20 English Words That Mean Something Totally Different Around the World

Ian MacKinnell

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The topic for today is “20 English Words That Mean Something Totally Different Around the World“.  Learning should be for life. Every moment of every day we are being presented with new and important lessons.

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Today we learned about “20 Ways to Learn English At Home and Learn English At Your Own Pace“. Can you name 20 English words in the English language that mean something totally different in the U.S., the U. K. and Australia (around the world)?

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Maricel Galon Tan

Smart Brains Spotlight Selection

20 English Words That Mean Something Totally Different Around the World

20 English Words That Mean Something Totally Different | Ian MacKinnell

How can I become fluent in English?

20 English Words Brits and Americans Say Differently

Thank you, Youtube – Eat Sleep Dream English.

20 English Words That Mean Something Totally Different Around the World

Answer by Ian MacKinnell, ( Neuro-untypical Systems Analyst; post-graduate in philosophy; mentor of students. Ian Especially interested in the history of Romance and Germanic languages for 50 yrs). All credit goes to  Ian MacKinnell Thank you!

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Can you name 20 words in the English language that have different meanings in the U.S., the U. K. and Australia?

rubber — means an erasor in UK and Aus, but a condom in US

footpath — means the pedestrian walkway by the side of a road in Aus, means a path anywhere (e.g. through a field) for walking in UK; not used in US

fanny — means backside in US; means vulva in UK and Aus

biscuit — in Aus and ?UK means what Americans call cookies; means something else in US

jumper — in Aus and UK means what US calls a sweater; means something else in US

table something — in Aus and UK means to lodge something for discussion; in US means to put something aside and not discuss

school — in Aus (and UK?) only used for primary and secondary school; in US also used for tertiary instutitions (“I am changing schools”)

college — in US used for university level tertiary educational institution; in Aus used for (a) student residences on campus, and (b) institution teaching trades and other non-degree courses; in UK, (I think) a branch of a university, partly residential, partly tutorial. NOTE: The important point here is not all the institutions that might have the word “college” in their title in your country, it is the fact that Americans use the term “college” by itself to refer generically to all university education after high school (“after graduating high school I was in college for four years”), whereas an Australian would talk about “uni”, never “college”, in this context (“after finishing high school I was at uni for four years”).

hood — in Aus and UK, the part of a garment covering the head; in US, also the metal cover over the engine of a car

bonnet — in US, an old-fashioned cap worn by women; in Aus and UK, also — the metal cover over the engine of a car

boot — in US, sturdy footwear; in Aus and UK, (also) the luggage compartment of a car

trunk — in Aus and UK, a large piece of luggage with a lid on top; in US, also the luggage compartment of a car

pavement — in UK, the pedestrian walkway by the side of a road; in Aus (and ?US), a type of ground covering involving large flat stone blocks

prom — in US, a formal party held at the completion of high school; in Aus (and UK?) a type of orchestral concert where the audience may sit on the floor, picnic style (originally outdoor concerts in a park).

homecoming — in Aus (and UK?) someone returning from a journey, especially after a long absence; in US, some kind of tradition with a person’s old high school (no idea — it doesn’t exist in Aus)

at school, university — in US, means a person is currently on the school premises — and can include university; in Aus, it means the person’s current occupation is “school student”, regardless of where they might be at this moment (“he is at school” does not mean he is in the school grounds at the moment, it just means his occupation is school student)

professor — in US, most university (“college”) teaching (lecturing) staff; in Aus and UK, only the highest ranking university staff, typically one or two per department (e.g. the (one and only) Professor of Philosophy)

governor — in UK, a colloquial term for any man in authority, including one’s father; in Aus, the representative of the Queen heading the government in an Australian state; in US, the executive head of the state government, equivalent to president in the federal government.

shrimp — in US, a type of seafood Australians call “prawns”; in Aus (and UK?), a small person.

race — a running competition in Aus and UK; an artifical classification scheme for people in US.

Communist — in Aus and UK, a member of the Communist Party, or someone who espouses Marxist ideas; in US, anyone not in the right-wing Republican Party.

ADDED: jelly — in Aus (and UK) a type of dessert made out of water and gelatine and colouring, and very wobbly (US calls this “jello”); in US, a substance spread on bread, perhaps with peanut butter.

EDITED: jam and marmalade— in Aus (and UK), substances spread on bread, including what Americans call “jelly” (don’t ask me to explain the difference between British jam and marmalade on the one hand, and American jelly and jam — I don’t want to know — I don’t eat the stuff — I just know that Australians do not use the word “jelly” for any substance we would spread on bread, we call that something else.)

root — in Aus, it means roughly what Americans mean by the term “screw” (sexual activity, and messing things up completely); in US, it means to offer vociferous support (which is called “barracking” in Aus); in UK, it means the part of a plant that is under ground.

