7 Questions Brits Always Ask Me About America and Its People

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British subscribers like getting my insight on my life in the United States of America. In today's video I'll be discussing seven of the most common examples.
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[@teke367]

When Brits say "American Bread tastes like cake", it's an insult to American bread, but let's be honest, it's also an insult to British cake.

[@benjaminmorris4962]

😂

[@mistertestsubject]

you will be shocked to know that cake is pretty much just cake everywhere you go. American bread being as sweet as it is is an outlier among most bread you find worldwide.

[@stanksalvala]

Rofl

[@Catherine.Dorian.]

@@mistertestsubjectIsn’t it cause of the high fructose corn syrup? To support the corn industry it’s put into most of our foods and is horrific for us

[@JW-eq3vj]

​@@Catherine.Dorian. as I understand it, when can farm subsidies started back in the 1930s, it was intended to support small farmers during the Great Depression. Those subsidies never went away, so corn syrup became a cheaper alternative to sugar.

[@Hrafnskald]

The state thing is because many Americans are used to interacting with other Americans, in America, and telling each other we're from the US is weird if nearly everyone you meet is also from the US. It's like saying "I have ears". If you lived in the UK, and met another person from the UK, you'd probably say "I'm from London/Midlands/York/Slough" rather than "I'm from the UK". Because they are also from the UK, and in the UK. And so are most of the people in the crowd around you. Likewise with the US: we don't go around saying "I'm from the US" and "I am also from the US". If the other person is from the US, we name the state. If they're from and we're in the same state, city or town is the default.

[@wraithflaire1639]

My thoughts exactly. Was l looking through the comments to see whether or not I needed to comment it myself.

[@LindaC616]

This

[@moochomo133]

@@Hrafnskald I have ears, too!

[@smrk2452]

I basically said the same thing

[@askhowiknow5527]

But also some of us don’t want to be from the US and we only identify with our state

[@epistemophiliac5334]

As an American the only reason I haven't traveled to Europe is definitely not lack of curiosity.... But because it's friggin massively expensive and international travel here is basically a luxury which can take decades of preparing to do so comfortably. You also need to take onto account that the majority of our interactions with Europeans are solely on the intetnet, and the loudest crowd are always spewing about how lazy and stupid and naïve Americans are, so many Americans don't want to visit Europe simply because they don't feel like they'd be welcome to begin with.

[@MervynPartin]

Please ignore the anti-American comments that you see on the internet. There are a lot of rude opinionated people out there. I have always been made very welcome in the USA, and American visitors to Britain are equally welcome. I do understand that travel is very expensive and it is getting more so all the time. I was shocked how much the cost of food had risen in the USA and it has overtaken British prices, so that doesn't help saving for travel. I hope that you do get the chance to travel, but stay away from London- It is over-rated, over expensive and there are so many other nicer places to visit in the rest of this country.

[@tott598]

I think probably around 30% of Americans would not be welcome in any country, nvm Europe. As for the stereotyping of "lazy and stupid", it happens in every country/culture, doesnt the US have the "lazy" stereotype about Mexicans? But at the same time theres also there stereotype where Mexicans do all the od jobs? Seems silly to get offended by. The loudest crowd you mention are Americans tho, its what got them the "stupid" label in the first place, and free speech + the internet exposed the hypocracy of what we grew up believing was one of the greatest countries in the world, this tanked our view of the US in Europe, and the Trump thing basicly cryogenicly froze it, and its starting to look like it might happen again, if it does and he buddys op with Putin i think its fair to say the allience os over...... From the pov of the EU, the US is a dystopian coorporation with a failed political system that prefers fighting over cooperating, its just a breeding ground for extremism atm, and nobody has any clue about how to get out of it. I like to think most people are reasonable tho, and these interactions on the internet can never tell the full story, the only way to really know is to visit one of these places and find out for yourself.

[@benjaminmorris4962]

​@tott598 The IS stereotype of Mexicans is the complete opposite of lazy. The stereotype is that Mexicans will work hard and do the work FAST. A common joke/comment from this stereotype is that what usually takes most work crews a few days to do, a couple of Mexicans can get done in one hour. Yes, it is still a stereotype (and thus still harmful), but it is not a lazy stereotype. There is a prominent lazy stereotype in America tho, but it's the classic "old people hating young people" thing, all the "nobody wants to work anymore" when people refuse OSHA-violating (or nearly OSHA-violating) conditions for barely liveable wages...

[@melodytannerclark]

@@tott598You’re one of the anti-Americans our people will read and never go abroad. No, we don’t usually stereotype anyone these days.

[@Kim-427]

@@benjaminmorris4962Living in GA I know this to be true. I’ve seen them start a roof and have it completed by the end of the day. You see a lot of them in business and do have the reputation of arriving in the am completing the work on a property whatever it may be with no nonsense so….

[@fianorian]

As a Brit. I remember being very confused when visiting a friend in Kentucky, and seeing number plates, and people wearing sweaters with 'UK' written on them. It was several days before I realised that the 'UK' stood for 'University of Kentucky'.😄

[@toemblem]

UK does stand University of Kentucky but in this case, they were wearing those to make you feel welcome.

[@fianorian]

@@toemblem 😆

[@fianorian]

@@koschmx Lol. I confess, I probably don't know who's on most of our notes, least of all what they did to get there. I hope you have a great time in the UK when you visit again. (Don't miss York if you can manage it.)

[@DavidBrown-yd9le]

As to the size of America. Bill Bryson put it in a good sense of scale by saying that we have farms the size of Belgium

[@DMS-pq8]

The King ranch in Texas is bigger than Luxembourg

[@marklar7551]

The Great Lakes are about the same square area of Britain.....👽🗿👽

[@norwegianblue2017]

In California, San Bernadino County is bigger in area than the Netherlands.

[@LillibitOfHere]

Lake Superior is bigger than Scotland, Lake Michigan is bigger England, and Lake Huron could fit Wales AND Northern Ireland

[@HansDelbruck53]

OK, I'll be the one to ask: Who's Bill Bryson? A friend of yours?

[@roadrsh7056]

Nobody I have met from Scotland told me they are from the UK! They proudly say Scotland.

[@ianz9916]

But they are in the minority because they were subjugated by the all conquering English. 😆

[@Mike-xh8fl]

@@ianz9916 Not true - the angles tried but failed to ever actually "take it over". The joining of the crowns and then the creation of the UK 100 years later was a way t end the constant wars and such. It was basically a business decision. 😄

[@ianz9916]

@@Mike-xh8fl In business terms it would be economically disastrous for Scotland to leave the Union now. The SNP want the Scots to believe that this isn't the case and pro-independence media make lots of noise about the way accounting works but here are the facts. Scotland has about 5.4 million people living there, and England has about 57 million people. Broadly speaking there are 10 times as many people in England as in Scotland. The public annual grant to Scotland is about £41 billion compared to the public annual grant to England of £86 billion. Broadly speaking twice as much. It really doesn't take a maths genius to work out that, left to their own devices, this will no longer be sustainable. So you are basically right, but for how long?

[@Levacque]

​​​@@ianz9916learn your history, man. Every time the English tried to subjugate the Scots, it lasted for a generation at most. The intensity with which the Scots ended occupations should make it very clear that they were never English subjects. They were periodically the greatest allies to each other or bitterest foes because the politics were so much more complicated than mere subjugation and overlordship. At many points, the Scottish kings were landholding peers WITHIN ENGLAND - the earldom of Huntingdon was theirs by both tradition and might of arms. And yet still, the nobility and royalty intermarried regularly. The English crown hoped to supplant the Scottish nobility with their own, but the opposite ended up happening. Scots royal blood sits the English throne to this day.

[@ianz9916]

@@Levacque Get a sense of humour, it wasn't a serious comment. It was more a reaction to the 6th verse of the national anthem where it talks about crushing the rebellious Scots.

[@Dalupin702]

When I was a child, I asked my father why we never visited any other countries. My father, who is an American immigrant, said “Why would I go explore other countries before I was done exploring my own?” I know many will not agree with this sentiment, however it illustrates the point made in the video. It’s a big country with a lot to see.

[@garryferrington811]

Yep, lots and lots and lots of strip malls. Or, maybe you can see something interesting if you're willing to drive one hundred and fifty miles.

[@Dalupin702]

@@garryferrington811 You don’t get out much, do you Garry? 😂

[@Tser]

@@garryferrington811 You must live in a flyover state

[@philipmcniel4908]

@@garryferrington811 Umm...150 miles isn't that far. I've driven farther just to pick a relative up from the airport, and then driven back the same day.

[@TerryMcKennaFineArt]

I thought I would add that I travelled to Europe in the 1970s and did not visit my first large National Park till 2013. There is a lot to see in the US.

