Who still sits “criss-cross applesauce”?

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Fit_Low592@reddit

We sat in the culturally misappropriate 1980’s “Indian style”.

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VaryaKimon@reddit

It was called something else when I was a kid. 😂

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Apprehensive_Yak136@reddit

I'm not sure why it's so controversial to say this.

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Feeling-Ad-2490@reddit

We had a teacher read to us and called us to 'gather round like little injuns'. A bit insensitive but back then you only saw Indians on TV fighting cowboys.

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Albuwhatwhat@reddit

Ok buddy. Well you clearly aren’t Native American. I get that but saying you only saw them on tv back then… they existed then and still do today. That was just your experience.

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I remember a dystopian book I read growing up. It was forced curriculum for many kids. One of the ways they portrayed fascism was shouting "precise language! Precise language!" At people who misspoke or used hyperbole. And actually, their phrasing was much more accurate than yours. Because of the actions of the US government, the broader you is more apt than the singular I. Yes, they existed and people saw them. But most people didn't outside of a certain context, and that was purposeful.

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LettingHimLead@reddit

The Giver! Love that book!

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Albuwhatwhat@reddit

What a jumbled mess of ideas. I don’t agree. There’s nothing wrong with trying to be nice to people and respectful of their different culture. It doesn’t hurt you, it doesn’t make you less, it just makes you someone who is more likable and nicer. So why not try it?

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_WeSellBlankets_@reddit

>There’s nothing wrong with trying to be nice to people and respectful of their different culture. Whoa, could you please quote where I implied that there was? Definitely not my intention in the slightest. >So why not try it? I do daily. I don't see how keeping the phrasing with the word "you" is insulting anybody. It's not diminishing someone's existence. It's showing the heinous reality that Native Americans were hidden from Americans' view purposefully. I'm not suggesting that by trying to change their phrasing you're trying to hide that reality. But their word choice of "you" over "I" wasn't showing any insensitivity to Native Americans. It was an acknowledgment of a simple reality.

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Albuwhatwhat@reddit

I doubt that’s how the person above meant it. You sound like you just want to argue.

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hardbittercandy@reddit

it’s almost as if they are actual people and….gasp LIVE among us doing regular everyday stuff in society that everyday people do

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No_Variation_9282@reddit

I specifically remember being taught how to sit “Indian Style” in cub scouts around the fire

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

How old are you? Lol

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Howboutit85@reddit

I do t know. I know we say natives now but they still call themselves Indians. The area I live in has a tribe and a reservation nearby and they go by the moniker “Puyallup Indian Tribe” on the reservation.

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ObligationSlight8771@reddit

I’m pretty pc, and but this is nonsense. Criss cross sounds so dumb

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badwolf42@reddit

Especially when you can just say cross-legged. Or with your legs crossed.

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fidgetypenguin123@reddit

Honestly they could have always said cross-legged or any variation of it and yet still chose to say Indian style lol. Most people naturally just cross their legs like that anyway. It's weird they associated it with a specific group of people only.

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arcxjo@reddit

It's not weird; Indian people meditate like that.

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fidgetypenguin123@reddit

Many people meditate like that and most people sit like that on the floor. It does not solely belong to one group of people. It's really just cross-legged. It never needed a nickname attached. The "Indian style" and then "criss cross applesauce" names were really just made for children to hear at school to be cutesy and remember it.

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iknowiknowwhereiam@reddit

When I think of sitting cross legged or crossing your legs it’s like this https://preview.redd.it/dsgmk0svjwhd1.jpeg?width=650&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e901d18b355b1fde429bb25426557dc7ce1e2ae

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NachoNachoDan@reddit

Kriss Kross will make ya JUMP JUMP

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Kreatorkind@reddit

Your pants are on backwards.

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jason8001@reddit

Your sweatshirt is inside out

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Kreatorkind@reddit

Goddammit I actually checked!

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melvinmel@reddit

Cuz inside out is wiggida wiggida wiggida wack.

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VinceAmonte@reddit

😂😂

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Adorable-Race-3336@reddit

It's wiggity wiggity whack.

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fitzbuhn@reddit

Not regular kind?

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Adorable-Race-3336@reddit

No I checked. Definitely of the wiggity variety.

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Wishbone_508@reddit

And my pants put on back is my everyday uniform.

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Apprehensive_Yak136@reddit

it's just so lame sounding

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Blacksunshinexo@reddit

It's really not. People just love to be offended

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Cyclibant@reddit

I never even heard '"criss cross apple sauce" in my life until watching that Brian Laundrie police body cam video. Actually had to Google it. Yeah, I'm not saying that ... and "sitting cross-legged" is an inaccurate descriptor. Sometimes I'll just say "Native American style" - oh, I'm giving them that shout-out, damnit.

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kkcita@reddit

“Kids, sit on the floor Black-style!” “Kids, sit on the floor chinese-style!” “Kids, sit on the floor like the uneducated racist stereotypical depictions of Native Americans/indigenous people!” “Kids, sit on the floor slave-style! They didn’t have furniture !!” “Kids, sit on the floor woman-style” Native Americans/indigenous people are real people who exist in the world and who are ready to be treated with respect and dignity.

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Apprehensive_Yak136@reddit

Dude, you're off the reservation.

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kkcita@reddit

Well, it’s true, I am a citizen of the Cherokee Nation and I do not live on the reservation

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Firm_Equivalent_4597@reddit

![gif](giphy|Hdgh69gIXYatwqikAU)

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melanthius@reddit

If you’ve seen one Indian person doing it then it must be ok

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RedditGotSoulDoubt@reddit

Yeah. I think was based on actual Indian people too, not native Americans. Some PC idiots decided otherwise.

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

Nah. It's from the early 1900s ,in the us...definitely referring to native Americans.

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Runningman787@reddit

Here's a fun video talking about the word "Indian" and its use among not only Americans who are decendant from Europe, but also Americans who are decendant from the people who have been here much longer. It's an interesting watch. https://youtu.be/kh88fVP2FWQ?si=UO4rhIsU8izkR60x

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Ordinary_Awareness71@reddit

Because the PC crowd is loud and the rest of us are too afraid to hurt their feelings or tell them go f off, so we comply. Look where that's gotten England.

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No_Variation_9282@reddit

It was Indian Style when I was a kid. Going through some sciatica issues right now and when at rehab they asked me how I sit in my office chair and I said “cross legged” and he showed me just the lower legs crossed… so I was like “no… uhhh “ and I wanted to say Indian Style, but this was general pop of the rehab center and wasn’t sure the acceptance of this phrase and not trying to insult people, so I just sheepishly looked and said “crisscross applesauce..?” 🫠

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oatchick@reddit

Indian as in Native American. It’s how they sit in lodges or on the ground. Same sitting style.

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justadrtrdsrvvr@reddit

I went to a presentation with some Indians/Native Americans and one of them said "we call ourselves Indians, don't ask and don't overthink it." Now I'm not sure how to be politically correct about it.

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AnneAcclaim@reddit

If you’re not indigenous I wouldn’t use the term Indian because you don’t know your audience and how they feel. But yes by law in the US they are referred to as Indian and many people have embraced the term for themselves.

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Ex-PFC_WintergreenV4@reddit

But also how people from India sit

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Feeling-Ad-2490@reddit

Lotus

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jenbenfoo@reddit

I think that's similar, but with the feet on top of the legs instead of under. I used to be able to do that....maybe I still can, I haven't tried in awhile....

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WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit

Triple dog dare you to try

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jenbenfoo@reddit

LOL 😂😂😂 I might try. We'll see how I feel when I get done with work today

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Ok-Mine1268@reddit

Not everyone is capable of sitting lotus style. Including Indians. Half lotus is way easier for most people. Thanks for letting me share.

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dukeofgibbon@reddit

This is the Tao

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Kreatorkind@reddit

Right? Anyone ever see a guru sit?

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peritonlogon@reddit

![gif](giphy|3N0QVmKYPi2uk|downsized)

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NatPortmanTaintStank@reddit

The Indian guy at the Olympics opening ceremony?

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Nightshade_Ranch@reddit

It's how humans sit on the ground in general...

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oatchick@reddit

I agree. Most humans, it can be hard for some. And hence why folks here are not referring to it as such because it is racist. It’s not something a group of people do, but how most able-bodied people with strong hips sit.

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WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit

Most westerners body's are used to only sitting in a chair position which makes sitting on the ground very difficult. I'm a good example. When I first became a father I could not sit crossed on the floor. It took a good year of stretching to be able to do so. I'm never going back. I try to sit cross any time I can and keep my hips/pelvix and generally posterior chain limber.

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monkeyfightnow@reddit

Lots of places have a squat sit rather than on the ground. Think Russian or east Asian style.

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look_ima_frog@reddit

Sitting on the ground is bullshit. I hate being to be on the floor. Hated it as a kid, never do it as an adult. I remember sitting on cold linoleum over concrete floors in school during boring assemblies freezing my ass off and being uncomfortable. I was not and am not a no-butty, got plenty of cheek back there, it still sucked. Chairs are AWESOME. Fuck sitting on the floor, you can call it what you like, I call it bullshit. I'd rather stand.

