Different words for the same things depending on which country you're in.

13468946

Replies

  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 24,706 Member
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    And lets not get started on how New Zealanders pronounce certain words...

    Warning do NOT watch if you have a dirty mind! :wink:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6c4Nupnup0

    Well you know with that type of disclaimer, us pervs are going to be in there like a dirty shirt.

    How dare you, I have a clean and pure mind. I found nothing wrong with this.

    (Why are you laughing at me?)
  • AnvilHead
    AnvilHead Posts: 18,344 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

    Over here we "cheer" or "root" for a team.

    I understand that "rooting" for a team would have a quite different meaning in Australia. ;)
  • williams969
    williams969 Posts: 2,528 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    And lets not get started on how New Zealanders pronounce certain words...

    Warning do NOT watch if you have a dirty mind! :wink:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6c4Nupnup0

    Well you know with that type of disclaimer, us pervs are going to be in there like a dirty shirt.

    How dare you, I have a clean and pure mind. I found nothing wrong with this.

    (Why are you laughing at me?)

    Me, too. I don't get it. Deck maintenance is a dirty job. A dirty, dirty job.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    malibu927 wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    And lets not get started on how New Zealanders pronounce certain words...

    Warning do NOT watch if you have a dirty mind! :wink:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6c4Nupnup0

    Well you know with that type of disclaimer, us pervs are going to be in there like a dirty shirt.

    How dare you, I have a clean and pure mind. I found nothing wrong with this.

    (Why are you laughing at me?)

    Me, too. I don't get it. Deck maintenance is a dirty job. A dirty, dirty job.

    As long as your deck isn't going bad. Very, very bad. :open_mouth:



    malibu927 wrote: »
    nutmegoreo wrote: »
    And lets not get started on how New Zealanders pronounce certain words...

    Warning do NOT watch if you have a dirty mind! :wink:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6c4Nupnup0

    Well you know with that type of disclaimer, us pervs are going to be in there like a dirty shirt.

    How dare you, I have a clean and pure mind. I found nothing wrong with this.

    (Why are you laughing at me?)

    I'm laughing with you, not at you. Cause it's just so believable. :laugh:
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

    Over here we "cheer" or "root" for a team.

    I understand that "rooting" for a team would have a quite different meaning in Australia. ;)

    We have a saying over here to describe a wombat (which can also be used for some people

    who live out in the bush)..

    It " Eats,roots and leaves"

  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

    Over here we "cheer" or "root" for a team.

    I understand that "rooting" for a team would have a quite different meaning in Australia. ;)

    We have a saying over here to describe a wombat (which can also be used for some people

    who live out in the bush)..

    It " Eats,roots and leaves"

    There's a book here:
    eats, shoots and leaves

    https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M97VP3ZGWKVPQD9YP5CR
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

    Over here we "cheer" or "root" for a team.

    I understand that "rooting" for a team would have a quite different meaning in Australia. ;)

    We have a saying over here to describe a wombat (which can also be used for some people

    who live out in the bush)..

    It " Eats,roots and leaves"

    There's a book here:
    eats, shoots and leaves

    https://www.amazon.com/Eats-Shoots-Leaves-Tolerance-Punctuation/dp/1592402038/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=M97VP3ZGWKVPQD9YP5CR

    Haha yes, that comma makes all the difference.

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    nvmomketo wrote: »

    LOL That's awesome, but raquetball and squash are two different games up here (western Canada).

    My brother travelled Australia about 10 years ago. He wore a hat with a popular Canadian brand of clothing (does the olympic teams' clothing.) Roots. Bit unfortunate.

    Driving through Death Valley once we stopped to use a toilet at a gas station. We asked to use the washroom. The attendant just stared at us. Had no clue.

    in Australia we get petrol (and gas) from the petrol station
    put rubbish in the rubbish bin (not trash or garbage)

    we have caravan parks, not trailer parks. a trailer is a thing you attach to a towball on the back of the car to transport stuff.

    entrée is the first part of a meal (like a starter), then main, then dessert.
  • CooCooPuff
    CooCooPuff Posts: 4,374 Member
    edited December 2016
    I saw your previous thread about watermelon and rockmelon and asked myself what the heck is a rockmelon. :p
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
    CooCooPuff wrote: »
    I saw your previous thread about watermelon and rockmelon and asked myself what the heck is a rockmelon. :p

    I work in a grocery store and we have two types...cantaloupes and honeyrocks, which are bigger. And then my mom calls them muskmelons.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    edited December 2016
    The other day, I heard 'Yobbo" for the first time in a loooong time. Made me laugh.
    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Fanny pack and bum bag are an interesting one. Apparently 'fanny pack' has a quite different meaning in Australia. :D

    Yep... I was the "immature 12 year old" when I moved to Canada. :laugh:
    in aus we have wine in bag in a box, we call it cask wine (perhaps boxed wine in the US?) ...but it can also be called a goon bag

    OMG....Goon.
    I don't know why this reminded me of passion pop!!

    AnvilHead wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    As a Canadian who moved to Australia in 2009 ... I had to learn a whole new language. My first year here I was constantly coming home and asking my husband what on earth certain terms meant. But I'm almost fluent now. :)

    arvo
    barrack
    bluey
    chook
    etc. etc.

    Even "bring a plate" still sounds weird to me.

    Good Arvo to you, what footy team do you barrack for. We had a roast chook for dinner last night, might get chilly later so will have to the throw the bluey on.
    I gave up the durries/*kitten* 12mths ago, good thing as I always drank too much goon juice when i smoked. Might have a barbie later :lol:

    Over here we "cheer" or "root" for a team.

    I understand that "rooting" for a team would have a quite different meaning in Australia. ;)

    HAHAHA... imagine...ROOT beer. o_O
  • Christine_72
    Christine_72 Posts: 16,049 Member
    It made me think of passion pop too @cerise_noir , and then my mind went back to my 13 year old self barfing it all back up again lol
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    It made me think of passion pop too @cerise_noir , and then my mind went back to my 13 year old self barfing it all back up again lol
    Oh dear lord! LOL.
    I was introduced to it at Uni.... Yeah

    I hear passion pop is now in cans. Jeez, too long enough. :expressionless:
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Rocket took me a while, when I was traveling years ago.

    An easy one: french fries=chips

    Yep. (US/UK): fries/chips, but chips/crisps. How about pants/trousers but underwear/pants. Silly differences that could confuse tourists, lol.

    Yes I definitely had to learn that trousers and pants thing real quick.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Don't you call the flat work surface in a kitchen the benchtop, @Christine_72 ? Im the US, a bench is something one sits on at a park or a person has in his workshop/toolshed for woodworking or fixing things, lol.

    Edit, the kitchen surface is a counter in the US, which I suppose makes zero sense for a name, too lol.

    My wife (British) calls it a worktop.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    Heh...how did I know the whole fanny thing would be mentioned? :laugh:

    Aussies: I'm going to use the toilet.
    US/Canada: I am going to use the bathroom.

    I do realise that in the US/Canada, the w/c and bath tub/shower are mostly in the same room. In Australia, these can be separate rooms. I honestly prefer the separate rooms.

    As for the coffee creamer thing. I am pretty sure I've seen coffee whitener in Oz.


    jgnatca wrote: »
    Cool that you started this:

    Canada - US

    pop - soda
    burger - dinner plate
    poutine - "who the *kitten* puts cheese curds on fries???"
    double-double (coffee with double sugar, double cream)
    Timmy's - Dunkin' Doughnuts

    Canada - Australia

    fifty-fifty (10% cream)

    As an Aussie who lives in Quebec, the home of Poutine.

    It depends on the poutine. There's a place down the road that makes the most incredible poutine. The cheese is actually curd cheese which works well with the gravy. I've had bad poutine, but this poutine...oh my god. Delicious.

    Toilet and bathroom both work for me, but what about latrine or lavatory?