[@The_Lone_Aesir]

On the travel part. Something to add is our (american) labor laws do not Include any mandatory paid holiday, or even sick leave. So many Americans have to sacrifice going unpaid during their time away from work on top of saving money for said trip.

[@andylaugel4241]

I'm an American in a job for about 4 years now. I'll get a max of 12 paid days off a year to cover sick leave and vacations and 2 unpaid days off a quarter. If I want to use it, I have to find someone to cover for me. And I try to keep a week of PTO ready in case of emergencies. Going abroad means taking additional time off for immunizations, passport photos, converting currency, talking to travel agents... It is just a lot easier to stay in the USA where I have a lot of options and family to visit.

[@silentsmurf]

That is, even if their employer allows it 😔

[@andylaugel4241]

@@silentsmurf Unless your employer has you on-call, it really is none of their business where you go when off the clock.

[@kevinrhodes335]

@@andylaugel4241 Poor Europeans don't come to the US either, regardless of how much vacation time they get - they still can't afford it. But when a completely different country is only 20 miles away across the English Channel, it's a tad easier to manage. Or on the continent, you can literally walk across the street and be in a different country... Ultimately, you just have to want it enough. Out of college, I only got two weeks' vacation and had no money for a long time. I still managed to go to the UK and Europe a number of times in those days. Save up both money and vacation time and go. Also, you are way behind the times if you think that crossing the Atlantic requires immunizations, currency conversions (assuming you have a credit or debit card anyway), and talking to a travel agent (they barely even exist anymore). You will have to go through the hassle of getting a passport, of course, but that really isn't a big deal. A passport photo is free at your local AAA office if you are a member, and like $10 if you aren't and takes 5 minutes.

[@silentsmurf]

@@andylaugel4241 employers have to approve time off, unpaid or not. Can’t just not show up to work for a few days or weeks without consequences

[@shoezomaku]

When I talk to non-Americans about America and its states, I tell them to think of America as 50 different countries combined into one giant country. Each states has it's own history and culture. Many of them have their own dialects of language, and, crucially, every state has their own laws. Yes, there are laws that are universal in America, but each state also has their own unique laws that are only true for them. Living in Arizona is basically like living in a different country than Florida, or Idaho, or etc... So that's a big reason why Americans say their state.

[@pamelasimone5084]

That’s really true. During the settling of America, the country was not all inclusive from border to border and coast to coast as it is now. In fact, at the time of the original 13 colonies banded together for the revolution, Spain and France still had major settlements in America. Even when land was added later, it remained territorial until there was sufficient population and the residents voted to apply for statehood. With the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase, the Federal Government was involved in partitioning the land into essentially what became several states.

[@lorrie2878]

I live in Arizona, too. From San Diego California.

[@claregale9011]

Why are you considered a country as a whole then and not its own continent .

[@Vaeldarg]

There's also governors/judges that further determine whether those "universal" federal laws actually even get enforced in their state. There's been a lot of controversy lately from hyper-conservative judges making nonsensical rulings that are just designed to be appealed up to the currently conservative-stacked Supreme Court.

[@Fujoshi1412]

⁠@@claregale9011because there are other countries? The United States borders Canada and Mexico. The three countries make the the majority of the continent of North America. There are many others besides those three just within the continent.

[@kenbrown2808]

when we were over there, last, we would say, "we're from Oregon, in the States" because we expected if we just said, "America" the next question would be "what part"

[@ronjones-6977]

You could always say "The state north of California."

[@rhov-anion]

@@ronjones-6977 Haha... yeah, because when I go back to Arkansas to visit my family and tell people I'm from Oregon, they say, "Is that near New York?" Oy ve... So I don't expect Europeans to know where Oregon is.

[@perceivedvelocity9914]

​@@ronjones-6977Nobody from the Pacific Northwest would ever say that.

[@FYMASMD]

@@perceivedvelocity9914they did so there goes your theory.

[@survivordave]

​@@ronjones-6977Them is fightin' words in Oregon

[@SeagraveSerpentarium]

I say I'm "From Rhode Island but originally born in Pennsylvania" because to other Americans that tells them that the smell of cow manure reminds me of my childhood and that I am no longer willing to drive more than 20 minutes unless it's really important. Saying I'm from the US would just feel like I'm being intentionally vague and obtuse, like if I met a tourist around here and they said "I'm from Europe" or "I'm from Asia" or "I'm from Africa."

[@endiawilliams6529]

As an American (also from Indiana!) we often say our state first because Americans often travel to other states (America is huge) and telling another American what state you’re from is much more useful information! So some of us have this habit deeply ingrained and forget how useless it might be to a non-American when we do leave the US.

[@markmyers5881]

It would be a little ridiculous and useless for people who are meeting for the first time just to say they're from the US. "I'm Sam, from the US." "I'm Mary, and I'm from the US." "I'm Tony, and I'm also from the US!" etc.

[@kevinbarry71]

Time was no passport was required to travel into Mexico or Canada by land. That has since changed.

[@marklar7551]

Doesn't it also make it easier to be pre-checked for the TSA if you have a passport? 👽🗿👽

[@draskuul]

Or even by air. I flew to Calgary before that changed and just had to have my birth certificate with me.

[@otterinbham9641]

@@draskuul I just needed my drivers license. Once when crossing to Canada, the customs officer just asked where I was born.

[@kevinprzy4539]

You just need an enhanced license which is like $10-$15 more so still no passport required.

[@zoicon5]

I don't know about Mexico, but you can cross from the US to Canada and back without a passport if you have the super duper driver's license (I forget what the official name is). It's basically a driver's license but you have to supply all the same documents to get it that you would need to get a passport.

[@AndrewWells0714]

We say the state where we are from because we are asked that very question amongst our fellow Americans.

[@marklar7551]

And many Europeans say we stand out anyway when we travel....because they copy our style and we're the originals 👽🗿👽

[@HansDelbruck53]

@@marklar7551 Originals? Europe is far older than America.

[@alb91878]

​​​@@HansDelbruck53I think they meant the original makers of the style not the original people. I could be wrong though. Also, North America as you know it today is far younger than Europe, but Mexicans and Native Americans had this country for thousands of years before that.

[@rucker69]

@@HansDelbruck53 typical european missing the f'in point on purpose

[@HansDelbruck53]

@@alb91878 Many folks would tell you Americans have no style.

[@Stinger-jo3mc]

Bro really hit us with that "No because shes dead" im dyin

[@FaerywingArt]

As someone from the US, I can say the reason that many of us don’t have a passport & don’t travel abroad isn’t because of lack of interest. It’s all about the costs. The majority of us just cannot afford it. I’d love to, but most of the time, even traveling within the US isn’t an option because it just costs too much. That’s a rich people thing.

[@maryannspicher]

Exactly. Thinking we aren’t curious sounds like a question coming from a place of privilege, never considering many of us simply can’t afford it.

[@sonozaki0000]

YES!! I was just able to go out of the country for the first time last year at age 27 to Ireland, after years of saving and an off-season deal (November). Not only is it difficult for many to afford airfare/lodging on their wages, many employers can be abusive about allowing time off. When I was 20, my first employer revoked my vacation days requested months in advance (4 days off after 3 straight years of work) mere days prior because "you're on our time, we're not on yours" LOL

[@honolulublues5548]

​@@sonozaki0000 you need to get a better job. I've never had any of my time off revoked. I was asked once if I could change it, but they didn't revoke it. One time when I requested on short notice they didn't approve it, but that's different than revocation.

[@userre85]

Average income = $60K

[@garyb6219]

Not a rich people thing. I've done two dozen roadtrips (3-6 days each) around the U.S. visiting National Parks. I drive my own car and stay at motels for about $100 a night or less.

[@Blondie42]

Prior to Sept. 2001 US citizens didn't require a passport to take a day trip across either of its neighboring borders. I didn't need one (or afford it) prior to my trip to Japan when I was 27.

[@philipmcniel4908]

Good point! It used to be that you could visit Canada with only a driver's license!

[@vatraveler2704]

Much of the Caribbean was the same way. Additionally, before Europe designated the Schengen Area a passport was often need to visit relatives who lived ten minutes away across a country border. Possibly the same way passport ownership went up in the U.S., it probably went down in Europe. My first visit to Europe in 1998 was hit or miss what countries actually asked for a passport as we drove across borders. Our friends there who we were visiting explained the changes taking place at the time. Our visits over the last fifteen years, we produced passports only when going through airports.

[@aguynamednathan]

Excellent point! International travel got a LOT more complicated after that little incident.

[@maxscameraguy]

​@@philipmcniel4908 Or a birth certificate! My father had to take a group for work across the border to Niagara Falls the month prior to the passport rule taking effect. One person out of the 6 had his birth certificate because "this is the last time I'll be able to do this".