The above is to the best of my knowledge, having lived in Australia and the US.

Reference: Ian MacKinnell. “Can you name 20 words in the English language that have different meanings in the U.S., the U. K. and Australia?” originally appeared on Quora, the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Expert Tips From The World-Renowned Experts :

English Words That Mean Something Totally Different

  TED – Nice, Silly, and Awful

1. Nice: This word used to mean “silly, foolish, simple.” Far from the compliment it is today!
2. Silly: Meanwhile, silly went in the opposite direction: in its earliest uses, it referred to things worthy or blessed; from there it came to refer to the weak and vulnerable, and more recently to those who are foolish.
3. Awful: Awful things used to be “worthy of awe” for a variety of reasons, which is how we get expressions like “the awful majesty of God.”

Thank you, TED – TED: Ideas worth spreading,

  Bigs Stock Blog – Jumer, Trainer, and Pants

Thank you,  Photo by BigStock Blog.

Trainer

Thank you,  Photo by BigStock Blog.

Pants

Thank you,  Photo by BigStock Blog.

Thank you, BigStock Blog – Find millions of awesome royalty-free stock photos, images and vectors. Download affordable high-res stock photography and high quality stock footage videos.

List25 – Bar, Smoking, and Gary

1. Bar – In Swedish, it means “good”.
2. Smoking – In French, this is a tuxedo.
3. Gary –  Although the pronunciation is a bit slanted. “Gary” is essentially the Japanese word for “diarrhea”. So, for all the Gary’s planning on visiting Japan…you’ve been warned.

Thank you, List 25 – List25 compiles lesser-known intriguing information on a variety of subjects. (By List 25 – Sameen).

  The Culture Trip – Cute, Fantastic, and Flirt

1. Cute- A shortening of the word ‘acute’, ‘cute’ originally meant sharp or quick-witted, and was even written with an apostrophe in place of the missing A. In 1830s America, it took on a new significance and came to mean attractive, pretty or charming – though we still use it in its original manner in phrases like ‘don’t get cute with me’, referring to someone trying to be clever.
2. Fantastic – Coming from the old French term fantastique via medieval Latin and Greek, ‘fantastic’ originally referred to things that were conceived, or appeared conceived, in imagination. It’s only recently – some sources say in the 1930s – that it took on another meaning of extremely good or wonderful.
3. Flirt – While nowadays we might flirt by making eye contact or mirroring another person’s body language, flirting in the mid-16th century was described as a sudden sharp movement. The original verb sense was to ‘give someone a sharp blow’ and ‘sneer at’. The word took on a playful, cheeky meaning much later.

Thank you, The Culture Trip – Explore unique things to do in cities around the world. Find your inspiration with tips from local experts.  (By The Culture Trip – Emma Law)

  HuffPost – Hookup, Bad, and Sick.

1. “Hook up” –  used to mean getting some kind of device or service or appliance up and running, i.e. “hook up cable television.” Today, it also means “hooking up” with someone to have sex or just “hooking up” with someone as in meeting up.
2. “Bad” – used to describe someone who’d done something wrong or something that was poor in quality. Today, it also means “good” or “great” when used as slang. (And “breaking bad” means to challenge conventions and defy authority.)
3. “Sick” –  used to mean ill. Today, it also means something is really amazing.

Thank you, HuffPost – HuffPost – Breaking News, U.S. and World News. Read the latest headlines, news stories, and opinion from Politics, Entertainment, Life, Perspectives, and more.

BuzzFeed – Read Everything in English

Words That Mean Something Totally Different When Spelled Backwards

1. “Desserts” / “Stressed”
2. “Live” / “Evil”
3. “Knits” / “Stink”

Thank you, Buzzfeed – BuzzFeed has breaking news, vital journalism, quizzes, videos, celeb news, Tasty food videos, recipes, DIY hacks, and all the trending buzz you’ll want to share. (Buzzfeed – Kelly Oakes)

  Career Addict – Preservative, Pick, and Peach

1. Preservative – Avoid asking about preservatives in France; you’ll probably be met with strange looks. It means ‘condom’ in France.
2. Pick – If you’re visiting Norway, don’t use the word ‘pick’. Your Norwegian colleague is unlikely to be impressed – it means ‘dick’ over there.
3. Peach – Going to Turkey? Avoid asking for a peach in the supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. It means ‘bastard’ in Turkish.

Thank you, Career Addict – Read expert career advice, get matched to suitable careers, revamp your CV and find exciting job opportunities near you. (Carrer Addict – Lola Bailey).

Indy100 – Chaps, Cookie, and Fart.

Thank you, Indy 100 – Indy100: discover. (Indy 100 – Jessica Brown).

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