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ineptplumberr@reddit

I don't even need a chair. I am sitting on a five gallon bucket right now

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dexterfishpaw@reddit

It’s good for your hip mobility to sit on the floor regularly. Thing about that is you can go through most of your life with crappy mobility and have no problems, but when you do get problems they are problems you wouldn’t be having if your mobility was not poor. And at that point it’s much harder to fix than just sitting in a less than comfortable position somewhat frequently.

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spy_tater@reddit

My wife and I both squat. We're both American muts.

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BatFancy321go@reddit

the asian thing when you can squat with your feet flat on the floor. my feets don't do that

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cmiller0513@reddit

The Slav squat! Heels on the ground, comrad found, heels in the sky western spy!!

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SpotThis5491@reddit

Mmmm smells like Adidas track suits 👌 😍

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Nightshade_Ranch@reddit

Native American people can do that, too.

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DefiantFrankCostanza@reddit

But it wasn’t their culture.

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WorkingItOutSomeday@reddit

I always took it as sub-continent Indian.

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Howboutit85@reddit

Weird I always thought Indian styled meant *Indian* style… like because sitting like that is a yoga pose.

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Separate-Sky-1451@reddit

There is a lot of confusion about the origin of the reference. Some sources suggest that it refers to the lotus position and therefore Indian (India). In polish (will need to fact check) I believe it's referred (loosely) as Turkish style.

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paradisetossed7@reddit

Yep and I still have to mentally catch myself before I say it because it's so ingrained. I don't like criss cross apple sauce either because I'm not four, but cross-legged seems to work. I sit like this constantly.

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dee_lio@reddit

My friend from India claims it as her Indian style of seating, but she's kind of a jokester, so I don't know what to believe.

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SparkDBowles@reddit

Or dots, not feathers, because of lotus position?

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oatchick@reddit

Yes, but given this was in the 80s and folks are referring to American schooling, bigger chance they mean feather and not dot.

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pixelpheasant@reddit

Absolutely this, and learned to sing "one little, two little, three little Indians" with construction paper headbands complete with a construction paper feather. There was no confusion over here, just overt racism (as it were at the time 🤦🏻‍♀️)

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ZealousidealDog4802@reddit

Yes but the term has been used in the US since the early 1900s.

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

It’s also a yoga pose…so I wonder if it’s not actual Indian? But of course in the US one should never assume the best when it comes to slurs

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oatchick@reddit

Maybe. But this is meant to be about 1980s America and that seems too far of a cultural stretch.

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

Exactly! I know when I heard it as a kid I didn’t think of India.

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ZealousidealDog4802@reddit

I did. I would think of an Indian guy sitting on the ground playing some kind of flute.

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ZealousidealDog4802@reddit

I always thought it was Indian as in people from India.

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Erika_Blumenkraft@reddit

I have heard that it's Indian as in Indian, because it's the lotus pose of yoga. And no I don't sit like that anymore, my legs don't like to be bent for a long time.

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Coca-colonization@reddit

Thought you said “shitting style” at first and I was trying to figure out how that would work. Not well was my conclusion.

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Additional_Action_84@reddit

It's also how many asian folks sit for meditation...maybe it should have been Indian, as in from India!

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Equal_Painting534@reddit

Yes, still "Indian style" lol 😆

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Dry-Cardiologist5834@reddit

Yeah we called it “Indian style”.

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holymole1234@reddit

We, as a nation, stole their land and committed genocide against them. Now let’s go pat ourselves on the back for not calling it “Indian Style.”

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RoundEarthCentrist@reddit

Yes, that.

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greenwoodgiant@reddit

I accidentally let "indian style" slip once a few years ago (i'm almost 40 and don't think i'd said it out loud since the 90s) and my friends were like "whoah! damn, man" and it wasn't until that moment that i realized that was not culturally appropriate lol

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TAckhouse1@reddit

Glad I wasn't the only one 😂

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seriouslynope@reddit

I try so hard not to say it that way cause they don't teach that in school anymore

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AttilaTheFun818@reddit

It’s still that in my head. I try not to say it aloud since ya never know who it’ll piss off.

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Jfonzy@reddit

HOW DARE YOU

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RudeAmount9607@reddit

This is why this sub rules. You would’ve been banned in other subs for this

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

Yeah, I was trying to be respectful; that said, it doesn’t look like there is consensus on how it got its name.

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ZRhoREDD@reddit

It was definitely "Indian style," and they explicitly told me that it was how "the Indians say in teepees." Then we did a Thanksgiving play where half the class was pilgrims, with construction paper black buckle hats, and the other half were "Indians" with paper grocery bag vests and feather headbands. We "Indians"had to sit on the floor like that while the pilgrims sat at the big table with cornucopia in the middle. Jesus, as I type this, they really tried to ruin us didn't they?

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peritonlogon@reddit

The thing is, there are so many false etymologies out there. [ seem to say it's the one's from India](https://www.reddit.com/r/asklinguistics/comments/10jjpl8/sitting_indian_style/). One popular etymology is that the term "Indian" for Native Americans came from people mistakenly thinking they were in India, but the one agreed on by more linguists is that the term comes from Anglicising the Spanish *En Dios* which was a term given to them because they were thought to be "with God" or acting like they were still in the Garden of Eden.

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cortesoft@reddit

Wouldn't "With God" be "Con Dios", like the saying "vaya con Dios"

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peritonlogon@reddit

There's never a 1 to 1 translation of prepositions between languages. They're often very loosely overlapping owing to how much imagery they include, and they change over time. I read this etymology a while ago, and I can't really comment on when en dios meant in 1500s Spanish, or why it was translated to with God.

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LaMalintzin@reddit

Uh indio and Indian both mean from India (Columbus thought he was sailing to India) and India comes from a Sanskrit word for a river there. Not sure where you got this en dios thing.

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cortesoft@reddit

Fair

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PoisonMind@reddit

"En Dios" is certainly a folk etymology. Every reliable source will tell you it's from India. https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=indian https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Indian#Etymology https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/India#Etymology_2

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EchoCyanide@reddit

Sounds like you were in my class, haha

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mysticpeach@reddit

Same experience with school play - our 3rd grade class had the big Thanksgiving play with pilgrims, "Indians," and a "modern" (white) American middle class family. The pilgrims and modern family sat at a big table together while we "Indians" sat on the floor in front of our construction paper teepee.

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YinzerNinja@reddit

OMFG. I did the same! I remember one where I played Christopher Columbus myself, in like 2nd grade )late 80’s) and we had “Indians” with cardboard bow and arrow props. WOW.

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Character-Solution-7@reddit

I always thought it was a reference to the lotus position that was misinterpreted by the PC crowd

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arcxjo@reddit

It is.

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VaryaKimon@reddit

I agree that it's an inappropriate term these days and I haven't called it that since I was a kid (and didn't know any better), but I'm not the one who came up with that phrase. It's just a small part of human history, as beautiful and ugly as it is. Recognizing and recalling the shitty parts about our past isn't the same thing as endorsing them. 🤷

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BlackshirtDefense@reddit

What ugly past? Are you British or Pakistani? Why do you hate India? It has nothing to do with Native Americans. It's literally an Indian yoga pose.

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dee_lio@reddit

You know, I actually don't know anyone who was actually offended by that term. Was anyone actually offended, or is this "I bet they should be offended" situation?

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lunchboxdeluxe@reddit

There are a lot of people who don't seem to understand that quoting a slur or controversial word for clarity is not the same at all as using it yourself.

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cortesoft@reddit

I don't think anyone would say the word "Indian" is a slur or controversial, it is just using it to describe a sitting position isn't very culturally sensitive.

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

Legit didn’t even know it was called something else until an episode of Kimmy Schmidt where Jacqueline tries to hide her native heritage. “We invented sitting like that!”

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ItaDapiza@reddit

I recently got called all sorts of names and absolutely annihilated in a sub because I said if I ever decided that I wanted to get married, I wanted a dress like those on My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding. Ummm I didn't know that apparently that's a slur now. I was caught so off guard and ripped apart ha. In fact I'm not sure if I should censor the word of the show or not?? Idk😩😩😩

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

Ummm… last I checked, that’s what the show was called?! Same with the American one! My favorite is when they try to correct you with “Romanian”.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

That's exactly what they said!!!!😭😭😭 They told me they are now called 'Traveling Romanians'. I was just like ok...and left. Lmmfaooooooo And yes dammit the show is freaking called that! Whew, it was a doozy.

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cmiller0513@reddit

The preferred term is Roma, which is distinct from Romanians.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

This actually is the first time I have seen something that makes some sense instead of just saying 'it's bad'. Also, very interesting about 'jipped'. Were gypsies a real thing that went around stealing or something? Like a group of 'bandits'? Or did people just call a certain type of person gypsies? Does that make any sense?

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austinmiles@reddit

They were a nomadic people group who were treated pretty badly and had a lot of negative stereotypes built up around them. The best example I have in my head is the movie Chocolat. They were also in the same category of Jews in nazi germany and were rounded up and systemically executed. Roughly half of them in Europe were killed. Personally, I can be okay adjusting some common phrases to provide a little dignity.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

Thank you. I agree, that's why I appreciate learning things like what you replied with. This whole thing has reminded me of when my parents and grandparents would say 'colored people' when I was young. I would just die and get so upset and ask why they keep saying that because they would be saying something nice but say colored people. They were confused why I was confused and said that's what you say. To me it was a slur but to my parents it was the proper way and saw no harm. I feel like them. I bet I looked ridiculous to the younger crown who scolded me. But! Like my parents, now I know.

