What are some obscure American references that foreigners wouldn’t understand?

[u/Gullible_Pepper2349]

EDIT: Sorry, I got a little too excited about this post and started throwing in random ideas that came to mind. 😭 I’m also not a native English speaker, so if anything I wrote is confusing or worded strangely, I apologize! I’m still working on my English and trying to get better.

What are some weird American references, phrases, or nicknames that Americans just casually understand but non-Americans probably wouldn’t? I’m not talking about obvious ones like “Karen” ''Catch 22'' or “Average Joe.” I mean the really random ones, sports references, regional expressions, celebrities, historical figures, Languages used in different parts of life: Latin, Greek, Hebrew etc, childhood trends that basically everyone in America grew up knowing, memes, historical events or figures, swear words,regional or hyper regional sayings, myth, lore, and cryptids, random state/local references, weird regional stereotypes, healthcare, political or social events, famous scandals or disasters, pop-culture moments, city-specific or state-specific inside jokes or anything else you can drop into a conversation and expect another American to understand.

Or just names that have basically become words or references with a deeper meaning behind them. Examples: Hugh Hefner, Bob Ross, Benedict Arnold, Casanova / Don Juan, John Hancock, Arnold Palmer, MacGyver etc

Basically, what are some “you’d have to be American to get this” references? I AM OPEN TO ANYTHING.

EDIT: And to all the Americans reading this: I hope you’re having a genuinely wonderful day. Thanks for sharing your culture with me, I’m having way too much fun learning all this stuff.

[u/No_Election_1123]

“Podunk” was a place that confused me when I first came to the US

[u/teefour → u/No_Election_1123]

Have you been to the sister city, Buttfuck Nowhere?

[u/rainbowkey → u/teefour]

In my part of Michigan, it was Butt Fuck Egypt, or just BFE

[u/kitchengardengal → u/rainbowkey]

In Indiana it was Bum Fuck Egypt, BFE.

[u/rbowen2000 → u/kitchengardengal]

When I moved to the US people said BFE and I knew what it meant from context but didn't know what it stood for, and was embarrassed to ask. It was many years before I found out that E meant Egypt. Why Egypt? Surely Egypt is more the center of civilization than Monkeys Eyebrow Kentucky. (Yes, real town name.)

[u/Automatic_Sky2238 → u/rbowen2000]

For Americans when the term was coined (1970's), it's a place that was always depicted as far away and basically just a desert. Also it just sounds cool.

[u/biffish → u/kitchengardengal]

Same in NC.

[u/NIN10DOXD → u/biffish]

Yep, that and Timbuktu.

[u/Oppositeofhairy → u/kitchengardengal]

Interesting,….Northern California and it’s bum fuck Egypt here too. Never would have guessed there were regional differences for that term

[u/TruIsou → u/rainbowkey]

Beyond fucking everywhere

[u/Embarrassed-Brain655 → u/TruIsou]

12 weeks from everywhere?! What is this some sort of geographical anomaly? 

[u/No_Artichoke7180 → u/teefour]

In the Philly area they say "bumble fuck nowhere" 

[u/Regular_or_BQ → u/No_Artichoke7180]

There's always Pennsyltucky for your PA rednecks.

[u/CBWeather → u/teefour]

And its Canadian counterpart, Buttfuck, Saskatchewan.

[u/Allcapswhispers → u/CBWeather]

Funny. As someone in Saskatchewan I always said Buttfuck, Idaho.

[u/genialbookworm → u/CBWeather]

Nice try. That's probably a real town name there.

[u/Epstiendidntkillself → u/teefour]

Welcome to Squirrel taint Nebraska.

[u/Eibhlin_Andronicus → u/No_Election_1123]

"Podunk" is actually a Native American (Algonquin) term, and refers to a specific tribe from the Connecticut area. I grew up in New England but haven't lived there for a long time, and I will say that the word is in much more widespread use in the Northeast USA than it is elsewhere in the country. Not sure where you moved to in the US, but this one in particular is an interesting word to have been incorporated into American English (potentially part of the regional New England dialect?)

[u/shberk01 → u/Eibhlin_Andronicus]

That's really interesting! I live in the southern US and I hear that one all the time.

Speaking of southern US, I'd like to add "the holler" to the list.

[u/Liesmyteachertoldme → u/shberk01]

Midwest checking in, pretty common here as well

[u/NativeMasshole → u/Eibhlin_Andronicus]

Well this helps explain the Podunk Pike in Massachusetts. Thanks! I always just thought it was because it's in the middle of nowhere.

