English expressions that are only used by foreigners

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We saw a Greek death metal band the other day. They referred to everything that wan't Death Metal as "Life Metal", apparently this is a common term in Europe. Also they have anti-true metal associations where True -Metal is considered a bad thing.

When my friend went to a rock festival in Hungary, he was surprised by how the fans there would clap, cheer and shout "YOU SUCK!" at their favourite bands.
Similarly, in Italy another friend picked up a variety of badges with English football teams on them. One of these had the following slogan emblazoned on the front:

I AM A SPURS
SUPPORTER!
FUCK OFF SPURS!

Even better was this one:
ARSENAL IS THE BEST!
FUCK CUNT BASTARD CUN!

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 26 January 2004 11:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs fans are always saying both of those tho...

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Not quite as good, but Germans called mobile phones 'handies'.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:07 (twenty-two years ago)

still call, I mean

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Spurs fans are always saying both of those tho...

speshly this season.

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

There are millions in French. Walkie-talkies are talkie-walkies. Footing = jogging. A ballad is a "slow" etc. etc.

― Jonathan Z., Monday, 26 January 2004 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Hence the new Air album?

― caitlin (caitlin), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:18 (twenty-two years ago)

Indians are very fond of saying "Kindly do the needful".

― MarkH (MarkH), Monday, 26 January 2004 12:19 (twenty-two years ago)

x-post

Yes, hence the new Air album. It's strange, often when the French adopt an English word, they change it slightly or use it in a different context to how it's used in English. "Le smoking" is a dinner jacket, not a smoking jacket, "le flirting" actually means kissing and petting, not flirting, etc.

― Jonathan Z., Monday, 26 January 2004 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

"I say there! Buck up, old chap. Tut-tut, cheeerio and all that rot. All darkest before the, as they say. Mustn't grumble. Do be a dear and pour me a spot of tea. Jolly good, eh what?"

― Aimless, Monday, 26 January 2004 17:24 (twenty-two years ago)

In Japan

concert = "a live"

breakfast at a restaurant = "a morning set"

a good driver = "safety driver"

early morning, for example 3am = "3 O'clock in the midnight"

this is just the tip of the iceberg, there must be thousands.

― J-rock (Julien Sandiford), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 06:42 (twenty-two years ago)

I like those! Especially "3 o'clock in the midnight"! Those Japs are crazy, they swap their L's and R's around all the time LOL! OMG!

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 09:20 (twenty-two years ago)

"Do you have anything else than Heineken?"

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 10:55 (twenty-two years ago)

(Aimless appears to have been to my house for high tea)

― Markelby (Mark C), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

You also have foreign expressions that are only used by English speakers. French people I've met had never heard the expression
'Deja Vu' used in the English sense. And they didn't have any way of expressing the concept that took less than a few sentences.

― Joe Kay (feethurt), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 12:08 (twenty-two years ago)

That's not true. They say "déjà vécu". You're right that they don't say "déja vu" though.

Nor do they say "cul-de-sac".

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 12:15 (twenty-two years ago)

That's because cul is a rude word, innit. Our street terminology is so vulgar.

― Liz :x (Liz :x), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Nonsense. Deja vu is commonly used in French.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 13:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Baaderist, do a Google check and see if you can come up with a single instance where "déjà vu" is used in French with the common English meaning.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 13:19 (twenty-two years ago)

http://fr.encyclopedia.yahoo.com/articles/sy/sy_1297_p0.html

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 13:20 (twenty-two years ago)

I admit defeat!

No I don't really, because I'm currently in France and I just asked someone in the office about "déjà vu", and she said no it's not a term used in common speech, so I surmise that it has either gone out of fashion or it was always something of a technical term. Personally, I've never heard or seen it used.

― Jonathan Z. (Joanthan Z.), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 13:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Hmmm, weird... French is my mother tongue and I use it, and I've heard it used, relatively often. Maybe the expression has not gained such wide pop-psychology acceptance as in English-speaking countries and maybe the term is being re-imported in France these days..
But search "une impression de deja vu" and you'll see quite a few things come up.
Here, in the Czech Republic, new year greeting cards always say 'PF (Pour Feter) 2004', which I've never heard or seen in a French speaking country. Same thing for the weird deformation of 'connoisseur'.

― Baaderist (Fabfunk), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 13:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I always thought the French used "deja vu" as well.

― dog latin (dog latin), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"keen on" or "keen" generally--often used in Nigerian scam spam.
e.g. "MY CLIENT, KAY ABACHA THE WIFE OF THE FORMER NIGERIAN PRIME MINISTER SANI ABACHA, IS KEEN ON MOVING THESE FUNDS TO AN OFFSHORE BANK ACCOUNT BUT HAS NOT THE NECESSARY OVERSEAS CONNECTION." Also used by East Indians.

― Bnad, Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Er, no, that's pretty widely used.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 15:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Some European countries use the abbreviation "WC" to indicate a toilet, and even though it comes from the English term "water closet", it isn't used in English-speaking countries (or is it?).

― Tuomas (Tuomas), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:09 (twenty-two years ago)

In Rimini there was a bar with a sign outside in English saying "Get your pinta here".

― R the bunged up with jollop of V (Jake Proudlock), Tuesday, 27 January 2004 16:19 (twenty-two years ago)

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