Lost in translation

Use these English words abroad, and you are in for a big surprise

We Americans like to think that since we speak English, we can get by just fine anywhere from London to Bridgetown. But traveling abroad can quickly turn into a game of linguistic telephone! Imagine the sheer confusion of a tourist asking for a nice, warm biscuit with breakfast, only to be handed a chocolate chip cookie, or trying to pack their luggage into a boot instead of the trunk. It pays to think twice before you open your mouth overseas, or you might find yourself in some hilariously awkward situations. Here are 12 everyday words that mean something completely different once you leave American soil.

Picture yourself at a quaint London bed-and-breakfast, ordering gravy to go with your morning biscuit. The waiter returns, looking baffled, with a plate of crunchy chocolate chip cookies.

To us, a biscuit is that fluffy, buttery piece of heaven perfect for breakfast. To the British, a biscuit is what we call a cookie. Save the gravy for home, or you'll get some very strange looks!

You arrive at a London hotel, and the polite bellhop asks, "Shall I put your bags in the boot, sir?" You might look down at your leather footwear and wonder how on earth your suitcase is going to fit in there.

Don't worry, your shoes are safe. While Americans call the rear storage compartment of a car the trunk, the British call it the boot.

Imagine your Irish tour guide points to a menu and promises you a "classic banger" for lunch. You might expect the pub to start blasting a high-energy, catchy song right there at the table.

Instead, you'll be served a sizzling, savory sausage. In Ireland and the U.K., bangers are just sausages, famously paired with mashed potatoes for a comforting meal. It's a hit for your stomach, not your ears!

Next time you hear a Scotsman say he is "going for the messages," don't expect him to return with a handful of letters or a phone full of unread texts.

In Scotland, this delightful phrase simply means going grocery shopping. He’s just heading out to grab some milk, bread, and eggs, completely offline.

If an Aussie hotel clerk tells you your reservation is locked in for a fortnight, you might be taken aback. While we rarely use this old-fashioned word in the States, it is completely standard down under and in the U.K. It simply means a period of two weeks. Enjoy your long vacation!

Imagine ordering a classic peanut butter and jelly sandwich in Auckland, only to watch the café worker stare at you in absolute horror.

In New Zealand and the U.K., jelly isn't a smooth fruit spread; it’s what we call Jell-O. Putting a wobbly, strawberry gelatin dessert between two slices of bread is definitely an acquired taste you might want to skip.

You’re celebrating a beautiful anniversary at a lovely restaurant in Montreal. Eager for the main event, you order a delicious-sounding steak from the entrée section of the menu, expecting a giant plate.

Unfortunately, you’ll be left scratching your head when a tiny appetizer arrives. In Canada and Europe, the entrée is the starter. The actual main course comes later, so pace yourself!

Imagine a stylish American gentleman telling his British colleagues that he bought a bright red pair of suspenders to wear to the office. The room will likely go dead silent with embarrassment.

To Americans, suspenders are just classy elastic shoulder straps that hold up trousers. In the U.K., however, suspenders are garter belts used to hold up women's stockings. That's one major office mix-up!

If you are relaxing on a beautiful beach in Barbados and a friendly local warns that someone might "give you a lick," please don't expect anyone to come over and run their tongue across your arm!

In the Caribbean, giving someone a lick means to hit or strike them. It’s an aggressive warning, a far cry from the completely innocent, sugary action we think of back home.

Imagine walking through London when an angry cyclist yells, "Get off the pavement!" You might look down, confused, thinking, "But I’m not standing in the middle of the street!"

In the U.S., pavement refers to the asphalt road where cars drive. In the U.K., the pavement is actually the sidewalk. He’s just asking you to clear the pedestrian path, so no need to dodge traffic!

Imagine complimenting a British gentleman at a formal dinner by telling him, "I love your pants!" Instead of a thank you, you'll likely receive a look of absolute horror.

To Americans, pants are simply trousers. But to the British, pants refer strictly to underwear. Telling someone you like their pants means you’re complimenting their briefs, which is a bit too much information for polite conversation!