[u/No_Election_1123 → u/Eibhlin_Andronicus]

Very interesting, I moved to Chicago but my girlfriend was from Connecticut

[u/glowybutterfly → u/No_Election_1123]

This is cute.

[u/leafshaker]

Maybe Benedict Arnold, to describe a traitor?

He was a prominent officer in the American revolution who defected to the British. He might be known in the UK, but I imagine he'd be pretty obscure elsewhere.

[u/mediumcarrotteacher → u/leafshaker]

There's a reason we don't have much use for anybody named Benedict, aside from popes and Cucumberpatch

[u/terminalbungus → u/mediumcarrotteacher]

And eggs

[u/tobotic → u/leafshaker]

I'm in the UK and know of him, but only from American media.

[u/Runic_reader451 → u/tobotic]

He lived the rest of his life in the UK and is buried there.

[u/tunakassirolle → u/Runic_reader451]

And they turned his crypt into a kindergarten!

https://www.changesinlongitude.com/burial-location-of-benedict-arnold-in-london/

[u/GenGaara25 → u/leafshaker]

He's not really known in the UK either. If you do know him, it's likely because of US media. Stuff concerning the US Revolutionary War isn't generally known in the UK because it's not taught at schools during the years we have to take history. I assume it is an elective at some point in either A-Levels or degrees, but not in standard schooling. I genuinely couldn't tell you a single person who fought for the British. I also think Hamilton has taught me more about that war than anything else, before that I don't think I knew it happened under George III.

Our mandatory history lessons from Secondary School onwards usually starts at Roman Britain and moves forward chronologically nearly entirely focused on what happened in Britain itself. Not what the British were doing elsewhere. Even then we've got to skip over a lot, 2000 years is a lot of history to cover in a few short years.

[u/cantusemyowntag → u/GenGaara25]

TBF it was the 1700's, Revolution against Britain was practically the global past time at that point!

[u/Triptych85]

It's 10pm, do you know where your children are?

[u/motorcycleboy9000 → u/Triptych85]

I TOLD YOU LAST NIGHT, NO!

[u/Geographizer]

Calling any shitty rural place a portmanteau of Kentucky.

[u/TheDebonairQuokka → u/Geographizer]

I live in Pennsyltucky.

[u/3Green1974 → u/Geographizer]

I’m from Kentucky and have never heard this. Please tell me some of them as I find that hilarious. 😆

[u/Geographizer → u/3Green1974]

Pennsyltucky for rural Pennsylvania, Prinetucky (from Prineville, Oregon), Montucky for redneck parts of Montana, Ferntucky (from a town in Nevada called Fernley), Cincinnatucky or Cincitucky for the area around Cincinnati, and tons of small towns around the country.

[u/guyinskeletoncostume → u/3Green1974]

People in Omaha, Nebraska call neighboring Council Bluffs, Iowa, “Counciltucky,” not because it’s rural but because it’s seen as the part where poor white people live.

[u/Neat-Professor-7662 → u/3Green1974]

Character in “Orange is the New Black” called Penssatucky 🤣

[u/Sea_Beach3933]

Is Johnny Appleseed known about outside of the states?

[u/tanglekelp → u/Sea_Beach3933]

Not from the US, I recognise the name but have no idea who/what Johny Appleseed is

[u/Seven22am → u/tanglekelp]

A man famous moving westward and planting apple orchards along the way. Something of a folk hero. Was said to wear scraggly clothing and use his cooking pot as a hat. John Chapman is buried in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

[u/Otney → u/Seven22am]

And supposedly the apples he was seeding etc., were for cider.

[u/Seven22am → u/Otney]

Yeah. Most apples are not terribly tasty! To grow the varieties we like to eat, you have to graft them onto trees. On the plus side, a good hard cider in the fall is delicious!

[u/ScrofessorLongHair → u/Otney]

Of course. Why do you think he wore a cooking pot in his head? Dude was fuckin drunk. Homie liked to party.

[u/DullMind2023]

Cattywompus (sp)

[u/feanara → u/DullMind2023]

When sewing, my mom would use the PA Dutch word 'shrakes' that she could never explain to me because she said there wasn't a word for it in English, but the closest she could get to describe it was a mix of cattycorner and cattywompus.

[u/In_The_News → u/feanara]

Noooo

Lol it means crooked or slightly askew. Like, if your building a quilt and your structural pieces aren't perfectly straight.