[@Col_Crunch]

On bread: It is actually really easy to buy bread in the supermarket with comparable amounts of sugar as European brands. We have a lot of options with more sugar, but we have just as many options with similar or less sugar. Edit: For clarity, I mean even the prepackaged stuff, not just the stuff at the bakery counter.

[@RogCBrand]

I find it odd how they'll say things like American's bread is sweet or American's cheese is processed, etc. Those kind of statements seem to be based on us having a limited variety of things, when we have a vast number of choices.

[@kevinprzy4539]

@@RogCBrand yeah they take things from American movies as being just American, American cheese to me is colby jack and pepper jack whilst stuff like Kraft Slices (which many Europeans think is American cheese all Americans use) is cheese when you're struggling.

[@ronjones-6977]

@@kevinprzy4539 Fun fact: Processed cheese was first made in Europe... BEFORE Kraft got his patent.

[@lookoutforchris]

@@RogCBrandthis is something I’ve found in talking to Europeans. They only seem to have, maybe outside the capital cities at least, only one of each thing. One bread, one beer, one cheese in the particular region. It’s difficult to explain to them that in the US we have an extremely wide variety of choices, including the imports of the world. There really is no such thing as American bread, or American beer, etc. it’s sort of like what we do with some things, like say Swiss Cheese. Typically it’s just Emmentaler. But at the actual cheese counter we can get Gruyère, or Tête de Moine, or Bleuchâtel. All Swiss cheese but we don’t call them that. Most Europeans will never see or eat actual American food. It’s just our most stereotypical big business brands that they know us by: Hershey, Budweiser, Kraft, etc.

[@LogicalNiko]

North American wheat (I.e. summer wheat) is faster frowning and more prolific than Northern European wheat. This difference in wheat strains also means a significantly higher percentage of glutinous proteins. These proteins produce a much harder and dryer bread. One common way to soften gluten and add back moisture is with higher sugar (sucrose is hydroscopic, it holds on to and locks in moisture). The reason rye based bread doesn’t need sugar is because rye naturally has less gluten… although its grows more slowly and thus costs more. Sourdough also is produced by longer bacterial breakdown flour, which actually chops up some of the longer tight spring-like proteins of gluten.

[@jklovegood]

My husband and I grew up in the same city. It is (I believe) in the top 10 biggest cities in California, USA, and is pretty high up there as far as crime rate. However, I was raised solely in upper middle class neighborhoods and to this day have never witnessed gun violence first hand. My husband however did in his youth. In fact he was the lone white boy in a Mexican gang (which he joined simply to survive his neighborhood at the time), but was kicked out because he smoked meth and the gang didn't mess with hard drugs. As a young adult, he saw the road he was on (the child of addicts who abused him turned addict himself), quit drugs cold turkey, and went to truck driving school. He is now the #2 driver at his company. He hasn't done any drugs (except prescribed medication of course) in the decade we have been together. He has also quit smoking in that time and is currently even working on quitting alcohol, except for large celebrations. I am exceedingly proud of haw far he has come on willpower alone!

[@darreljones8645]

If you think American bread is too sweet, don't even bother touching Hawaiian bread. That's so sweet, it almost tastes like pure sugar.

[@Kim-427]

It try does and I don’t taste the sugar on our bread at all.

[@kamicokrolock]

To answer why we don't have passports: It comes down to cost and ease of traveling. I had a friend in college who spent a year studying in Italy (she wen't on a scholarship) and she and her friends would take weekend trips all over the place for cheap. They wen't up to Scotland for a weekend, did a day trip to London to see Ewan Mcgreggor in Guys and Dolls (I was so envious at the time), even wen't to the olympics. Here, I had to scrounge and save for months just to go on a road trip to Virginia to visit George Washington's Mount Vernon. It was a 9 hr drive and ended up being a 4 day trip since we stoped by Monticello and Montpelier as well. The trip took us across 3 states and was a luxury for us. A trip, to say NYC to see a show or Chicago is not within our means, never mind a trip to Europe. Paid vacation here is also very rare. So it's not like we don't WANT to go abroad, it just that most of us can't even leave our state without breaking the bank.

[@eliscanfield3913]

I know, we're saving up to go see my nephew's graduation next year. They live 2 states & 600 miles away. My sister wants the party in another state 800 miles from here, because reasons. sigh. I don't know if we can afford a hotel room, and few feel up to handling my kid with adhd & autism

[@gulfstream7235]

A very valid point

[@LeeBv9983]

8:23 "Not all Americans know all the 50 states." True. There was an incident a couple years ago in Washington, DC, where a couple were applying for a marriage license. The fellow had a DC license for identification. The woman had her New Mexico drivers license for identification, but the clerk demanded to see her passport instead. It took TWO levels of supervisors before somebody convinced the clerk that New Mexico was a U.S. state.

[@danielm5535]

It’s also such an issue, license plates on cars say “New Mexico, USA” on them. 🤦‍♂️

[@adamperdue3178]

I was visiting South Carolina once, stopped in at a gas station to grab some smokes for my wife, and when the girl was looking at my I.D. she threatened to call the cops on me because it just said "Virginia" on it, and not East Virginia or West Virginia, so obviously I was using a counterfeit license.... I live near the WV border and have a few friends from WV, so I've heard plenty of stories of the inverse, where some ignorant clerk somewhere acts like they're lying because obviously West Virginia isn't a state, considering that there's already regular Virginia.

[@kevinrhodes335]

Never, ever, underestimate how poor the American education system can be. And how many people never leave their local area.

[@donnaj9964]

I had a friend who lived in New Mexico for several years and was always having people tell her that they couldn't ship things she'd ordered online "out of the country." Sheesh.

[@francesmeyer8478]

That happens from time to time. Sad, isn't it?🇺🇸

[@JF-xw4ef]

Americans can travel to tropical beaches, old growth forest, mountains, deserts, gambling meccas, party towns, multiple mega-cities, without leaving the Ieaving the United States. That’s 95% of the reason for the lower passport rate. A lot of British people hold passports because they occasionally go to Paris or a resort town in Spain, which is similar to someone from Pennsylvania visiting NYC, or vacationing in Myrtle Beach.

[@timogul]

Why is bread sweet? Because there was a "fat" crazy a few decades ago tso they cut back from "added fats" like butter, so to make it taste remotely edible they replaced the "fat" with sugar. Which is worse.

[@ohotnitza]

I'm very disappointed to hear you didn't share a flat with the queen

[@EinsteinsHair]

Even in the U.S. the news reported on the guy who broke into Buckingham Palace at night, went into her bedroom, and talked to the Queen. Apparently, at the moment, she assumed he was a drunk member of the staff. But since this was 1982, I don't think he was Laurence. Also, if you type the search term, "man who broke into," this is the suggested search. One would think a lot of men have broken into a lot of places.

[@elgatofelix8917]

But many women share the queen's flatness, unfortunately. 😢

[@Melijoan]

I lead with my state rather than country simply because the country is so dang big, and I'd rather make it clear that I'm not from one of the interesting places they've seen in movies or TV, just somewhere with corn, roller-coasters, and haunted houses.

[@phoenixmastm]

Nebraska then? :D I've lived in 3 states thus far, Illinois (grew up in Chicago), Missouri, and now South Carolina. Wild to see the differences in each place.

[@TLC1903]

Same indiana here 😂

[@josephcote6120]

If they're from a large city some might lead with that. I'm from San Francisco, or LA, or Houston.

[@pinkonesie]

@@josephcote6120 I'm more likely to say Seattle than Washington because of the State vs DC confusion.

[@tlingitsoldier]

Even telling people from other nearby states where you're from, they'll ask where that is in relation to the biggest/most well-known city. I then have to tell them, "I'm about X miles/minutes from there." They'll usually still be confused, but at least they know I'm not from the big city they're aware of.

[@MervynPartin]

Greetings from a Brit who did live next door to the Queen (her second home, Sandringham). Never saw her, but Anne drove past in her Landrover on the scenic drive. The place has been ruined since charles inherited it. Harry held a door open for my wife in the King's Lynn multi storey car park, so he is a gentleman, despite the hatchet jobs of the press. Luckily, Prince Phillip isn't driving in the area any more- his last crash was the excuse for speed cameras on the main road. Decent bread can be found in US supermarkets (Publix is our favourite), but you have to search for it, especially if you want a smaller loaf. Not all the bread is kept in the same store aisle.

[@HerzogVonMartian]

I dont get why people dont make their own, it's really easy.

[@rmkarros]

​@HerzogVonMartian alot do, but it tends come as wves, for instance no kneed bread was a fad for a while back in the 2010s, and sourdough was a big fad during covid. and hell bread makes where also a huge fad for a while too back in like the 90s.

