Traveler Says Everyone in Germany Automatically Knows She An American—People Say It’s The ‘American Lean’: ‘I Looked Up the American Lean And I Definitely Do That Bad’

When you immerse yourself in a new culture, it’s natural to want to blend in with the locals. However, American Katie Harvey (@dylanwntssnx) went viral after admitting she couldn’t figure out how, during a trip to Germany, locals were able to tell she was from the US right from the outset.

“Can someone please tell me what’s giving it away or making it so obvious that I’m American, because I’m in Germany right now, and the second I walk up to anyone before I say anything, they just look at me and go, ‘Hello, m’am,'” she said, pulling a face.

“Like why do you know I’m not German already?” she added. The clip garnered 7.4 million views.

Harvey didn’t immediately respond to BroBible’s request for comment via email.

Commenters Sussed Her Out

In the comments, users shared several factors that could have given it away. “Are you carrying an enormous water bottle by any chance?” one asked. “Your American accent is pretty strong love,” a second pointed out. A third speculated, “I think its the hair combined with the earrings.”

One thing multiple viewers pointed out was the ‘American lean.’

“American lean and facial expressions,” a fourth wrote. “We lean on stuff, we make eye contact, we start small talk, we use ice,” a fifth added. Meanwhile, a sixth commenter and fellow American said, “Smiling a lot, the lean, the fact that you’re walking up to a stranger, your shoes probably. I felt the same way in Europe and those were the giveaways I was told about.”

What Is The ‘American Lean’?

In short, the ‘American lean’ seems to be an innately American characteristic. It involves the person casually leaning on their surroundings. It is an especially popular term within European circles. Jonna Mendez, former chief of disguise at the CIA, explained to CPR News that “[Europeans] think that we are slouchy, a little sloppy, and they think they can almost see that in our demeanor on the street.”

“Because they stand up straight, they don’t lean on things, they are on two feet and we’re always on one foot with that other foot kind of stuck out,” she added.

PR and communications consultant Ronke Lawal tells HuffPost that it is arguably an indication of confidence.

“I’m not sure where it stems from but it does indicate confidence, a laid-back attitude and, to some degree, a lackadaisical approach to life in general, which is a little bit counterintuitive to what one thinks about the ‘hustle’ nature of some Americans,” she said.

“It’s a way of taking up space in new environments.”

Recently, American travelers have also gone viral for other reasons too. One was booted out of a Belgium restaurant for eating alone. Another  contracted the Norwalk virus in Cancun. But the “American lean” might be the most egregious cause of virality so far.