American lean

American lean is an informal term for a perceived tendency of Americans to stand with their weight on one foot or to lean against nearby objects while waiting i

American lean
American demonstrating American lean in Tashkent

American lean is an informal term for a perceived tendency of Americans to stand with their weight on one foot or to lean against nearby objects while waiting in public.[1][2][3] The expression is often in the context of cultural stereotypes about American tourists.[2] According to a former Central Intelligence Agency chief of disguise Jonna Mendez, field assets are trained not to stand in this manner.[3][4][5] The American lean has no scientific basis and is a theory that has been circulated. All links in this post come back to one person and all links reference each other and social media posts that started in 2020.

The American lean occurs on objects such as railings, walls, doorways, or benches.[6] Other cultures tend to stand more upright and centered, particularly in narrower public spaces.[6] It is speculated that this phenomenon is associated with relaxed American body language that has been shaped by wide sidewalks, open spaces, and informal public behavior.[6] It is more noticeable in groups, and along with other stereotypes (such as speaking loudly) can be a way to identify Americans.[6][7][8] Over time, the American posture standard has relaxed.[9]

In the mid 2020s, the phenomenon gained attention on social media.[10][11]

an example of the american lean, two men and a dog in front of a building in America

See also

References

  1. ^ Johnson, Ben Brock; Sivertson, Amory (2024-07-26). "How to tell someone's American: They lean on things?". www.wbur.org. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  2. ^ a b "Apparently American Tourists All Stand In A Particular Way — And They Even Have A Name For It". HuffPost. 2025-11-26. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  3. ^ a b Watercutter, Angela. "How the CIA Trains Spies to Hide in Plain Sight". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  4. ^ Golder, Andy (2025-05-07). "A Non-American Asked Why The "American Lean" Is A Thing, And The Responses Are Hilarious And Sad". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  5. ^ Shiffer, Emily (2026-01-28). "The CIA says this one body language gesture is a dead giveaway you are an American". Upworthy. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  6. ^ a b c d "Why The American Lean Keeps Giving Travelers Away Abroad | Backroad Planet". 2025-12-07. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  7. ^ "Signs someone is obviously American". ABC4 Utah. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  8. ^ "10 Telltale Signs You're an American Abroad | AAA Club Alliance". cluballiance.aaa.com. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  9. ^ Yosifon, David; Stearns, Peter N. (October 1998). "The Rise and Fall of American Posture". The American Historical Review. 103 (4): 1057–1095. doi:10.1086/ahr/103.4.1057.
  10. ^ "'It's just part of our vibe': The 'American lean' is the latest thing people are roasting U.S. tourists for". dailydot.com. 2025-05-08. Retrieved 2026-04-07.
  11. ^ Gatollari, Mustafa (2025-07-04). "The "American Lean" Is So Pervasive, the CIA Trains Its Agents to Un-Learn It". Distractify. Retrieved 2026-04-07.

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