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Kevthebassman@reddit

If you associate a Romanian with a Roma, you will see a Romanian go on a spitting, screaming rant, and hear some interesting, non-PC takes on the validity of the actions of a mustachioed Austrian painter.

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defmacro-jam@reddit

Do we have to change it again when people start saying someone "roma'd them">

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

I legitimately just saw this happen in a local subreddit! People are just dumb.

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badwolf42@reddit

Just reply with a link to IMDB for the show.

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wheelstrings@reddit

Which in itself is incorrect. Some, but not all, refer to themselves as "Roma/Romani" Some Romanians are Romani, but not all Romani are Romanian... Though they might not see it that way since they are culturally, linguisticly and historically distinct from the Romainians.

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Danny-Wah@reddit

So annoying.. But also, those dresses are hideous.. BUT if that's your dream, I hope you get the biggest, most bodaciously, hideous, big, fat, Gypsy dress that you can find!!

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ItaDapiza@reddit

😂😂😂😭😭😭😭😭😭 Ok ok ok look, I know they're obnoxious and totally ridiculous, but they're right up my alley and I want a big huge sparkling poofy dress so bad.😩 Lol!!

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Danny-Wah@reddit

I'm rooting for you!!

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PuppyJakeKhakiCollar@reddit

But that is literally the title of the show. People have way too much time on their hands if they are getting mad at things like that.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

It was swift and out of nowhere. For one, I honestly didn't know this was a taboo word now and for two, like you said it's literally the name of the show. At one point someone said something factual about the word and I said that was interesting that I didn't know that. For whatever reason people started to get even worse onto me after that, saying I didn't care that I was calling people slurs and saying I was proud to use slurs?? Wild interaction.

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peritonlogon@reddit

Was it Fat, Gypsy or Wedding that was offensive???? or My?

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ItaDapiza@reddit

I got ripped to freaking shreds. I guess I was supposed to say I wanted a dress like those on My Big Fat Traveling Romanian Wedding.

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Inevitable_Phase_276@reddit

That wouldn’t have worked either

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Holiday_Snacks@reddit

😭😭😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

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Holiday_Snacks@reddit

In the Olympic spirit, go watch NADIA and your sins will be cleared? 💀

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Danny-Wah@reddit

Surprisingly, it was "big". XD

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The-Rev@reddit

Big must have been the offensive word

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

I loved how Jacqueline was supposed to be native American 😂

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

My favorite subplot of the entire series for sure! Her and Mimi Kanasis.

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

I watched it about 3 years ago but just found out that Washington did change their team name... and I live in VA so that's kind of sad lol. I don't keep up with football apparently.

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

I don’t do football at all and I genuinely don’t know what they changed their name to. Is it the Senators? Dunno!

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Tiny-Reading5982@reddit

Commanders... so dumb sounding lol. They should've found an animal at least lol.

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katie_cat_eyes@reddit

That is rather silly! Replace a troubled name with a name that troubled them to begin with… in a way.

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CrittyCrit@reddit

Can I tell you a story about how back in 2008 I worked at one of those portrait studios in the mall. I was photographing an Indian family and when I asked the child to do his solo portraits I told him to sit "Indian style." My face went red. I died inside the moment I said it. It still haunts me.

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RoundEarthCentrist@reddit

Yep, that.

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RFWanders@reddit

the term used here translates to "tailor's seat"

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rifunseeker@reddit

Yup. I never sat criss cross - I sat Indian style. Now, I just sit with my legs crossed.

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Hendrix1967@reddit

Ever since my daughter, then 4, invented criss~cross applesauce in 2010…. and she also invented mustard that same week Don’t try to argue because this discussion has been had and we lost. She declared herself the winner.

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Enough-Ad8224@reddit

Why do Americans have such ridiculous names for everything?

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Ok-Weather-7332@reddit

I do. 45 years old.

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oatchick@reddit

Same. 44 here and I love working from home because that’s is how I sit in chairs or on the sofa. And Japanese style on the ground. So does my dad, who’s turning 70 next year. I grew up in the largest Japanese community outside Japan so we appropriated the sitting style to eat and watch TV.

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TransportationOk657@reddit

My legs would go numb after a couple minutes sitting "Japanese style." 😵

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Least-Task276@reddit

I did not know some people called it that. When I grew up, everyone said "Indian style" A slightly different flavor of racism.

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TransportationOk657@reddit

I think what they meant by "Japanese style" is sitting on your feet like you see Japanese people do at their low tables.

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Auntie_Venom@reddit

This! I can only do it for a minute or so, it’s always been that way. If I’m on the floor I sit with one leg folded in and one folded out, more like a pinwheel. I quickly learned to adapt as a kid.

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TransportationOk657@reddit

I played baseball throughout my youth. I couldn't even do the catcher's squat for more than a couple minutes before my legs went numb, let alone sitting in my feet "Japanese style!"

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Auntie_Venom@reddit

I know it sounds strange, but my feet go numb on elliptical machines and it’s not because my shoes/laces are too tight. It’s so weird! I have no problem on any other fitness machine or simply running outside, just ellipticals. There must be some nerve we’re pinching.

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jent198@reddit

I have this too, and I've never gotten an answer on why! I thought I was crazy!

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Auntie_Venom@reddit

I’m so glad to read it’s not just me experiencing this!

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PlantedinCA@reddit

Similar for me. It is not every time, but it happens

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Cancel_Electrical@reddit

I've been using the elliptical for the last couple months and noticed this. Sometimes just one foot, sometimes both. I've been just ignoring it, but now I wonder what the cause is.

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oatchick@reddit

Strange. That means the blood isn’t flowing the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t want to be an alarmist, but go have it checked out so nothing weird creeps up as you age. 🩷

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oatchick@reddit

That’s because you weren’t using those same muscles to play basketball. My recommendation would be since you’re on 45 to start doing chair pose at a higher level and progress to squats to strengthen your hips.

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TransportationOk657@reddit

I've always had this problem, even when I was younger playing baseball. I've never been able to do it, even when worked out and lifted weights a lot in my 20s and 30s. I can perform a squat no problem. It's just when I stay in a squatted position that my legs fall asleep. It's always been that way for me.

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willissa26@reddit

It’s the best quad stretch after a run.

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momof2penguins@reddit

Same, also 45.

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jerseysbestdancers@reddit

It is literally the only way that I'm comfortable. I sit in a car, on chairs, on the couch, the floor. I even have a wooden chair without arm rests as my desk chair just so i can work crosslegged.

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Spyder-7906@reddit

I feel like I've found my people. I thought I was weird for being 40± and always, literally always sit like this. Work, dinner, relaxing, car rides etc. It's the only way I'm comfortable.

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IrreverentGlitter@reddit

Me too! If I’m not totally cross-legged I almost always have one leg tucked under.

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carefree_neurotic@reddit

Agreed.

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jerseysbestdancers@reddit

That last part hits. I literally cannot sit any other way comfortably.

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carlitospig@reddit

45 and quite literally sitting this way right now. It keeps my toesies warm in the AC. 🥰

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MagnumPIsMoustache@reddit

I’m late 40s and we were always Indian style.

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LaRoseDuRoi@reddit

I do, too. 44. I have disabling arthritis in most of my joints (also, hypermobility), and the doctors and physical therapists I've seen all think it's bizarre that sitting criss-cross is the most comfortable way for me, but... it is.

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Blue_Star_Child@reddit

I'm 45, and I have never sat criss cross applesauce. That was something I didn't hear until I had kids. We sat cross-legged, and yes, I still do! Especially for yoga.

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SortaNotReallyHere@reddit

Mid 40s too and I still do this. It's so comfy.

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Mindless_Society4432@reddit

Same, 40. It the only way I know how to play video games. Sometimes Ill try a chair, and I last like 10 min.

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Ok_Researcher_9796@reddit

Good on you for staying flexible.

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deadonthei@reddit

You mean Indian style? What's inappropriate about the way people sit in India?

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bittersandseltzer@reddit

It’s best to always retain the ability to sit this way. There’s like 8 simple things we should make sure we can do as we age because it impacts our quality of like a TON! I don’t remember all the things but one was being able to touch your hands above your head. Stay active ppl! Keep stretching!

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Ok_Outcome_6213@reddit

I watched a 60 year old man throw a temper tantrum yesterday and sit down in the middle of the road exactly like that.

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Sufficient_Curve5386@reddit

I do!

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xavierguitars@reddit

I used to sit "Indian Style" not this criss cross applesauce childish bullshit

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illinoishokie@reddit

I lay criss-cross applesauce in bed. It drives my wife nuts, but it feels so good on my knees and hips after a long day.

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bebegrace142@reddit

38, I still sit this way most of the time. When I was younger they called it “Indian style”

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Jenaaaaaay@reddit

I sit like this sometimes at work on my desk chair. I’m short so it still works well for me

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Pass-O-Guava@reddit

Right‽ Dangling your feet get tiring sometimes.

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_MistyDawn@reddit

And causes so much knee pain!

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phunky_1@reddit

I dunno what that is but I will sit indian style lol

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Christie318@reddit

I do but can’t sit like that for too long.