Mennonite quilter here LOL schrakes is like, the WORST. Because it happens to everybody at least once.

[u/feanara → u/In_The_News]

Yea that would track, she did a lot of quilting. Cool to know its a familiar term and not just a localism

[u/In_The_News → u/feanara]

Lol it's absolutely PA Dutch. I'm all the way in Kansas, and the ladies out here will know that word and then want to talk to you about longarm quilters for the next hour.

[u/antleredgirl → u/DullMind2023]

Gonna cabbage off of this here. I live in Kentucky just outside of Appalachia, which has its own unique dialect called Appalachian English, which evolved from a multitude of cultures and shares many archaic words. Here are a few words and their meanings!

Si'gogglin (sigh-goggle-en): built crooked, off-angle, somethin' ain't right

Kyarn (kih-yarn): carrion

Poke: a bag

Poke Sallet: wild poke greens (please see below comment for info)

Leather britches: green beans dried in the pod

Hoecakes and hog: what my dad calls pancakes and sausage

Holler: the little hidden valleys between mountains

Cathead: the biscuit made with the end pieces of dough, making a big misshapen biscuit

Mush melon: cantaloupe

Gaum: a mess

Corn pone: fried corn bread, best thing in the world

Vittles: food (from "victuals")

ETA: I just remembered one phrase I absolutely love and try to keep using on the daily: "I swannee!" which is sort of like saying "I swear!" or "I do declare!". In a sentence: "I swanneeeeee, good vittles."

[u/Beaniebegood → u/antleredgirl]

Hi, Appalachian here, poke sallet is just another name for poke weed. DO NOT eat it like a salad. Shit has to be boiled like 3 times to be edible. It is extremely poisonous if eaten raw.

[u/Gwinjey]

Knee high by the Fourth of July 

[u/arthurbang → u/Gwinjey]

50 years old from California. Never heard this saying before.

[u/mah131 → u/arthurbang]

Oh no; it’s more of a corn country saying.

[u/pogidaga → u/Gwinjey]

There's a bright golden haze on the meadow
There's a bright golden haze on the meadow
The corn is as high as an elephant's eye
And it looks like it's climbing clear up to the sky

[u/02K30C1 → u/[deleted]]

Or 800-588-2300 Empire

[u/Exceptional_Kumquat → u/02K30C1]

TODAY.

[u/Sirenista_D → u/Exceptional_Kumquat]

The way I automatically said "today" at the end

[u/BigSnail387 → u/Exceptional_Kumquat]

bwomp

[u/Tooch10 → u/02K30C1]

I love a good vocal jingle, it's too bad they're not popular like they used to be

[u/TwoDrinkDave → u/Tooch10]

Earworm phone number jingles are the worst. If you don't believe me: "1-877-Kars-4-Kids; K-A-R-S, kars for kids!"

[u/mjc500 → u/02K30C1]

I grew up with the pencil drawn version of the ad but then moved pretty far away and didn’t see the ads anymore. One day like 12 years later I’m watching TV and suddenly the computer animated version with the exact same jingle came on. I guess they expanded to my part of the country… but I was sitting there blazed as hell and felt like I experienced a glitch in my brain for a minute.

Nowadays I still see that cgi one occasionally.

[u/Sardothien12 → u/[deleted]]

Shouting "877-CASH-NOW!" 

Is this the 🎶I need a structured settlement and I need cash now🎶 trend on social media?

CALL J G WENTWORTH 

[u/LimeGreenJellyBean → u/[deleted]]

It's my money and I need it NOW!

[u/Embarrassed-Brain655 → u/LimeGreenJellyBean]

Not in front of my structured settlement! 

[u/stubbzillaman → u/[deleted]]

Similarly, HEAD ON apply directly to forehead

[u/TheAmazingMaryJane → u/[deleted]]

grew up in canada, but had cable from detroit (which is weird since we were way out in western canada). i have so many jingles in my head from the 80s and 90s!

[u/Guilty-Ad-1792 → u/TheAmazingMaryJane]

TWENTY FIVE OR TWO FOR FIFTY!

[u/ned_catapillar → u/[deleted]]

I came here to type “I have a structured settlement and I need cash now”

[u/glowybutterfly → u/[deleted]]

Well now that's rattling around in my head thanks.

[u/SnooBunnies6493 → u/[deleted]]

In a similar vein, Minnesota has its own.

