LANGUAGE DIFFERENCES

I have recently received some more interesting differences in the language we use, this time between Australia, USA and U.K. and even India and beyond.

Ann, June and Pat Isaacs have confirmed that Christmas Crackers are called "bon-bons" in Australia, although the term "crackers" is sometimes used.

Niklas from Mozambique

I'm a Swede living in Mozambique. Every eight weeks we travel the 90 km's to South Africa to "chill out" for a couple of days. Things are different there; even the English language differs a lot from the one we Europeans know.

Renny J. Thomas has sent in two new phrases with differing meanings -

1.     Here in India, we use the word 'Freak Out' (its kind of slang) when we want to say that we are going to have a party or a bash. In the US, I believe 'Freak Out' means doing drugs, losing your control and kind of things. They just use the term 'Party' as in 'We plan to party tonight'. In India, people would say - 'We are going to freak out to night'. Not sure what it would mean in UK. I got to know this during one of my conversations with our client (from the US).

In the U.K. "freak out" means to go slightly crazy, wild or to have a strong emotional experience.

2.     The second one - 'Madam'. In India, this is used to address a lady with respect. But in the US, I believe it has a very different meaning. In the US, I believe a Madam is someone who runs a business of ............ (ill repute)They use ma'am if I am right. Addressing a lady as 'Madam' in the US can get you into deep trouble if I am correct.

In the U.K. we may use the term "Madam" when addressing a letter to an unknown lady and, occasionally sales staff in a shop may say "madam" but this is becoming more unusual in today's disrespectful society. The term "a madam" is used for a woman in charge of prostitutes.

While it's true that Americans use the noun "madam" to refer to a female keeper of a house of ill repute, the word still has currency in other situations.  As a term of direct address, "Madam" is still sometimes used as a polite, but firm, means of commanding attention in a difficult encounter, as in:  "Madam, would you please remove your hands from my throat!"  In correspondence, the term is still used salutations, though sometimes spelled with a final "e":  "Dear Sir or Madame".

Richard A. Swanson

Gavin Smith has kindly elaborated on the above -

Lemonade in the UK is always fizzy lemon drink, just like orangeade is always orange flavour, cherryade is cherry, limeade is lime etc (none of these drinks usually contain fruit though)! It can either be colourless or cloudy yellow (called ‘traditional lemonade’, which does usually have some real lemon in it). 7Up is just a lemonade brand, like Schweppes. Similar to Fanta and Tango both making Orangeade. So to UK ears, Americans would be right to call it 7Up and Australians would be right to call it Lemonade. In the UK we use either.

We also don’t buy coke brands; if I asked for coke I could get a Coca-Cola, a Pepsi, a Virgin Cola or anything else - unless I specified. I guess Americans refer to brands instead of products, just like ‘a Xerox’ instead of a photocopier and ‘a Hoover’ instead of a vacuum cleaner.

Soda water in the UK is just the carbonated tap water that I use as a mixer in bars. It’d be confusing if someone asked me for a glass of Soda in the UK; it just means ‘fizzy’, it doesn’t state which type of fizzy drink you want. You can ask me for a ‘vodka, lime and soda’ though, and you’d be fine.

Carbonated mineral water isn’t ever Soda though; it’s called ‘sparkling’ mineral water. Non-carbonated is called ‘still’ mineral water.

• In Australia, "pissed" means drunk. In America, it means very angry.

  This is an interesting one as in the U.K. "pissed" means drunk and "pissed off" means angry.

• "Aubergine" is the word everyone but America uses for a type of large vegetable with purple skin. Americans call it "eggplant". I have no idea why.

• In Australia, a "napkin" is a women's sanitary product. In America, it's a piece of paper or cloth you use to wipe your face and hands when you eat. Ask for a "napkin" at an Australian restaurant... heheheheh.

• In Australia, a "nappie" is what you put on your baby's bottom to catch the poo. In America,  it's called a "diaper".

• In Australia, "barbie" is what you put beef, shrimp and chicken on to grill it outside. In America, it's an anatomically incorrect female doll that comes in a pink box.

• In England and Australia, a "flat" is a place people live with one or two bedrooms. In America, this is called an apartment.

• In Australia, the roads are called "bitumen". Americans have no idea what this is. It confuses them. The American term is "asphalt". This confuses Australians.

• Jenny Bone points out that in the UK this is called Tarmac or Tarmacadam - she also goes on to say that this term comes from the man who invented it (Mr. Mac Adam) who is now the owner of the Tarmac Company.

• The place you buy shampoo, cough syrup and lotion is called a "pharmacy" in America and a "chemist" in Australia. In America, a chemist is someone who mixes chemicals in a laboratory.

In America while a 'pharmacy' may be used to describe your chemists, we usually just refer to it as a drug store.                    Anon

• In Australia, the drugs you buy off the shelf  at the chemist's for a sniffle are likely to contain codeine, while the isopropyl alcohol is kept behind the counter in tiny, tiny brown glass bottles. In America, codeine is kept in locked controlled areas and dispensed by prescription only, while the isopropyl alcohol is sold off the shelf in big plastic bottles for 99 cents.

• Americans chew cinnamon gum, eat red-hots and fireballs (cinnamon candies) and have cinnamon-scented candles. Australians only sell cinnamon in bottles in the grocery store.

• Australians put beetroot on burgers, in salads and as a decoration in fancy meals. Americans barely know what it is.

• In America, Woolworth's is a clothing store. In Australia, it is affectionately known as "Woolie's" and sells food.

• The spun sugar "treat" is Candy Floss in Britain, Cotton Candy in America and Fairy Floss in Australia.