# 16 People On Things They Couldn’t Believe About America Until They Moved Here **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 15, 2013, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954 "2013-11-15T01:24:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![staili](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c57346/32.png) [@staili](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/staili)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/241 "2013-11-24T18:23:19Z")
I didn’t realize until very recently that most European butter is made from fermented/cultured cream. While there are savory pies in the US, if you said to someone, “Do you want some pie?,” 99+% of people would automatically assume that you were talking about dessert. I don’t know if that would be true in other countries or not. ---
**Author:** ![Crawlspace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Crawlspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crawlspace)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/242 "2013-11-24T18:44:33Z")
> [@kambuckta](#): > > Another curious thing if I may: you Americans advertise properties to rent or for sale by the actual size of the house/apartment, as in 1200 sq feet or whatever. No, we don’t. At least not around [here](http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/nassau-county-ny-area/0-500000-price). Square footage might be included, but that’s secondary to the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/243 "2013-11-24T21:55:02Z")
> [@Crawlspace](#): > > No, we don’t. At least not around [here](http://realestate.nytimes.com/sales/nassau-county-ny-area/0-500000-price). Square footage might be included, but that’s secondary to the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. With a username like that, how can I beg to differ. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/244 "2013-11-24T22:22:42Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > This one kind of irritated me: > > From a South Seas island nation. > > “Wall-to-wall carpeting. The absolutely needless luxury is both profoundly wasteful and absurd. Not to mention hard to clean. I couldn’t agree more.” > Yeah, you’re in a tropical paradise and don’t understand why someone would want to hop out of bed onto wall-to-wall polyester rather than cold wood on a January morning. I imagine they think that central heating and windows are a needless luxury as well. > > The weird thing is that wall-to-wall carpeting is probably the cheap approach – hardwood flooring is actually the luxury. Wood? Hah! I live in a tropical, um, paradise, and nobody here has carpeting \*or \*wood floors. Nice cold stone or terazzo tiles - now that’s the way to go. Keeps you cool during the summer. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/245 "2013-11-24T22:47:25Z")
Summers rarely get much more than 30ºC here. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/246 "2013-11-24T23:01:32Z")
> [@svd678](#): > > No one has mentioned that most canned “pumpkin pie filling” is some other kind of squash. > Buildings on the register of historical buildings have strict restrictions on what can be altered on them Libby’s Canned pumpkin (which is very common brand) is all pumpkin. What do you think it is instead? [http://www.peapod.com/itemDetailView.jhtml?productId=3995&NUM=1385334026494](http://www.peapod.com/itemDetailView.jhtml?productId=3995&NUM=1385334026494) ---
**Author:** ![Sudden\_Kestrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Sudden\_Kestrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sudden_Kestrel)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/247 "2013-11-24T23:08:10Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Wood? Hah! I live in a tropical, um, paradise, and nobody here has carpeting \*or \*wood floors. Nice cold stone or terazzo tiles - now that’s the way to go. Keeps you cool during the summer. The first thing we did when we moved into this house was tear out the carpeting and put in porcelain tile (ground floor) and bamboo (second floor). We live in Minnesota, which is nobody’s idea of a tropical paradise. Tile and wood floors are much easier to maintain. I get not understanding the ubiquity of wall-to-wall carpeting (I originally typed that as “crapeting” :D), but the last rationalization on my list would be warm floors. ---
**Author:** ![Nawth\_Chucka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c57346/32.png) [@Nawth\_Chucka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nawth_Chucka)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/248 "2013-11-24T23:10:21Z")
> [@svd678](#): > > No one has mentioned that most canned “pumpkin pie filling” is some other kind of squash. That’s because they would be mistaken to do so. ‘Pumpkin pie filling in a can’ may contain other ingredients such as spices and milk but none marked pumpkin that I looked at have any squash but pumpkin. I can’t think of a cheaper squash to grow than pumpkin except zucchini and it’d be obvious if the can held that instead. I’m in the US, which is the topic of this thread. Maybe you’re elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/249 "2013-11-24T23:44:58Z")
Recent article from Yahoo Finance: [32 Quotes Revealing What Foreigners Find Amazing About America](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/32-quotes-revealing-foreigners-amazing-150030107.html) ---