[@MervynPartin]

@@HerzogVonMartian We do make bread occasionally, but our consumption is so low that a commercial loaf with preservatives to make it stay fresher is often our best option.

[@InfiniteAnvil]

As an American it's a little surprising seeing someone refer to the press doing hatchet jobs on Harry, cause I don't think I've seen anyone but raging nazis have a problem with him over here. Like hell yeah dude, fuck monarchies, pursue happiness.

[@RKHageman]

@@HerzogVonMartianA lot of us do.

[@Myrtlecrack]

Often residents of the United States are criticized for calling ourselves "Americans", when if fact it was the British who did that to make a distinction between someone from Britain or British America. In the past, "Americans" were more likely to identify with the state they were from, especially prior to the Civil War. But continued pressure from the outside has led us to call ourselves "Americans" when were are not in the U.S. Thankyou for touching on the fact that the US isn't a constant running gunfight, the British and Australians seem sure that we are armed to the teeth 24/7, and participate in gun-battles on a annual basis at minimum. Also thank you for pointing out that homicide statistics include suicides, I'm not sure most people are aware of that.

[@stuartwithers8755]

Correction: No homicide statistics include suicides. It's only "gun deaths" where people are combining suicides and homicides.

[@user-dn4de9xm5p]

You forgot about the Little League World Series. This has youngsters from all over the world competing for the best young baseball team in the world. This competition truly is a World Series.

[@gerardflynn7382]

We don't have Little League baseball here in Ireland. Let alone World Series. We have our own sports such as Hurling (3,000+yrs old). Gaelic Football also around the same age.

[@joeysausage3437]

​@@gerardflynn7382But they play it in Central and South America. Plus certain parts of Asia. So what is your silly point?

[@thaisstone5192]

@@joeysausage3437 So, you think Ireland is in the Southern Hemisphere???

[@BonaparteBardithion]

​@@thaisstone5192 No, they think the southern hemisphere is part of the world. The world series has young players from all over the world, and some of them could be but aparrently aren't likely from Ireland. Inclusion of Ireland isn't a required part of "from all over the world".

[@benn454]

So does the MLB World Series. The MLB is where professional baseball players can make the most money, so the best players from all over the world come to the US to play there.

[@sststr]

I'm a Gen Xer, have lived in the north east, mid-west, and south, and have visited every state except Alaska, and have never personally witnessed a gun being used in the commission of a crime ever in my entire life. I've barely ever even saw guns at all, actually, and then only the south. I did have a friend who said he was robbed at gun-point when we were college, but I wasn't present when it happened, and that's the closest I've ever gotten to a criminal use of a gun. Which is to say, there is a LOT to say about WHERE in the US you are as to whether or not you will ever see a gun, much less a gun being used to commit a crime, much less having such a crime being committed against you personally.

[@Raven17729]

I live in rural PA. There's at least one gun-based robbery every year, though usually multiple in a year, where I live. Where the hell were you visiting that had no guns? I want to go to there lol. Every single person I know owns at least two guns. Most of them are, admittedly, shotguns....but so are the guns that are used for the robberies. Maybe the high rate of meth use in my area is a big contributing factor in that, though.

[@sststr]

I've driven clean through PA from east to west many times, when visiting family in Ohio from the east coast. But I've specifically visited places like Philly, King of Prussia, Annville (Lebanon Valley College, specifically, not to attend as a student but for other reasons), Hershey, and a few other places on the east side of the state. You might think how could I visit Philly and not see a gun? Well, during the daylight hours, in areas that aren't the rough parts of town, you aren't likely to see any. Again, it all goes back to where exactly you are.

[@johnwatrous3058]

@@Raven17729 You nail it, drugs. Pot does not count.

[@cloudkitt]

​@@Raven17729rural might be the key part of your comment there. I grew up in suburban PA and didn't so much as lay eyes on a gun until I was 18. I was in college my roommate invited us to his town to go shooting at the range - and he lived in rural PA, lol.

[@BillLaBrie]

Sheltered.

[@saratemp790]

As a first generation American, I have been to Europe multiple times, but to be honest, I am more interested in traveling in the United States. I think there's a little more suspense in the United States travel. When you travel Europe, you know it's going to look nice. It's nice but a little predictable. In the US, you kind of never know what you're going to get. Whether it's going to be nice, terrible, somewhere in between. Road trips in the US are so addictive, you just want to go on more.

[@henry17403]

I was at a small tourist shop in Kenya (far from cities) and one of the employees asked where (I believe he specifically asked which US state) I was from. I answered Pennsylvania and he said "Ah, with the Amish people!" and I replied,"Why, yes!" So not everyone outside the US is completely unaware of its regions.

[@janerkenbrack3373]

I roomed with the Queen for a few months in San Francisco back in the 1980s. Excuse me, A queen, not THE Queen.

[@ceciliag4219]

Priceless 😂

[@cpuwizard9225]

So you didn't get Freddie Mercury's autograph?

[@DanielCoffey67]

I still have no idea how John Leguizamo walked that well in heels! "I'm the Latina Marilyn Monroe. I've got more legs than a bucket of chicken!"

[@janerkenbrack3373]

@@cpuwizard9225 He wasn't a queen either, but a member of Queen.

[@trevinbeattie4888]

​@@janerkenbrack3373He was both.

[@wendimooreart]

Many others have commented that they say their state name because the U.S. is so large. That’s part of it. Anyone who’s never been to the U.S. but only knows about it from movies might not realize that most of American culture is nothing like Hollywood portrays it. There are so many cultural differences, accents, habits, and variety, that it’s almost as if we’re made up of different countries rather than states. I’m middle-aged now, but when I was young I visited Nassau, Bahamas and New Orleans, Louisiana the same year. I felt more like I was in a foreign country in New Orleans than I did in the Bahamas. I live in Alabama, so it was just a few hours’ drive to get to New Orleans, but it felt SO foreign.

[@joeysausage3437]

Euros will never understand that. On a funny note. I was stationed in New Orleans and my first day there the Boatswain Mate told me I was no longer in the United States. You are in New Orleans.

[@toemblem]

Its funny to me that one little neighborhood in Los Angeles get blamed for so much.

[@sphhyn]

If you go abroad anywhere Americans are still clearly recognized as Americans. So there must be a common culture. I am German and couldn’t tell if a person is from Wisconsin or Louisiana or California or even Canada. I could only tell they are nor from the UK by the accent. But in return an American couldn’t say if a German is from Brandenburg or Bavaria although these are totally different regions and cultures within Germany. To an outsider both are clearly german although we think we have barely anything in common with each other 😅

[@knight0334]

For the American passport thing - many US citizens have no desire to travel abroad. I've been "out of country" twice in my life, and it was by land travel at a time we didn't need a passport. Drove into Canada for a fishing trip in 1980(was a kid at the time). And I walked across a bridge from Texas into Mexico for an evening visit back in early 1993. At the time all I needed enter Mexico and re-enter USA was a state issued photo ID(my drivers license). The last time I flew it only took a couple less hours total time from home to final destination than had I driven it. But had cost hundreds of dollars more than gas would have cost. ...no more flying for me.

[@UltimatePartyBear]

My theory is that we tend to say which state we're from because the entire country is too large a land area for it to feel like an appropriate answer. It's probably a subconscious decision to narrow it down, and it makes me wonder if Americans from the smallest states tend to answer differently.

[@jamesduly2184]

The United Kingdom does have a land border. It's with the Republic of Ireland.

[@charlesunderwood6334]

And with Spain (via Gibraltar)

[@jamesduly2184]

@@charlesunderwood6334 Gibraltar is not part of the United Kingdom. It is a British Overseas Territory.

[@Jeff_Lichtman]

It's easy to find bread without added sugar in American supermarkets. In addition to sourdough and rye, which you mentioned, there are usually whole-grain breads with no sugar. Trader Joe's Organic 5-Seed Multigrain Bread has no added sugar, and 0 grams of sugar per slice. Also, a lot of supermarkets have bread from local bakeries on their shelves, and many of these breads are not sweet at all. Before 9/11, Americans didn't need passports to travel to visit Canada or Mexico. Now we do. Also, you can't get on even a domestic flight these days without either a passport or a Real ID driver's license. These are big reasons that the number of American passports has increased in recent years.

[@LindaC616]

Ezekiel Flax. Doesn't taste great, but....

[@Tser]

The thing I wish I could find is non-chunky 100% whole wheat added-sugar-free bread, so if anyone has any national (or Oregon-accessible) brand/product recommendations I would be grateful. All the ones I can find have large seeds, rolled oats, etc. (such as the one mentioned), and sometimes I just want something softer. Just a smooooth, whole wheat bread that *isn't sweet* for sandwiches. (Rye is delicious but not for every purpose. Sourdough is *divine* but white bread is a sometimes-food, as Cookie Monster would say.) But the American bread I'm used to was not nearly as sweet as the Japanese bread I had recently!

