30 Things Australians Don’t Understand About America

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  1. What the hell is a pumpkin spice latte? Or even just pumpkin spice?
  2. Do you know what a flat white is?
  3. Everyone living on campus at college.
  4. Intense patriotism—flags everywhere.
  5. Religion playing a large role in your society.
  6. Is high school really like the movies? Proms and lockers and bitches and stuff?
  7. Health insurance—what if you are self-employed?
  8. Apparently prescription drugs are actually advertised?
  9. What the hell is biscuits and gravy and if it’s actually biscuits and gravy, then ew.
  10. Tipping.
  11. Your restaurant bills don’t have GST included?
  12. Why Thanksgiving is so close to Christmas.
  13. What is Thanksgiving and why is a turkey always involved?
  14. Intense love of all holidays—Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day (when you’re American?)
  15. Calling jam “jelly” and jelly “Jell-O.” I used to think you put actually jelly on your sandwiches.
  16. The word “panties.”
  17. How often the phrase “freedom of speech” is used.
  18. Fox.
  19. Inches, feet, miles, Fahrenheit.
  20. The word “broiled.”
  21. Ketchup v. tomato sauce.
  22. Guns—I have never seen a gun in my life.
  23. Apparently some high schools have metal detectors?
  24. Do school buses look like the yellow ones on TV?
  25. Hershey’s tastes like vomit. Literally like vomit.
  26. I have absolutely no idea what Groundhog Day is.
  27. Using the term “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas” (this is a good thing).
  28. Are red cups at parties an actual thing?
  29. Sweet pies such as apple pies instead of savory pies such as meat pies.
  30. Having to be 21 to drink.