American Traditions That Confuse The Rest of the World

The Grading System

Why does the American school system grade with A, B, C, D, and F, but not E? Why did they skip that letter? Why not just grade with numerical percentages in the first place?

Mispronouncing Words

The word "caramel" has an "a" in the middle, yet most Americans pronounce it like "carmel." Why? This issue comes up in language all the time. "Crayon" or "Cran"?

The More You Know

In the late 1600s, London was plagued by an attacker who would spank his victims with a rod and shout "Spanko!" before running away.
The wolf's jaw can exert 1500 pounds of pressure per square inch, twice the jaw pressure of a German Shepherd. Wolves can crush large bones in just a few bites.
The first American woman to go to medical school was admitted as a joke. Geneva Medical School thought it was joke when Elizabeth Blackwell applied to attend 1847. She graduated in 1849, started her own practice, and opened an infirmary for the poor.
A Boeing 747 airliner is made of over 6,000,000 separate parts.

Post originally appeared on Upbeat News.