Title: American Customs That Are Offensive Abroad
Headings: 25 common American customs that are considered offensive in other countries
25 common American customs that are considered offensive in other countries
1. Tipping
2. Sitting in the back of a cab
3. Throwing a thumbs-up
4. Laughing with your mouth open
5. Calling the USA "America"
6. Being fashionably late
7. Being on time
8. Having one hand in your pocket
9. Using your left hand for anything
10. Opening a present immediately
11. Wearing sweatpants, flip flops, wrinkly clothing, or baseball caps in public
12. Altering your meal
13. Showing the soles of your feet
14. Keeping your shoes on
15. Drinking someone else's alcohol
16. Men showing some skin
17. Eating anywhere that doesn't serve food
18. Telling people to help themselves
19. Touching
20. Keeping your clothes on in saunas and steam rooms
21. Asking certain questions
22. Refusing food
23. Not declining gifts
24. Polishing off your meal
25. Blowing Your Nose

Content: 12. Altering your meal
In foodie cultures like France, Italy, Spain, and Japan, asking for ketchup, hot sauce, soy sauce, or salt to alter your meal may raise some eyebrows. Before you ask for a condiment, see if there are any on the tables — if not, you should probably refrain. 13. Showing the soles of your feet
In many Arab, Muslim, Hindu, and Buddhist countries, showing the soles of your feet is a sign of disrespect, as they're considered the lowest and dirtiest part of the body, since they touch the dirty ground. Men should cross their legs with caution. 14. Keeping your shoes on
While you probably think you're doing the world a favor by keeping your socks under wraps, in most Asian and Caribbean cultures it is expected that you take your shoes off when entering someone’s home. 15. Drinking someone else's alcohol
David Goehring / Flickr
Apparently, it's rude to drink alcohol you didn't personally bring to a party in Norway.