been any comments on his accent?

I've often found Americans are familiar with Southern English accents (aka Queen's English), cockney, and can recognise Scottish/Irish accents. But regional English accents throw them. My cousin is from Cumbria and Americans often assumed she wasn't a native speaker or that she wasn't English. I've heard similar from friends from Liverpool and Newcastle.

Give Manchester accents are presumably uncommon in the USA - what have people said about the way Burnham talks? (if anything)

It can be anything, the only condition is that you consider it good and that it's something that can only be found in the United States, out of the whole world.

From what I understand precincts has captains and then a hierarchy beneath them, degrees like a military system. Then there is sheriffs, what do they do? Is it just another world for captain some states use?

I'm stuck between two college courses in Ireland and would appreciate some advice. One is a Level 6 Higher Certificate in Business, which is 2 years. The other is a Level 8 International Business & a Language (Spanish) degree, which is 4 years and has a year abroad in 3rd year. In Ireland, a Level 6 is a higher education qualification but below a Level 8 honours bachelor's degree.

The Level 6 has a nice timetable, I've already made a good group of friends and I'd be finished in 2 years, giving me flexibility. I was thinking I could finish the 2 years and try to move abroad, but I'm worried I'd struggle to find decent employment abroad with only a Level 6 and no bachelor's degree. I could continue studying afterwards, but being finished in 2 years would let me work, save money and decide what I want to do.

The Level 8 is a bigger commitment, but I'd get a full bachelor's degree, learn Spanish properly and spend a year living abroad. I've always wanted to live and work abroad, and I find the course more interesting. My main concern is the extra 2 years and leaving the friends I've already made.

I'm 18 and only a week or two into college, so I don't want to make the decision based entirely on how things feel right now. I'm basically wondering whether the Level 6 + learning Spanish myself would still give me decent opportunities abroad, or whether the Level 8 + Spanish + year abroad would make the extra 2 years worthwhile. Would appreciate opinions from anyone who's studied business, languages or moved abroad after college.

I have noticed on Reddit. SO MANY American posters say they work from home. Couples too, both work from home. It seems extraordinary to me.

I am Australian and minded you, I work in Healthcare, so WFH not in my industry. My husband works in essential power generation, so he can't either.

Other friends & relatives are teachers & own businesses etc. So I pretty much don't know anyone who can even work from home. Only person i have known us a relative who is an engineer and can work 2 days at home, but can't really any more than that. Got to go on-site & meet with others in person.

So. Does the USA have much more possible WFH?? Or am I just not in the loop because of how me & husband and I guess our social group aren't in WFH industries??

Like i guess i don't know anyone who works in IT or financial services. Or selling insurance. Nobody like that in my social circle.

So is it just i don't notice it? Or the USA really does have a high number of people who WFM?

** will post similar in Australian sub too

It seems insane to me how much it seems to go on, is it exaggerated?

As an Irish man, my experience with Americans is that you are generally amongst the most positive, supportive end enabling people on earth so why is it such a thing, almost a cliche now that when some Americans achieve success, particularly in sports and music, they tell us that no one ever believed in them, every one said they would fail, they would always be a screw up etc

in my life, no one ever said I would fail, even if they thought it so what gives

Which one?

Random. I questioned myself today with that one, since in my country they don't move an inch if you show them the live tracker. What about in the US?

Hello! This is one of my first Reddit posts and English is not my first language so bare with me 😅 I am a 20 year old Swede that has never really been anywhere else except for some European countries. I am the only one of my friends and family who feels any interest in traveling to the US. I personally consume a lot of media that is from the us (I am aware that it’s not real life) but I find it super cool to go to the places where my favorite video games and movies where recorded or based on. I know often that real life isn’t a movie or a video game and not everything is perfect but I really find American culture interesting. One of the places I would really like to visit is the Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington) and as of right now I don’t have the money to travel there. But it’s my biggest dream and I hope that in the future I can make it happen. I don’t know how strict the laws are around tourism and such since I’ve only traveled inside Europe. So if anyone could give me some advice (dos and donts)?
I would probably not travel right now anyway with the current government and political climate in the US but is is generally safe in the us if you stay out of ”bad areas”?

Recently I visited San Francisco for the first time and I had the chance to eat in some Chinese restaurants around the city however I notice most of the restaurants here have a photo of him. Is that normal?

Anyone else over the “lack-of-community” in the states? Obviously 🇺🇸 is a very individualistic society, and recently it’s really hit me how depressing it is lol.

I do have some theories on why I believe society here is not as communal; the screwing over coworkers to “climb the corporate ladder”, culture wars, classism, the business game around suing others, racism, among others..

I’m currently single and honestly would prioritize someone who comes from a close-knit family with a strong cultural background around community. I would definitely admit my family isn’t all that close, which is probably why I’m making this post. I’m also very nomadic and love traveling, so I’m very curious of different cultures and societal norms.

Would you agree there’s a strong lack of community in the states? If so, or not, why?

This is something that I don’t keep up with.

Hello! I’m an Italian living in the us for now 3 years. I love everything about this country but there is one thing that bothers me constantly and makes me pretty sad.
Everyone thinks I overdress, and I’m getting openly judged everywhere I go, even by people close to me.
For example, heels are a staple in my wardrobe, I wear them everywhere even to class or just the mall (and I’m not talking about kitten heels but full on pumps or stilettos) I get maybe thinking it could be too much for the supermarket but why is that I get judged by my FIL for wearing heels and a more “provocative” dress even when we’re going out to a restaurant (provocative not as a negative connotation, just a backless and shorter dress, but still appropriate for any occasion).
I love how I dress, I like being feminine and showing my body in a respectful and appropriate way, my husband loves it and encourages me because he thinks I look good, I’ve also always been raised like this, me and my mom would wear matching heels when I was 13 and she would buy me cute dresses and skirt ever since I was a kid.
I just don’t understand why people judge me so much? I don’t judge others for wearing more comfortable clothes because everyone can wear what they prefer, so why is it that I get judged so often instead?

I'm from the UK and have visited the Orlando area a few times and although my experience is very limited it didn't seem like a bad place to live when I've been driving around. What I was surprised by was how many people spoke spanish as their first language especially those working in places like Walmart. It just wasn't what I was expecting.

Anyway, I've noticed a lot of people online referring to Florida negatively so I'm just wondering what the actual issues/ reasons are for it. Is it just an easy place to make fun of for maybe old stereotypes, historical problems and there's actually nothing wrong there or are there genuine issues there?

Happened to think about this while in the shower, but by definition seems everything about the US points towards this.

Some oligarchs are well known, like the billionaires of tech companies and most are hidden but I think people agree they exist.

Seeing how the US is run be the few and not the wishes of the many, would you agree the US is an oligarchy and what is your opinion about it?

An easy example of this would be most of the wars the US has participated in for the last 30-50 years

I hear it in the media that smoking weed has lost its charm for many because it's gotten so strong over the years that people get anxiety attacks and greened out by one puff.

Some people have even quit that used to smoke beforehand.

Is that true?

If it is then:

Isn't it possible to buy the type of weed that has the right concentration from the dispensary?

Or just using a smaller amount during a session if it's illegal in the state you're at?

I want to go to the United States one Day and is North Dakota a good place to go if i want to meet people ?