American Traditions That Confuse The Rest of the World

Cashier Small Talk

Most people like self-checkout so they can avoid cashier small talk. The panicked "hey this juice is really great," kind of conversation is just the product of feeling awkward and pressed for time while scanning your items. In reality, cashiers aren't exactly thrilled to be there either. 

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The More You Know

  • John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, was born in 1790. He has a grandson that is alive today.
  • When a piece of bread is toasted, it's called the "Maillard reaction."
  • The hashtag symbol is technically called an octothorpe.
  • The Nobel Committee declined to award the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948 because "there was no suitable living candidate." This was meant as tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, who was assassinated earlier that year without receiving the Prize.
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