**Author:** ![antechinus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@antechinus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/antechinus)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/250 "2013-11-25T02:12:24Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > I have had chicken pot pies at both Bakers Square and Marie Callender’s (both chain restaurants, both of which also sell a wide range of sweet pies). I think they do beef pot pies too. [Moffet’s](http://moffettschickenpies.com/) in Arcadia California is a whole business, restaurant and shop, completely based around chicken pies (though they do beef ones too). > > The person who said there are no savory pies in America is just wrong. Im visiting los angeles usa just after christmas and will be nearby so will try to visit Moffets. Excited about the trip as I have never been there before. Will post back on my observations as a foreigner. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/251 "2013-11-25T04:56:59Z")
> [@antechinus](#): > > Im visiting los angeles usa just after christmas Hey send me some tacos and some beans from Tito’s Tacos! ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/252 "2013-11-26T14:21:37Z")
[this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=692308) raises an interesting point for us UK-ers I have no idea what a credit score is, I’ve asked around the office I share with 6 other 30 y/o and over professional males. None of them know either. We don’t know whether we have one, or how it is measured or what it means. What is high and what is low?..does it matter? And yet the above thread suggests this is a major thing for USA people. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/253 "2013-11-26T14:43:33Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > I had the same reaction to the [spotted dick in a can](http://www.britishfooddepot.com/Heinz-Spotted-Dick-Sponge-Pudding-114.htm?gclid=CIjz2q249LoCFcUWMgodVzQADw) I ran across in the foreign foods aisle yesterday. Is this actually an imported product, or is Heinz purely trying to cash in on the Homesick Brit market? In our grocery it’s in the British food section (well, about 5 shelves). I’ve always wanted to bring it to my wife’s family functions and then tell her brothers that they can eat my Spotted Dick. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/254 "2013-11-26T15:08:20Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > And yet the above thread suggests this is a major thing for USA people. It is. I’m a bit surprised Britons don’t know about theirs. Have none of the people you talked to ever had a mortgage? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/255 "2013-11-26T15:10:02Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > And yet the above thread suggests this is a major thing for USA people. It is. I’m a bit surprised Britons don’t know about theirs. Have none of the people you talked to ever had a mortgage? [QUOTE=Crafter\_Man] Recent article from Yahoo Finance: 32 Quotes Revealing What Foreigners Find Amazing About America [/QUOTE] Those quotes are all taken from the same piece as the OP’s link referred to. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/256 "2013-11-26T15:20:09Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=692308) raises an interesting point for us UK-ers > > I have no idea what a credit score is, I’ve asked around the office I share with 6 other 30 y/o and over professional males. None of them know either. > We don’t know whether we have one, or how it is measured or what it means. What is high and what is low?..does it matter? > > And yet the above thread suggests this is a major thing for USA people. Experian is a UK-owned company. Their corporate headquarters were in Nottingham (they might still have an office there), and are now in Dublin. ---
**Author:** ![RobDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f07891/32.png) [@RobDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RobDog)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/257 "2013-11-26T15:21:09Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > [this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=692308) raises an interesting point for us UK-ers > > I have no idea what a credit score is, I’ve asked around the office I share with 6 other 30 y/o and over professional males. None of them know either. > We don’t know whether we have one, or how it is measured or what it means. What is high and what is low?..does it matter? > > And yet the above thread suggests this is a major thing for USA people. I’m quite surprised by that. There’s a company called Experian CreditExpert (who provide credit score advisory services) who have been running ads on national TV in the UK for at least a year. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/258 "2013-11-26T15:29:05Z")
The previous two posts should be flipped. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/259 "2013-11-26T16:22:54Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It is. I’m a bit surprised Britons don’t know about theirs. Have none of the people you talked to ever had a mortgage? 4 have (including me) 2 haven’t. I guess if you get accepted for a mortgage then why would your credit rating concern you? I know personally that I’ve never had any knowledge of a credit score. nor has my wife and we are both homeowners, landlords and credit card users. It is a totally alien concept to me. Maybe that’s a good thing, maybe I and the people around me have good enough “scores” that they never need be discussed and are never an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954/260 "2013-11-26T16:26:38Z")
> [@RobDog](#): > > I’m quite surprised by that. There’s a company called Experian CreditExpert (who provide credit score advisory services) who have been running ads on national TV in the UK for at least a year. Never heard of them and haven’t seen the adverts, but then I don’t watch adverts anyway. Mind you, even if I had heard of them I’d be none the wiser as to what a credit score is or why I’d want one. Just to add, I’ve asked the office and no-one has heard of Experian either and I promise we aren’t a particularly strange and insular bunch. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/16-people-on-things-they-couldn-t-believe-about-america-until-they-moved-here/673954.md?page=14)