Phrases with different meaning depending on geographic location

Overheal · 27-02-2007 04:39PM

Groceries <-> Messages....wtf?

In America, people put the word 'like' preferably at the start of a sentence, like. Whereas like in Ireland I've gotten accustomed to putting 'like' at the end of my sentences.

Also, when an American says "Drive on the right side of the road" he means it.

Sam Vimes · 27-02-2007 06:19PM

in australia, flips flops are called thongs. when my 16 year old australian cousin was over she said she was going upstairs to put her thongs on.

i was thinking to myself "why are you telling me this and why are you putting on two of them"

threebeards · 27-02-2007 06:31PM

biko wrote:

"I'm full" in Sweden means I have a lot of drink taken.

Strange, in Mayo (or at least in Castlebar) "I'm full" regularly means exactly what it does in Sweden!! Just to clarify, the full phrase (pun very much intended

) is "I'm/He's/She's full to the gills"

Ah yes, Castlebar, the Sweden of Ireland

Sofaspud · 27-02-2007 08:25PM

Then, of course, we have this lovely young English rapper.

http://www.geebag.co.uk/

I showed this to some English people, and they found it hilarious only after I explained to them what Gee meant in Ireland.

maxi-twist · 27-02-2007 08:34PM

I asked for a rubber in america and got a condom.....Its an "eraser" over there..

:| · 27-02-2007 08:45PM

Commander Vimes wrote:

in australia, flips flops are called thongs. when my 16 year old australian cousin was over she said she was going upstairs to put her thongs on.

i was thinking to myself "why are you telling me this and why are you putting on two of them"

Aussie doctor: now just take off you thong and i'll have a look
Me::eek:

Sofaspud wrote:

Then, of course, we have this lovely young English rapper.

http://www.geebag.co.uk/

I showed this to some English people, and they found it hilarious only after I explained to them what Gee meant in Ireland.

Thats hilarious, i always call people geebags

The Hill Billy · 28-02-2007 09:12AM

There's also the very versatile "craic".

"Any craic lads?" will get you a different respose from a bunch of homies in the Lower East Side than it will from your mates in your local boozer.

As would "Jaysus I'm gasping for a fag!"

Fwaggle · 28-02-2007 10:05AM

In Scotland if we didn't go to school (6 years ago) we would call it "dogging". Not so much now though

Overheal · 28-02-2007 11:23AM

Hill Billy wrote:

There's also the very versatile "craic".

"Any craic lads?" will get you a different respose from a bunch of homies in the Lower East Side than it will from your mates in your local boozer.

Yea my mom loves hearing that one when I come to visit :cool:

Marksie · 28-02-2007 11:24AM

seansouth wrote:

Very interesting, and I wouldn't mind getting my hands on that book either.

http://www.kennys.ie/Search_Results.aspx?profile=Books&view=single&barcode=1851824669

its vol. 3

I think he writes or wrote for the irish times and these are a compilation of those.

i guess any of the good bookshops in dublin will have em all, but this gives yu the isbn and an idea which section to look in

jor el · 28-02-2007 11:29AM

Terry wrote:

hehe.

I'm waiting for jor el to come back after finding out what tea bagging means.

I was afraid to Google it or follow the link as everything here is blocked and logged when you attempt to access it. Now that I've checked it though I'm glad I didn't look it up at work :eek:

Since someone else mentioned fanny, does anyone know why the yanks think fanny means ar$e? How the hell did that happen?

Kojak · 28-02-2007 11:31AM

maxi-twist wrote:

I asked for a rubber in america and got a condom.....Its an "eraser" over there..

That's a good one

r3nu4l · 28-02-2007 11:46AM

Speaking of rubbers...

I had a friend from Oz who referred to an eraser as a 'todger'. For the first week or two in school he'd be asking the guys around:

'Mate, can I borrow your todger, I don't have one?'

He stopped pretty quickly!

I've met other Australians who don't say 'todger' for eraser, so it must have been a very local phrase

greine · 28-02-2007 12:15PM

A good friend of mine worked in chicago as a carer to an old lady for a while. On her first day she brought the old lady's breakfast on a tray into the bedroom. She managed to open the door with the tray but on entering she was unable to close the door while holding the tray. She was nervous about making a good impression. The old lady noticing my friend's difficulty, shouted across the room to her "hey, girl, just close it with your fanny!", so a little bit bemused, that's exactly what my friend did! With tray in hand she tried desperately to make contact with the door with her fanny and after many attempts succeeded, only to turn around at a very confused old lady! The old lady wanted her to close the door with her behind!:D

emeraldstar · 28-02-2007 05:09PM

jor el wrote:

I'd be with the Aussies on that one too, 'just about' means you're not quite there yet. 'Only just' would mean you barely made it alright.

agreed

blahhh · 28-02-2007 09:05PM

Dyke (ireland) - Huge puddle thing in a field
Dyke (america) - Lesbian

My Irish friend telling a story to an american friend, as follows..

"So we were in this huge field running from the guards, and there were dykes everywhere, and loads of people fell in them, I just jumped over them"

So funny watching the american fellas face....one of sheer confusion

28-02-2007 10:41PM

Overheal wrote:

Groceries <-> Messages....wtf?

I use that, and in my experience it's mainly an inner city thing.

I'd be with the Irish version of the "just about" e.g.

Her: "Is it in yet?"
Me: ".......just about"

On a similar note, I worked with a girl from Sligo and she once said "he won €2000, sure that's not even a weeks wages!!!" .................meaning,.........
"We earn less than 2000 a week and he has won more than that"

Had a lovely argument over that one. Also, in Derry, "Deadly" means the complete opposite to what it means in Dublin.

Catari Jaguar · 01-03-2007 12:16AM

Girls in college were arguing over the meaning of beat as in "bet" or "bate" and which meant what, like it means to win, but in town it's to beat up, or to be "bet into" someone you fancy them...

Irish people always say "I'm after doin such n such"... There's not need for the "after" part and it doesn't really make sense. It just comes from tar eis in Gaeilge.

Does anyone here use the expression "I didn't use to" instead of " I used to not"? My dad reckons it's a London expression I picked up.

tolosenc · 01-03-2007 12:30AM

50 post till someone mentions "to do be", eg "I do be goin' there..."

Foreigners just don't get that one...

ballroom blitz · 01-03-2007 12:48AM

what about usen't to?

Paulj · 01-03-2007 01:21AM

We were talking to a german neighbour before about a new job she just started. We said "how d'ya find the job?" ...she proceeded to explain how she had sent in her CV in an email after which she was callled for an interview. Myself and mate looked at each other in confusion.

Another seperate related occurence happened when my mate asked a foreign student in our class how he found ireland....he replied: "on the map".

i'm from tipperary where:
goul = fool
messages = groceries
rubber = johnny = condom
just about got the train = i did get the train, but barely

One thing that always confused me is the thing relating to days in the week...if i say next saturday, i would be talking about saturday 10th, and this saturday is saturday the 3rd, whereas for some people it works differently. The mind boggles... :rolleyes:

Terry · 01-03-2007 01:53AM

this saturday is the third.
saturday week is the tenth.

Blitzkrieger · 01-03-2007 08:59AM

Lil Kitten wrote:

or to be "bet into" someone you fancy them...

That's not what it means around here.......but this is a family forum.

Phrases with different meaning depending on geographic location

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