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emilianna555@reddit

I had to stretch so now I can sit criss-crossed applesauce again. 42. Also, I’ve never seen it written out and it looks so weird when I read it. 😂

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LordLaz1985@reddit

All the time. 38.

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

It's called Indian Style.

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Idle__Animation@reddit

It’s also called half lotus if you’re really flexible

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FriarTurk@reddit

This is all it was ever called until I was an adult.

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

Whether we're talking the country with a billion people, or the indigenous peoples, I seriously don't understand what's offensive about the term. *It's a way of sitting*. How is sitting cross-legged offensive?

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idog99@reddit

I believe the offense may be construed by assuming that an entire population of people, one that has many different cultures and practices, all does one particular practice. That and the inference that perhaps some cultures are civilised enough to use furniture. It would be like referring to someone being fat as "American sized". May not be racist but it's rude.

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whole_nother@reddit

American-sized actually is used for portion sizes in some countries, like we would use ‘Texan sized’ here. All of the above are harmless, and even mostly true, generalizations.

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idog99@reddit

Yes. All Indians sit on the floor criss-cross. It's something endemic to their culture. I think you have drifted away from the point...

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whole_nother@reddit

Next you’ll tell me that unless every Frenchman does his toast like that, we need a different, less problematic phrase.

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whole_nother@reddit

Willfully missing the point that it was more or less a distinction between native Americans and colonizers, if that is indeed where the phrase comes from. If the Iroquois league habitually sat on chairs then I’m open to reading about it.

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VinceAmonte@reddit

>It would be like referring to someone being fat as "American sized". I am totally doing this!!! Including when talking about myself!!! We should make this a xennial community thing lol

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

>It would be like referring to someone being fat as "American sized". May not be racist but it's rude. Only if calling someone fat is rude. If it's accurate, I'd be quite okay being called Murica Sized™.

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Ex-PFC_WintergreenV4@reddit

Don’t know because it doesn’t offend me but maybe y he implication that they don’t have (or can’t afford?) chairs

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whole_nother@reddit

I suspect it came about as a contrast to how European colonists sat at table, i.e., in chairs. In which case it’s just true- not every reference to someone’s cultural identifiers is inherently racist.

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DamarsLastKanar@reddit

Plenty of cultures sit on floors. Japanese, for example.

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Ex-PFC_WintergreenV4@reddit

Absolutely. Anyone without a chair, really.

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SweetCosmicPope@reddit

I’d never heard otherwise until I had a kid and they called it criss-cross applesauce.

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fromthedarqwaves@reddit

It was called “Indian style” when I was a kid in Oklahoma. I didn’t hear the phrase “criss-cross apple sauce” until I was in my mid 20s and had moved to the west coast.

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Schmuck1138@reddit

42, and if I'm on the ground, that's how I sit.

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Baked_Potato_732@reddit

I’ve recently lost a lot of weight and been doing a lot of walking. I’ve found that once again I’m sitting criss-cross which is something that I’ve not been able to do in years.

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primordialforms@reddit

Literally sitting that way when I read your post

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beeurd@reddit

I do sometimes, it was always called cross-legged in the UK. I don't think anybody ever called it criss cross applesauce, at least not in my region when I was a kid.

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AotearoaChur@reddit

Wait...cross and sauce don't rhyme though?

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Tacothekid@reddit

Not me. My knees are too fucked up for that anymore

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ferretherapy@reddit

Just realized I still call it the "inappropriate term" today. That being said, I have no idea as to what year was the last time I've used the term to begin with.

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notoriousrdc@reddit

All the time. It's so comfortable! I don't really get the "criss-cross applesauce" thing, though. It sounds like something you'd say to a small child, like "blankie" or "potty," but I keep hearing it from grown adults speaking to other adults, and I don't understand why. "Cross legged" is right there! Maybe this is just a sign that I'm entering my cranky old fart era.

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SunshineInDetroit@reddit

I can't anymore. I spent both my kids toddler years sitting in that position building Legos and wooden trainsets with them for so long my hips hurt.

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thodges314@reddit

Yeah I sit like that all the time. Although usually I do the opposite version where I put my heels on top of my knees.

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mapett@reddit

52 and I do.

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millera9@reddit

I couldn’t do it even as a kid; always hurt my hips and knees. Definitely can’t do it now!

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Short-Step-5394@reddit

Same! I always sat M style because crossing my legs was uncomfortable. My son sits the same way now.

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gcjager@reddit

What is M style?

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Short-Step-5394@reddit

It’s sometimes called W shape, too. It’s where you sit on your butt with your legs bent outward and feet behind your hips

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RTMSner@reddit

I could never do that.

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gcjager@reddit

Sounds awful!

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Short-Step-5394@reddit

It was comfortable to me! 😁

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dexterfishpaw@reddit

You’re probably hyper mobile and should do some strength training to improve the stability of your joints. You don’t have to go full on meat head, just getting more toned will go a long way to prevent injuries in the next few years.

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fridaygirl7@reddit

My daughter sat like this to accommodate a weak core. Her OTs worked on it with her quite a bit.

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dexterfishpaw@reddit

You would never guess, but I am an OT.

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fiestybox246@reddit

My daughter always got in trouble for sitting this way in gymnastics.

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dexterfishpaw@reddit

It’s a common thing there because more flexible people often gravitate towards gymnastics and dance.

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fiestybox246@reddit

That makes sense.

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LaRoseDuRoi@reddit

Oh, hey, I can still sit like that, too! My joints are hypermobile and it freaks people out.

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oatchick@reddit

You need a pillow below both of your knees for support. It can be a common issue. And if you’re in your 40s still I recommend you take on yoga to strengthen your hips and leg muscles for the old age.

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dexterfishpaw@reddit

This is so true, I worked in a nursing home. It was my job to rehab people so they could stand up to pull up their pants and wipe their butts. The western lifestyle allows you to live to an old age with very little function in your body, which is no fun for anyone.

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Misty_Esoterica@reddit

Squats are also great for strengthening the hips and quads.

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oatchick@reddit

Yes! One of the theories behind blue regions is that people in those regions squat more and this leads to longevity.

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Interesting_Tea5715@reddit

Same. I can't do it. I just don't have much hip flexibility.

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RTMSner@reddit

41 and I sit criss cross applesauce in my bosses office since she has chairs that are uncomfortable for my taller frame.

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DukesOfTatooine@reddit

I do all the time.

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shinysquirrel220701@reddit

Did it today…at 44

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theoracleofdreams@reddit

40 and doing it right now while taking a break from research.

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Obvious-Beginning943@reddit

I’m short and often can’t touch the floor when sitting in chairs. I sit this way most of the time!

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littlemama9242@reddit

I sit that way all the time. It's the most comfortable for me

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HappyOfCourse@reddit

You mean cross-legged? I never understood why they just didn't go with that term. I still sit that way in my 40s but my knees aren't happy about it.

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Brave_Comparison_180@reddit

Who wouldn’t? And why not?

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BlackshirtDefense@reddit

Indian style. It's not inappropriate. It's literally a yoga pose from... India, shocker.

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SatoshiBlockamoto@reddit

I sit Indian style.

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dee_lio@reddit

I do. And my friend from India indicated that "criss cross applesauce" was a cultural appropriation their way of "awesome" sitting, and how dare we take that away from her. (My friend is a smarty pants)

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Shameless522@reddit

I wish I could sit Indian style still. Somewhere along the way I got to stiff

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2ant1man5@reddit

Me at 38, good posture support.

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davidbfromcali@reddit

Never could, even as a kid. It hurt

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madproof@reddit

My knees don’t bend like that anymore

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onesleekrican@reddit

I work from home and do this all day long. My knees lock after a few hours and I have to walk about the house but honestly it’s the most comfortable way to sit.

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JayEllGii@reddit

Sometimes. 41.

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brilliantpants@reddit

All the time. I love sitting on the floor.

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cottoncandycrush@reddit

lol doing it right now 😅

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Pearlmarine@reddit

Never stopped

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LongbowTurncoat@reddit

40 here and I do!! I call it “floor time” haha

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Adventurous_Mail5210@reddit

What you trying to do – make me break a goddamn hip?

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SnooKiwis2161@reddit

Wait - there are people who don't?

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Witty-Bug8222@reddit

Yep

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alexanderseven@reddit

I think if I attempted to sit that way I would have to go to the emergency room.

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Elandycamino@reddit

I never heard it called criss cross applesauce or if i did i didn't know what they were even talking about until I was probably 30.

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royheritage@reddit

Every now and then I try it and remember that my knee ligaments are like an old rubber band now. Can’t do it.

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Farazod@reddit

Stretch. Lookup physical therapy videos about your specific problem and go to town. After a minor back injury left me bed bound for a few days one of my hips basically locked up. Couldn't sit or cross my leg, even getting up off the ground could spike pain. A couple of weeks later the hip hadn't improved and basic stretches were either doing nothing or completely impossible. Took me about a month of doing a 5 minute stretch routine 2 to 3 times a day I found on YT to loosen up enough to transition to carefully sit and stretch the hip further.

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phillysleuther@reddit

I have since I was three. Dancing school.

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Rtn2NYC@reddit

43f. As I read this I’m sitting cross legged right now on the couch

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Hot-Winner-6485@reddit

I never heard the team criss cross applesauce till I was in my 30s. Indian style is what it was called.

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rheoyel@reddit

I still sit that way in all my chairs.

