Every so often, My Vacation Lady likes to post something that will make you laugh (or at least smile) in our blog posts.  This time, we found some phrases or words that we Americans use often that mean something very different around the world.

According to a post in the Smarter Traveler, you should be careful using the following words or phrases when traveling to other English speaking countries:

  • Pants- while this means slacks, jeans or trousers in the U.S., it mean underwear in the U.K.  If you are looking to purchase a pair of khakis in England, call them trousers.
  • Fanny pack- This bag was all the rage in the 1980’s and is not something anyone should wear anymore 🙂 but don’t use it in The U.K, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa because you will be referring to a woman’s privates.  These unattractive bags are call bum bags in Britain
  • Pissed- when in Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, pissed doesn’t mean mad or angry, but rather drunk.
  • Taking a Piss- You would think that after reading #3, this phrase would be getting drunk, but no- it means to make fun of.
  • Bangs- You know, the hairstyle with the short hair covering your forehead.  Not in England, it’s called Fringe.  Bang is a verb meaning the same as it does in the U.S. when used as a verb.  We won’t say more here.
  • Knob– In the U.S., we think of door knob— not so in the other English speaking countries around the world.  It’s part of a man’s anatomy.  If you are a male and you are called a knob head, it is now time to be offended.
  • Rooting around- Not a phrase that I typically use but you may be rooting around for something you have lost.  If you are rooting around in the Australia and New Zealand, a man and a woman will likely be doing something involving a knob and fanny.
  • Pull- in the U.S., we might be pulling a muscle or pulling open a door.  In the U.K. or Ireland, “going out on the pull” means you are out on the prowl looking for some action.
  • Bugger- you might refer to a child or pet as your cute little bugger in the U.S.  Don’t even think of using that word since it is a common expletive elsewhere.

My Vacation Lady is always on the prowl for new travel tips to offer our clients and, yes, we are located in the United States so I do mean, we are always searching for travel tips that we can share with our clients.   If you have any to share with us, please send them our way.