It drives me crazy if I have to wait more than 5 minutes for the check after eating. If I ever eat in other countries I’m leaving the money on the table and leaving.
No Christmas Goose. Personally I don’t care, but it seems weird to me.
No Clotted cream. Unavailable in the US.
Blood pudding. Never seen it.
Why not sit and sip some amaretto on the rocks while you wait? 
This is very much an on-point point. Life’s too short for that kind on nonsense. I’d go as far as to say that if someone wants to lick their plate clean in a restaurant (I’ve been tempted…) then go for it.
Another thing Americans do that irritates the rest of the world - expect American culture to be understood and adopted everywhere.
Once you ask for the bill it comes quickly. The wait staff isn’t going to rush you out the door, is all.
Blame the UK/USA spat that gave rise to our first Canadian expats.
–G!
[q.v. Burt Wolfe]
Ever seen the movie Tampopo? (In this skit, a woman is teaching a few students how to eat spaghetti in the proper, quiet American way–until they see a westerner in the resturant eating spaghetti very messily, and dig in the same way. Ideally, I wouldn’t have to spell that out, but the auto-generated caption text that thinks it is listening to English is a tad on the “unhelpful” side.)
No, you mound a bit of mashed on the back of your fork and use it as “glue” to hold your peas in place between plate and mouth. Really, nothing is served on a plate that can’t be picked up with a fork. If it’s in a bowl, then you reach for the spoon.
I think Americans are aghast at the European style of eating because it precludes shoveling mass quantities in minimal time. Smaller bites? Why, that’s Un-American!!
Many American restaurants don’t accept reservations, accepting diners in the order they’ve arrived and as the correct size table (for 2, for 4, etc.) becomes available.
Religion. Americans will talk about religion to people they work with, and perhaps even strangers.
As a Canadian, this is quite weird.
Gotta say, one of the only places I ever had antisemitic slurs shouted at me was by a group of people as we entered a synagogue in Montreal. My Toronto cousins have had quite a bit of antisemitism thrown their way too.
They may not talk about, but they sure have some strong opinions about it.
I’m sorry you experienced that, but rest assured that kind of behaviour is only exhibited by an extremely small portion of whackos, which unfortunately every country has.
I certainly have never seen anything like it in person. Although, yup it comes up in the news here: synagogues being spray painted with swastikas, headstones being pushed over, bricks thrown through mosque windows.
It saddens me.
Thanks.
Sad to say that it’s been a common experience for my Jewish family that lives in both Ontario and Quebec, over the decades. My cousins actually had to go to private school in the 1970s, because of the problems in the public schools.
I don’t think it’s worse in Canada, but I don’t think Canada is as welcoming of religious diversity as people may expect (and not talking about religion casually doesn’t make it a non-issue, it seems).
Things Americans don’t do that other countries do: use their rearview mirrors when driving, and keeping right except to pass. Some American drivers do, but many (most?) do not.
After 3 weeks in Europe, mostly Italy but some in Switzerland, Austria, Germany and others, it was refreshing to see drivers pull aside to let someone behind them pass. The fast lane was for faster traffic, and no matter how fast one is driving someone else might be going (or wanting to go) faster.
Good point. Just the other day, a family in Indonesia refused to park in the driveway and drive on the parkway. I was fucking incensed.
Was this in San Francisco? I went to a retail plumbing supply place when I was considering remodeling our bathroom, and they had a Washlet in their public restroom. Very smart, gives the customer unfamiliar with the practice a chance to use it and see if they like it without making them commit to the purchase and installation.
Some Americans do eat goose, but more often people have turkey or ham. They’re both easier to come by here.
Depends on where you are in the US. I can buy blood pudding. I wouldn’t, because the idea horrifies me, but it’s in the local grocery store seasonally.
Three additional reasons for the American Revolution.
Americans don’t shoot off fireworks on Christmas eve.
They don’t give wine to children at family meals.
They don’t wash clothes by hand and hang them from the balcony.