I'd love a few more plugs in my kitchen and not have to switch between toaster - kettle - blender - steamer etc.

Another word that confused the Italian architect (whose English was not bad but it was very English), was yard.

I was thankful that we grow up with so many American films and TV otherwise yard to me would have meant a concreted or paved area and not a garden or lawn.


I forget now but there was also some discrepancy over what is a patio / terrace / porch / garden seating area etc.

heh, I can see that. At least he didn't ask for a lanai.

Thank goodness no - that would have really thrown me.

What is it?

A porch/veranda/outside seating area.
In Hawaiian. Very popular word to use in California too.

The one thing that was not specified in this American layout and which threw the Italians was "THE BIDET".

They (Americans) needed to have the master bath - the family bathroom - the half bath and even a fully fitted utility room - but nowhere was a bidet ever mentioned.

I have got used to the bidet now because I use it for 101 other purpposes - but it wouldn't bother me if I didn't have one.

Bidets are excellent to wash your feet in!

They are - and for shaving !

I don't think you're talking about your chin, are you?

Legs?

Don't spoil it by getting all sensible now....

Oh dear....are we back to talking about *plugs* again? LOL

A little OT from words, and not British...but funny...when I visited my husband in Turkey in his apartment there, I noticed they used all the wrong paper goods for all the wrong reasons! They had kleenex in the bathroom instead of TP. They had paper napkins in the kitchen to wipe up spills, but had a roll of paper towels in the living room to wipe your nose or whatever. There was a roll of TP hanging around the apartment, but not in the bathroom. It was very interesting!

yep - legs.

We had a thread once in Italy about 101 uses for your bidet. I think somebody said that her cat used to curl up and sleep in hers in the summer as it was a nice cool place.

drinking fountains for the vertically challenged.

I own a very busy cafe and often work the register taking orders etc. Nearly every customer I speak to has some comment to make about my oh so adorable accent. "Oooh are you from Australia?" to which I either reply:
"No, are you?" and then they look confused like I am the mad one.

If I am feeling particularly nasty I say "have you ever seen that film Crocodile Dundee?" to which they enthusiastically coo "oh yes I love that movie" then I butt in and say "so my beautiful cut glass accent sounds just like Mick Dundee does it?

Then when I submit and reply England or London they say "oh whereabouts?"... like it makes any ****ing difference to them. So then I say sarcastically "Why?" and then then proceed to tell me about their hairstylist's brother's cousin's next door neighbour's best friend who once knew someone who lived in ****ing Harrow and do I know them? (apologies for incorrect use of apostrophies)...

And as I work in the food industry I have to say toe-may-doh and not tomato. Some of our food items come to $5.90 as in "five 9D" but when I say five 9T I get given 19c..... Oh and I have to say ba-naaaa-na in a nasaly way and not bar-nar-nar. So these delightful customers of mine say I should keep my adorable Australian accent but how ****ing can I when no-one ****ing understands me.

Anyway vent over, going back to silly words:
Line vs Queue
Can I have a lift (ride)
Pardon my reach (WTF) and the silliest one in the restaurant business is....... BUS BOY or BUS your own table you lazy mother****er.

Ah, but money talks doesn't it?