[@RKHageman]

@@Tser. Nature’s Own 100% Whole Wheat is a national brand, and has 1 gram added sugar. Not 0, true, but less than most others.

[@Tser]

When people from the United Kingdom have told me where they're from, they often don't say "I'm from the UK." They might say Wales, or Great Britain, or Yorkshire, or Midlands, or even just a city name, London, or Bristol, etc. We're not so different after all.

[@MissAnn999]

"Not everyone in America knows that." I learned that after moving to New Mexico. I had friends ask me why I moved to Mexico. I have been told by companies that they only ship to the United States and Canada, and trying to convince them that I am indeed in the United States is futile. We are the only state that has to have USA on our license plates. It astounds me.

[@hornick18]

Not all of our bread is sweet... People, there are like 200 different breads in a store...

[@Raven17729]

It makes me wonder how bland British food is if 2 or 3 grams of added sugar tastes noticeably sweet to them lol

[@williammerkel1410]

​​@user-li2yv5je5e no, smart people buy the bread they prefer and can afford, stop being a snob. And yes, salt and pepper are seasonings

[@cloudkitt]

​@user-li2yv5je5eI mean even the bread aisle has lots of stuff that isn't wonder bread.

[@williammerkel1410]

@user-li2yv5je5e trust me, we're not offended, bread nazis get our attention like the dwarf or bearded lady at a circus, or the drunk/drugged angry guy on a street corner.

[@williammerkel1410]

@user-li2yv5je5e no, for some reason there are a ton of people who seem to make it their life mission to denounce "American" white bread. Over on Quora I found dozens of posts with hundreds of comments about bread and they all devolved into bashing American bread, even when the original bread question was not even about that. Bread Nazi was a good name to call them, what with the derogatory names and slander (and the purity and hating on people that weren't like them *cough cough*), put them on a pedestal and give them a comb mustache and cheering crowds and rows of SA brownshirts and it would have been perfect.

[@stonetimekeeper]

I use the state instead of the country, because 9 times out of 10, people are usually able to figure out what country I'm from just by the name of the my home state. So I usually don't waste breath on explaining that I'm from this state in the US.

[@smrk2452]

It’s easy to say I’m from New York

[@TheBlindAndTheBeautiful]

I have to specify where I'm from because of Washington. State not DC. But so many people outside and a lot even in think I'm talking DC. So when ever it comes up I just say from near Seattle even though I live over 200 miles from there and only live in Seattle a few days every month for work

[@smrk2452]

@@TheBlindAndTheBeautiful people just say Washington State and that clarifies it

[@eliscanfield3913]

Mostly I'm commenting on youtube or a certain US based but internationally used knitting site, so noone can hear my accent. There I use State, US.

[@LT-kq4bg]

I just say I'm from NY. (Actually, upstate... WAY upstate) Even though there are other cities in NY, everyone assumes I'm from New York City, so I just smile and go with it....

[@maryjackson1194]

I've had people from the UK answer "where are you from" by saying "Kent" or "Aberdeen," while not referring to the city. How is that different from Americans naming their state?

[@FreezeeGirl]

I think cost is the biggest hurdle for international travel. At least it is for my family. A trip to Europe would be like a trip of a lifetime for me.

[@gaileverett]

Yep, I finally got to go to Greece last year after being on this earth for over 70 years, and was only able to do that because someone else paid for most of it. I've always had a looooong list of countries I'd love to visit, but all of them involve very long flights and many thousands of dollars. China and Australia, would you please move closeer?

[@Ligierthegreensun]

To be completely fair, it's the same presumption to think you know where a state is that a European makes when they assume someone knows where one of the countries they're from is, considering many US states are the same size as an entire or even multiple European countries.

[@BobKeefe]

I tell people I'm from Illinois. I used to say I'm from Chicago, but so many then asked "how is it you're not full of bullet holes?" Seriously 😮

[@lizlee6290]

It must have gotten tiresome trying to explain things.

[@etrisb]

My mother is from Chicago, but she was born in 1928. If someone asks her if her mother sold bathtub gin during the depression, she can say yes.

[@margaretthemagnificent]

As an American who’s travelled abroad, I’ll tell you why I don’t like it: crime. I went to India the week after that poor Swedish tourist was gang-assaulted on a bus. I’m 4-6 inches taller than everyone in New Dheli, blue-eyed, and very pale. I was robbed and threatened multiple times before I was even able to make it to my contact. Every country has crime, but I’m safer facing MY criminals.

[@Kyropinesis]

when someone says "i'm from the US" it's very common for someone to ask "where in the US" so it's very easy to just say what state your from, especially if it's a well known state like new york, california, florida, alaska, hawaii, or texas

[@spaceshiplewis]

Saying "I'm from the United States" is like saying "I'm from Europe" The US is very very very big.

[@LindaC616]

But not the same, due to the number of languages and cultures in Europe

[@jerzeyguy71]

very similar to what i was starting to write, then happen to look down.. and partially that we are assuming everyone in the world know us and the States( or similar reason why most of us say we are from America, which actually is confusing sometimes, because our entire continent is the Americas.)

[@user-qq73r44]

I’m with you. It’s kind of like if you did say “the US” they probably guessed that already, and the next question might be “which part” anyway. Or maybe Americans don’t realize that when British people ask, you don’t really care. :)

[@RogCBrand]

@@jerzeyguy71 But we are the only country with America in our name. We aren't United Staters, we're Americans, while there are Canadians, Mexicans, Brazilians, etc., and people from those countries will call us Americans too...

[@shadowkissed2370]

@@LindaC616 except for the number of languages and cultures in the US. Even each state has its own cultures and language differences.

[@user-qq73r44]

I think the reason people mention the state they’re from is because saying you’re from the US is like someone saying they’re from Europe. It doesn’t narrow it down a lot, and as Laurence mentioned, people probably have already guessed you’re from the US anyway. And even if someone doesn’t know all the states and where they are, I’m guessing they know it’s a state when they hear it.

[@williamhalsted4]

Yeah, that's what I think. The state they're from is almost like a mini national identity.

[@Hyper_Drud]

Unless it’s the state of Georgia because then they might think you’re from the country with the same name.

[@pgrmdave]

@@Hyper_Drud I feel like it'd be rare to be in a conversation with someone and not know which Georgia they meant.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

I find mentioning regions to be easier. I tell people I'm from the U.S. west coast, and that narrows it down to about 2-3 possible cultural regions. If they need more than that the state and/or nearest major city narrows it down further. Though in our state's case (WA) it's easier to give the city first than explain we're not anywhere near D.C.

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

​​​@@pgrmdave If I were from a country whose alphabet was made up of squiggles, I'd think it would be obvious.. also, buttcheeks; many, many buttcheeks... (seriously; google it...)

[@user-xy6om5hn1u]

I've got just recently 😊 that the "American" bread for toasts seems to be raw and sweet because it's must be roasted , it's specially baked for toasts

[@rachelgates509]

Practically NO American wouldn’t jump at the chance to travel abroad if simply given the means and opportunity!!! It’s because most of us can’t afford it!!!

[@amandacollins6727]

what @spaceshiplewis said. The US is huge and each state has it's own identity and culture. Someone from Texas and someone from New York are likely to have different tastes in everything from food to music. It is a succinct way to offer a nugget about our identity and background which we americans love having for the sake of making conversation.

[@minuteman4199]

What does "added sugar" mean when talking about jam? Jam is fruit and sugar, if you don't add sugar, you don't have jam, you just have fruit.

[@GH-oi2jf]

It may be a necessary ingredient in that case, but putting it on the label means quantifying the amount.

[@kramermccabe8601]

There are artificial sweetener jams with no added sugar

[@LindaC616]

Because they haven't added any sugar, but the natural sugars found in fruit are necessarily reported on the label to give the correct information for diabetics

[@minuteman4199]

@@kramermccabe8601 The sugar isn't there to make it sweet, the sugar is there to preserve the fruit, the sweetness is an added bonus. If you replace the sugar with artificial sweetener you also have to use ingredients to make it gel and preserve it. If you ever look at the label of "jam" with artificial sweetener you will notice it's labelled at "Fruit Spread" rather than jam.

[@GH-oi2jf]

From the USFDA: Added sugars include sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. They do not include naturally occurring sugars that are found in milk, fruits, and vegetables.

[@PugalshishOfficial]

I believe we say what state we're from because the nation is so big that each state is roughly the size of an average nation, also, our federal system makes it so our states have their own House of Representatives, Senate, and leader. So in that way, each state runs itself like an independent nation

[@user-vs7el9wm3d]

When asked where I am from, I rarely say “New York.” I normally answer”Brooklyn.”