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Immediate-Pool-4391@reddit

Makes my hips and back hurt.

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AndyThePig@reddit

Only when I'm meditating.

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Prestigious_Ear_2962@reddit

Lol I'm not physically capable now unless I hold onto my feet. Otherwise I just fall over backwards

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basylica@reddit

I sit indian style god dammit

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Sithstress1@reddit

Every day.

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muffadel@reddit

I could never sit like that for more than five minutes without my legs going numb.

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GrasshopperClowns@reddit

Me but I’m bi. Apparently it’s a thing.

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JR4009@reddit

I’m sitting that way right now!

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recovery_room@reddit

Used to. Not as easy any more with the old SI joint pain.

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BatFancy321go@reddit

nah we didn't do that in philly, it was casual racism every storytime day.

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Glendale0839@reddit

I sat Indian Style for years in my desk chair, can't do it anymore, hurts my knees too much after a while.

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RachelPalmer79@reddit

I cannot.

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shiftdown@reddit

I sit like this at my desk chair at work. Maybe about a third of the time when im most on reddit than actually working

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Thenadamgoes@reddit

I was actually looking for an office chair the other day that was wide enough to sit criss cross. Cause I sit like that all the time.

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secretid89@reddit

When I was in 1st grade, it was enforced rigorously, that we had to sit cross-legged. I HATED it! I was never comfortable sitting that way (at least at the time). Not sure why. It seems really controlling that they made such a big deal out of how we sit on the floor!

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Chris02058@reddit

39m here, it’s basically the only way I sit. My knees also hurt a lot lol.

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dkonigs@reddit

I really can't do it anymore. One leg always goes numb, and I keep switching back and forth to try and mitigate that until I get tired of it and just stand up.

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Wheres-shelby@reddit

I can’t because my knees kill when i stand up. But i do find it comfortable to sit like that. And we called it “indian style”. Woops.

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roastbill@reddit

Lol I wish

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KrypticSkunk@reddit

I still sit Indian Style.

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ScienTwist3aD@reddit

Sir or madam, the notion that my 41 y.o ligaments could fold into such a position shows me that you see the best in your fellow olds. Keep it up.

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Horror_Goat_4611@reddit

I still call it indian style because criss cross applesauce sounds retarded.

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unbalancedcentrifuge@reddit

I did up until recently. But I was unkind to my poor knee and realized they are much less forgiving now. Now, I am babying it because I can not afford to take time off if I anger it further.

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No-Lie-802@reddit

58 and I do it in restaurant booths out in public unconsciously until someone calls me out for being "so flexible" lol

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WeekapaugGroov@reddit

Nope, even as a kid I hated sitting this way

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shroomsAndWrstershir@reddit

How else would you sit on the floor if you have no back support?

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WeekapaugGroov@reddit

Well I absolutely despise sitting on the floor so 'i don't' is the best answer but if I have to it's butt on ground and knees up in front and then I squirm around like a 5 year old who has to pee. I'm actually in pretty good shape Ive just never been flexible.

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JennaJ2020@reddit

I do! Even at work lol. I lower my chair so I can sit like that under my desk haha. -37

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Koss424@reddit

‘Indian’ style. :o

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EarlBeforeSwine@reddit

I sit cross legged. But I did not hear “criss-cross applesauce” until I was in my 20s

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Verbull710@reddit

I remember thinking "that's how girls sit" Still think that, now that I'm thinking of it 😂

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carefree_neurotic@reddit

53, I sit that way all the time. My mom did the same thing.

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dorkyoverforty@reddit

43 and it’s my preferred sitting stance, even on a couch or in a chair

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wrenwood2018@reddit

How else would you sit?

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but_does_she_reddit@reddit

Ehhhh we called it something else and I now call it criss cross applesauce

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therog08@reddit

I remember saying the old terminology for it not that long ago, it was mortifying lol. The kid I was talking to had no clue what I was talking about.

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tasdron@reddit

46, currently sitting this way in a recliner, was already doing it when I saw this post

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Kaethor@reddit

43, I couldnt get into that position if I tried

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Collective82@reddit

42, I still sit Indian style.

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makinthemagic@reddit

I do. I have some lumbar spine and hip issues going on. It opens up my hip joint and stretches things just right.

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GreyGhost878@reddit

Criss cross applesauce is dumb. Call it cross-legged if you're offended. To me it will always be Indian style.

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Specific_Cod100@reddit

I have never understood how "Indian Style" is offensive. Both Native Americans and South Asians sit that way. And it isn't offensive or a critique to say as much. Marking cultural differences or affinities is not a problem unless it's done to be hurtful.

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LaRaspberries@reddit

Idk about south Asians but a lot of indigenous Americans live just like you, in houses with chairs.

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Specific_Cod100@reddit

I'm aware. "sit like that" and "sit like that all the time" aren't the same thing. Germans are known for Viennaschnitzel and Eskimos, igloos, but I don't presume they eat that every night or sleep in igloos these days. Why presume the worst by default?

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LaRaspberries@reddit

Okay let me change it, we sit like this just as much as the average american, not even a bit more.

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Specific_Cod100@reddit

That totally changed my mind. You win. ✌️

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LaRaspberries@reddit

No u

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qualmton@reddit

It’s still Indian stule in this house

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alive1982@reddit

"Indian Style" was ours, which as a kid didn't even cause a 2nd thought. As an adult the first time I heard "criss cross applesauce" and thought what the eff is that, and then went "oooohhhhh"

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ShayRaRd83@reddit

i’m 41 years old and i sit on EVERYTHING like this. The floor, office chairs, the couch, dinner tables, basically any flat surface that i can pull my legs underneath me. My coworkers have consistently asked me if i’m double jointed since i was 20.

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

You may have hyper-mobility! It was always colloquially called “double jointed” but hyper-mobility is the medical term. I was a dancer, so I just assumed that’s why I could do some of what I do, but even now at 46 I can sit cross legged and my knees just flop on the ground

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ShayRaRd83@reddit

I have heard that phrase and absolutely believe that i am! Any hyper mobile tips?

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

Strength training! You want to support your joints with strong muscles. You also have to sometimes correct for the hyper-extension. A “straight” arm for me means feeling slightly “bent”

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nitrot150@reddit

We are folders! I hate sitting with my feet on the ground

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Missmunkeypants95@reddit

Yep. I'm a folder.

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bootingula@reddit

> My coworkers have consistently asked me if i’m double jointed since i was 20. Even after 21 years they still doubt you saying otherwise?

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ShayRaRd83@reddit

lol multiple jobs so different people!

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Interesting_Tea5715@reddit

It drives me crazy when people sit criss cross but don't take off their shoes. Shoes are gross/dirty. Hopefully that's not you OP.

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fidgetypenguin123@reddit

I'm sitting like that right now in bed while I eat my breakfast lol

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Charger2951@reddit

You mean Indian style? Seriously, can people stop being such fucking pussies. I will never understand how saying that is “offensive” either. They are Native American Indians and they sat that way. HOW is that offensive??

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Mournhold_mushroom@reddit

It's not, redditors just like looking for reasons to feel self-righteous. (I always thought it meant Asian Indian, for some reason).

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MonchichiSalt@reddit

Doing it right now while doom scrolling through Reddit.

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Mamasan-@reddit

It’s a basic way of sitting so yeah

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tessemcdawgerton@reddit

Not a xennial — I’m a little younger than y’all by not much — but criss cross applesauce is the only way I know how to sit. Even at restaurants.

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brinazee@reddit

My hips and ankles have vetoed sitting cross legged on the floor.

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AWEDZ5@reddit

I am currently sitting that way in the passenger set of my car while Hubs is driving. When I was little, it was called sitting Indian style. When did it become criss cross applesauce?

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Time-Ad7233@reddit

I sit Indian style (78)

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One-Earth9294@reddit

Yeah I stay active but my yoga score is ZERO. I haven't been able to sit like that comfortably since I was a kid.

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faintly_nebulous@reddit

I can't, my hips hurt 😫

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PrincipledBeef@reddit

I’m inflexible and am riddled with neck issues, so that’s a no from me dawg!

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dontrespondever@reddit

Not really. I am too old to sit on the ground for any substantial time, Indian style or otherwise.

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PuppyJakeKhakiCollar@reddit

I am sitting like that as I type this.

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vintage_seaturtle@reddit

I still do, and my kiddos do as well

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RedHeadedScourge@reddit

I sit cross-legged in my office chair at work. People are so wigged out about it. I'm just like 🤷🏼‍♀️

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nitrot150@reddit

I will also fold my legs under me in my office chair. It’s comfy

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doktorhladnjak@reddit

Also “wigged out” has become a charming out of fashion term

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RedHeadedScourge@reddit

Love that for me 😄

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MadLove82@reddit

42 year old applesaucer here. I still do it regularly, partially because I’ve convinced myself that if I stop, I’ll lose the flexibility to do it in the future!

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nitrot150@reddit

I do at 46! And in my head it’s till the inappropriate term, unfortunately. Had I not had kids, I probably would wouldn’t even en know the new term!

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Distwalker@reddit

I am 62 and still sit that way when playing with my grandkids.