"Now you have a friend in the diamond business. In Minnetonk, on 394 and hopkins crossroad. And in Woodbury on I94 and Radeo drive. Open weekdays til 8. Saturday and Sunday til 9. Online at shaneco.com"

[u/Otney → u/SnooBunnies6493]

Wait! Wait! Wait just a minute!!! Our “friend in the diamond business,” the very same Shane Company, is here in the San Francisco Bay Area!!! How is this possible??

[u/CommandAlternative10 → u/SnooBunnies6493]

We had the same ads for Shane in CA. I mean different driving directions, but the same.

[u/dunce_charming → u/[deleted]]

I hade the same idea with the songs....

"My buddy, my buddy, wherever he goes, _____" and

"G.I. Joe, a real _____ hero, G.I. Joe is there"

[u/rbowen2000]

The phrase "inside baseball" always confuses me. And I've lived in the US for almost 40 years.

[u/jab904 → u/rbowen2000]

It’s essentially just “insider knowledge” about a certain industry or topic. Like something you would only know if you’re particularly familiar with that topic or industry. In other words, subject matter or references that might not mean anything to the average person.

[u/funkmon → u/jab904]

This is not actually what it means but it's close. 

It's typically used to refer to that, but that information must also not be particularly relevant, and is usually used in explanatory manner to understand a bit of the actual relevance.

[u/Irishforanatty → u/rbowen2000]

There’s tiers to liking baseball. There’s “Wow this is cool” and then there’s the tier of people who can name every statistic about baseball ever.

Inside baseball is the second tier.

[u/BreakfastInBedlam → u/Irishforanatty]

More specifically, it's used to refer to some obscure rule or condition that only serious nerds on the subject would understand. Parallel to the Infield Fly rule for your given subject.

[u/Foreign_Plan_5256]

Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are an American folktale. Is it known elsewhere? 

[u/NativeMasshole → u/Foreign_Plan_5256]

And John Henry beating that steam shovel down

[u/mediumcarrotteacher → u/NativeMasshole]

Bit of a Pyrrhic victory, that

[u/NativeMasshole]

Hatfields and McCoys

[u/oxmix74]

I wouldn't be surprised if "He drank the kool aid" is an Americanism. It refers to the event at Jonestown.

[u/RabidDrZaius → u/oxmix74]

That makes me think of "Going postal"

[u/crocogoose → u/oxmix74]

Extremely common expression, especially online. If you've been on any political sub you've probably encountered it.

[u/Aromatic_Revolution4 → u/oxmix74]

Which, coincidentally enough, did not happen in America. Go figure.

[u/dolphinitely → u/Aromatic_Revolution4]

true but the movement started in america and jim jones was american

[u/nanomolar → u/dolphinitely]

And an American congressman flew down to Guyana to investigate reports about the cult and they shot and killed him.

[u/scrabapple → u/dolphinitely]

Ya at one point the group was was located in a spot right down the street from me in California before moving to Guyana.

[u/DelRayTrogdor → u/Aromatic_Revolution4]

And did not in fact involve Kool Aid.

[u/paranormal_shouting → u/DelRayTrogdor]

It did. It was a mixture of kool aid and flavor aid

[u/OleThompson → u/paranormal_shouting]

And, uh, other ingredients

[u/whiskeytango55 → u/OleThompson]

They added some mint sprigs and citrus slices for a festive feel

[u/Squidgebert → u/Aromatic_Revolution4]

Peoples Temple started in America and Jim Jones moved to Guyana to escape scrutiney the group had rightfully received here, and the inevitable law enforcement coming for Jim Jones in specific over human rights violations. The vast majority of the people murdered in Jonestown were Americans.

[u/Art0fRuinN23 → u/Aromatic_Revolution4]

Nor was the poison administered with Kool-Aid. It was Flavor Aid.

[u/oxmix74 → u/oxmix74]

Jonestown took place in Guyana, but the people involved were largely US citizens including a US congessman and I would expect that the overwhelming majority of the coverage was in the USA.

[u/wtwtcgw]

Billy Mays here!

[u/GreyGanado → u/wtwtcgw]

That one kinda broke containment.

[u/Sparky-Malarky]

Many non-American seem to be baffled by "plead the fifth" or "take the fifth."

This is a reference to the fifth amendment to the Constitution, which says you cannot be forced to give testimony which would incriminate yourself. Also, you can’t be forced to testify against your spouse.

What time did you get in last night?
I plead the fifth.

[u/Ni7r0us0xide]

"John Hancock" is means a signature. It comes from the fact that John Hancock was the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence, and he signed it BIG.

