Please don't take this the wrong way. I mean no disrespect to ANYONE. It's just a funny and interesting example of the different uses of language in different countries.

In the now closed thread MB said that the mods "are equal opportunity tossers". In New Zealand the word "tosser" means masturbator. It's a derogatory and (obviously) vulgar term. i.e. Bill is such a tosser, showing off with that new car." When I first read it I went and then I thought surely MB can't mean that - then the penny dropped!

That is hysterical....

OMG. That is HILARIOUS. Isn't it funny that although we are all speaking ENGLISH, we are not all saying the same things. HAHAHAHAHAHA

Isn't a "fag" a cigarette in the UK? In the USA it's a derogatory word for a homosexual man.

I was thinking about that same one OH. HAHAHAHA.

There are a lot of them. I can't think of any right now though.

Fag is a cigarette here but we also use "fag" as a derogatory term for a homosexual man. Although "poof" would be used here for a homosexual man as well. Gay is the acceptable usage. Fanny is the one that trips up a lot of Americans abroad. Here it means the same and has the same shock value as a word beginning with c to describe genitalia. Very unacceptable to use in polite company. Americans only need to go once through the deathly hush that follows the use of that word in English, Australian or New Zealand company, to never use it again.

Root is another one. (I feel so guilty using these words but know that to you they are just words). It's a vulgar expression for sexual intercourse. When we hear Americans are "rooting" for their teams we do a double take.

Yes...lil, i think it was her....said never say fanny or bring your fanny pack...She said to call it a Bum pack...Hahahahahaha

Have you ever read the book "Eats, Shoots and Leaves"? It's a very funny book about punctuation foibles that completely change the meaning of phrases and words.

(The title was from an incorrectly punctuated sentence about Pandas and what they eat. Commas can be so vital for clarity... or a lack thereof)

ha! My English professor said that she had an English room mate and that she said one night, "Let's go upstairs and knock Katie up." My professor gave her the strangest look and busted out laughing asking her how she was going to do that as they were both women. Apparently that means to go knock on a door according to our friends across the pond.

Speaking of this subject. Many Asian phrases do not translate well directly into English. Here's an entire site that displays just that...

http://www.engrish.com/

Oh yeah....like the gas station sign that says "Eat and get gas" Hahahahahaha. My DS loved that one.

It's funny you mention that JT. There is a (terribly coarse) joke here that the kiwi male is just like the kiwi bird. It eats roots shoots and leaves.

I have plenty more where that came from but in the interests of gentility will not post them.

We have a gas station down the road and the name of the store is "D&C". For those of you that don't know...google miscarriage and D&C

Hey, KiwiJ...If you guys are so good at rugby, how come y'all are terrible at football?

Um, I wouldn't say we were terrible. We've only played one game so far and it was a draw. We were amused to see that when the US drew with England the NY Times had the headline "US win 1-1".

The answer of course is that rugby is our national sport and football is not an overly popular sport here. We are all very happy that our team made it to the World Cup.

This OP wafter threw my head when I made myself finish the last bite of carrot cake. I felt like I was going to toss my cookies....then I snickered, which didn't do too much for my tummy. I tried to toss aside the thought.

Ah, now we have something very interesting. Luri is a self confessed "southern gal". Southern state English is probably the nearest thing linguistically to "English" English that there is in the States and Bostonian is probably the nearest to our (NZ) pronunciation of words.

BTW all that made perfect sense to me lol. Even "wafter", except my British husband says "Willy Wafter".

In Boston we speak the propa English...TEEHEEHEE

lol Stillhere, didn't know you were a Bostonian.

Yup, two towns ova...

lol - I can hear you saying that!

But we dont speak like the Kennedys or like in the movies.

People who ahnt bon heah think the Bawstin accent is bzah. hahahahaha...Its the Kings English.

lol - I love it!

My DS assed me why theyah wuz an "r" at the end of his name becuz we dont say it...Hahahahaha...Im awf to bed, Im tyuhd. Good night, Kiwi....

Good night Still.

Just have to add some Aussie ones which Jen would know as well I'd guess...

a bit more choke and you would have started - a statement said to somebody who has just passed wind in public rather loudly... blokes (men) would say this of course not wimin (of course a woman)

the good acid ... getting the truth from someone

put'n yer togs - get dressed in your bathers.. bikini etc

carn lets go - come on lets leave/go but also to scream out at a footy match "carn yer mugs av a go"


yer [censored] - can be a friendly greeting to a curse depends on the tone and situation...
also used by the "littl'wimmon or missus to set blokes on dare straight'n narrow". Its traditional ... ask me mum

now I have to go food shopping which is nowhere as much fun as clothes shopping

Wow, you lower equaterans are funny.

I've been to both Boston (Fenway park, even) and many parts of Nz and nevah, nevah did it occur to me to confuse the two accents.

I am puzzled.

Well done aussieswife. J and I just lauhed at the same thing : the "bit more choke"

It's all very well KiwiJ starting this thread about tossers, but I am still at a loss as to what you guys mean by tosser??? (feel really rude putting that here too)

OMG Jen

You owe me a new computer screen. I was just sniggering till I got to root, then woosh! I often read things on MB, that I have to read again, and again

Another I thought of is that a shag in the states is a bird and Flick told me about a time he went to London dungeons in the UK years ago, and him and his mate fair near wet themselves when the guide said the great fire of london was believed to have started in a pile of f a g g o t s out back....

