Woman living in Italy reveals how locals work out you are from the US

Could you spot an American in a crowd?

Well, according to one American living in Italy, there are four telltale signs which give US citizens away.

In a recent TikTok, Rachael Sullivan, from Tampa, Florida, reveals what to look out for when it comes to spotting a US citizen abroad. 

Firstly, she says anyone who walks around with a ‘giant Stanley cup’ is certainly American. 

‘Italians do not carry water bottles anywhere,’ she informs viewers. 

And, right on queue during filming, she observes three girls walking by carrying water bottles and immediately brands them as being from the US.

Next up, she addresses coffee etiquette and says Italians generally will never take a coffee or pastry to go.

She explains: ‘[If] you have your coffee in a to go cup you’re American or honestly any pastry for that matter.

‘If you’re walking with a pastry or coffee, you’re probably American.’ 

Third on Rachael’s list is walking style and pace.

The avid traveler muses: ‘There’s a certain speed that Italians walk at and Americans triple that every time.

‘Americans walk so much faster – with so much more urgency than any Italian I’ve ever seen.’

Lastly, Rachel – who has been living in Florence since January – focuses on the ‘American lean.’

Explaining the concept, she says: ‘Americans lean on things because we’re just lazy.

‘I guess Italians don’t lean on things… they just don’t. They stand up straight.’

She ended the light-hearted TikTok clip by encouraging viewers to leave their own observations in the comment section.

One commenter wrote: ‘When I lived in England, someone handed me a flyer in the street and I just smiled at her. 

‘She said “oh, you’re American” and I said “how did you know?” And she said “your teeth.”‘

Another American said that they could spot other Americans by ‘their volume [being] so loud.’

And others suggested a whole host of other telltale signs of Americans 

These include ‘ice in drinks,’ ‘always chewing gum,’ ‘wearing baseball caps,’ and ‘wearing sneakers everywhere.’