Been talking to a few different people around the world, and have been compairing notes about what different meanings there are for the same words, in different countries.

If you know of any, or you dont understand what a word or saying means, this is the place to ask.

I will start it of with a really easy one.




THONG's in Australia (Where i am from) refer to footwear. Not underwear. There called G-Strings.

The unofficial national footwear.

Also known in the UK as flip flops (Nikki's choice in footwear) and also known as slides in the USA.

Hi ya BG123

And here in New Zealand Thongs or flip flops are known as Jandels :D

Its a wierd world.

I love the way that a "Fag" in england means a cigarette but in America a "Fag" means a gay man! :rofl

Remind me never to get those mixed up!

In Australia we use 'fag' for both those meanings.

except calling a guy a 'fag' is mainly used buy children being bullies towards other children and ignorant adults.




FANNY In the USA this word is used as the polite way of saying ones bottom. (Recal the theme song to 'The nanny').

In Australia its slang for another female body part...which I know has some other interesting names. :lol1

The biggest adjustment for me when I moved to the UK was "pants", which means "trousers" in North America and "underwear" or "panties" in the UK. Can you imagine a Brit's expresion if you slip up and say something like "My manager doesn't think it's appropriate to wear pants to today's meeting with the client"... :eek

A. :D

:lol1 You would get quiet a few weird looks if you were to say that in England! :eek

The one thats always confused me is the whole peanut butter and jelly thing. In england jelly is Jam and what americans call Jello is what we call Jelly! :huh:

If that makes any sense :huh:

I got called a tramp by a good friend from England [I'm Canadian], and it definitely didn't make sense to me. She meant it more like 'hobo', or something, but that's not how I took it.

What does a tramp mean in Canada Alesha?

In England it has two meanings. 1st one like you said ...a hobo...and the second one means a woman of loose morals!

Although its more commenly used for a hobo.

Yeah, here all I've ever heard it been used to describe a woman, eh, like you said, with "loose morals". I'd never heard it used as 'hobo'. Soo you can imagine how confused I was when she called me it.

I don't think that even in the US/Canada it was always so exclusively used to mean what the Brits call a slapper. Remember the Disney movie "The Lady and the Tramp"? The meaning was definitely the more innocent one!

Oh, and here (Canada/US) we have both jam and jelly as fruit preserves, but jelly is clearer than jam - kind of like strained jam.

I guess Jell-O just so dominates the market, that it's no longer a brand and all gelatine desserts are "jello". Kinda like all vacuum cleaners in England are "hoovers" and people don't vacuum the house, they hoover it... even if they have a Dyson...

In South Africa (oooh! the country that both Simone and Mandana loved so much they both stayed on a week longer way back when they were here!) we only have jam and we definitely vacuum our houses. Jelly is something we have for pudding (desert) with custard.

I was wondering about the word "cheers". Here we use it to toast a drink and to say good bye, but it sounds like people in England also use it as a form of 'thank you'?

in Australia we use "cheers" to toast to something but most of the time it's an informal way of thanking someone, much like we say "ta". needless to say i use both words a lot. lol ;)

i think language in South Africa and Australia is rather similar, every word you said microsofty is the same here.

btw, this is off topic, but i was born in cape town! we moved to Oz when i was a baby so i don't remember it. i would love to return one day.

Well done Liza for finally getting this thread started! I'm sure I'll think of some words along the way, when watching Friends or something.......

I remember meeting some Americans one Christmas time and there was a lot of confusion about the word 'cracker'. There are about 5 different meanings in Britain, e.g.

1. Savoury biscuit
2. Christmas meal essential which makes a loud bang & contains a toy, joke and paperhat
3. Really attractive woman (slang)
4. Something really good (slang)
5. Name of a TV programme

So what does it mean in America?

ETA - But more importantly am I right in thinking also that your lemonade is non-fizzy whereas ours is?

You have fizzy lemonade? I didn't know that existed.

You have no-fizzy lemonade? I didn't know that existed.

You'll like it! Cape Town is a very beautiful city, defintely one of our top 5!

I thought of another funny word. Back in the olden days (before CD roms and flash discs) we called those floppy disc stuff a "stiffy". Aparently elsewhere in the world it is slang for an erection?

:rofl I like that one, microsofty! Yes, here in the UK we (and by we, I mean generally younger people) use "stiffy" for "erection".

Here a cracker refers to
1. a thin crisp biscuit (we never call them biscuits)
2.Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a poor white person living in some rural parts of the southeastern U.S. (It doesn't just get applied to southerners, though. I've read it more than heard it. It doesn't get used much in California to my knowledge, as this part of the country tends to be less prejudice. Only time I've ever heard it used, was reverse prejudice situation and comedian stand up routines.)
3. Same as your number 2. I've only come across this meaning virtually on neopets, but I think it is in real use somewhere in this country.
4. A crazy person

I'm willing to bet definition 2 or 4, was where the confusion, since they're negative. Although, saying someone is crackers (crazy) isn't that commonly used around Cali.
(edit to add #4)

---edit---
Speaking of Biscuits, in the US biscuits doesn't refer to "crackers" or "cookies", but to 1. a kind of bread in small, soft cakes, raised with baking powder or soda, or sometimes with yeast.

Thanks Washuai. I must admit I use the word 'cracker' a lot to mean 'something really good'. But then ... that's probably just me!

Yeah, I'd forgotten about 'calling someone crackers'. Though I'm not sure if it's really used much nowadays!

Thanks for the 'biscuit' pic - looks like what we call scones over here. Confusing or what, eh?

ETA - Guess there's also fire cracker and another name for a computer hacker to add to the list ...

ETA - And don't even think of 'crack' or 'cracking' as there's probably even more slang definitions for those! ..... Anyway thanks for the crack (news/gossip)!

Primary meaning when attributed to another person is an ethnic slur, akin to white trash or redneck (there are fine & rather serious distinctions to be made between such slurs, btw): crackers are poor Southerners from appalachia, term was (is?) usually attributed to people from Georgia ("Florida cracker" is a sort of different term, meaning more like 'one of the original settlers' as I understand it).

http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/essaysA/cracker.htm


There's also a rock band (Cracker) who I like a lot, actually. Lead singer David Lowery (formerly of Camper van Beethoven).

Maybe someone shoulda started with an easier word? :eek

Thanks for the background info, ekny.

Yeah, sorry!! Well, I look forward to your word then .... :)

Nope, they're not the same as scones. We have scones here too. Biscuits are something different in the US. Gosh, how to explain the difference between a scone and a biscuit. The consistency is pretty much the same. But biscuits are never ever sweet, and scones usually are, right?

Luckily, everything can be found online:
http://www.suite101.com/lesson.cfm/17731/1115
"The main difference between biscuits and scones is that scones tend to have eggs and are sweeter and more elaborate, while biscuits don’t include eggs and have simpler, more savory ingredients. That doesn’t mean a biscuit has to be plain. It’s just that biscuits are more likely to have cheese or fresh or dried herbs in them rather than, say, currants or chocolate chips. Biscuits are also more likely to be served with a meal than as a dessert or tea item, which explains their savory nature.

The origin of these breads is also different, with biscuits being associated with America and different variations cropping up all over the country, and scones originating somewhere in the British Isles, with Wales, Ireland and Scotland all laying claim to the invention, according to “The Best Quick Breads.” "

And, from
http://kitchensavvy.typepad.com/journal/fo...rink/index.html
"Q: What is the difference between Scones and Biscuits?

-- Jolene

Opinions vary on this question. Most sources avoid the question completely, referring to both as kinds of Quick Bread.

In the book Baking With Julia, based on the PBS series hosted by Julia Child, Dorie Greenspan says that "[Scones] are made in a manner similar to biscuits and, in fact, share biscuits' buttery-layered texture, but their name, their shape, and the fact that they're served with tea rather than gravy, lift them to the level of fancier fare."

A closer look, however, suggests that the difference is not quite so superficial. Scones tend to be richer, frequently including both eggs and cream in the recipe, though not always. Some recipes will enrich the dough with eggs, but use milk or buttermilk instead of cream. Scones also use a bit more liquid than regular biscuits, which should make them a bit more cake-like in their consistency. While biscuit recipes may or may not call for sugar, scones typically use sugar, but not as much as sweetened biscuits."

Wow! Thanks for your reply, abzug. You are certainly thorough with your posts!

Anyway, you'll be pleased to know that I think I've now got it!! The difference between scones and US biscuits is (almost) a specialist subject of mine. If I'm ever in the US, I'll know what to expect! :)

Gosh .... the things that you learn on this board! :rolleyes:

ETA - I've only been to the US once .... but obviously managed to avoid all contact with scones and biscuits!!! Wish I could say the same about exclamation marks though .....

Wow definatley confusing.

We have both scones and biscuits.

I agree with Cassandra, that pic is what we would call a scone.
Anything that would appear to have self-raising flour, and appears to raise around an inch would be considered a scone.

Our scones tend more to be on the savoury side. In Queensland our most famous scones, are pumpkin scones. A former premiers (state governor)wife was famous for cooking them, as she had won many state show (state fair) cooking competitions with them. And whenever a reporter went to their peanut farm (true they owned a huge peanut farm) to interview her husband, thats what she served them to eat with their cup of tea or coffee.

And the lemonade thing, we have fizzy lemonade here as well. The lemonade, like you have in the USA is called simply homemade lemonade. Not very popular here.

And a stiffy is also used in the slang term for an erection.

Thanks for that, BGEp1,2&3.

Pumpkin, eh? Sounds intriging. Not something I would have thought about making scones with .... but then I can't actually recall ever tasting pumpkin!

I'll have one more bash at a simpler word (then promise to shut up ... at least for a short while!). We use the word rubber to mean something which erases pencil marks but I think it's known as a condom in the US. I can't guarantee the US definition isn't used elsewhere in Britain as there are lots of local dialects! We call it a Durex instead (after the brand). :)

ETA - Being typical Brits, our scones tend to be sweet and full of calories!!!

AUSTRALIA... (just in case there's some confusion) ;)

i don't find our scones to be very sweet at all, it's what we put ON it that's sweet! usually jam and cream. i love pumpkin scones and scones with sultanas or dates in them. mmmm.

to confuse this topic even more, my grandma lives in a country town here called "Scone". hehehe. it's pronounced differently though, instead of the "on" sound in "scone", it's more like "own".

lol....yes we also use "rubber" to mean an "eraser".

it looks as though Australia and the UK are a lot more similar in their language compared to the US. fair enough too, we were discovered by England afterall :)

Yes, a lot of similarities Lis.

Our scones aren't sweet either, just what we put on them. And we use rubber for eraser too.

Well, the issue with biscuits is that you put salty things on them (gravy, eggs, etc), not sweet things. So even if the scones aren't themselves sweet, they participate in creating a sweet food.

As for pronunciation, in the US they are actually pronounced with the long O (as in "own") not the short O (as in "on").

Fanny has always been a great one in faux-pas land: we use it as a polite way of referring to your butt, of course. ;) (So polite, in fact, I can't think if any real person actually *says* it any more--as opposed to reading it in books or using the word around 5-year-olds or something...)

i think fizzy lemonade in the uk is actually a type of pop. whereas lemonade in the states and canada is a drink made from lemons, with added water and sugar.

the pronunciation of scone has always been a sore spot for me. the only correct pronunciation in my mind is with the "on" sound. being originally from scotland, i think that's tainted my opinion. you yanks have bastardized it :guns

Too right! What's even more confusing is that there's a place in Scotland called Scone Palace (pronounced 'oon' rather than 'on' or 'own').

Anyway I think we've done the scones & fizzy lemonade to death (though I have found some new recipes in the process!). We need some more new words .......

speaking of using brand names, we use Kleenex when referring to tissues in north america. not sure they do the same in the rest of the world.

We use Kleenex but we call them tissues or paper hankies in the UK ......... :cry2

they're known only as tissues in oz. we also shorten hankerchiefs to 'hankies' here.....well, that's because we shorten everything. lol.
while i was touring europe with a big group, the several americans on board the bus got a big education from the aussies as our bus was around 80% australian. they laughed at our shortening of things, eg. most aussies say 'sunnies' instead of 'sunglasses'.

hhhmmm, new words, new words *think*. we seem to be crossing over from language to names of things and back again, which is just adding more fun in my opinion, but this thread could go forever! my dad and i once spent an entire road trip just naming things that went by a different name in the US, ie. torch/flashlight.

quickly going back to 'fanny'....i always have a giggle at 'fannypack', obviously because of what 'fanny' means here. we call them 'bumbags'.

ok i'm not sure if this next food is limited only to australia but if memory serves me correctly, the americans in my tour group said they didn't have this in the US.

that being.....

FAIRY BREAD! a popular children's birthday party snack (basically white bread with a scraping of margerine then coated in hundreds n thousands).



there was a lot of debate as to what hundreds n thousands were called in the US. at dinner one night most of my table consisted of americans, much to my delight because it made the conversation very interesting. some said that the name for these little coloured sugar balls differed from state to state, like many words for things do they said. the only name i can remember though is 'jimmies'. is that right?

We call them bumbags in the UK too.

Haven't come across fairy bread before either! I call them sprinkles but it's maybe a local name. Anyway thought I'd take a leaf out of abzug's book and look it up. Apparently in the UK they're called 'hundreds n thousands' too!

(See Sprinkles)
In some areas of the United States sprinkles are sometimes called jimmies. In some areas "jimmies" applies to the chocolate (like the Dutch nl:Hagelslag) variety, with "sprinkles" being reserved for colored candy varieties. However, in other areas any elongated opaque variety (regardless of color) are called "jimmies", whereas only the smaller, round variety is referred to as "sprinkles". Hmm .... obviously!

(See Fairy Bread)
Fairy bread is white sliced bread spread with margarine or butter, and then sprinkled with Hundreds and Thousands (also known as sprinkles or nonpareils, a Masterfoods product consisting of small balls of coloured sugar intended to decorate cakes). Fairy bread is served almost exclusively at children's parties in Australia and New Zealand. Slices of the bread are often cut into triangles and stacked tastefully on the host's paper plate. It was originally made using finely chopped rose petals for colour and scent instead of the sugary lollies that are used today. A variation is to spread Nutella on the bread and then add sprinkles. Sometimes the Fairy Bread will be spread with icing or chocolate for varying occasions.

thanks Cassandra, that was interesting reading :D

i forgot to comment on 'lemonade' in my last post. sorry to go over old ground here. in Australia if you ask for a lemonade you will get something just like a Sprite or 7up. if you ask for a lemon squash, you'll get something exactly like a Lift. what the US call their lemonade, we call traditional lemonade, which is not nearly as popular as our lemonade or lemon squash. you can buy it in supermarkets, but i'm not a big fan of it.

My understanding is that it's a north/south thing. Everybody from the southern part of Great Britain will only tolerate the "own" pronunciation (I lived in London where it was sc-own and visted Yorkshire and Scotland where it was sc-on). Since I was just a temporary resident, I changed my pronunciation to whatever the local custom was - I just wanted something to eat with my tea! Having lived on both sides of the Atlantic, and in the Caribbean, I've pretty much got a live-and-let-live thing about the pronunciation of English words. Can you say "tomato"? LOL

And just to go baclk to the word "Cracker". The first time I ever saw it used with regard to people was in Mark Twain's novel "Huckleberry Finn" because either Tom Sawyer's or Huck's father was categorized as a "Poor cracker", which was the lowest echelon of white in the racial heirarchy of the period in which the book was set. We studied the book for o'level English lit and I remember my teacher explaining the origin of the word (might have had somethin to do with corn), but I can't remember it now. So much for formal education. Ha!

I'd look it up, but I'm too knackered...

A.