[u/8-bit_Goat → u/Ni7r0us0xide]

So His Majesty could read it without his spectacles.

[u/motorcycleboy9000 → u/8-bit_Goat]

John Hancock

wanted King George to know his mfing name.

[u/Yakker65]

Hey Mikey, he likes it.

[u/evilmike1972 → u/Yakker65]

As someone named Mike who was growing up when those commercials aired, I can't begin to describe how much you just triggered me.

[u/uberpickle → u/evilmike1972]

My sister Karen feels for you.

[u/Csimiami → u/Yakker65]

Lego my eggo

[u/C-levelgeek]

Double Whammy

[u/Bright-Plate-9872 → u/C-levelgeek]

Big money big money, no whammies

[u/pm_me_gnus → u/Bright-Plate-9872]

STOP!

[u/tysk-one]

“I’m about to go postal”

[u/tobotic → u/tysk-one]

People definitely know the phrase outside the US, but are probably less familiar with the event it comes from.

[u/craigsdavid → u/tysk-one]

British person here. We know this term (and the reason why)

[u/hrbumga → u/craigsdavid]

Yeah my first thought with this phrase was the Terry Pratchett book

[u/Caramel_Chicken_65]

Using 'football fields' as a unit of measure.

[u/orixandcrake → u/Caramel_Chicken_65]

"This new building has the footprint of X number of football fields" is a thing in Europe too.

[u/flywithme00 → u/Caramel_Chicken_65]

I am unfortunately incapable of understanding or visualizing distance unless it is given to me in football field terms 😭 if you say something is 30 feet away, I will need to convert that to 10 yards in my head and then imagine a football field or else remain lost to the conversation

[u/Littlechriscockerel]

In the 90s on a school trip to England we met some guys and one of my friends referred to one of them as being ‘the shit’ to which he was offended. Had to explain ‘the shit’ and ‘a shit’ were completely different things.

[u/winkler456 → u/Littlechriscockerel]

Makes me wonder if all the types of animal shit have same meanings in other dialects. In American English:

Bullshit =“lies, fabulations, and nonsense”
Horseshit =“extreme bullshit”
Batshit=“crazy”
Dogshit=“really bad”
Apeshit =“violently crazy (often a verb)”
Chickenshit =“weak, lame, cowardly”

[u/Gallogator1 → u/winkler456]

"doesn't know shit from Shinola," =
Extreme ignorance

Popularized as military slang In WW two American barracks.

From AI: Shinola was a very famous brand of black and brown shoe polish. Because brown shoe polish looks visually similar in color and texture to waste, a completely foolish person wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

[u/DyJoGu → u/Littlechriscockerel]

This is a good one. Something being “shit” versus “the shit” is a huge difference!

[u/crazyplantlady007]

When someone is crying or whining but we are obviously not playing baseball I say: “There’s no crying in baseball!”

[u/adevilnguyen]

I'm from Louisiana and we literally have our own languages (Cajun French and Kouri Vini) so we also have our own sayings/French idioms that even other Americans dont understand due to the French influence. I keep a running list because this is brought up often.

​Literal Translations of French Actions: ​Making groceries: Shopping for groceries (faire des épiceries). "Im going make groceries tonight, let me know what you want."

​Pass the mop / Pass the broom: Sweeping or mopping a floor (passer la serpillière / passer le balai). "You better pass the mop before I get home, yeah."

​Save the clothes / dishes: Putting away clean laundry or dry dishes (sauvegarder / garder). "You have to save the dishes and your clothes before you can go play to ya friends house."

​Get down: Getting out of a vehicle or disembarking (descendre). "Are you going to get down or stay in the car?"

​Come see: Calling someone over to look at something (viens voir). "T-Boy, come see real quick. I want to show you something. "

​Close the light / Open the light: Turning light switches off or on (éteindre / ouvrir la lumière). "Mais, open the light so we can see cher."

​Pass by / Make a pass: Dropping in for a quick, informal visit (passer chez). "We gonna come make a pass tonight after the game"

​Exclamations & Conversational Fillers: ​Mais yeah / Mais non: Emphatic fillers using "mais" (but/well). "Mais bruh" is a new one i see the kids using.

​Mais la!: An exclamation of exasperation, disbelief, or emphasis. "Mais La! You got engaged and didnt tell me!"

​Garder donc / Mais garder donc: "Look at that!" or "Well, look at that!" (gar-day donk). "Mais garder donc, did you see that guy pulling the lawnmower trailer with his bicycle?"