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Hetjr@reddit

43 and I do. My knees prefer it. Depending on the surface, my lower back does not lol

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DooficusIdjit@reddit

I can’t, lol

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PlantedinCA@reddit

I do not but this is a skill I am working on. I sucked at as a kid. I have a lifetime of tight hips to undo. Being able to sit cross cross applesauce and being able to get up without your hands is a predictor of mobility in old age and I want to be a mobile and active senior citizen!

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patriotAg@reddit

Why is "Indian style" so inappropriate? Never got that. It's not derogatory at all. The whole world is full of sensitive sally's and wimps. I never once thought of it as derogatory. I though of tough indian warriors when it was said.

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BehemothJr@reddit

Me too! I remember making "sit upons" in Brownies/Girl Scouts, which were a square leather pad with a thin layer of foam inside to facilitate such sitting.

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Nobodyville@reddit

I do not.. I'm too fat and my hips will not tolerate it. Also I feel like my shoes are too big. I sat like that all the time as a kid and never felt like my shoes couldn't be accommodated. I have a couple of coworkers who are always pretzel-ed into their chairs in some childhood position. My mom sat with one leg crossed under her, her whole life.

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AlohaSmiles@reddit

My knees no longer bend that way. Thanks roller derby!

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DG04511@reddit

I wish I still could, but I’ve been dealing with a partially torn meniscus in one knee and an MCL strain in the other that I’ve suffered from just being old apparently.

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LeafyCandy@reddit

I would if my knees would cooperate.

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BotGirlFall@reddit

With these hips?? Id be in a wheelchair

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GrfikDzn_IsMyPashun@reddit

Mine are coming to an end soon but not by choice.

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Accomplished_Pen980@reddit

I just sit Indian style as I learned in 1979 but I'll cross cross applesauce in mixed company

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2StrokeGoReeen@reddit

Why is calling it indian style inappropriate? Just trying to understand

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I_Dream_Of_Oranges@reddit

https://preview.redd.it/42nwpd5ihwhd1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6df8d26a24b30792f8454b68113168cbecc49dd0 Meeeeeee 🤣

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oddball_ocelot@reddit

My kids had to explain that one to me. We called it another style growing up.

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Stop_Touching2@reddit

You mean indian style?

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Bunnyeatsdesign@reddit

I'm 40 and sitting like that right now on the couch. I'm also small enough that I can sit cross legged at my desk on an office chair. It's so cosy but not very good for my posture for long periouds.

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Tinkerfan57912@reddit

I can, but I won’t be able to get back up.

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No-Vegetable-6836@reddit

Hear me out in this…… Picture an Indian man, he is meditating because he is Hindu. It’s the most popular religion in his country, India. Okay, so tell me how is he sitting? Crisscross apple sauce right? Now, how long have Indians sat like for their meditation process? Centuries? Perhaps longer? So maybe we can still call it Indian still?

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No-Vegetable-6836@reddit

Oh and ya I still sit like this all the time. 39M 6’2, 300 pounds, I get looks lol. My daughters even tease me about it

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Rich-Yogurtcloset715@reddit

I do it even when I’m in a chair or on the couch

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Drewskeet@reddit

I only heard it called this recently when I had kids. I’m 40. I’ve been calling it Indian style until like 2 years ago.

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pumpkin_seed_oil@reddit

I do. Right now. On my parents carpet. In front of my parents couch. With my gf. And our dog

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Turbulent-Pea-8826@reddit

If I did I would never be able to get up again.

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WanderingNNT@reddit

Sitting that way right now! I'm 44!

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doughnuts_not_donuts@reddit

"Indian Style" means adding curry now. Crazy how times have changed. Personally happy to see "Indigenous American" gaining popularity as a description

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MashedPotatoesDick@reddit

It comes natural when I'm sitting down and want to twist and crack my back.

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t_bone_stake@reddit

I would but I’ll be uncomfortable as fuck after a while

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SplendidPunkinButter@reddit

I don’t mind that they no longer call it “Indian style” because that’s totally racist. But why “criss cross applesauce” and not just “criss cross”?

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onetypicaltim@reddit

I would if my knee liked it

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Necessary_Net_7049@reddit

It's my default seated position

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SmartyChance@reddit

A similar inappropriate term was used when school wanted us to line up single file.

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SecretMusician8485@reddit

I’m 45 years old and we sat Indian style. I can’t even believe that was a thing. By the time I was in high school in the mid to late 90s and taking child development class, our preschoolers sat criss cross applesauce. When my now teens were in preschool, it was pretzel sitting. What is it now? I teach 8th grade so I have no clue.

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mllebitterness@reddit

Pretzel is good!

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forgetfulsue@reddit

I had a horrible sciatic “attack” a couple years back and now I’ve lost a lot of strength and range of motion. It sucks. Never had sciatica when I was pregnant!

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owlthebeer97@reddit

Me too!!

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SkazzK@reddit

I "sit like a tailor" in Dutch :)

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mllebitterness@reddit

Nice. I do sew so it works, kinda.

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oatchick@reddit

What? This requires more Dutch explanation. Why a tailor?

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SkazzK@reddit

It's [how tailors used to sit](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kleermakerszit#/media/Bestand:Interior_of_a_Tailor's_Workshop_by_Quiringh_van_Brekelenkam,_Montreal.jpg) while they worked. It's apparently also where the term "tailor's bunion" for a bunion on the outside of the foot came from.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

That's so cool! Thanks for sharing. I love learning cool things like this. Now anytime someone brings up sitting crossed legs I'm gunna tell them what it's called in Dutch, and why lol. 😀

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SkazzK@reddit

It's properly called "kleermakerszit", clothes-maker-sit. One of those verb-as-noun things that's hard to translate.

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ItaDapiza@reddit

Very awesome ty. Also, just a really cool word.

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oatchick@reddit

Learned something new!

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Southern_Sea_8290@reddit

I wanna know more about this too!

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No-Championship-8677@reddit

I do!

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mllebitterness@reddit

I still sit this way, I just called it cross legged. The rhyming name is annoying; maybe fine for preschoolers.

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Tullamore1108@reddit

I loathe the rhyming name. WTF does applesauce have to do with sitting?!

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mllebitterness@reddit

Yes, thank you.

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jerseysbestdancers@reddit

The occasional teacher called it Indian style, but basically I grew up with everyone calling it sitting cross legged. And if you sat with one leg over the other, we just called that sitting with a crossed leg.

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

The problem is people also say “cross-legged” when refer to crossing their legs (feet/foot on floor)while sitting upright in a seated position from an elevated position. I said CCAS to avoid any confusion.

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mllebitterness@reddit

No problem for me.

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emzirek@reddit

I just started playing Valheim, and in order to relax and sit down you need to press the x key... I Remember by saying criss cross applesauce and that helps me remember the x key for to sit down...

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dixiebandit69@reddit

I was told to "sit like an Indian" when I was growing up.

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CrappityCabbage@reddit

My 7-year-old learned a song called Criss-Cross Applesauce which *includes* the other term. 😬

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InternationalLack614@reddit

I'm a preschool teacher so definitely.

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chowbrador@reddit

I still do, no problem. Feels natural.

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MihalysRevenge@reddit

43 here I sit like that all the time

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theresourcefulKman@reddit

‘Indian style’

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OddDragonfruit7993@reddit

I can't sit that way because my knee joints are weird. I used to get yelled at in school and Sunday school for not sitting cross-legged. Probably why I still argue with authority at age 60.

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Reagannite1981@reddit

I do at times. But it’s Indian style.

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Nate16@reddit

It was called "Indian Style" when I was young. That was in the 80's.

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messerschmitt127@reddit

Why the hell did they come up with this when "sit cross legged" is RIGHT THERE

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Wild_Owl_511@reddit

Every day. I hate the feeling when my thighs press into a chair.

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GarciaWolf@reddit

I did not know what Criss Cross apple sauce was until recently.

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hubba_lubba_bubba@reddit

I do. Only now, teaching kindergarten, I teach them to sit with ice cream and waffles (criss cross legs are a bowl to hold your ice cream / waffles are your hands flat on your lap). Every preschooler knows crisscross applesauce. Nobody knows about ice cream and waffles, which makes the expectation novel and fun.

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tipseymcstagger@reddit

My kindergarten teacher in 1989 always made us sit like this- she called it “Indian style”

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13dot1then420@reddit

Bro, you can say Indian style.

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Avasia1717@reddit

i watched an episode of double dare last night and mark summers told a kid to sit indian style. that’s what we always called it in the 80s. then somewhere along the line we had to change it to cross legged. i never heard criss cross applesauce until my daughter started pre-school.

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DearAuntAgnes@reddit

I have ischial bursitis. Criss-cross applesauce is the *only* way I can sit for long periods!

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aweedl@reddit

We just called it “cross-legged”. This “applesauce” thing, I’m assuming, is some American weirdness?

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stevieoats@reddit

I don’t even sit that way because of what it used to be called. r/lookatmyhalo

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Equal_Painting534@reddit

Lol, I always sit cross-legged! As a matter of fact, I'm laying on my bed right this second cross-legged! It just feels so comfortable to me. Also, sometimes I'll sit in a chair cross-legged if no one's around.

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SulimanBashem@reddit

even as a child I couldn't do that. my hips refused to move in the required direction. also, was never able to cross my legs sitting in a chair. I blame it for why I didn't have the makings of a varsity athlete

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HugeTheWall@reddit

I never stopped! Also still sit on the floor, squat to do things and sit, and crawl over the back of the couch like a child.

