# False friends: familiar names which mean something very different elsewhere **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 24, 2018, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121 "2018-03-24T18:07:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/59ef9b/32.png) [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorkshire_Pudding)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/101 "2018-03-25T15:31:13Z")
> [@pdhenry](#): > > There you go - pudding. > > In England it’s (I think) a dense steamed cake (often) studded with dried fruit, served warm with vanilla or chocolate cream. Well, yes, it can mean one of those, but in common parlance it just means dessert. And serving a steamed pudding with chocolate cream would get some strange looks: hot custard’s the thing for a pud. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/102 "2018-03-25T15:33:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I was greatly amused to learn that “fuck all” is the British equivalent of “nada,” “zilch,” “gornish,” “nichts.” > > “Hey, Victor. What have you done on that project so far?” > > “Fuck all.” Do we not use this phrase in the US? I know I use this phrase all the time, but my English has gotten cross-pollinated over the years, so I may have picked this up from my British friends. I know this has happened to me before using what I thought was an American phrase, and it turns out to be something I picked up along the way. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/103 "2018-03-25T15:34:28Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > We used “rubbers” in Canada too, at least when I was a child. Never thought of them as erasers; they were simply rubbers. You might also be amused to learn that in pro baseball, pitchers use a rubber strip embedded in the pitcher’s mound to position themselves correctly. “Put your foot on the rubber” was always good for Beavis and Butt-Head type laughs in junior high gym class. Huh-huh! Huh-huh! That wuz cool. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/104 "2018-03-25T15:39:49Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Do we not use this phrase in the US? I know I use this phrase all the time, but my English has gotten cross-pollinated over the years, so I may have picked this up from my British friends. I know this has happened to me before using what I thought was an American phrase, and it turns out to be something I picked up along the way. I don’t recall hearing it until I was teaching EFL in Moscow in the '90s and had a friend from Canterbury who used it. I don’t think I ever encountered it even in the 14 months I spent in Britain in the '70s. Maybe I was just consorting with more genteel people back then… :o ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/105 "2018-03-25T15:46:24Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > _Fahk_ in Thai means “squash” or “pumpkin” but sounds an awfully like “fuck.” Pronounce the English word “door” a certain way and you have a vulgar Thai slang for a penis. Oh, actually that reminds me, a “squash” in UK English can also have another meaning of a type of fruit drink concentrate/syrup. You’ll find a bunch of different squashes at the local Tesco. (That said, context usually prevents you from confusing what is meant by “squash” when someone asks you to pick up a bottle of orange squash at the store.) Speaking of lemon squash, has “lemonade” been mentioned yet? In the US, it is an uncarbonated drink of lemon, sugar, and water. In the UK, it’s a sweetened carbonated drink of lemon, sugar, and water. (At least every time I’ve ever had it there, it exclusively meant the carbonated drink. Wikipedia seems to say that American lemonade is also known as “traditional lemonade” in the UK.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/106 "2018-03-25T15:47:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Do we not use this phrase in the US? I know I use this phrase all the time, but my English has gotten cross-pollinated over the years, so I may have picked this up from my British friends. I know this has happened to me before using what I thought was an American phrase, and it turns out to be something I picked up along the way. I use it all the time, but like you, probably cross-pollination with Brit-Speak. ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/107 "2018-03-25T16:36:11Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > OK, that last paragraph is probably only interesting to me, but I grew up speaking Polish, and it was always interesting traveling through the other Slavic countries and getting tripped up by false friends. No, very interesting to me as well, since I lived in Poland a few years ago, and while my Polish was never good and I’ve also forgotten a large part of it now that I don’t live there anymore, I did notice some of these false friends with other Slavic languages. On the other hand, I believe Russian uses the _Latin_ words for the months, is this correct? Which is interesting, since when it comes to people’s given names, Polish (and other Catholic or Protestant Slavic countries) tends to use Latin names, while Russia, an Orthodox country, prefers names of Greek origin. > [@terentii](#): > > I was greatly amused to learn that “fuck all” is the British equivalent of “nada,” “zilch,” “gornish,” “nichts.” I’ve heard this in Canada as well. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/108 "2018-03-25T16:57:54Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > On the other hand, I believe Russian uses the _Latin_ words for the months, is this correct? Yes, this is right. There are archaic Russian words for them, though. I’m going to look this up, so the following information is not off the top of my head: It looks like of the Slavic languages that still use the descriptive names, we have: Belarussian, Croatian, Czech, Polish, Sorbian, and Ukrainian. [And here’s the Wikipedia article on it](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slavic_calendar). ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_K](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5ac83/32.png) [@Doug\_K](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_K)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/109 "2018-03-25T17:49:36Z")