Picture yourself walking into a London pub and ordering a burger with a side of potato chips. You might be disappointed when the waiter brings out a basket of steaming, thick-cut French fries instead of a crispy bag of Lay's.

In the U.K. and Ireland, chips are fries. If you actually want those thin, crunchy snacks from a bag, you have to ask for "crisps."

Behind-the-scenes secrets

What do Star Wars and the Vatican have in common? Here's the answer

Image: Alvaro Palacios

There's a lot more to movies than what we see on the big screen. As viewers, we get to enjoy the finished product, but the amount of work that goes into making a film is huge. And along the way, plenty of surprising things happen on set—some you’d never imagine! From unscripted slaps to actors stepping in to save their co-stars' lives, here are 10 unusual behind-the-scenes moments from some of our favorite movies.

Image: Carrie Fisher (aka Princess Leia) by Gerald England

Dan Aykroyd is not only a renowned actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer—he’s also a hero! In 1980, during the filming of the now-classic The Blues Brothers, something unexpected happened: Aykroyd literally saved Carrie Fisher's life by performing the Heimlich maneuver when she choked on a Brussels sprout.

Image: Toglenn, via Wikimedia Commons

Margot Robbie landed the role of Naomi in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) on her very first audition. How? During a moment of improvisation, she delivered a hard, genuine slap to co-star Leonardo DiCaprio, totally surprising Martin Scorsese and securing the role. And she was only 22 at the time! Fortunately, Leo took it very well.

Image: Compare Fibre

You probably remember the enigmatic green code in The Matrix (1999). While it looks sophisticated and impossible to decipher, production designer Simon Whiteley revealed a surprising truth. In a 2017 interview, he explained that the code was actually inspired by a sushi recipe, created using the characters in a Japanese cookbook his wife had at home.

Image: Chad J. McNeeley, U.S. Navy, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

As we know, Schindler’s List is an emotionally difficult film to watch, and filming it was no easier. Director Steven Spielberg later shared that his friend, the great Robin Williams, would call him at least once a week to perform little comedy routines, helping him cope with the difficulty of directing the movie.

Image: Carlo Pelagalli, via Wikimedia Commons

What could the Star Wars universe and the Vatican possibly have in common? Well, in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999), one scene was filmed on the grand staircase of Italy's Royal Palace of Caserta. The very same location appears 25 years later in Conclave (2024), the film about the election of popes.

Image: Visualnarrative, via Wikimedia Commons

Some say things aren't as good as they used to be, especially when it comes to special effects. Remember "Edgar," the evil farmer whose skin is taken by an alien in Men in Black (1997)? It turns out the actor's costume and makeup were carefully designed to progressively decompose scene by scene, creating a realistic depiction of the character’s physical deterioration.

Image: Siebbi, via Wikimedia Commons

In American Psycho, Willem Dafoe filmed the scene in which Detective Kimball interviews the dangerous Patrick Bateman several times. Why? The director asked him to play it three different ways: one in which Kimball knows Bateman is the killer, another in which he is suspicious but unsure, and a third in which he is completely unaware. The three versions were then edited together, creating the legendary scene that leaves viewers paranoid and disoriented.

Image: Jesse Gardner

For Interstellar (2014), Christopher Nolan needed a large cornfield for the scenes on Cooper’s farm. But he didn’t use an existing field or create one digitally; he had a massive 500-acre cornfield planted from scratch! The bonus? The studio later harvested and sold the corn, earning around $162,000.

Image: NASA

Since Interstellar premiered in October 2014, only about 1.5 hours have passed on Miller’s Planet.

Okay, this might not be strictly a behind-the-scenes fact, but it’s a fun way the fictional world connects to our own. According to the film, one hour on Miller’s Planet equals seven years on Earth. That means the 11 years that have passed since the premiere amount to just 94 minutes on the distant planet.

Image: Road Trip with Raj

In the 2002 Spider-Man movie, there’s a famous scene where Tobey Maguire’s Peter Parker catches Mary Jane’s falling tray of food with the precision and speed of a true superhero. Although it looks like a special effect, no VFX were involved—the actor really did it! The catch, however, required 156 takes to get right.