I Think I Need Translation!

I am still learning the "English" language here.  I've written before about wondering if we speak the same language.  So many words are new, different, or used differently.  Here are some more I've been learning:

• hoot: to honk the car horn

• rocket: a green leaf vegetable used in salads and cooking

• pudding: dessert

• rates: taxes

• tuck shop: a snack shop

• a flat: an apartment

• sweets: candy

• biscuits: cookies

• a "couple" biscuits: two of them

• a "few" biscuits: more than two of them

• panel beaters: car body shop

• plaster: a bandaid

• caravan: a camping trailer

• tekkies: sneakers, tennis shoes

• bring and braai: a potluck

• trolley: not the San Francisco cable car, but a grocery cart

I am constantly learning new ones!  One of my favorites was a newspaper ad I saw recently.  The advertisement was for beds - specifically a style of bed called a "sleigh" bed because of its shape.  Something was lost in the translation however, as they were advertising a "slave" bed.  I laughed for a long time over that one!!

"Now the whole earth had one language and few words."  - Genesis 11:1  Maybe it would have been more helpful if we'd stayed that way!!