US expat shocking by how much Australians hug each other and what it means to have a D&M
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The ‘normal’ Australian social behavior that baffles American expats: ‘I thought it was a joke at first’
- An American expat revealed that Aussies are more affectionate and open to their feelings
- Brit, who lives in Sydney, shared her observation in two viral TikTok videos
- She said she had discovered the Australian expression ‘D and M’ or deep and meaningful
- The usual expression refers to an open and honest conversation about feelings
- Brit also noticed that Australians are physically more affectionate with each other
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An American woman who recently moved to Down Under has shared her shock at how affectionate and openly “vulnerable” Australians interact with one another.
Brit moved to Sydney earlier this year and said she ‘thought it was a joke’ when she heard about the Australian phrase ‘D and M’ which refers to a deep and meaningful conversation.
The American expatriate went viral with her revelations in a video posted to TikTok in which she said she heard Australians, especially men, described as more “socially free” because they weren’t afraid to hug or share their feelings.
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American expat, Brit (pictured) revealed how much more physically affectionate and open with their feelings Australians are compared to other people around the world
In a TikTok clip, Brit, who lives in Sydney, said he recently discovered the Aussie term ‘D and M’, which means a deep and meaningful conversation in which people share their feelings
“Australians are just more vulnerable to other people in general. For example, there’s something Australian, I think it’s Australian, where you say ‘Oh, we just had a D and M’, which is deep and meaningful,” explained Brit.
‘Like a deep and meaningful conversation. The first time I heard that I thought it was a joke and thought it was the cutest thing ever.”
Brit was warned about the expression ‘D and M’, which is slang for a conversation about serious topics and personal feelings, by a viewer of a previous video she posted about the affectionate nature of Australians.
“Australians are so affectionate physically as if they just love to touch each other,” she said.
Brit made another video about how ‘affectionate’ she thought Australians said she was amazed at how often people hugged Down Under
“You’ve probably seen videos on the internet of Australian men hugging each other and everyone saying ‘Woah, men showing affection’ – they’re all like that.”
Brit said she was surprised when her Australian boyfriend burned all over his back and chest and was concerned about his male colleagues ‘hugging’ him and ‘pushing him around’.
‘I was like, ‘Working?’ Can you imagine a bunch of guys touching each other at work in America? Damn lawsuits left and right,” she said.
The American admitted that she doesn’t really hug her friends and family at home and is trying to get used to the new social dynamics.
“I don’t know if I just grew up in a certain family that doesn’t touch much and so do my friends, we just didn’t like touching. I hardly hug my friends and family,” she explained.
“But here everyone hugs me, everyone touches me, they just love to touch each other.”
The American admitted that she doesn’t really hug her friends and family at home and is trying to get used to the new social dynamics
The videos drew a total of 567,400 views and garnered hundreds of comments, mostly from Australians, who were surprised that closeness with their friends was not the norm around the world.
“It’s all about moderation and valuing your friends,” said one viewer.
‘That is not normal???? WHAAAAAATT,’ exclaimed another.
‘Missing other places! Nothing better than a casual hug,” said a third while a fourth laughed, “Handshakes literally feel more intimate to me than a quick hug.”
“Five person D and M in the bathtub at a house party is better than most therapy,” joked one Australian.
“I’ve literally had D and Ms with people I’ve just met at the smokos in pubs. It’s really nice to have real conversations with people,” explains another.