Forum: travel.stackexchange.com
Tags: <usa><uk><culture><ireland><american-english>
Title: Is there any United States slang I should avoid in the UK or Ireland?
Question: We'll be spending a couple weeks this summer in the UK (Scotland and London), then a week in Ireland.  Is there any slang common in the United States that we be best avoided in either country?  For example, 'fag' is commonly used in the UK for cigarettes, but it's considered a slur in the US.

Answers:
sents: text: US "pants" = UK "trousers".
text: UK "pants" = US "underpants" or for some people "shorts".
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1219/200_success
score: 35
sents: text: Avoid the use of the word "fanny", as it is slang for, ah, a woman's front bits.
text: Be very careful when referring to your fanny pack!
text: Also, if an attractive member of the opposite sex asks you if you have a "rubber", double-check to make sure there aren't any chalkboards around because you're probably being asked for an eraser .
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/None/
score: 34
sents: text: I heard an "Irish Car Bomb" and "Black and Tan" are types of cocktails/drinks.
text: These are not terms that would be understood in Ireland, nor terms that are particularly nice.
text: The Irish Car Bomb one is obvious. "
text: Black and Tans" were a group of British merceneries sent over in the Irish War of Independence in 1920s which were not exactly very honourable military people.
text: They are viewed by Irish people the same way African-Americans might view the Klan.
text: Nike and Ben & Jerry's have made this mistake.
text: Your example of fag is technically correct, but remember that "fag" would also be understood as an offensive slur in the UK & Ireland aswell, mostly depending on context/tone.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/243/Rory
score: 20
sents: text: I have often heard Americans use the words "poof" and "poofy" to describe what English people would call "puffy".
text: For example: "That pillow is poofy.
text: " It should be understood that "poof" and "poofy" in England are slang for homosexual.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/602/Rincewind42
score: 15
sents: text: Would probably avoid trying to make jokes about "bad teeth" and horrible food as well.
text: Brits in general don't take to kindly to jokes like that.
text: In fact, I'm currently living in the states and some of the clichés the Americans have about us
text: I can't understand where they even came from.
text: Also, if someone calls you a "yank" they don't mean to be offensive.
text: It's quite common in the UK to refer to the Americans as yanks.
text: There's not a lot you guys say that offends us in general.
text: Don't make the mistake of calling an Irish, Welsh or Scotsman English or you'll probably be ruined for ignorance.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/3270/Timothy Ford
score: 12
sents: text: if you offer someone 'a ride', as in "I'd love to give you a ride" you will be offering something more intimate than a car journey.
text: Use 'do you want a lift' if offering to drive someone to their destination
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/1521/Ken
score: 8
sents: text: It applies to gestures too.
text: If you're holding up two fingers to mean two (two pints, for example), be sure to do so palm out.
text: Holding up two fingers palm in, especially if accompanied by an upward motion, is rather rude.
text: (In the south of Europe it indicates a cuckold; in the UK and Ireland it doesn't have that specific meaning, but it's still rude.)
text: You may hear fanciful stories about how this gesture originated from the Battle of Agencourt.
text: These stories are not true.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/253/TRiG
score: 7
sents: text: Elevator = lift Garage/ parking lot = car park Hot chips/ French fries = chips Chips/ potato chips =
text: crisps Route is pronounced root.
text: Side walk = pavement Jelly = jam Jello =
text: jelly
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/449/Stuart
score: 4
sents: text: For those with more time thean sense : look at the lists of false friends from wikipedia: a-l m-z
text: Some could be offensive, others not so, but also beware of things like rhyming slang found mostly in east London.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/987/NWS
score: 2
sents: text: "Restroom" may be understood, but "bathroom" means exactly what it says(you know, shower & bath) and "prop room" is unknown.
text: What you mean is either "public conveniences" if you are extremely polite, but "toilet" and "loo" are the well known terms you search.
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/7442/Thorsten S.
score: 2
sents: text: This may help you.
text: copied from here: http://funnychutkule.com/3446/british-vs-american-english-words-differences/
answer_details: author: travel.stackexchange.com/users/8291/Nayana Adassuriya
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
Words like trousers/pants, fanny or rubber have different meanings in the US and UK. Offer someone a lift rather than a ride, avoid jokes about bad teeth and horrible food and don't call an Irish, Welsh or Scotsman English. Finally, Holding up two fingers palm in, especially if accompanied by an upward motion, is considered a rude gesture.
Although the UK and US speak English, there are many differences in the meaning of words. Some of these differences are considered funny, others would be viewed as rude. Moreover, Scots, Welsh and Irish people are not English. Finally, be careful about hand gestures.