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

1DMF

1DMF

Old School Cheesy Quaver
Having been a victim of miss-understanding the meaning of a phrase posted by a fellow FC'er and the ensuing confusion and laughter it created.

I thought it might be fun to start a thread where we can all post words / phrases we all use, that may be misconstrued or simply mean something completely different outside of its colloquial use.

I'll start off with a couple of classics (plus the one that caught me out) and see where it leads us...

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1. 'Kissing Cousins'

USA Meaning : Similar to each other
UK Meaning : Incestuous

If used in USA it simply refers to the parties it is applied to being similar to each other or producing something akin / alike - it is not a derogatory term.

If used in UK, it means there is something dodgy going on between two parties - like Incest - it is a derogatory term.

UK equivalent would probably be 'Close cousins', similar to each other with slight differences, just like the UK considers USA to be our 'Close cousins' not our 'Kissing cousins'!

2. 'Fag'

USA Meaning : Homosexual
UK Meaning : Cigarette

How to blow an American's mind - Say the following :- 'Alright geezer, can I bum a fag off you'.

UK translation : "Excuse me my good fellow, any chance I could behave like a tramp with no money and acquire a free tobacco cigarette from your personage"

USA translation : let's not go there!

3. 'Faggot'

USA Meaning : Homosexual
UK Meaning : Tasty meatball originating from Wales

Not difficult to freak out an American asking if they want 'gravy with their faggots'.

4. 'Rubber'

USA Meaning : Condom
UK Meaning : Eraser

If asked by someone from the UK if you have a 'rubber' they are not about to get lucky, they simply want to rub something out (usually pencil). Though be careful because 'Rubbing one out' means to masturbate!

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Hopefully this has got the ball rolling and given you all a good chuckle, lets see what goodies other FC'ers can come up with :lmao:
 
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h3rbalist

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
'Geezer'

US - a decrepid old person
UK - an incredibly amazing and wonderful gentleman




EDIT

Please link the original post so we can all have a giggle.

Also, I'm really hoping you wrongly reported someone for incesttuous behaviour. :)
 
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J

Joel W.

Deplorable Basement Dweller
Accessory Maker
The ones that got me when I was there visiting.

Lift = elevator
flat = apartment
tube = subway
torch = lighter or flashlight

As in "we need to take the tube to get to the flat and then we take the lift"

And "got a torch for a fag"?

I will let anyone use my lighter, was my thought..
 
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CarolKing

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
I just ran into a translation problem in the driving whilst high thread. I was talking about the Tea Baggers and I was talking about the political group, the off shoot of the Republican Party. The Group that is worried about their guns and anybody that's not like them. Mostly a group of angry right wing white people. Others I think thought I was talking about a sex act. :lol:Sometimes terminology isn't clear for everyone. :hmm:
 
F

farscaper

Well-Known Member
CarolKing said:
I just ran into a translation problem in the driving whilst high thread. I was talking about the Tea Baggers and I was talking about the political group, the off shoot of the Republican Party. The Group that is worried about their guns and anybody that's not like them. Mostly a group of angry right wing white people. Others I think thought I was talking about a sex act. :lol:Sometimes terminology isn't clear for everyone. :hmm:
Click to expand...

in this one instance tea baggers and tea bagging remain the same lol.

i think we can all agree the teabaggers are rich assholes who wish to dangle their riches and power over the faces of the poor.
 
RUDE BOY

RUDE BOY

Space is the Place
CarolKing said:
I just ran into a translation problem in the driving whilst high thread. I was talking about the Tea Baggers and I was talking about the political group, the off shoot of the Republican Party.
Click to expand...


Actually in this case nothing was lost in translation, 'tea baggers' means the same thing here as it does across the pond and is used by people who are very left wing liberals on comedy shows and such as a Derogatory term to describe the far right wing nuts that belong to the 'Tea Party' who consider themselves the true legacy of the republican party.

Nobody in the Tea Party would probably admit to a predilection to "tea bagging".
 
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D

Derrrpp

For the world is hollow and I have touched the sky
'Pissed'

US meaning: angry
UK meaning: drunk

"I was so pissed I got in my car and left." - someone in the UK might think you have a bad drinking and driving habit.


'Pants'

US meaning: trousers
UK meaning: underpants

"Hey, I really like your grandmother's pants!" - say this to disturb your friends in the UK!


'Braces'

US meaning: orthodontic device used to straighten teeth
UK meaning: suspenders

"I lost my braces and now my pants won't stay up." - if you said this to someone in the US, they would look at you like :mental:
 
h3rbalist

h3rbalist

I used to do drugs. I still do, but I used to, too
The one that really gets me is 'Fanny'.

In England it is quaint slang term for a ladies private parts.

In the US it's the actual word for 'ass'

Why would that be??????


Fanny
ˈfani/
noun
  1. 1.
    BRITISHvulgar slang
    a woman's genitals.
  2. 2.
    NORTH AMERICANinformal
    a person's buttocks.
verb
BRITISHinformal
  1. 1.
    mess around and waste time.
    "they were fannying about in the street"
 
B

bella

Well-Known Member
@Amoreena i could see that getting quite confusing lol.

So, thongs (with an 's') are footwear and a thong (no 's') is underwear?


Just thought of another couple.
Aussie cars don't have 'trunks', they have 'boots' (eg, can you get the spare tyre out of the car boot).
We don't use the word 'sweater', we say 'jumper' (eg, it's cold outside, i'd better grab my jumper).
 
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B

bella

Well-Known Member
I love the language differences between english speaking countries!

A friend had a series of exercise dvds from the usa and one was called 'fanny firmers'. We couldn't stop laughing and made jokes about 'firming our fannies' for weeks!

Also, went to a department store in canada called 'roots'. Each department had a sign, eg 'roots women' and 'roots children' etc. In australia 'root' or 'rooting' is slang for having sex. We couldn't stop laughing and took photos of ourselves under the sign of every department in the store. The staff must have thought we were completely mental, lol.
 
B

bella

Well-Known Member
@Amoreena it's listed as 'jackass'. I always pronounced it 'ass' but i noticed that my students call it 'jack-arse'. When i call it 'jackass' they correct me, lol.

@Joel W. You would have enjoyed aussie beaches then, lol. Boobs hanging out everywhere!
I am surprised that the page 3 girls still exist and always laugh when i see them. It seems so 1970s. But i do love the brits!
 
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CarolKing

CarolKing

Singer of songs and a vapor connoisseur
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:
 
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