What non-verbal clues tell you that someone is an American? Are there certain styles of dress, mannerisms, etc., that tip you off? Obviously, if someone has a camera around their neck and a map under their arm, that’s a tip-off that they’re visiting from elsewhere, but are there more subtle clues?
Well, none usually. It’s the verbal clues. They tend to speak quite loudly (or at least, I don’t hear the ones that don’t! 
) so you can pick up the accent quite clearly.
Other than language, they’re pretty much human 
I am definitely American, but I have spent some time over in Europe. I soptted other Americans by traditional dress: New Balances and T-shirts. Seriously. Americans do tend to be louder, and the accent is a pretty good givaway too.
Baseball caps and florida tans on the over 50s.
Big hair.
Shell-suits and leisure wear on the middle aged set.
They tend to be “bigger”… taller, fatter, louder.
Also the carrier bags from the shops selling touristy crap. The European tourists generally don’t buy that stuff, it’s the Americans with the plastic shillelaghs and leprechaun hats.
Generally the cry of
“OH MY GAAHD!!!”
often followed by
“COME LOOK AT THIS! WE HAVE TO GET ONE!”
Is the give away.
Since it’s quite hard to find your way around Trinity college, us students are often asked where EXACTLY the Book of Kells might be.
Unless we’re being asked by Americans, in which case it’s usually
“Hey there, we’re kinda lost, can yuh tell us where Kelly’s book is?”
I’d agree with all of the above - American tourists do tend to be more noticeable and blend into the background less than european tourists. The loud voice and accent is the obvious giveaway of course, but Americans do tend to be bigger, wear louder clothes etc…
Mind you, the only way of definately telling whether a tourist is American is the loud voice and accent, so maybe we’re just noticing the stereotypical american tourists, while missing the (more numerous) more quiet americans!
Disclaimer: these are all “en-masse” stereotypes, and therefore are not specific to individual American tourists, who are invariably lovely.
Two or more people wearing brightly-coloured identical cheesy clothing.
Casual - but not stylish - slacks.
Light-coloured sneakers.
Talking very loudly with much hyperbole.
Complaining about the food.
Very slow gait.
Taller and wider, with a certain type of fat ass that differs from the shape and mobility of the Irish/UK fat ass.
People who wear shorts in museums and churches!
Mostly, I suspect you can’t spot them, but some of the obvious ones might be found complaining that the fast food (specifically burgers/pizza/shakes) isn’t as good as at home, or generally making loud comparisons with something from back home. Very much the minority though, I think.
Another thing that’s just occurred to me: a lot more American clothing is based around sweatshirt material than European clothing.
Also, many American tourists who are middle-aged ladies (incuding my mother - she’s been living in the US for 15 years) seem to go for dangly earrings, a lot of make-up, esp. blusher, accompanied by flouncy twee detailing on shirts and T-shirts alike.
I can always tell when Americans are in town (Vancouver), because as a rule of thumb, they’re fatter than people from any other nation.
Although people from Ontario are getting very hefty. 
When I was last gallivanting through Europe I was surprised, in that I was coming across as average-tall, instead of average-short. (I’m 5’8" or so).
Well, in summer, most American tourists seem to wear white tennis socks and sneakers, usually worn in combination with shorts. And a… what is that thing? That sort of pouch on a belt… a fanny pack? Is that what they’re called in English?
Unless you’re in Finland, in which case the person matching the description could just as easily be a Finn dressed casually for the holidays. In that case, the only way to tell is to wait until they open their mouth.
The last time I flew back to the US I had a fair amount of time to wait around in both Heathrow and O’Hare, and I noticed that many Americans, especially those over 50, have this distinctive amble that other nationalities don’t have. It’s kind of eerie.
There was also the case of the woman ahead of us in the security queue who was so Canadian she might as well have had a maple leaf tattooed on her face, and yet I couldn’t pinpoint anything specific about her to tell you why she gave me that impression; she just had an aura of Canadianness about her (I saw her passport later, and she was indeed Canadian).
Speaking of auRas, the objects in question are called “fanny packs” in the US (where “fanny” refers to the buttocks") and “bum bags” in the UK (where it refers to something else entirely.
Well, according to the above, I would never be spotted as a Yank! I don’t even own shorts or sweatshorts or sneakers; I speak softly; am not overweight (well, not more than 10 or 15 pounds . .) and walk very quickly. And I always carry my camera in my handbag.
All bets are off: you’re from Manhattan, and therefore more European than we are.
They tend to be nicer, less often drunk of their ass, typically try to learn something about the places they visit. Whereas European tourists in the USA can be spotted by their compulsive need to point out how America is doing everything wrong in the world and in their own country, and, even though this may well be their first visit, they already know everything there is to know about the states (after all, they saw it on tv!) and will make no effort to be disabused of these preconceived notions by anything they see…
Somebody feeling a little defensive/bitter perhaps?
Khaki knee-length shorts seem very popluar with Americans.
Add the white socks, sandals, sun hat and ‘bumbag’ (fanny aint a word much used in public over here…lol), and there you have your American tourist.
A joke (possibly based on truth).
American tourist at Stonehenge: “Why did they build it so close to the main road ?”
IANA European Doper but I am an American French teacher who has traveled in Europe and I have European friends who have told me a few things about 'Mericans: we tend to wear alot of clothes with brand names enblazoned across them or at least labeled prominently on it somewhere; we chew lotss of gum and have prominent jaw lines (so they say); my French friend says that she can spot American tourists because we “window shop” and she sys the people in France who just walk along looking in windows are the prostitutes. I don’t know how accurate any of this is but it’s all been told to me by people in Europe.
IANA European Doper but I am an American French teacher who has traveled in Europe and I have European friends who have told me a few things about 'Mericans: we tend to wear alot of clothes with brand names enblazoned across them or at least labeled prominently somewhere; we chew lots of gum and have prominent jaw lines (so they say; in my case, this happens to be true); and one of my French friends says that she can spot American tourists because we “window shop” and she says the only people in France who just walk along looking in windows are the prostitutes. I don’t know how accurate any of this is but it’s all been told to me by people in Europe.
mmm…
Before anyone else points it out, I will tell you I am appalled that the above post is only made up of 2 sentences: 1 monstrously long run-on and a normal one. Very bad form! :smack: