Funny Language Barrier confusions

[sparkofcreation 0]

Now the funny part for me as that she knew the word articulate but didn't know elbow! There's plenty of people HERE that don't know what articulate means for crying out loud.

Her first language is Spanish, I assume? It's 'cause in English we think Latin-based words sound "fancy," but in Spanish they're common. So like "articulate" comes from Latin so it's almost the same and it's easier for her to remember... but I bet she'd have a harder time remembering "bend"?

Or a Spanish speaker is more likely to say they're in a "precarious situation" than a "tough spot" because the former is more like "situación precaria."

"Elbow" is one I constantly forget in Spanish, too. It's like I have a mental block.

[thndrdancr 0]

This is a good thread... We husband and his uncle are from Guyana, and Uncle came to visit here last October. We all went to a grocery store and canned pears were on sale and we couldnt find them anywhere. So Uncle was off like a shot, trying to help, while I was in the canned fruit aisle, hunting and hunting. He asked an employee, "Where do you keep the canned pears?", with his lovely accent...thinks he finds out, and he comes get me and directs me over to where they directed him, which was the canned BEER. It took us five minutes of looking around with absolutely no fruit whatever in that area to figure out the employee thought he said "Canned beer!", then we laughed so hard we totally forgot the pears!!

[sanaay 0]

US.......................................Ireland

Line(of people)......................Queue

Pick somebody up in a car.....Collect somebody

Visit someone's house...........Call over

1:30/2:30/3:30 etc...............half 1/half 2, half 3 etc

Sex.....................................ride (see Julia's post

Cupboards...........................Presses

Paper Towels.......................Kitchen Paper

Trunk(of car).......................Boot

Hood(of car)........................Bonnet

Sweater..............................Jumper

They're some of the main ones I've noticed here, people have no clue what I'm talking about when i say those. Also when I say 30,40,50 etc, peopple think I'm saying 13,14,15 etc

And of course there's all the different words...craic, bollocks, langer=wanker, #######, #######-head etc...BUT!! langers= p*ssed, drunk etc, ghoul-bag=sh*t head, Hmmmm..lots of curse words there..oops!

But, luckily Rob knows all these too from his years in Ireland..whew!! Imagine the trouble if he didn't!!

Yep these were some that I had to switch to the American way so that I could be understood.

Hood(of car)........................Bonnet

1:30/2:30/3:30 etc...............half 1/half 2, half 3 etc

Pick somebody up in a car.....Collect somebody

I had an awful time in the beginning having to learn to spell differently.

neighbour = neighbor

colour = colour

[CarolineM 0]

It's always when we go out to eat that people can't understand him.

words I got stuck on over the past 5 years (most have already been posted)

Pash - Kiss (also Pash and Dash)

Root - F***

Boot and bonnet - already mentioned

Fanny - "

Thongs- "

Cosi - Bathing suit

Jumper - still not too clear on what distinguishes a jumper from a sweatshirt from a hoodie....

Pissed - DRunk (not mad...)

Gutted - Upset

Stubby - can of beer

Stubby Holder - coozie

Oooh there's another one I can't rememebr - it's a small beer though...like instead of a PINT you get a __________. (shoot)

Cordial - better than grenadine (and no we don't have it here)

Wanker I knew that one I just never used it

Dodgy

my first trip to see him, to mess with the clueless american I was asked, "Who do you root for?"

<sigh>

[Fandango 1,439]

my first trip to see him, to mess with the clueless american I was asked, "Who do you root for?"

<sigh>

When I first went over there, people kept sayin callin me 'bonny lass' (means pretty girl...aww and aren't they sweet!)...anyways, I can't tell you how many times I said 'no, my name's not Bonnie, it's Lisa.'

Edited February 16, 2006 by LisaD

[SOlcayto 0]

My husband learned English in London so his English is all British English. Well, a few days before I went to visit him in London, I called him and told him that I bought a new pair of green pants. And of course, he starts going, "ohhhhh really......" I was like, yeah, they're green pants, what is the big deal. And then of course, he thought he had made an english mistake, and was like, "nevermind" After about 5 seconds I was like, "Oh, you thought I meant panties!" I said, "Let me re-phrase that, I bought new green "trousers"" We still laugh about that. Oh and bc my husband is Turkish and he knows British English (and not perfectly) I get twice as many humorous mistakes as the rest of you, lol!