[@timesthree5757]

Much for the same reason a person from Great Britain says, "Hi, I'm Laurence, Im from England."

[@alisonflaxman1566]

England is a country.

[@timesthree5757]

@@alisonflaxman1566 So is Arkansas functionally. It has its own constitution, military yada yada.

[@zacharywranovsky]

@@alisonflaxman1566depends how you define country. England is not a member of the UN. It would be accurate to call England a nation, but it’s not a fully sovereign state, though it does have some sovereignty. If England could be considered a country, so could all 50 states.

[@justcomments]

@@zacharywranovskythere are different kinds of state, though. As you mentioned. England is a nation state, because the United Kingdom was made up of three (and then four) nations. Imo, the reservations of the First Nations would be more fit to be considered countries before the states of America. But the likelihood of that ever happening is another conversation…

[@zacharywranovsky]

@@justcomments a country requires that it be an independent sovereign state though. It cannot be under the complete authority of a larger government, and must have the ability to set independent diplomatic relations with other independent countries. Native American recognized tribes do have a bit more autonomy than states, but not much, and they are still under the purview of the federal government. Legally, they are domestic dependent nations. A country does not have to have a completely unique culture to be a state either, as in the cases of North and South Korea, and China and Taiwan. It is important to note the difference between a nation and a state in this matter. England is a nation, but its not an independent state

[@notacomputer5486]

Honestly, with the state thing- it's cause the state I'm from says a lot more about how I was raised and my culture to another american than just sayin I'm an american. It's more about steriotype associations. People from California are presumed to act in a diffrent way from people from Washington even if they're right next to each other, for example. When I say "I'm from Maryland" I assume people would mostly think "crab, flag, catholic, lacross, balimore" which narrows down the possibilities massively.

[@whateverwhenever8170]

I don't normally associate people from Maryland with Baltimore. That would be a not so good association😂😂

[@pinkonesie]

@@whateverwhenever8170 I do, but my associations with Baltimore are primarily the song "Good Morning, Baltimore" and, courtesy of KZbin accent videos, the phrase "Aaron earned an iron urn."

[@brianb7686]

You do know that California and Washington are NOT right next to each other, right? They're almost as far apart as Maryland and South Carolina.

[@pinkonesie]

@@brianb7686 I was just going to let that go. Poor Oregon. Forgotten again.

[@brianb7686]

@@pinkonesie Honor compelled me. 😉

[@JillWhitcomb1966]

Bread-- I lived in northern Poland as a digital nomad in 2019. The bread was dense and chewy and filled with sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds. Or, it was some kind of wheat/ rye brown bread that was very rustic. It was inexpensive, as well, at less than $1.50 (US funds) per large loaf. Now that I'm back in the upper Midwest, not one grocery store/ big box store/ bakery in a 3-mile radius sells bread like I bought in Poland. But apparently, a specialty bakery downtown does....for $7 per loaf. That is the difference right there. Yep, sure, we can buy the 'good' bread in my part America, but it's considered to be a specialty product, and super expensive. I now understand why my Grandma used to bake her own bread every single week for 75+ years.

[@Driven2Beers]

Happy Canada Day from an American who is right across the drink from The Limestone City (Kingston, ON)! We always go across to see the Victoria and Canada Day Fireworks at Condederation Park! 🇨🇦🇺🇲

[@DaleStLouis-xb5mx]

Another element of the confusion around "football," I believe, is the way the usage of the word foot has changed over the decades. We rarely say footman, or afoot, anymore. American football did not allow the forward pass until 1906. Other sports advanced the ball by throwing it, hitting it, kicking it through the air, but in football the only legal way to move it forward was for a man to carry it by foot.

[@suedenim]

That might be part of it, but I think what's more significant (and also related to the development of the forward pass) is that the "free kick" used to be a much more common play. It's now only seen after a safety, which itself is a very rare occurrence.

[@justcomments]

“On foot”! That makes so much sense now.

[@tstek]

All forms of football are played on foot, that's why they're called football. They are derived from sports played on horseback.

[@AstraSystem]

I say my city or state first because I identify first as a Philadelphian, Pennsylvanian, or even Marylander (where I spent the first 16 years of my life). Just saying I'm American doesn't really describe the "flavor" of my origins. I think it all comes down to how we think about our own identities.

[@toemblem]

A Philadelphian, Pennsylvanian is a lot different than a Pittsburg, Pennsylvanian too.

[@lumabi25]

I'm Australian and my first exposure to bread that was sweet was in the Philippines about 30 years. The ship I was on docked there. I guess it's the lingering influence of US defence establishments. One advantage of bread with added sugar: it toasts quickly.

[@markmyers5881]

A number of Asian countries sell bread that is sweeter and more refined than US Sandwich breac.

[@francesmeyer8478]

On my two trips to the UK I would have to say that Illinois is the state that has Chicago. Otherwise, no one knew what I was talking about. On the other hand, when my friend told the desk clerk at our hotel "Oklahoma" he immediately came back with "Go, Sooners"! He had been watching American college football. Illinois is also the " Land of Lincoln ".🇺🇸

[@verdatum]

Most of these I'd answer with "Because America is really big". I remember the first time I heard a British person that they had a vacation in Spain, and thinking "wow, you got to go all the way to Spain??" well, yeah, it's like right over there. Meanwhile, Canada doesn't have much big tourist attractions to Americans other than "The better side of Niagara Falls", and Northern Mexico doesn't have much tourist attractions beyond the experience of visiting a border-town (which gets old quick), so yeah, we either splurge and go to another continent, we take a Caribbean cruise, or we stay in the US. If I could afford it, I'd go to Europe like every other year.

[@screamingseal4805]

Visiting northern Mexico is a great way to end up in the obituary

[@verdatum]

@@screamingseal4805 Heh, cartels don't mess with tourists unless they go to the wrong parts. Keep the yankees happy so Uncle Sam doesn't drop the hammer on their operations any more than he already does.

[@Vaeldarg]

@@verdatum It helps that there are a LOT of conventions, museums, etc. for entertainment in the U.S too. Especially in Las Vegas.

[@verdatum]

@@Vaeldarg Oh to be sure, that's my point. You can spend decades touring the US and not even make a dent in the things to see here. Our National Park system alone is pretty much without equal, and the state parks are excellent too.

[@garryferrington811]

And yet you could fit the whole thing into less than half of Russia. 😄

[@musicproduction1330]

It’s hard to explain the state vs country allegiances we feel in the United States to an outsider. Each state has its own set of laws that govern things like drinking age, abortion laws, whether or not there’s a death penalty, etc., while other laws like voting age, past abortion laws, environmental protections, etc. have been set at the federal level (although extra environmental protections have been set at the state level as well). We’re not as distinct from state-to-state as Europe is from country-to-country, but neither are we as homogenous from state-to-state as different provinces are within most countries. We had a war in the 1860s that some call “The Civil War” and others refer to as “The War Between The States.” That exemplifies the tug we each feel in our loyalties to state and country.

[@CaritasGothKaraoke]

We haven’t had different drinking ages in the US since the 80s.

[@CreeperKiller666]

People introduce themselves based on their state because the US is massive and culturally diverse. A Texan is as different from a Mainer, in terms of culture and upbringing, as a Belgian is from a German. The other side of the USA is practically a different country, with different vernacular, different climate, different laws, etc.

[@MrUltimaSora]

It’s not only American bread that is sweet. Some packaged and freshly made breads are sweet in Central America, South America, parts of Africa, Japan, and South Korea. I was surprised to recently learn the latter two had sweet breads.

[@randlebrowne2048]

For that matter, Brioche is the French bread translated as "cake" in the famous Marie Antionette quote!

[@jamesclare6546]

I think Americans say what state they come from out of habit. Like you said in the passport question, America is a big place. That said, its fairly common for us to move and end up going to living in a different state then where we grow up. As a result, when Americans meet each other "Where are you from?" is a common question used to spark a conversation with each other. I've spent a lot of time in the Philippines (my wife's home country) and when I go there I always answer "Kansas" for the first week or two out of habit because that is how I usually answer the question when asked at home. After I've been there a while I switch to saying "The United States" because I know its what they are looking for.

[@coreyg2177]

I am so glad you went back to the red frame glasses. It was like I was watching Bizzaro Laurence! All is right in the world again.

[@tdata545]

My dog ate my passport. SIGH... BUT when I got my new one as a new Mississippi resident, I also opted for the Passport ID Card that goes in your wallet and can be used to travel easier between USA/Canada/and Mexico. Apparently it's a newish thing as of who knows when, I think the early 2010s. According to Wikipedia, 2008 was when the PASS card program started. I was born in Romania and have been back to Europe since being a US Citizen since 1994. I was adopted at the age of 3 in 1991. England is the second best place we went to in Europe after Italy. As for World Series, my mom married a man who holds 4 WS rings, two as a player and two as a coach.

