They love our movies. They hate our politicians (well, most of them). But what about our manners? We found out what everyone thinks of our behavior—be it good, bad, or just plain perplexing

There have been better times to be an American, at least in terms of world opinion, yet tourists and immigrants continue to flock to the United States. And when they do, they find that our mores are a lot more complicated than what pop culture, or the chance encounter with fanny-packing tourists, has led them to believe. For all our vastness and diversity, we do have a culture of etiquette—one that can be just as confusing for the visitor to navigate as Japan's, or Egypt's, or France's is for the American tourist. Which is why this edition of Etiquette 101 is an inside-out affair, an introspective examination of the U.S.A. in the eyes of the rest of the world

1. THEY THINK WE'RE A "LOOK, BUT DON'T TOUCH" CULTURE…
THE SMILE: One of the qualities that sets us most apart is how often we smile—even at strangers. "It really is peculiar to Americans," says Gary Weaver, a professor of international communications at American University, who's trained many a foreigner. Visitors often take a smile very seriously, "and then when they realize that it extends to everybody, [they assume] it's because Americans are phony." But it's just a basic signal of politeness—mixed with perhaps a preoccupation with first impressions. "We're a very mobile society," says James L. Bullock, a diplomat at the American embassy in Paris. "We're always trying to fit in—that's why other people think we're always smiling."
EYE CONTACT: Whereas in other cultures avoiding eye contact—particularly with an elder—can be a sign of respect, here eye contact is mandatory, even if you're just making small talk about the weather.
PERSONAL DISTANCE: Weaver warns visitors that Americans are not to be touched beyond the forearm, and estimates personal space here at nearly two feet—twice what it is in the Arab world and in Mediterranean countries. The author Aleksandar Hemon, who emigrated to the United States from Bosnia in his late twenties, noticed that people here flinched at his touch. It's not that Americans are cold or that Eastern Europeans are pushy, he says. It's just a cultural difference related to notions of personal space and privacy.

2. …AND THAT OUR WOMEN ARE TEASES
In most countries, a scantily clad woman smiling at a stranger is an invitation. "We've had major issues," says Pamela Eyring, director of the Protocol School in Washington, D.C., "especially with the Russians and Serbians." Some men have even given female colleagues the keys to their hotel rooms. Eyring is currently preparing a course on dressing conservatively. "That's an area we're having trouble with in the United States." Weaver finds himself having to emphasize that "when an American woman says no, she means no. It doesn't mean ask me again," as it often does in other cultures.

3 THEY THINK WE MAKE MEANINGLESS SMALL TALK
Small talk—which Hemon calls "the verbal equivalent of smiling"—is a staple worldwide, but it seems that we Americans do it the most. Take the phrase "How are you?" "In many countries where people say 'How are you,' they really mean 'How are you,'?" says Weaver. "We just want people to say 'fine.' It's not an invitation to a health report." Sherry Mueller, head of the National Council for International Visitors, gives detailed workshops on small talk. "I recommend that they read a local newspaper or a magazine. That gives them topics and conversation skills." It's a way to avoid just discussing the weather, or topics you'd rather not hear about, because…