# Words that have roughly the same definition but used differently between cultures

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-roughly-the-same-definition-but-used-differently-between-cultures/813904>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [May 10, 2018, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-roughly-the-same-definition-but-used-differently-between-cultures/813904 "2018-05-10T05:28:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-roughly-the-same-definition-but-used-differently-between-cultures/813904/61 "2018-05-14T07:39:46Z")

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> [@markn\_1](#):
>
> The strangest part of the frown discovery to me was that some of the British commenters on the SBACL blog made the claim that a downturned mouth is not a natural human facial expression! It’s like the lack of a word for the expression made them unable to see it. Very strange.

I think the British expression is “like a bulldog chewing a wasp”, or more graphically “like a bulldog licking piss off a nettle”.

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**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\
**Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-that-have-roughly-the-same-definition-but-used-differently-between-cultures/813904/62 "2018-05-14T07:49:57Z")

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> [@zimaane](#):
>
> A minor English Spanish one is orquestra/orchestra. A Spanish orquestra can play any type of music (pop, salsa, jazz) whereas an English orchestra is strictly for Classical music.

While the usage does differ, it’s not quite that extreme: google jazz orchestra, for example. The difference lays somewhere in the area between band and orchestra: the meaning of band/_banda_ is somewhat narrower in Spanish than in English, the meaning of orchestra/_orquesta_ is somewhat wider in Spanish than in English.

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