'Lost In Translation' - Things that make you go 'hmmm'

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
In the instruction book for the Mini Cooper it refers to the hood as a bonnet, I think it's cute. The Minis are made in the UK.

EDIT
I just heard a funny one. Twigs and berries in UK they are talking about genitalia? Theres a lot of different slang referring to ones private parts I see.:cool:

I think the correct term is 'man berries'

:brow:
 

Seren

Away with the fairies
....things that make you go hmmmm, you say!?


BIRD:
britain_us_bird.jpg


JUMPER:
britain_us_jumper.jpg


TRAINER:
britain_us-trainer2.jpg


BOG:
britain_us_bog.jpg


SHAG:
britain_us_shag.jpg
 

Hashtag46&2

Trichome Technician

Snappo

Caveat Emptor - "A Billion People Can Be Wrong!"
Accessory Maker
The English language includes an interesting category of words and phrases called contronyms (also spelled contranyms, or referred to as autoantonyms) — terms that, depending on context, can have opposite or contradictory meanings. When you use these words, be sure the context clearly identifies which meaning is intended:

1. Apology: A statement of contrition for an action, or a defense of one
2. Aught: All, or nothing
3. Bill: A payment, or an invoice for payment
4. Bolt: To secure, or to flee
5. Bound: Heading to a destination, or restrained from movement
6. Buckle: To connect, or to break or collapse
7. Cleave: To adhere, or to separate
8. Clip: To fasten, or detach
9. Consult: To offer advice, or to obtain it
10. Continue: To keep doing an action, or to suspend an action
11. Custom: A common practice, or a special treatment
12. Dike: A wall to prevent flooding, or a ditch
13. Discursive: Moving in an orderly fashion among topics, or proceeding aimlessly in a discussion
14. Dollop: A large amount (British English), or a small amount
15. Dust: To add fine particles, or to remove them
16. Enjoin: To impose, or to prohibit
17. Fast: Quick, or stuck or made stable
18. Fine: Excellent, or acceptable or good enough
19. Finished: Completed, or ended or destroyed
20. First degree: Most severe in the case of a murder charge, or least severe in reference to a burn
21. Fix: To repair, or to castrate
22. Flog: To promote persistently, or to criticize or beat
23. Garnish: To furnish, as with food preparation, or to take away, as with wages
24. Give out: To provide, or to stop because of a lack of supply
25. Go: To proceed or succeed, or to weaken or fail
26. Grade: A degree of slope, or a horizontal line or position
27. Handicap: An advantage provided to ensure equality, or a disadvantage that prevents equal achievement
28. Help: To assist, or to prevent or (in negative constructions) restrain
29. Hold up: To support, or to impede
30. Lease: To offer property for rent, or to hold such property
31. Left: Remained, or departed
32. Let: Allowed, or hindered
33. Liege: A feudal lord, or a vassal
34. Literally: Actually, or virtually
35. Mean: Average or stingy, or excellent
36. Model: An exemplar, or a copy
37. Off: Deactivated, or activated, as an alarm
38. Out: Visible, as with stars showing in the sky, or invisible, in reference to lights
39. Out of: Outside, or inside, as in working out of a specific office
40. Overlook: To supervise, or to neglect
41. Oversight: Monitoring, or failing to oversee
42. Peer: A person of the nobility, or an equal
43. Presently: Now, or soon
44. Put out: Extinguish, or generate
45. Puzzle: A problem, or to solve one
46. Quantum: Significantly large, or a minuscule part
47. Quiddity: Essence, or a trifling point of contention
48. Quite: Rather (as a qualifying modifier), or completely
49. Ravel: To entangle, or to disentangle
50. Refrain: To desist from doing something, or to repeat
51. Rent: To purchase use of something, or to sell use
52. Rock: An immobile mass of stone or figuratively similar phenomenon, or a shaking or unsettling movement or action
53. Sanction: To approve, or to boycott
54. Sanguine: Confidently cheerful, or bloodthirsty
55. Scan: To peruse, or to glance
56. Screen: To present, or to conceal
57. Seed: To sow seeds, or to shed or remove them
58. Shop: To patronize a business in order to purchase something, or to sell something
59. Skin: To cover, or to remove
60. Skinned: Covered with skin, or with the skin removed
61. Splice: To join, or to separate
62. Stakeholder: One who has a stake in an enterprise, or a bystander who holds the stake for those placing a bet
63. Strike: To hit, or to miss in an attempt to hit
64. Table: To propose (in British English), or to set aside
65. Temper: To soften, or to strengthen
66. Throw out: To dispose of, or to present for consideration
67. Transparent: Invisible, or obvious
68. Trim: To decorate, or to remove excess from
69. Trip: A journey, or a stumble
70. Unbending: Rigid, or relaxing
71. Variety: A particular type, or many types
72. Wear: To endure, or to deteriorate
73. Weather: To withstand, or to wear away
74. Wind up: To end, or to start up
75. With: Alongside, or against
 

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
The words dinner and supper are ones that people interchange for lunch. I say breakfast, lunch then dinner. Depending where you live a lot of people say supper.

I refer to all sodas as "pop". I never say I need to buy soda. I say, "I need to buy pop."
 