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orange_avenue@reddit

I’m 42 and I do… buuuuuuut sitting this way, and the other weird variations of sitting with a leg folded under me, are starting to wreck my knees. Just started happening in the last year or so. 😩

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Educational_Zebra_40@reddit

My back and my ADHD like me to sit cross legged. My knees and ankles don’t.

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Whatevawillbee@reddit

Never, I sat Indian style.

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Large-Crew3446@reddit

I just changed it to the other Indian.

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jenbenfoo@reddit

On the rare occasion I sit on the floor for any great length of time, i do. And as a preschool teacher it's a phrase I use often, lol.

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New_Entrepreneur5225@reddit

It’s Indian style to me

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realsalmineo@reddit

[Indian-style.](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/fa/2f/5b/fa2f5b2abd099fda41d88d2d0957d3a3.jpg)

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ArtemisTheOne@reddit

I always have and it causes me so much pelvic pain.

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BadAtExisting@reddit

My body is too wrecked to comfortably sit that way for any length* of time anymore

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eclecticmusiclover@reddit

[Kimmy Schmidt ](https://www.reddit.com/r/HighQualityGifs/s/LORjqaajts)

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Proxiimity@reddit

It's the only time I'm comfy sitting.

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ConnieLingus24@reddit

I do yoga. BOX POSE.

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Appropriate-Food1757@reddit

I never have and never will. Mainly because I don’t been that way

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Djragamuffin77@reddit

Everyone with ADHD in my case load lol

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moeru_gumi@reddit

Why ADHD? And why would it be more prevalent in ADHD than in the general population? In Japan absolutely everyone sits on the floor either seiza (kneeling) or "normal sitting" (cross-legged) throughout kindergarten, at home, at the dinner table, at the television, basically everything that doesn't require standing or at a table. I would be surprised to hear that ADHD in this population has any correlation with sitting in what is considered a normal style. So I'm always hesitant to believe it has real correlation in other populations.

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Djragamuffin77@reddit

I work with adults, teens, and children with ADHD. They typically have hypermobility and sit this way. Just an observation from my experience. May not be indicative of anything other than my clients here in rural Indiana.

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oatchick@reddit

Wait. What ADHD has to do with sitting style?

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ridiculousdisaster@reddit

"Active sitting"

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oatchick@reddit

Oh, funny. My dad sits Japanese stile but he stims (apparently not a verb) and drives my mom bats. I can sit still, but have all sort of things going on which also drives my mom bats.

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surewhynotokaythen@reddit

Stim is absolutely a verb! It can just be used as a noun too. Regardless it's a shortened form of "stimulating" but if you use the term "self stimulating" it sounds like something else...

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NotATrueRedHead@reddit

I’m AuDHD and I do it, although it’s starting to hurt in one of my knees at 38. 😭

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PawsbeforePeople1313@reddit

I do, it's the only comfortable way to sit for me. I do it on the floor, on the couch, on my desk chair. I'm 41 and out of shape, but it's still the only way I can sit without back pain.

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MadameLeota604@reddit

I’m sitting like that at my dining room table right now.

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Lethave@reddit

On the couch but same!

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Sunshineal@reddit

The question can i still get up without too much assistance. Not really. I can sit cross legged but i can't get off the floor. Lol

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Top-Telephone9013@reddit

So much boomer energy radiating from this thread. Oof. I hope its an anomaly. What I usually like about this place is the fact that we're not on this "BaCK iN mY DaY, pPl werEN't so ofFEndED" bullshit

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

Thanks for this comment!

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_WeSellBlankets_@reddit

Indian style baby. And my history teacher said they've been called Indian so long that it's gone back to being a politically correct term. That was in 2003. I told her I still felt safer using the term I grew up with, rezzies /s.

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noblewind@reddit

I do if I sit on the floor/ground. Which I still do semi regularly.

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onepostandbye@reddit

Shortcut to legs falling asleep for me. Oooooooold

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attigirb@reddit

Pretzel-style!

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givemeonemargarita1@reddit

Can’t we call it pretzel style? I like it much better than criss cross applesauce

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blimpcitybbq@reddit

I can’t stand cross cross applesauce so I tell my kids to sit like a pretzel.

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ketchupbear@reddit

Yep, still do at 40. For folks that want to, try putting something undetectable your butt, but not under your legs - that’s helped me sit longer in that position so it may help ease into it.

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torquelesswonder@reddit

Hanging out with the buddies, if it’s floor seating, I never sit the same way for too long. Rotate through, and criss cross is one of them.

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CaveJohnson82@reddit

I literally learned what this was like last year. Not a phrase we used in the UK - was and is sitting cross legged!

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NickLoner@reddit

I've never been able to sit like that comfortably for some reason. I remember them making us do it in pre-school and I hated it lol I've never heard it called criss-cross apple sauce though.

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Starbreiz@reddit

Apparently I'm also hypermobile so I always sit weird, apparently it's common in adhd women but they didn't think girls could have adhd in the 80s

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bookishdogmom@reddit

Yep, even in my office chair

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CuriousRiver2558@reddit

I say “sit cross-legged”

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refuge9@reddit

That’s how they always wanted us to sit in class but I never could. I always wanted to tip back if I sat Indian styled. I always ended up just sitting with my legs under me.

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ericwbolin@reddit

Haha. Oh, man. I am as this crossed my feed.

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NoneOfThisMatters_XO@reddit

I’ll say it… sitting indian style. Also does anyone remember that song? One little two little three little indians… apparently the words are changed now. 😂

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Intelligent_West7128@reddit

If they changed it to Native Americans that makes it a long and tiresome song lol

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fidgetypenguin123@reddit

If they really wanted to still stick with referring to them, they *could* say natives and it would work lol. But it's still weird imo

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NoneOfThisMatters_XO@reddit

No now it’s something with two syllables. I remember my friend sang it to me cuz she has a toddler. Maybe soldiers? One little two little three little soldiers…

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Southern_Sea_8290@reddit

Perhaps performed this song ON STAGE in first grade WITH PAPER HEADBANDS AND FEATHERS. Perhaps.

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TimeIsBunk@reddit

I was a pilgrim. My kids would be APALLED at my school age plays.

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TransportationOk657@reddit

Lol, I haven't thought of that song in ages!

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funatical@reddit

All the time. In recliners, in office chairs, while driving if I have the cruise control on and I’m taking desolate back roads (Texas, we have a lot of them) even knowing how dangerous that is. It’s what’s comfortable.

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rialucia@reddit

I wish I could. Even when I was a kid, my right knee would be stiff and achey when I sit cross-legged. That’s only gotten worse with age.

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rowman25@reddit

I can get one leg. The other one, not so much.

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midnight-dour@reddit

I can’t do it. I will lose all feeling in my legs and standing up again is…very difficult, let’s say.

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shroomsAndWrstershir@reddit

How else would you sit on the floor if you have no back support?

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midnight-dour@reddit

I don’t. I’ll just stand.

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BIGepidural@reddit

# Short People Unite! I've seen this question asked elsewhere before and it seems us shorties like to sit cross legged, on the floor and tend to dislike sitting chairs cause we can't reach the ground. I'm a hard core cross legged sitter even doing it on bench seats at restaurants because its more comfortable then dangling off a cliff while eating. 5' shortie 🥰 Who else is with me here?

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Special-Ferret@reddit

I'm 5'2 I was thrilled to find a couch recently that I could sit back in and my feet could reach the floor! I hate my legs dangling and would sit cross legged on my old couch.

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

Ha! I’m over 6ft! But, I don’t like “bar-height” stools for precisely this reason!

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mllebitterness@reddit

Totally. Or I tuck one leg up and under my other. So much easier to stay in the seat when your knees aren’t at a right angle with feet on the floor.

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Ordinary_Awareness71@reddit

No, not a fan of Indian style. Not very comfortable on my knees. Too much wear and tear from heavy lifting and martial arts.

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Scary-Ad9646@reddit

Why is Indian style considered inappropriate?

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throwawaybread9654@reddit

Yeah even in my desk chair lol

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therealpopkiller@reddit

Always have

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Food_Library333@reddit

My legs go numb if I sit like that for too long now.

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Sandstorm1020@reddit

Absolutely fucking *not*. My entire life, that shit has been uncomfortable and any kind of sitting on the floor puts at least one of my legs to sleep. Hate it.

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Sea-Feeling-9827@reddit

Indian style. And I don’t sit like that often.

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SonicDethmonkey@reddit

Just don’t call it “Indian style” or you’ll get scalped!

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tmbgisrealcool@reddit

It was called Indian style but pretty much I think everyone in the entire world has sat that way.

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rangeghost@reddit

Ah, memories of face-planting after an school assembly because sitting this way always cut off the circulation to my feet.

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Myotherdumbname@reddit

Wish I could

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rinky79@reddit

My hips don't like it anymore. I can sit there but when I get up I feel like I'm 1000 years old.

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Blacksunshinexo@reddit

Me. I'm Chickasaw and still say Indian style sometimes. Whatever's. I get funny looks sometimes, but hell, it's comfortable to sit that way. On the couch, in a booth, on the floor. I figure it keeps us all flexible. Haha

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Markaes4@reddit

I have zero flexibility left at 48, but I still sit like that all the time. That's how I shower and play videogames.

