r/IWantToAskAnAmerican

I'm Canadian, and yes, I have a very thick accent. People always laugh at it down there. It got me thinking because in the Canadian sub someone asked if Paul Bissonnette sounds normal here... .and yeah, I absolutely think he does. I can't believe southerners in particular think WE sound funny... like come on.

Anyways, it got me thinking... excluding my (Canadian) accent, what accents do you find the funniest?

Or anywhere really.

For people genuinely expecting a full view from something here, just don't bother asking the question. For people just spreading political views in the form of "questions," also please don't.

This is not a rule change announcement. Just a suggestion from a mod that will be pinned to the sub as a reminder.

What outdoor temperature does it have to be before you'll start enjoying pools and other bodies of water?

(Reminder to flair up so we know where you're from for context)

I'm from Peru, and something I've noticed from reading people's experiences online is how differently pain seems to be managed in the US compared with what I'm used to here.

For example, I've had dental extractions and root canals, and I've only ever had local anesthesia. I've never been offered nitrous oxide, even though I know it's relatively common in the US, especially for anxious patients.

I've noticed something similar with pain medication after medical or surgical procedures. Americans often mention being prescribed opioids or stronger painkillers for procedures where, in Peru, people might simply be told to take ibuprofen, acetaminophen/paracetamol, or another NSAID.

I've also seen Americans receive larger quantities or combinations of medications after procedures that seem fairly similar.

I'm not saying one approach is necessarily better than the other, and obviously individual cases vary. I'm curious about the cultural and medical differences behind this.

Is it actually common to be offered sedation or stronger prescription painkillers for relatively routine procedures, or does the internet exaggerate how common this is?

I'm from Brazil, and here we have a perception of you that I don't know if it's true. Is it really that easy to make money and have a comfortable life? Is it really easy to buy an iPhone or digital games, etc.? Is school like it is in the movies?

Do you really think we all live in Castles and the men all wear skirts and drink beer all day and night?

Cheers 🍺

I'm curious about this and want to ask you, americans of your opinion on this from all sides.

Trump's current VP spoke very badly about him prior to his current position, Marco Rubio claimed Trump is a con artist etc.

There are several documented instances of republican officials calling Trump out very negatively but after he became POTUS again they seem to just praise him on everything.

Ok. First off, what I am going to share might be embarrassing/childish. As a grown man, the only thing I am interested about the US now is seeing the Grand Canyon. Nothing else. Now suppose, if I am already visiting it, I was thinking what else could I do while being there. And then, I remembered, as a younger boy, I used to pretend play cowboys and for a while, I thought they were the coolest (influenced by Clint Eastwood type old western heroes). So, I was thinking why not indulge that fantasy while there as there is nothing else left for me after the Grand Canyon?

So the question comes: Is there a spot or a place where I can walk around like a hero, fully decked out in cowboy gear, walking through saloons with swinging doors, ordering hard drinks, and with retrievable fake pistols slinging on my hips and nobody staring at me or thinking I am an idiot or weird while doing it. Maybe people could even challenge me to a shootout or something, and I get to be the cool hero with the fastest hand and godlike accuracy. But, I want it to be all pretend, yet totally serious (this is the hardest ask: I know this is ridiculously childish and people can't be serious if they engaged in such a pretend). Maybe even get to ride a horse? I also want the place to be totally safe- meaning it should be a place where people won't panic or mistake the fake pistols on me for real ones and probably get shot by the cops or by someone. Do such places even exist? How much would something like that cost me? This is just to indulge in a past fantasy for a few hours and give younger me a sort of an experience/fulfillment and respect?

Response to replies: Thank you for all your quick replies and they were a lot. I read through all of them but I cannot reply to everyone. I am looking into the suggestions. Some are a bit too costly for me, but I have also found some interesting suggestions that I can actually do. I will keep on reading your replies/suggestions as long as they keep coming. Thank you once again.

I swear I'm doing my best to get perfect with my English and talk just like Americans and one thing I've noticed is how often people seem to say "sorry", "excuse me", etc in everday conversations. It seems like Americans apologize for things that don't really need an apology. Is that actually how people talk in everyday life (my tutors on say it is), or is it just more emphasized in my learning materials and on youtube and praktika so I can be preemptively apologetic?

EDIT: wow, thanks everyone for your insight. I guess the overall consensus that it’s moreso just for politeness than an actual apology. Crazy how different cultures can be

Do you think she’s been a positive influence or did putting Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and other medical quacks in front of millions of people did more harm than good?

Bit of a random question but i’ve been planning how i’d do this. My partner and i love the states but we always feel like we don’t stay long enough, usually anywhere between 8-12 days. Plane rides home usually consist of us talking about what we’ll do next time because we didn’t get chance now.

We were considering doing a 30 day trip every summer for the next few years (each year in a different state, so 30 days exploring one state). Do you reckon this would be a good amount of time or too much?

(also were aware of costs and know this will be expensive but we have plans regarding that, this question is only focused on duration!)

I am an Asian working at a multinational company in Europe with a pretty diverse team. Recently, after grabbing lunch and drinks with a bunch of American colleagues and hearing their stories, I’ve gotten really tempted to plan a trip to the US. The problem is I cannot afford a long trip at this stage, maybe something for a week or so and every time I ask one of them where I should go for a "proper" American experience, I get a completely different answer. Usually, they just pitch their own home state or town, so now I’m sitting here with about ten completely different recommendations from the deep South to the Pacific Northwest.

TBH English isn't my first language and I grew up learning about America mostly from Hollywood movies, random internet rabbit holes, learning subreddits like langhub, Duolingo,Praktika or simply from memes.

So, setting your own hometown bias aside for a second: if someone is visiting for the first time and wants ONE region or city that gives you a genuine, well-rounded taste of American culture, scenery, and everyday life, where would you actually send them?

What do you think about a foreigner who doesn’t really speak English joining or hanging out in an English-speaking group and trying to talk to you or become friends with you? Would that bother you, or how would you feel about it?