Another one: I told him while I was at work that my friend next to me (a girl) was hitting me, just kidding around, and he was like, oh my god is she gay? I was like, what are you talking about? He goes, you said she's hitting you. Again another 5 seconds and oh, you're thinking "hitting ON me", no darling, stop getting excited, she's not hitting on me, lol

SOL

[j&js 0]

Oooh there's another one I can't rememebr - it's a small beer though...like instead of a PINT you get a __________. (shoot)

I just searched for this thread to show it to some friends and read the rest I hadn't read when it was on the front page before. Thought I'd figure out what this one was...

James says that in Ireland the small beer is just called a 'half' but that the guys call it a lady's drink.

[~Jess~ 0]

Well other then not being able to understand a WORD my hubbys family says there is a word they use for these bread stick hard things and i think pretty much all snack like that, they call them ####### everytime they ask me if i want ####### i just turn red!

[~Jackie~ 30]

This is a great thread! My first trip to Jordan was overwhelming with the 13 hr flight and the 110 degree heat. I was trying to be social and polite to everyone with Mohammed translating every step of the way. The people I met that spoke English, would always ask 'How do you find Jordan?' with a heavy accent.

I would look at Mohammed despartely for help, and he repeated the question. I was so tired all I could think in my mind was, 'I didn't find it, the pilot did.

And I did learn the hard way that the cous part of couscous is not what you want to ask your future mother-in-law for.

Jackie

Edited February 19, 2006 by jmagayreh

[AFQuaid 18]

Ooooh lol@this thread

I got one.

My fiances brothers wife (what relation she'll be to me I haven't figured out yet ) but anyway...I was asking for my trainers....well APPARENTLY americans don't have trainers. I learnt this because she responded with "you what your what....trainies? " and my fiance says to her "no trainers she said." And she looks confused and then I pointed to them and she's like "OH you mean Shoes..."

[Fandango 1,439]

Well other then not being able to understand a WORD my hubbys family says there is a word they use for these bread stick hard things and i think pretty much all snack like that, they call them ####### everytime they ask me if i want ####### i just turn red!

funniest post here ever

[almaty 19]

i got one..off -color!! but is local for some southerns out there..

in parts of the south they call looking for women..looking for #######...instead of another vulgar term...when i was in high school and playing football..a kid transferred to our small school from ohio...after one friday practice some of my friends ask me and him, if we wanted to go looking for some #######....i replied..naw, i had a steady girl and he just looked shock and shook his head a few weeks later, he told me those guys invited him to go looking for ####### again ...and he said all of them but me, were going out to do just that..he wanted to know why there were so many homos in this town...i was surprised and after said, #######? are you talking about? after an explanation from him i told him that was girls...i have never used any term since...but it was funny cause the guy would never take a shower after practice and was nervous all the time and kept his back to the wall...

[lostinlove228 0]

We are both arabic and speak arabic with each other for the most part. Of course I have been in the US since I was 9. Where the funny stuff comes in is when you say a word and it means one thing in english and another thing in arabic.

A Kiss in eglish is a kiss, In a arabic kiss means the a female part **P**. I would be telling him give me a kiss and he gets the look on his face.

Since my Arabic is kind of Jacked up, he is usually the one correcting me and teasing me. But it is alright his turn will come .

[almaty 19]

We are both arabic and speak arabic with each other for the most part. Of course I have been in the US since I was 9. Where the funny stuff comes in is when you say a word and it means one thing in english and another thing in arabic.

A Kiss in eglish is a kiss, In a arabic kiss means the a female part **P**. I would be telling him give me a kiss and he gets the look on his face.

Since my Arabic is kind of Jacked up, he is usually the one correcting me and teasing me. But it is alright his turn will come .

[Peter Miami 0]