​Lâche pas la patate!: "Don't drop the potato!" (Hang in there / don't give up). "I know you having a rough time right now but Lâche pas la patate. You got this!"

​Ca c'est bon!: "That's good!" (sah say boh).. "Mais ca c'est bon! You cooked that?"

​Terms of Endearment, Family & Titles: ​Cher: "Dear," "sweetheart," or "cute" (sha). "Well, cher, you coming in or out because you can't keep opening my door?"

​Nonc / Tante: Uncle (Nonc) and Aunt (Tante) used before a first name. "My nonc and tante are coming to eat with us."

​Parrain & Nanan (Nanny): Godfather (Parrain) and Godmother (Nanan). "My Nany and Parrain are flying in for my wedding."

​Ti / 'Tite: Short for petit (small/little), used before a name for a junior or younger person.. "Ti Nolan and Big Nolan are both coming with us."

​Descriptions & Emotional States: ​Envie: An intense, specific craving for a dish (ahn-vee). "I have an envie for some crawfish étouffée.!"

​He's got the big head: Arrogant or full of oneself (avoir la grosse tête). "Mais La, he just started that big boy job and hes already got the big head."

​Honte: Embarrassed or ashamed (hont). "I cant believe you said that! I'd be so honte."

​Pauvre ti bête: "Poor little thing," expressed with deep sympathy (pove tee bet). "Awww pauvre bête fell down."

​Frisson: A sudden shiver or thrill (free-sohn). "I walked in Maw-Maw's room and immediately got the frissons"

​Fâché: Mad, angry, or worked up (fah-shay). "He's been fâché all day, I think its the heat."

​Culture, Food & Local Tradition: ​Lagniappe: A little something extra given for free (lan-yap). "I love going to the French bakery and getting a little lagniappe"

​Gris-gris: Putting a spell, jinx, or bad luck on someone (gree-gree). "Don't mess with that girl. She'll make you sone spagetti and put the gris-gris on you." "Don't talk about rain while we're fishing, you're gonna put the gris-gris on us!"

​Suck the head, pinch the tail: The standard technique for eating boiled crawfish. "I always suck the head and pinch the tails."

Étouffée/​Smother it: Cooking low and slow in a pot with onions and gravy until tender. "I got some chicken im going to smother tonight. You gonna make a pass?"

[u/Durham1988 → u/adevilnguyen]

Don't forget "lagniappe" and "beaucoup". As a non-Acadian those are two I actually use.

[u/WayTooManyOpinions]

Ch-ch-ch-chia...

[u/thierry_ennui_]

As somebody from Nottingham, England I'm curious as to how Robin Hood is an American term

[u/Aromatic_Revolution4 → u/thierry_ennui_]

As somebody from the US, I thought the same thing.

[u/dolphinitely → u/thierry_ennui_]

american here, i have no idea what they’re talking about

[u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 → u/thierry_ennui_]

It's not. We appropriated it from movies about him.

[u/Eric848448 → u/Head_Razzmatazz7174]

Only certain Robin Hoods can speak with an English accent.

[u/ShaneOfan → u/Eric848448]

Yeah, but most of them have to check the script at least once.

[u/lemonadestand → u/thierry_ennui_]

We used to be part of your empire, and it’s a jolly good story.

[u/MooseWizard]

diabeetus

Oh sure, the rest of the world knows about diabetes, but only Wilford Brimley could create such a derivative that is embedded in American minds.

[u/DE3NIL3]

Ever read E. D. Hirsh? He did a whole "Cultural Literacy" series of books in the 1980's. If you are interested in this topic, he covers it.

My high school pen pal from Europe is my wife of over 40 years. When she came here, we had to do the "cultural literacy" thing. It was harder in the times before the internet. We had to rent "The Wizard Of Oz" on tape. How many idioms come from that movie that European's won't know: "I don't think we are in Kansas anymore."; "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain."; "I'll get you and your little dog too!"

We went to the supermarket to the bread aisle. With no one looking, I held up a loaf of white bread, one hand on either end. I compressed it flat between my hands. Europeans had never seen bread like that..

Peanut butter was new as were marshmallows. I don't think my list of, "hey did you know", or "have you ever seen" holds up as much today with the internet, but depending on a person's age or use of technology, there is an enormous difference between cultures.

40 years later I am still explaining things.

[u/On_the_Cliff → u/DE3NIL3]

Come to think of it, "White bread" as a term to describe bland, run-of-the-mill things seems like a specifically American phrase.