[@kiralana324]

A personal tale:, I grew up in the upper peninsula of Michigan but most of my family lived in large cities in the southern peninsula/ other states, so to just day weekend visit family was often a 4-6 hour drive one-way, if this was a Brittish affair it would be like driving from France to Germany. so when I enlisted in our military I was flown from my home state to California ( Europe equivalent to flying from Brittain to Poland) where I met people from parts of my own country that seemed like a new world, Colorado Louisiana Texas, all extremes away from where I started, and all within reach without a passport or special travel permissions, then our military sent me to Afghanistan, then Iran, and even then I still hadn't held a passport, when I finally applied for one it was so I could use Canada to get from my current home of Massachusetts to my familiar home of Michigan faster/cheaper, I've never used my passport to travel abroad only to shortcut going "home"...

[@Windsongbyrd2273]

My mother was from England and she complained about bread all the time being too sweet and no texture...well, that's because she bough grocery store bread like Wonder. There are loads of good bread out there and most stores sell it. My suggestion to travelers is to stop purchasing Wonder and like breads when you come to the US that way you won't have a complaint.

[@RogCBrand]

It's like, there's 100 varieties of bread, I'll by the cheapest, mass produced one... ugh, American bread is horrible...

[@lizlee6290]

When my kids were little, we used to call Wonder Bread "air bread", still do. We never bought it anyway because it was ridiculously expensive. Of course all store bought bread is ridiculously expensive.

[@lizlee6290]

@@RogCBrand Huh? All American bread? All 100 varieties?

[@RogCBrand]

@@lizlee6290 I was referring to the idea that people that CHOOSE to buy the cheapest bread are then trying to say ALL American bread is the same, based on that...

[@lookoutforchris]

Other bread is available. I tend to buy “bread alone,” which has 4 ingredients and no sugar,

[@davidheidt8548]

Californian here giving a shout-out to sourdough bread.

[@LindaC616]

Sourdough or Ezekiel. Sourdough is my taste choice, but Ezekiel is the healthier choice

[@t_ylr]

Yeah I def think non-Americans over estimate the amount of sugary white sandwich bread we eat lol. Half of the brands in the bread aisle are wheat and multi grain bread. Most grocery stores also bake their own sourdough, baguettes, sandwich rolls etc

[@kc9scott]

@@t_ylr American here, and I’ve tried looking for wheat bread without so much sugar, and been unable to find any.

[@t_ylr]

@@kc9scott hmm maybe it's the groceries stories I go to. Usually I go to HEB. Sometimes I may go to Target. Tbh they're are a little bougier than Walmart or Kroger

[@alyssapapke]

I think the traveling thing also has to do with how little vacation time we get. If you only get a week or 2 then you don't want to spend all of that time on flights and recovering from jet lag only to go back to work feeling more tired and not at all like you have had a vacation.

[@kazeryu17]

I think there are two reasons for the state thing. First, the proper way to write your address on official documents in the us is as follows (number, street, city, state, country, zip coad). Also, states around the US are kinda like their own countries. I live in Virginia, close to the North Carolina border. In Virginia, you can grow your own Marijuana and get an abortion, 30 minutes to the south in North Carolina, you cannot get an abortion unless you meet very specific criteria, and you can be sent to prison for possessing something as simple as a joint. In South Carolina, they want to impose the death penalty for woman who get an abortion. That's just a small example of how states differ from each other.

[@doubleknots]

... I've never really thought about it, but I guess, I say what state I'm from and not what country, because saying I'm from the US seems too vague. 🤷

[@tlingitsoldier]

4:37 I've lived in the US for all 40 years of my life, and I've never experienced gun violence firsthand. I have a gun of my own in case I ever do experience it, but it's essentially an unused accessory (in public) that I never show to anyone else. There are plenty of places in the US that are safe enough to leave your doors unlocked with no fear.

[@pXnTilde]

Yeah the "1 in x chance" is such trash. Nearly everywhere the chance is virtually 0% and the places where it's not, you wouldn't want to be even without them

[@Jszar]

One of my grandmother’s friends lived in such a place, in the mountains of Arizona. Instead of another human wandering in through his unlocked door-neighbors stay on the porch and knock, except in emergencies-he once found a bear raiding his ‘fridge. Their paws are close enough to having thumbs that they can use doorknobs. He started locking his doors.

[@slowanddeliberate6893]

Maybe you don't have to lock your door in small towns, but I'd advise anyone to lock them anywhere in the US.

[@brahtrumpwonbigly7309]

Most places in the US don't actually have that significantly higher crime than most other first world countries. It is higher, but not exponentially. The crime is mostly focused in tight geographic locations. Obviously, population centers have more crime, per capita, it is highest in only a few select places.

[@dudebro7698]

I moved to greater Los Angeles from Dublin a few years back and I feel completely safe in my neighborhood. It’s pretty close to the level of safety I felt on the north side (not the best part of Dublin but still pretty nice). But if I leave my neighborhood here it gets sketchy real fast, about as safe as I felt last time I was in El Salvador. Not like in immediate danger but knowing things could go sideways pretty fast if I didn’t mind myself.

[@user-mr6eq7oy8j]

3:23 Real question here. Sunbeam, the sandwich bread we use has 25 g total carbs with 3 g of added sugar per serving (two slices, or 47 g). An admittedly quick Google search showed that a 36 g slice of bread in the UK has about 1 g added sugar. While this is significant, would it really make our bread taste like a desert?

[@rriflemann308]

the bread that is sweet is generally a sliced loaf, for making toast, the sugar content creates additional caramelization ( browning) and produces the robust flavor, toast consumed buttered or making sandwiches. unsliced bread is usually without sugar, in consumer testing sweetened bread has high acceptance, the mcdonald hamburger buns (toasted) are quite sweet because it sells better.

[@Dunybrook]

Forgetting that Ireland exists might be the most British thing ever.

[@luxford60]

Britain is an island though. Whilecthe UK soes have a border with Ireland, Britain does not. And of course Ireland is also an island which borders the sea.

[@tonys1636]

@@luxford60 Britain does not technically have a border with Ireland, it is the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

[@morganb6717]

@@tonys1636 yes, that is technically what they wrote. "While the UK does have a border with Ireland, Britain does not."

[@jcortese3300]

I remember the last time I visited the UK to go to the Eisteddfod in Cardiff in 2008, when people asked me where I was from on the maes, I just said, "LA," because I figured that was well-known enough to be sufficient. I was stupid pleased with myself though when the conversation happened in Welsh and they immediately spat out, "BLOOD-dy hell, you're an American?!"

[@jonevansauthor]

I'm not surprised if you spoke to them in Welsh - hardly any Welsh people actually speak the language fluently and Cardiff has very few Welsh people in the first place and the ones who do speak Welsh, don't consider anyone from Cardiff Welsh either ;)

[@jcortese3300]

@@jonevansauthor The astonished "ARRRR-glywydd MAWRRRRR"s I got were more than worth the jetlag and flight cost. 🙂

[@Sam13967]

After living in the Philippines….I can honestly say that their bread is so much sweeter than American bread.

[@joeketa6352]

The question of why Americans don't travel abroad much is indeed multi-faceted and difficult to pin down. I've lived in both the US and Canada and I've anecdotally found far more Canadians travel overseas than do Americans, so the vast geography is not the whole story (though it's definitely part of it). Certainly one thing is that many Americans don't get much time off work, and are in debt to their car and lifestyle payments. That means road trips to see family or nearby attractions may be all they can afford in terms of both money and time. Canadians on the other hand get more time off and tend to live in hub cities. More Canadians don't need to own a car and can more easily use the extra money to board a plane and fly out of the city rather than drive from their home. You'll notice that often the Americans who do travel abroad live in hub cities. I imagine this is also true of Europeans. I've found that most Americans would love to travel abroad. There's not much chauvinism or disinterest at play here. They just can't fit it into their lives.

[@josephcote6120]

I never had a passport. In my young and wandering days Americans could visit Mexico and/or Canada with just their driver's license. It was all very relaxed unless they suspected you were smuggling weed or poutine. At this point in my life I am done traveling. I have always hated flying, so I don't anymore, and there is nothing I need to see that's more than a day's drive away.

[@whateverwhenever8170]

Before 9/11, you could travel to a bunch of the Caribbean islands without a passport. Just your license

[@screamingseal4805]

@@whateverwhenever8170we are now prisoners of our own nation

[@jonevansauthor]

Sadly passenger ships aren't much of a thing anymore, it seems. Cruises yes, ships for actually getting from A - B not so much. There are trips I'd much rather take by ship than plane if it were realistic.

