What are some of the phrases or terms used in your culture that you've seen used differently in other cultures?

[NwaNaija]

Following this thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/3988409-Why-is-Mummy-Daddy-considered-posh-Other-cultural-differences?pg=1,
I think this question was buried under the first post so I'm making a new thread for it.

What phrases or terms do you use in one country/culture but means something else in another country/culture?

I'll paste the responses I can remember seeing on that thread, including my posts on it. Sorry I have too much time on my hands and enjoy conversations on cultural differences and similarities.

I lived in S Yorks for a while and loved the use of "while" to mean until ie "I'm working 9 while 5". I didn't understand the first time I heard it.

Round here we say I'm badly to mean I'm poorly

Innit is "isn't it" in a spoken form, the way "gotcha" is "got you" and "gimme" is "give me" (to use two American examples).

I’ve used ‘Innit!’ and ‘is it?’ In my teens and I’m 40 odd now. Very London!

Innit was a sort of affirmation/confirmation

‘He’s such an idiot!’
INNIT

Or question looking for confirmation

‘He’s an idiot, innit?’

‘Is it?!’ is more just a conversation filler while the other person is telling you something - like ‘really?’ ‘Is that right?’

Similar to how some Jamaicans (my DH!) use ‘seen’

Innit/isit/isn't it I think is dying out now. My son laughs at me when I say any of them but those 90s London tics are hard to shake. (I'm not in London any more and tbf it probably sounds weird.)

@NwaNaija

At first, I didn't know what "innit" meant but I've come to think it's really "ain't it?" As in "isn't it?", just said and written differently.

Is that wrong too?

It does mean “isn’t it”, but it is used when “isn’t it” would be grammatically incorrect.

“I went to the shop yesterday innit?”

“I’ll do that later innit”

“My arm’s been hurting all week innit”

Or as general agreement:

A: “She’s a total bitch”
B: “innit”

I don’t know exactly where it came from, became very popular in the late 90s.

I wonder if it was originally a British Asian thing? I have heard extremely posh older Indian doctors say things like “we should start a betablocker first, isn’t it”, so I wonder if “innit” is just what their kids say.

@JustGotToKeepOnKeepingOn

Pissed in US is angry, in UK it means you're drunk.

Fag in UK is a cigarette, in US it means you're gay.

Saying twat in US is akin to saying c**t.

Fag is a homophobic slur used in the US to belittle gay people. Not quite the same meaning as you describe.

@Changechangychange

It does mean “isn’t it”, but it is used when “isn’t it” would be grammatically incorrect.

“ I went to the shop yesterday innit? ”

“ I’ll do that later innit ”

“ My arm’s been hurting all week innit ”

Haha yes that's exactly how some people used it then and it confused me.

So to the statement, "I went to shop, innit", I would then think 'I don't know...did you?" as in "why are you asking me what you did?" lol

I now know not to take it literally.

It's still used by the youngsters here!

Like 24 yo chaps.

Isit is fab.

It's not like. Is it? It's, got a different tonality and feel. I love it :)

I can't find any you tube for isit

Conversation

Police were out on the high street yesterday.
Isit (not is it? But isit)
Innit.

Job done

Lol I'm just thinking about this now as a British Asian and there is actually a word in my mother tongue that means "isn't it" and is added on to sentences as a rhetorical question in conversation. I'm afraid I still say "innit" and "isit" irl but am in London so it's ok 😂 .

In Wales, or the part I’m from at least (NW) ‘after’ can mean the same as ‘later’ eg ‘I’ll do the dishes after’. After what is never explained and no one ever asks It took my Kiwi DH some time to get used to it as well as the ‘I’ll do it now’ meaning you’ll do it shortly thing a PP mentioned.

From my side I still think it’s funny when he says something is ‘grouse’ and he means it’s great - to me it implies grousing ie moaning!

*I went to the shop yesterday innit?”

“I’ll do that later innit”

“My arm’s been hurting all week innit”*

Sounds like it's the London version of the Northern Irish "so it is"