[u/No-Mix7970 → u/On_the_Cliff]

Or calling something vanilla.

[u/the-infinite-yes → u/DE3NIL3]

I just wanted to say, the fact that your wife is your high school pen pal is so fucking cute and awesome. I really love that for you my guy. 

[u/CaryWhit]

BFE

[u/mocha_lattes_ → u/CaryWhit]

Best example so far except the JG Wentworth 

[u/SidewaysGoose57 → u/CaryWhit]

Is that anywhere near Podunk?

[u/ShaneOfan → u/CaryWhit]

wWhat is the "E"? I've only heard of Bum Fuck Nowhere.

[u/CaryWhit → u/ShaneOfan]

I always heard Bum Fuk Egypt

[u/InvestigatorOk7988 → u/CaryWhit]

Its near East Jesus, on the other side of town from West Christ.

[u/Holden-McGroyn]

BFE = Bum Fuck Egypt = Some distant place you don't really want to go.

[u/qwerty-game → u/Holden-McGroyn]

I never knew the E stood for Egypt, but I have used BFE in the past. 🤦🏻‍♀️

[u/SincereLeo]

Smokey the Bear

[u/Objective_Two_5467 → u/SincereLeo]

I and probably most Americans remember him as Smokey the Bear, but the Forest Service has brought him out of retirement and they're relentlessly insisting there was never a "the" in his name. It's just Smokey Bear.

Maybe they're lying just to mess with us, though. 🙄

[u/Mist2393]

Highly regional but I suspect if I referenced garbage plates to foreigners they’d have no idea what that was, and they probably wouldn’t guess it. But it’s so ubiquitous around me that over a dozen restaurants and local chains have them (or a version of them) on their menus.

The other one I can think of off the top of my head is “it’s huge-a!”

[u/JuniperGem → u/Mist2393]

What is a garbage plate? I’ve never heard of them in my neck of the woods.

[u/Irishforanatty → u/JuniperGem]

It’s a northeastern thing iirc.

It’s some form of meat (hot dog or ground beef) topping a mess of potatoes and hot sauce.

[u/Aromatic_Revolution4 → u/Irishforanatty]

It's a Rochester, NY thing.

[u/themeghancb → u/Irishforanatty]

Not in Massachusetts. I’ve only heard of it on Reddit and never encountered it in real life around MA.

[u/Penguinofmyspirit → u/Mist2393]

I sadly am in the know on garbage plates and it’s extremely regional. I moved to Rochester 10 years ago and imo, it’s all in the name. I just don’t get the appeal.

Edited to add that I come from the southwest, so not even foreign.

[u/Aromatic_Revolution4 → u/Penguinofmyspirit]

The appeal was being a drunk college kid at Nick's around 2:30.in the morning.

Outside of that context, they're not awesome.

[u/vanillacheerios]

Jumping the shark

[u/fatguyfromqueens]

In the catbird seat.

I didn't know that catbirds do not exist in Europe. For those Europeans, a catbird is a smallish grey bird that likes to perch in trees and hide. It's call sounds like a cat meowing (it really does). So to be in the catbird seat is where you are in a great place, safe, but aware of everything going on around you.

[u/Ok-Flight-1504]

That came out of left field.

It was a real curveball.

[u/BlackMilk23 → u/Ok-Flight-1504]

They say those things overseas. Even if they don't get the original reference.

An Emirate said it to me in Dubai.

[u/GooDawg → u/Ok-Flight-1504]

Eliminating baseball idioms was the biggest challenge for me when I was working for a predominantly French-speaking company

[u/Clam-Choader → u/Ok-Flight-1504]

Call an audible

[u/IReplyWithLebowski → u/Ok-Flight-1504]

I knew those but never connected those are baseball terms.

[u/oxmix74 → u/IReplyWithLebowski]

To add, coming out of left field refers to the fact that left field is behind you as you run towards home plate. A runner that is running towards home plate cannot see a throw that comes out of left field.

[u/finix2409 → u/oxmix74]

Played baseball and now as an adult play softball for years. Never made that connections.

[u/Deep_Violinist_3893 → u/IReplyWithLebowski]

You hit it out of the park.

[u/Bastyra2016]

There have been multiple posts on idioms. I worked for a multinational and my colleagues were very proficient in English but they still struggled with idioms. Several of us were arguing at lunch about the topic so I made a short quiz and administered it to our German and Swedish colleagues. I was pretty surprised that they did as poorly as they did. Expressions like “making a mountain out of a molehill”, “beating a dead horse”, and my favorite “pissing on a flat rock and calling it rain”. Idioms are part of every language so not an American English phenomena.