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fiestybean1214@reddit

I am currently sitting this way, as I do whenever possible. I'm 43 and while I'm sure a doctor would say it's bad for my back and knees, it's just so comfy for me. I did have a double lumbar fusion years ago and it's possible sitting this way contributed to the back problems, it was mostly due to many injuries in my teens and twenties on trampolines, skateboards, and riding horses that went untreated. I'm short (5'1") and have always been very flexible and I just love that light stretching feeling when I sit that way and lean forward.

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Adorable-Race-3336@reddit

Got a new office chair specifically so I could sit criss cross.

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Ok_Researcher_9796@reddit

Not really capable anymore.

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mcnathan80@reddit

Yes *native american* style

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PipingaintEZ@reddit

I had a teacher that called it indian fashion.

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Danny-Wah@reddit

Yes.. all the time. I'm short and it's the most comfortable way to sit.. restaurants, airplanes, anytime, anywhere.. I use the armrest to hoist myself up and "criss-cross" my legs and plop back down.. LOL

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dexbasedpaladin@reddit

I can do it, I just gotta stretch beforehand. And it's gonna take me a minute to get back to my feet... Don't get old kids.

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HazHonorAndAPenis@reddit

I'm doing it right now. Laptop on bed.

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sator-2D-rotas@reddit

We didn’t call it that when I was kid. I only use that cause that’s how my nephews know it. Plus at 42 I can still do it and stand straight up from it without assistance. I consider that a win.

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BoysenberryQuirky103@reddit

I never heard about this criss cross applesauce thing until I heard it on burnt crystals special. I grew up hearing it called Indian style. I dont see why they changed it. Both kind of Indians sit like that.

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Sunflower-happiness@reddit

I’m sitting that way now on my couch.

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mminthesky@reddit

In my office chair, in a restaurant booth - yes!

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ItaDapiza@reddit

God my family hates that I do this in restaurant booths. I can't help it tho!

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Usual-Role-9084@reddit

Same, also on the bathroom vanity to do my makeup. I’m a few months away from 42 so we’ll see how much longer this lasts lol

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seastarscar@reddit

yes. it's comfortable!

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Iridescent-Voidfish@reddit

I still do all the time, even in regular chairs. It’s more comfortable to me.

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Purple-Bell-218@reddit

Am right now at work with no customers! No chairs to sit. We aren't aloud to. So yep..... on the floor now seeking on my fav. Sub

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MandyPants2117@reddit

My knees won’t let me anymore 😞

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pismobeachdisaster@reddit

Doing it on my wood floor is always an immediate mistake these days. It kills my ankles. I remember that there was a sitting position in cheer called the swastika. I wonder what they call it these days, because I doubt it still goes by that.

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Mother_Sand_6336@reddit

Sitting that way right now. On the couch.

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yearoftherabbit@reddit

I sit like this 70% of the time, it's just so comfy!

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Newton_Is_My_Dog@reddit

Nope. Bad knees and tight hips.

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Bwood423@reddit

I don't, but I sit with my legs splattered out to the side like the letter M.

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rwa2@reddit

No one ever told me to stop doing Tae Kwon Do since Karate Kid made it a big deal. I teach it now and we just call it sitting for deep breathing / meditation. The real question is how many feet do you have on your knees and can you crab walk in that pose?

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Rowdyjohnny@reddit

I still can. Also called Indian style, from what I can remember from Detroit public schools.

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PickleFlavordPopcorn@reddit

This is a normal way that humans of all races have sat for millennia whether it had a name or not, because it is biomechanically easy to do. I think it was probably the early 1900s when it got a “name” because this was the height of standardizing everything that children do and forcing compliance- including how you were to sit instead of allowing a small human to simply sit in the way that was most comfortable for them.

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nccon1@reddit

Indian style for life. I went to private school when I was young and that is how we sat (and walked with our hands behind our backs). I’m a big dude, 6’2 260 and my friends are shocked that I’m more comfortable sitting cross legged. I always get made fun of. 🤷‍♀️

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

I’m a big person, too — over 6ft — and I rarely see other bigger folks sitting like this!

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nccon1@reddit

Before I switched desk chairs to one that unfortunately is not as wide, I’d sit like that all day at my computer. Probably a good thing I don’t anymore. I have bad back problems and sitting like that in a chair is not a great idea.

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SomeMeatBag@reddit

I am right now at 39

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shoesontoes@reddit

I'm sitting like that rn reading this comment thread

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Unfortunate-Incident@reddit

As I read this while sitting criss cross applesauce

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SweetCosmicPope@reddit

I sit like this in my office chair every day. I’ll also sit at the coffee table and eat dinner and watch a movie like this. Here’s a weird one: I HAVE to sit like this on the couch to play video games. If I sit on my butt I play like shit for some reason. But if I sit with my legs crossed I play much, much better.

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Graybeard_Shaving@reddit

Wait, they changed the name? When the hell did that happen?

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xargos32@reddit

I sometimes do, but I always regret it. My legs end up falling asleep and I have a hard time getting up.

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ChaucersDuchess@reddit

I sit with my legs stacked, and so does my kid. I used to get in trouble for doing that instead of like everyone else. I found out so many years later that I have hip dysplasia and it’s just comfier to do it stacked. Criss cross is painful for me.

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Hatecookie@reddit

I bought a specific chair just to accommodate my crisscross sitting habit.

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JustHCBMThings@reddit

I still do, but I shouldn’t as I can feel it in my right hip after.

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twillardswillard@reddit

I have my kids do it all the time

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Moon_Noodle@reddit

I sure do!

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EnvironmentalPack451@reddit

Its just the normal way to sit. Couch? Bean bag? Office chair? Lets just get those legs folded up where they are comfortable!

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Squigglepig52@reddit

Slavic squat, for me.

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neighborhooddisgrace@reddit

I do but my legs fall asleep after 15-20 minutes.

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KellyAnn3106@reddit

Sitting like that as I'm browsing Reddit now. It's just natural for me.

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Leather_Molasses_264@reddit

Me right now

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Global-Discussion-41@reddit

I'm lucky enough to have chairs and other seating in my house.

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slappy_mcslapenstein@reddit

I'm not as flexible as I used to be.

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DebiMoonfae@reddit

Sometime, at my computer on my computer chair but it’s getting harder to fit and sometimes my leg is like “nope, can’t move that way today” . Sitting that way ruined my last computer chair. The fabric got torn and the stuffing worn away where my feet lay. It’s the cat’s chair now.

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Sea_Ganache620@reddit

I couldn’t bend like this as a kid, and wouldn’t even attempt to try it at my age.

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Northshorefisher@reddit

Not with my old-ass knees🤣🤣

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non-plused@reddit

Indian style?

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FriarTurk@reddit

I do. But I’m finding it harder and harder to get back up. Even tweaked my sciatic nerve doing meditation once…

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AshDenver@reddit

Solid GenX at 53 and I sit that way at the dinner table and all day in my office chair.

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Boo_Bxtch_Breath@reddit

I do this, at work, restaurants, pretty much anywhere. I'm 40 and my coworkers make fun of me.

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jojocookiedough@reddit

43 and it's still my favorite way to sit. On the couch, on a desk chair, there's a good chance I'm sitting criss-cross. Also I hadn't really thought about the name until my first kid was a toddler. Had a momentary panic trying to think of what to call it without teaching my innocent youngin' outdated racist terms lol. Was happy to learn there are better terms now.

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ResurgentClusterfuck@reddit

I am right now, it takes pressure off my spine and hips sometimes I have some gnarly sciatica and OA in both hips, so...

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chawrawbeef@reddit

I’d rather stand, thank you very much

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Hypatia76@reddit

I do at 47 - it's still the most comfortable way to sit on the ground! And I have a 6yo so I've completely switched over to criss cross applesauce. When you know better, do better, is how I see it.

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mistyayn@reddit

I do but I have to make minor adjustments as body parts don't want to cooperate as much as they used to.

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QuixoticCacophony@reddit

I sit like this on my bed all the time. My legs tend to ache now if I do it for a long time, but it's still the most comfortable position for me.

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NotRemotelyMe1010@reddit (OP)

That’s when I posted this — I sit this way in my bed, too! (But then it feels good to stretch out my legs)

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forgettingroses@reddit

I'm sitting that way right now.

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imhungry4321@reddit

Last Tuesday I sat like that in the basement of an art museum as we waited for the warning to clear.

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messysagittarius@reddit

I still do at 40. I'm a dancer and hypermobile, so it's one of the most comfortable positions for me.

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sambashare@reddit

Yeah I do too. A lot of the time, there's just nowhere to put my legs if I stretched out, so cross legged it is!

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NotRadTrad05@reddit

I still do if I don't just squat. In Shiner Texas, they call it sitting Comanche Style, which flies in a rural town with the Comanche as a mascot. During covid, the elementary principal did online morning announcements with a headdress on and the tomahawk chop playing. It's wild what still goes on.

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janellthegreat@reddit

The first time I substitute taught pre-k I had to lean over to a kid to inquire, "when I sit this way, what is it called?"

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justme131@reddit

I was a teacher. I still constantly choose the floor to sit.

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gemillogical@reddit

Doing it rn

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sholtsclaw698@reddit

at first i was like what did they used to call it, then i remembered, i don't really sit that way, but i do sit with one leg under me, if given the chance

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