Linguistic Loopholes That Confuse Or Amuse

[Catherine Therese]

So there was a conversation going on about cilantro in VS and I remembered that it referred to a herb in Australia that we called something else but I couldn't remember which one it was, so I went looking and found the below. 

 

http://www.everywhereist.com/cilantro-vs-coriander-and-the-verbal-bloodbath-that-ensued/

 

Another one that caused me to look like a fool when I lived in the States was Eraser. In an Australian classroom, it is referred to (in the most innocent way imaginable) as a "rubber". There I was, sitting in class in my postulant uniform, completely oblivious to the scandal I was causing, asking the guy sitting next to me if I could borrow his rubber... **shakes head** not one of my finer moments. One of my fellow postulants audibly gasped ;). To the credit of the men in the room, they behaved themselves admirably while one of the sisters delicately explained that the word has a different meaning in the US. 

 

Oh. And you Americanos have strange names for different fruits. Rockmelon is apparently called cantaloupe over there? I hear that word and think of an animal with antlers. I mean, c'mon. It's a melon and it looks like a rock. Rockmelon. 

 

Would love to hear of any other examples across different English-speaking countries that confuse or amuse.

Edited August 2, 2014 by Catherine Therese

[cmaD2006]

That's ok ... in Spanish depending on who I talk to if I'm talking about strawberries I have to say either fresa or frutilla, and if I'm talking about bananas it's either guineo or platano, or banano (and I never even tried using both words at once)

[Luigi]

My female cousin studied in Ireland for a year. 

 

Here in the States, we use the expression "Can I ride with you?" or 'catch a ride' or 'get a ride' to inquire whether I may go with you in your car, say, to go into town, or home from a party.

 

in Ireland - and elsewhere? - it means to have sex. Which she learned much to her embarrassment, if not dismay.  

Edited August 3, 2014 by Luigi

[Spem in alium]

Haha, I was reading the "cilantro" thread and was thinking, "What even is this mysterious food?" Then I realised it was coriander... Oh. and give me "rockmelon" any day.

 

When I was in the US, I innocently tried to use "pedestrian crossing", "mobile" and "thongs". Chaos ensued.

Also, I had fun trying to explain to people that I worked as a "tutor". They couldn't understand my accent, so it made for much confusion (and hilarity).

 

:hehe2:

 

 

[truthfinder]

English is my native language, but for a long time I believed "birthday suit" meant the fancy clothing one was normally stuffed into for one's birthday party.  Whoops.

[Nihil Obstat]

People in the US give me weird looks when I ask where the "washroom" is. Y'all be crazy.

[Luigi]

Also in Ireland, I have a friend who's a priest now but I met him when he was a deacon. He explained that his father was retired, his mom still ran a small shop in the family's home, and that his sister had - big-eyed and breathless, now - just gotten a job as a bookie! I tried to sound enthusiastic for her, but here in the States, a bookie works for a crime syndicate of some sort. After some discussion, he clarified that this was a government job - taking bets, just like U.S. bookies, but it's legal over there, she'd have a job for life, benefits, etc.  

 

 

 

[ChristinaTherese]

I keep trying to use a conjugation that really only occurs in Argentina to the best of my knowledge (vid, you singular) with Spaniards, but it sounds almost like the vosotros (you plural, only used I Spain) and they just look at me funny. I'm getting better.

It took me a bit to figure out that "W.C." means bathroom....

[Nihil Obstat]

In Mandarin, if you literally say you will give someone a knife, it means you will stab them. If you say thank you, but pronounce it just slightly incorrectly (and in a way that does not appear to be a mistake), you actually say diarrhea.

[marigold]

In Swedish, the words for tax and treasure are the same. And the words for sky and heaven.

[brandelynmarie]

In French, merci beaucoup ("bo coo") means thank you very much.

If you pronounce the last word as "bo queue", it means thank you, nice "tush". :o

[Nihil Obstat]

In Swedish, the words for tax and treasure are the same. And the words for sky and heaven.

Sky and heaven are also the same in Mandarin. The Catholic word for God (tianzhu) translates to Lord of Heaven, or Lord of the Skies.

[Luigi]

I know a non-Catholic sign language interpreter. Somebody got to talking about the papacy but didn't refer to it that way, they mentioned The Holy See. Which got interpreted as HOLY OCEAN. 

 

HOLY verb-SEE didn't make any sense to him, so he went with the only concept that did make sense, even if only a little. 

[Kia ora]

I was with my French friend and she did something really well, so I said to her 't'étais vraiment bonne!', trying to say 'you were really good!'. But which actually means 'you were FIIIIIIINE guuuurl'.

 

 

[brandelynmarie]

rotfl