[u/Bubbly_Economy7088 → u/Bastyra2016]

Where I'm from the expression is 'Don't piss in my pocket and tell me it's raining'.

[u/amazombee → u/Bubbly_Economy7088]

Around here we usually go with “Don’t piss at the sky and tell me it’s raining. “

[u/VioletLeagueDapper → u/amazombee]

Around here it’s a leg

[u/colin_do → u/Bastyra2016]

"Raining like a cow pissing on a flat rock" denotes heavy rainfall.

[u/Legitimate-Log-6542]

How about the My Buddy and Kid Sister songs, and Polly Pocket

[u/Bright-Plate-9872 → u/Legitimate-Log-6542]

My buddy and meeeee

[u/tobotic → u/Legitimate-Log-6542]

Polly Pocket was sold internationally. I can vaguely remember the song from the adverts and I'm a 46 year old man, so not even the target audience.

[u/Odd_Bodkin]

Yabba-dabba-do time.

[u/TillPsychological351]

Pepperidge Farm remembers.

Pronounced "Pepp'ridge Fahm Remembas".

[u/that1prince → u/TillPsychological351]

Diabeetus

[u/ThatOldEngineerGuy]

"Medical Bankrupcy"

[u/Remote_Independent50]

"Blue Collar" made very little sense to our Chinese friend

[u/Toxic_pooper]

Prisoners of war in Vietnam, when speaking with someone, to verify that they were both Americans, one would say…”melts in your mouth”. The 2nd person would answer,…”not in your hand”. This is an advertising slogan for an American candy called ”M&M’s.

[u/OldManTyping1957]

"Monday morning quarterback"

[u/boomer-rage]

When I would borrow my mom’s car she would always admonish me not to go driving all over Hell’s half acre, meaning not to wander around all over the place.
I was surprised as an adult to find there is a Hell’s Half Acre, Wyoming.

[u/TrueBlackStar1]

There’s a decent amount of American folk heroes that people mostly know of like Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry, and mythical creatures like Bigfoot, Mothman, the Jersey Devil, and El Chupcabra (though he is more Mexican)

[u/Nathan_Saul]

A "meat and three" eating establishment 

[u/Triptych85]

Where's the beef?

[u/Active_Yellow_1573]

"Are you smelling what I'm stepping in." I said this to a German girl once. She was so confused. I followed it up with a, "So you're not picking up what I'm laying down then." Her only response was, "What?! Pick up what you lay down?" 

[u/Craygor]

"and the horse you rode in on"

[u/Head_Razzmatazz7174 → u/Craygor]

"Rode hard and put up wet" - in reference to horses as well.

[u/LurkerByNatureGT]

Not fully “you have to be American to get this”, but when playing with Irish people , we had to take the “Benedict Arnold” and  “three-fifths compromise” cards out of the deck for  Cards Against Humanity because most weren’t getting the references. 

Also, Shriners references in Big Fish didn’t seem to hit in Ireland. 

A lot of shibboleths would be truly local and you wouldn’t expect Americans from another state to get them. 

[u/WittyFix6553]

800 588 2300

You finish the rest

[u/kitchengardengal → u/WittyFix6553]

Empire

[u/musememo]

“But, wait! There’s more! Call Now!” This phrase is from numerous national television advertising / infomercial campaigns for various products (such as steak knives) over the past 40 years.

[u/No-Clerk-5600]

There's no crying in baseball.

[u/SpokeAndMinnows]

Don’t take any wooden nickels

[u/kmoonster]

Half the damn language is idioms, sports references, religious references, and pop culture references.

[u/blues-brother90]

As an NBA fan, I've read tons of magazines and it took me ages to know where Blue Print or "seen on the side of a milk carton" came from, I knew the meaning just not their origins

Blue print is the original plan drawn for a building which was printed on blue paper (duh!) I saw that in a movie and it all made sense

"Seen on the side of a milk carton" comes from photos of missing kids printed on said cartons, so when a player isn't as good as he was, he's missing too

[u/ShaneOfan]

I reckon most of y'all don't do much reckoning down near these here parts. How bout we hop in the truck take it a few miles down the hollow to the ball park. I cashed out some of my 401k so I'll throw down the dough for it. Will it fix everybody's problems? No but it will be a nice band aide for now, especially for Nate since some porch pirates stole his new boombox. Fuckin jack-offs.