Hair that covers your forehead:
usa - bangs
australia - fringe

General terms for alcohol:
usa - hooch
australia - grog

Sweet treats (eg gummy bears):
usa - candy
australia - lolly
uk - sweetie

Hooch eh? We dont use that word for alcohol or at not where I live. Booze or liquor are used more often

Here are a few that come to mind.
USA: French fires
UK: chips

USA: potatoes chips
U.K.: crisps

USA: eggplant
U.K.: aubergine
 

Snappo

Caveat Emptor - "A Billion People Can Be Wrong!"
Accessory Maker
Hooch eh? We dont use that word for alcohol or at not where I live. Booze or liquor are used more often
Hooch here in the USA is more a specific slang term for "moonshine" or illicit bootleg alcohol e.g, made in the Tennessee hills by moonshiners - also called "white lightning". Another general term for alcohol or hard liquor is "spirits". In all, speaking from experience, as I always keep a good supply in my cupboard. ;) Cheers!
 

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
Pants :- Can also mean 'not very good' - That comedian was pants!

Though technically USA use the correct old English abbreviation for pantaloons, where as UK have shortend under-pants to just pants.

UK : Fanny :- Name for a women (Fanny Craddock - Famous TV chef)

USA : Garbage / Trash
UK : Rubbish

USA : John
AUS : Dunny
UK : Bog

I don't know why but John is used a lot in USA...

Who shot John : Lying
The John : Toilet
John Hancock : Signature
John Doe : Unknown Person

I assume it's something to do with the founding father John Hancock?
 

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
After our success in the Rugby and Football world stage, I think I will let you guys know some nice Northern Irish words.

Poke = Ice Cream

Gutties = Tennis shoe

Spuds = Potatoes

Youes = you

Gravy Ring = Doughnut

Peelers = Police

Bake = Face

Bap = Bread Roll

Spoof = lie


Northern Irish people really enjoy their language and have some of the greatest sayings. Also fyi the accent is completely different than the traditional Southern Irish one.
 
Last edited:
Pants :- Can also mean 'not very good' - That comedian was pants!

Though technically USA use the correct old English abbreviation for pantaloons, where as UK have shortend under-pants to just pants.

UK : Fanny :- Name for a women (Fanny Craddock - Famous TV chef)

USA : Garbage / Trash
UK : Rubbish

USA : John
AUS : Dunny
UK : Bog

I don't know why but John is used a lot in USA...

Who shot John : Lying
The John : Toilet
John Hancock : Signature
John Doe : Unknown Person

I assume it's something to do with the founding father John Hancock?
Who shot John I've never even heard before.

I found this:
"Who shot John” (or “who struck John” or “who hit John”) was a slang term in the Old West for moonshine or other illicit homemade liquor of exceedingly high strength and poor quality.
At some point, “who shot John,” came to be used in a wide variety of senses unconnected to drink, such as to mean “nonsense” (e.g., your “little white lie” about the fish), extreme commotion and confusion, or just “a total mess.”
Just how those senses evolved is unclear, but they may hark back to the mid-19th century, when a children’s game called (or involving the phrase) “who shot John” was popular in Britain. The phrase was apparently adopted by the British military as slang for “finger pointing,” attempts to assign blame in the wake of failure. This use of “who shot John” eventually became popular in Washington, DC (where finger-pointing is the name of the game), and, according to the late William Safire, President Richard Nixo
n was known to be fond of the phrases.
 

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
I just came across another that made me chuckle while searching Google.

I was looking for a smiley to paste into an email, the Christmas party is tomorrow and a staff member, who is confused over my reply to their question about an internal report, asked if I had started early.

So I was searching for a 'Pissed Smiley' to go with my quote 'Now where did I put that bottle of Bourbon', but the image SERPs wasn't what I was expecting..


Of course..

Pissed UK = Drunk - intoxicated by alcohol

Pissed USA = Angry, upset, annoyed.

---------------

OK, yes UK use the term 'Pissed Off' to mean upset, angry, but generally without the 'Off' it means drunk!
 

grokit

well-worn member
Of course..

Pissed UK = Drunk - intoxicated by alcohol

Pissed USA = Angry, upset, annoyed.

---------------

OK, yes UK use the term 'Pissed Off' to mean upset, angry, but generally without the 'Off' it means drunk!
A lot of people in the uk like to suck on fags when they get pissed -- too much?

Anyways... it's much better to be pissed off, than to be pissed on :tup:

:razz:
 

kellya86

Herb gardener...
Vapouriser
Vapourizer
Vaporiser
Vapourise
Vaporizer
Vapour
Vapor

How the fuck do we spell this. Think it may depend on where you live and I think some of these are just wrong.

It's all the different ways iv seen it spelt on here.
 

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
How the fuck do we spell this. Think it may depend on where you live and I think some of these are just wrong.
Yes, what's even more confusing is when UK peeps use USA spelling (such as VapeFiend, Namastevapes) etc.

It's the same as the word Colour vs Color (include U if UK), and the other that I use every day when coding is Centre vs Center (UK is re, USA is er).

It's not a hard and fast rule but generally if it has a 'z' in it, it's probably USA spelling as UK uses 's'.
 
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