People around my age might remember our grandparents referring to [overshoes](https://www.amazon.com/Servus-SuperFit-Dual-Compound-Overshoes-11003-Bagged/dp/B002A64R42) as rubbers. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/110 "2018-03-25T18:26:06Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I ordered a pepperoni pizza at a Pizza Hut in Frankfurt, Germany. It came with very long banana peppers instead of meat. Are you sure you didn’t order a peperoncino pizza. A peperoncino is a type of banana pepper. [Peperoncino - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peperoncino) ---
**Author:** ![Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hypnagogic_jerk/32/4252_2.png) [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypnagogic_Jerk)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/111 "2018-03-25T18:31:47Z")
> [@furryman](#): > > Are you sure you didn’t order a peperoncino pizza. A peperoncino is a type of banana pepper. > [Peperoncino - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peperoncino) From this article : > [@](#): > > The sweet pepper is called _peperone_ (plural _peperoni_) in Italian. In many countries, this kind of pizza is indeed called a “peperoni” pizza. Note the single ‘p’, unlike the “pepperoni” pizza which is common in North America and has meat as one of its toppings. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/112 "2018-03-25T18:41:31Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Oh my god–my favorite Trevor Noah bit involves him getting [a taco and a napkin](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDk5ajNDgZc). Watch it! > [@elfkin477](#): > > I’m not sure there’s anywhere that this is a false friend. I understand that it’s a diaper in a few other English speaking countries, but in the US at least nappy doesn’t mean anything, as a verb or otherwise. As noted in the routine, in other English speaking countries diapers are called “napkins” as well as the shortened form “nappies.” I got confused looks sometimes in NZ when I asked for napkins in a restaurant before I learned to call them serviettes. One that I don’t think has been mentioned yet is “knickers” for women’s panties, although that’s probably well enough known in the US from Monty Python etc. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/113 "2018-03-25T18:51:46Z")
> [@Hypnagogic\_Jerk](#): > > From this article : > > In many countries, this kind of pizza is indeed called a “peperoni” pizza. Note the single ‘p’, unlike the “pepperoni” pizza which is common in North America and has meat as one of its toppings. Yes, quite common in my experience traveling, not just Germany. Peperone just means peppers in Italian. ---
**Author:** ![SmartAleq](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smartaleq/32/163_2.png) [@SmartAleq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAleq)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/114 "2018-03-25T18:57:22Z")
I had a head scratchy moment a bit ago when BBC followed up _Back In Time For Dinner_ with _Back In Time For Tea,_ which is specific to Northern England. I was so used to “tea” being a little four o’clock nibble meal in UK parlance that it threw me to find out that in the north “tea” is the main evening meal. And mostly really boring food too, historically speaking. Northern England definitely has a different culture, ethic and wealth level than the south–never really knew that, but it explains a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/115 "2018-03-25T18:57:54Z")
> [@Yorkshire\_Pudding](#): > > Marinara sauce is not a well known term in the UK, but if it is used, don’t be surprised to find it full of seafood: the name can be taken as a reference to things “marine” in origin. What “can”? The name literally means sailor sauce or sailor’s sauce, it’s Italian. One English noun that causes unexpected problems in international settings is corn. The ambiguity leads to food companies always using either wheat or maize for internal comunication; if they use the term “corn” at all, it is for external comunication with clients who prefer it that way. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/116 "2018-03-25T19:37:07Z")
> [@Doug\_K](#): > > People around my age might remember our grandparents referring to [overshoes](https://www.amazon.com/Servus-SuperFit-Dual-Compound-Overshoes-11003-Bagged/dp/B002A64R42) as rubbers. They might also be called totes, after a popular brand name. The big ones that go up over your ankles and fasten with some kind of snap or clasp were called golashes when I was growing up. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/117 "2018-03-25T19:40:18Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > What “can”? The name literally means sailor sauce or sailor’s sauce, it’s Italian. In the US, it’s usually just tomato sauce. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/118 "2018-03-25T19:51:18Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I was greatly amused to learn that “fuck all” is the British equivalent of “nada,” “zilch,” “gornish,” “nichts.” > > “Hey, Victor. What have you done on that project so far?” > > “Fuck all.” The video game “The Stanley Parable” has a snarky British narrator who talks about doing nothing, and calls it “doing sweet F. A.” ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/119 "2018-03-25T19:53:09Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Oh, actually that reminds me, a “squash” in UK English can also have another meaning of a type of fruit drink concentrate/syrup. You’ll find a bunch of different squashes at the local Tesco. (That said, context usually prevents you from confusing what is meant by “squash” when someone asks you to pick up a bottle of orange squash at the store.) What, then, is a vegetable marrow? ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121/120 "2018-03-25T19:55:56Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > All of the cribs I’ve seen stand on spindly legs, and might have sides you can lower to take the baby out (or you can just lift him/her out) Crib is also a US slang term for the house you live in. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/false-friends-familiar-names-which-mean-something-very-different-elsewhere/811121.md?page=7)