Language is such a funny thing and not nearly as international as you'd think.

OMG! OMG! OMG! I just read what's been happening on the pailer whatsits thread I started and saw the quote you were referring to Jen


OMG!!!!!!!
Flick and I are DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

OMG, your killing me!

So much I could say, but I am going outside for a fag instead. Hope I don't get tossed.

AIGH

Youz guyz ah weeuhd!..... Im tryin to talk out loud then spell it, I dont know if its working too well... ....but I know its fenway pahk, I take the "T" theyah cuz its hahd to pahk my kah. And when I go to Flawridder they think we say "Bahstin", we dont its "BAWSTIN".

In some parts when you buy your groceries they put them in a bag and carry them to the car for you.

In other parts they pack 'em in a sack and tote 'em to your car.

In another area they'll put 'em in a tote and pack 'em to the car, which is typically an F150 pickup truck.

And that's all within the good ole USofA...

Not to mention the distinction between y'all and all y'all...

Really? well here they pack and I tote em to my car...thats funny, I thought it was the same all over the US...but I have only been in New england and Florida, so what do I know.

Here in Texas, they sack your groceries and you cart them to your horse.

Don't forget your fanny pack!!

I can throw a little Spanglish into the mix... My pronunciation of words like "focus" or "fought" always get me a what-the-heck-did-you-just-say look.

Examples:
"I want you to focus on the task at hand"
"We fought very hard"

And all still in the big ole USA.

--ElCamino72

I have one!

Womens rights!

I'm sorry Melody. You'll have to forgive me. Living in Oklahoma still in teepees and horse drawn carriages, I'm still trying to get progressive in my thinking. I just found out yesterday that women can vote.

Seriously though...I've been asked more than once by people outside of Oklahoma if we still live in teepees.

You live in teepees and we ride horses!

hahaha! I go down to Texas 6-7 times a year to see my family and go to throwing competitions. Anyway, my wife and I had to roll our eyes when they built the rest stop on the border of Oklahoma and Texas and there's teepees all over the damn place as shade over the benches and tables.

Thanks Oklahoma for keeping the stereotype.

uhhhhhh....I don't know if this is an English language foible or not.

I just read my post on page 2 and I have no idea what I was talking about. I remember posting something I thought was a pun, but, uh.....

I think I need to go lie down

ok, KT, you are not saying above that the wimmins in Oklahoma don't have "rights" are you?? Please tell me you are not saying the gals in Oklahoma are being oppressed! If you do, I will LAUGH!!

I hate when I do that!! It is a terrible feeling when you read your own posts and wonder what in the hell was I talking about???

Oh! My wife brought up something about this the other day. Which I thought was kinda cute as she had shoes on and was out of the kitchen.

As someone who descended from five generations of Oklahoma women, you can imagine how funny the notion of oppressed women is to me! Believe me, these tough old Okie broads were not oppressed! No one would have the balls to even try! here

What's the deal???? None of these women have big hair! Of course, OK is not in the south.....

Didn't they tell you that Designing Women and Pat Benatar aren't cool anymore?

p.s. We're Midsouthcentral

My wife must be related to you...she's about as tough and hardcore as they come. I'd go file for domestic abuse but she'd just hit me again.

The scariest one was a TEACHER!!

WORD!

Oops! Sorry, mods! Hey, I'm across the pond, kiwi, you gotta give me that

I just re-read what I wrote - whoo! Reading it in a different context sure does change things, eh what?

Teachers are inherently scary because we are so much smarter than everybody else

If you can read this, thank a teacher....for being nice enough to write it. bwaha

no, its because you all must be crazy to tolerate our little brats!!

Ohhhhh Melody...surely you jest. I had 347 students this past year. I remembered everyone of their names...those perfect little angels

My child is perfect!

I get asked from time to time if NZ has electricity.

Most of those asking are usually asking me on a public forum or disscusion group.

I usually tell them that we take turns on the pushbike generator so as to have the internet running.

But seriously - does it?

You have interwebs?

HA, kilted....I had 410 students so I beat you. And my favorite students are the stinkers - because I can relate. The perfect angels are annoying - J/K.

I know NZ has electricity. What I want to know is if everyone has those Xena outfits???

You can hit me if you want. I am sure y'all enjoy Xena remarks just like us Alabama people enjoy jokes about rednecks and trailers.

MB, KT, Lu

Ahhhh, good times, good times.....

Impertinent chit

lildoggie kaint spay-ul bad wurds rite, y'all.

how wood ewe spiell et, cos eye jist goo gilled et an tis rite

If'n y'alls got some music teacher jobs over thar, I kin move on over 'n give you spelling help all d time

Just remember that the music teacher's alphabet stops with G...

Then they got them halfway to the next letter things that tell you what language stuff is written in...

BTW, the Kiwis are the most connected country on the planet with more internet connections per person than any other country, last time I looked.

The Swedes still have them beat when it comes to cellphones though.

Mark