Have you ever wondered how what we consider as ordinary, everyday phrases here in Australia sound to people from other countries? Maybe you’ve been on holiday or travelling somewhere and been met with puzzled looks or outright laughter because of something you’ve said. If you’ve never been overseas, you may be blissfully unaware of how strange certain Australianisms sound to others. But the truth is, some Aussie phrases are hard to understand even for other English-speaking people!

This week Aussies were invited to share things ton the popular Reddit sub AskanAustralian hat they’ve said overseas that didn’t translate well leading to awkward or funny situations.

Had a scottish girl start at my work, a few of us were talking about different words for things and I said “yeah it sucks when you have a blowout in your thongs.” She was HORRIFIED. (rt-128)

Rove McManus has a funny anecdote involving this. He went to the US and said, “just chuck it into the boot”

For the American, he was shocked because “chuck” equals “vomit” but for us, “boot” translates into “trunk of the car”

So the American assumed he was saying to throw up into the shoe. (UghGottaBeJoking)

Related: US Expat Left Confused By a Whole Bunch of Aussie Slang Words

In the Army on an exercise with some American soldiers one of them wandered into our workshop and asked to borrow a piece of equipment.

When he was told to “Go for his life” he turned pale and piss bolted out of there. (FourbyFournicator)

A relative was fired when they said “too easy” after their UK boss asked them to do something. The boss thought they were being rude when they were actually being compliant. (veal_of_fortune)

My first trip to Italy, I was with my mother. We were taking a bus tour around Rome because tourists who drive there become bug splat. Getting off the bus to see the Coliseum, a man was walking past. I got off first, he notices me, then mom gets off behind me. He notices her. He approached her, then said “… you are her mother?” Startled, my mom said yes. The guy kissed his fingers and said “DaVinci could not have done better.” Then he walked away. That was 40 years ago – I still remember it like yesterday! (MoriTod)

Let’s put our heads together and nut this one out. (TheAgreeableCow)

I lived abroad for 10 years and worked with lots of Americans. My favourite Aussie moment was when I said to an American mate “let’s hit the frog and toad” and he responded with “Yeah, let’s hit the fucking turd!”

I was “what?” And he was “isn’t that what you said.” Hilarity ensued. (RipNervous)

‘Not enough room to swing a cat’ really horrified some people who thought I was proposing launching a cat across the room. (SellQuick)

The one that got me was “ordinary”

Went to check on a patient and asked how he was and he said “pretty ordinary right now” and it totally confused me so I said “you actually look a bit pale” and he responds “yeah I said I felt sick.

That was the day I learned ordinary means the exact opposite of how it sounds. (Trivius)

Was in a meeting at an corporate office for a workshop.

We walked into the room and the whiteboard had writing on it from a previous meeting. The rule was: if the previous meeting participants left the room already, it’s free reign to just erase it for the next meeting.

We all walked into the room, one guy said: does anyone need this on the whiteboard?

I replied with: “na, just rub it out”.

The whole room bursts into laughter. I was normally the jokester fun guy in the office, but I genuinely didn’t know why the whole room was laughing.

Turns out, they thought it was making a dirty sex reference…

I had to clarify rubbing something out, means using the eraser in Australia culture … (1mrlee)

Related article: The Parent’s Guide to Decoding Your Teenager’s Slang

Newly arrived in Aus and someone told me they “couldn’t be fucked” when we were discussing dating. My jaw dropped, thinking this person I had just met was telling me about extremely personal sexual problems (SizzleSpud)

A few I have had to explain to foreigners over the years.

• • Stud Muffin
  • Bonkers
  • Cobber
  • She’ll be right
  • Flat out like a Lizard Drinking
  • Not here to fuck Spiders
  • Bogan
  • Have a Crack (Remoteintranet)

• • Reverse answer, because it was me that was confused back in 99 when I first arrived:
  • My new boss, mid-morning: And how are you travelling?
  • Me: Well, I get the train.
  • Colleagues: fall about laughing (Magda_Sophia)

When I was a kid I was deported by my parents to Zimbabwe for being a bit unruly. To boarding school. I stayed with Christian people I didn’t know well in the holidays.

I noticed that one of the people I stayed with had a kid wearing yellow blowup floatation devices, swimming aids, on his upper arms. He was about four.

I said ‘oh, Jonathan has floaties!’ It’s what we called them in Perth, but the people went dead quiet and all looked at me. Eventually one said ‘ohhhh, you mean water wings.’ No? I meant floaties.

It wasn’t until I was quietly taken aside that I discovered floaties was the name they used for condoms.

Live and learn. (burninatorrrr)

What phrases have you used that have confused foreigners?