[@BonaparteBardithion]

Where can one find some of this smuggled poutine? Asking for a friend.

[@cynthiajohnston424]

@@BonaparteBardithion 😂😂

[@atomyx0875]

Think the reason most people identify with the state they are from by default rather than the country is two fold. Most people they will likely interact with will also be from the US, so it kind of becomes an automatic response. Second would be scope. Functionally, the states just about serve the role of a country in their own right, often to the point of having more affect on day to day life then the the country as a whole.

[@thehapagirl92]

8:14 Us Americans say the state we’re from rather than the country because states have distinct identities and cultures, providing more specific information about their background. This specificity is more relevant within the U.S. context, as fellow Americans understand the differences between states. I say I’m from California because there’s not one human on the planet that has not heard of California. I would put money on it. If I want to be specific I tell them I am from the city where Disneyland is: Anaheim. The city means nothing to them, but they will remember I’m from Disneyland in California because everyone alive knows Disneyland and California.

[@SoleaGalilei]

I would think people say what state they're from because the US is so big and culturally diverse, it feels like just saying "I'm from the US" doesn't give enough information. And while it is true that people from other countries don't necessarily know all the states, they probably do realize that "I'm from New York" is a very different answer than "I'm from Texas".

[@ilpolehto1954]

Up until 911 there was less requirement for passports for travel in North America if you could show that you were a citizen of Canada, the USA, (and sometimes Mexico.)

[@MTM358]

Iirc that changed quite a few years after 9/11. You used to be able to have a certain kind of drivers license that worked to get you into Canada, but they ended that program several years ago.

[@sunflower7045]

I say my state before US, because it gives people a potential geographical and/or cultural reference.

[@adriad4855]

I not only say my state, but more specifically "Western Maryland," because living in Appalachia is as different from living in the Baltimore or Chesapeake Bay areas as living in another country! I have literally had mutual culture shock experiences talking to "tourists" from my state that have come to the mountains to play- it's like the difference between American, British, and Australian English!

[@auntlynnie]

We say our state where we’re from (instead of USA) because if we don’t, the next question will generally be about which state because “USA” is so general, it’s almost a non-answer. It’s kind of like how a Scot will say they’re from Scotland, not the UK (or a Welshman says they’re from Wales). Also, we interact with other United States-ians more commonly than we do people from other continents, and when we ask that question of one another, we are only asking about state (or maybe city).

[@ckmusicmom]

I lead with my state because I figure it’s obvious I’m American. Also, I’ve never met anyone who has not heard of Texas 🤠

[@terriehumphries6028]

Same

[@1992djg]

Yeah being from Texas is universally known ussaly the follow up question is if you still ride horses especially if like me your from El Paso which is almost always depicted as “the Wild West” in movies

[@garryferrington811]

I spent a year in Texas one weekend.

[@FallacyBites]

Ditto California. Hell, I usually just say los angeles, cuz it's only a few hours away and it's one of the few cities non-americans might, MIGHT be able to find on a map---like how I know where Paris and London are, but not merseyside or the massif central

[@cyberherbalist]

Maybe Lawrence never met the Queen, but my Dad, also an American, once met King Charles when he was Prince Charles. I live in the UK nowadays, and the mother of our across-the-street neighbor actually worked for Queen Elizabeth at Balmoral Castle. As for guns, the homicides are largely confined to gang violence, and states with strong gun control laws actually have more gun violence than ones that don't. In my home state of Washington, one in 20 people have permits to carry concealed pistols. Yet Washington's gun violence rate is fairly small outside of Seattle. It's small inside Seattle, too, but more than outside. Before moving to the UK, I lived mostly in the western US, where there are more guns, but I've never witnessed any gun violence. The only person of my acquaintance who was ever murdered was killed by someone carrying a knife.

[@kevinrhodes335]

Really, the states with strong gun control laws have those laws BECAUSE of criminal activity in those states. I'm from a state with completely unregulated open AND concealed carry. Anybody (at least anyone who can legally own a gun at all, so nearly anybody) could be carrying a gun anywhere and you would likely never know it. I have NEVER seen a person openly carrying a handgun who was not law enforcement. It's the state with the second lowest crime rate in the country, after neighboring New Hampshire. It is not at ALL unusual to see someone with a long gun in hunting season, of course. I do find it odd that the state legislature enacted unregulated carry in such a safe environment - I can't imagine many people actually do. I only know one person who did (had a permit even before the law chanced), a friend's late father. The guy was a legit OCD/paranoid type who thought the world was out to get him. And of course, he lived in the typical small Maine town where crime is just not a thing. Scary part is he had Parkinson's and was blind in one eye - the LAST person who should be touching a gun of any kind. Sadly, the only people I know who were murdered was also by knife - crazy uncle flipped out and killed the whole family when we were in the eighth grade. But the majority of homicides are between people who know each other.

[@elgatofelix8917]

Exactly! Anti-gunners can't seem to wrap their head around the fact that criminals don't obey laws, including gun laws.

[@gaileverett]

"States with strong gun control laws actually have more gun violence." Completely untrue, look up the statistics from an unbiased source.

[@HansDelbruck53]

Love Lawrence : Hate the built-in ads.

[@7Raincloud3]

In my experience, when I’m telling someone where I’m from, being specific to the state helps because the country is very big and can be pretty diverse on issues of both geography and culture. Saying “I’m from Michigan” or “I’m from Wisconsin” gives you a lot of different information if you know about these places. And if you don’t, then it may give a bit more context in future interactions to what specific experiences are more localized or nation wide as you talk to this person.

[@chrisbranton65]

I give my state for the same reasons a German or French will give their country instead of saying they are European.

[@smrk2452]

Or why an Irish person would give their county

[@ohauss]

Not the same reason at all, because they are stating a sovereign country.

[@philipmcniel4908]

@@ohauss The states have a higher level of sovereignty than most subunits of European countries. They frequently have different legal standards... -When the question of whether Derek Chauvin should be charged with second-degree or third-degree murder came up, the distinction was foreign to most Americans because most states don't have third-degree murder as a charge. -The state of Nevada successfully challenged the federal government about whether it had the right to create a national speed limit. Now, basically all speed limits are set by the states. -Marriage requirements and limitations often vary from state to state; these differences can affect things like whether first-cousins are allowed to marry, and whether a couple under the age of 18 can get a marriage license with a parental signature (and if so, at what age). -Age-of-consent laws can vary from state to state, meaning that something that's 100% legal in one state can be a felony just on the other side of the state line.

[@ianz9916]

So why do the athletes in the Olympics compete as USA and not Texas or Oklahoma or Ohio? Because it's not the same as Germany or France not using Europe.

[@TheLordOfNothing]

@@ohauss Well here's what Europeans don't quite grasp: Other Europeans will identify themselves based off of their country or major division. Will they say they are Berkshirian? Most likely not, they'll say "I'm English". Each state's residents have a fierce identity that they identify with their home state. You wont hear anyone from the US say "I'm from DeKalb County" because that's as pointless as saying "I'm from Berkshire".

[@jasonstevens8948]

As a fellow Chicagoan who just spent three weeks in Europe, I can say that I always answered the question of where I’m from with “from The States”, with my answer to the follow up question being “a ways outside of Chicago”. Illinois never really came up. But if I had still been living in Texas, you can bet it would have. ;)

[@rolsmall2212]

In my youth my father's job took us to England for several years. In the Fourth form the class was studying the United States. When the teacher started talking about Are-Kansas I must of got a curious look on my face as she asked me if I had a question. I asked where is Are-Kansas. She pointed to the map. I replied that's Arkansas. The class was aghast. She asked me several time about as if to ensure it was not a joke. I became her American expert from that point on.

[@jklovegood]

I can't speak for all Americans, obviously, but for myself, while i absolutely love to travel and have always wanted to visit Europe, I have never been able to afford it. Now I have 4 children whom I would have to bring with me since childcare is ungodly expensive and i don't have family nearby that could watch them for an extended period. Then there's the matter of time. My husband and I would have to give up pay to take vacation, and either pull the kids out of school or wait until summer break (since the only other school breaks are for holidays that we celebrate with family and friends locally). Its a big headache and financial burden we just haven't taken the time to plan out. My sister and her husband, on the other hand, make a LOT more money than us, and have the ability to work remotely. They also only have 2 children and her husband's family lives near them (across the country from us) and seem to be frequently available to house their kids if they travel without them, so they travel, and travel abroad, fairly frequently.

[@thorstenjaspert9394]

How often did you travel to other us states ? Us states have the size of European countries and more. Are there different mentalities in the USA?