slang
Stories
Switzerland
HOW TO: Speak "Swiss"
One minute, the train announcement is in German. An hour later, it’s in French. Then you get off the train and everyone is speaking Italian. Welcome to Switzerland, where ... read more
by Chantal Panozzo
09 Jun 2009
Japan
TOP 5: Japanese Slang Words
Google it. Friend me. LOL. Slang reveals a lot about how a culture is adapting to changing times. Take Japenese slang, which includes an acronym meaning “to forget your cell ... read more
by Glimpse Staff
07 Apr 2009
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China
Math in modern Chinese slang
The letter "n," used in math summations, has found its way into the Chinese language to mean "a lot." An example of a common use would be, "wo yi jing ... read more
by Dan Kallman
21 Mar 2009
United Kingdom
A few key words
I never knew you could be bilingual in one language. If someone loves wife beaters, they're talking about beer. "Rahs" (adapted from "hoorah!") are preppy guys. And cigarettes have ... read more
by Ann Clark
06 Feb 2009
Chile
Th wrst-spkn Spnsh
Chilean Spanish is known throughout the Spanish-speaking world as being the worst-spoken Spanish anywhere. Letters are chopped off of words, countless colloquial expressions are scattered throughout sentences, and other obstacles ... read more
by Matthew Hintsa
10 Feb 2009
Chile
Don't run from the po
My favorite part of Chilean Spanish is the use of the suffix "-po" at the end of a word or phrase that deserves extra emphasis. Saying "Sípo!" instead of "Sí ... read more
by Matthew Hintsa
10 Feb 2009
Norway
Don't worry, they speak English
It’s okay, they speak English. They speak it well. I live across the street from a grocery, and the clerks know I’m American. Still, every time I step ... read more
by Patrick McCue
10 Feb 2009
Jordan
God willing...
Most foreigners love the Arabic tradition of adding an “in’shaallah (“God willing”)” to the end of every sentence: “see you tomorrow, in’shaallah.” “It’ll rain tomorrow, in’shaallah ... read more
by Adam Lichtenheld
10 Feb 2009
Uganda
Keep it clean
Through the advice of an Acholi friend, I learned only words and phrases that were appropriate to use across all age ranges. I think its useful advice. read more
by Pete Muller
10 Feb 2009
Argentina
'Che' does not mean communist
In Argentina, people often say "che" to one another. The first time someone did this to me, it threw me for a loop. Were they making fun of me? Implying ... read more
by Anders Kelto
10 Feb 2009
United Kingdom
Those are trousers, not pants
"Pants" in the UK refer to underpants. What you wear over your pants are called trousers. Telling a girl, albeit jokingly, that you never wear pants around the house may ... read more
by Jonathan Rapoport
10 Feb 2009
Ecuador
Everything's an -ito (and not because it's small)
In Ecuador, almost everything anyone says ends up with the diminutive -ito or -ita at the end: cafecito, pancito, momentito, etc. When someone says, "aquicito nomás," that doesn't necessarily ... read more
by Emily Rusca
18 Feb 2009
France
Big girls on the balcony
My favorite expression in French is one I heard when a friend was pointing out a woman with a sizable bust. He said, “Il y a du monde au balcon ... read more
by Roseann Lake
18 Mar 2009
Japan
"He's so K.Y.!"
In Tokyo I was surprised to discover my Japanese friends using an English-letter acronym, "K.Y.," to describe certain people -- a term that always brought a laugh. What could it ... read more
by Dalena Frost
18 Mar 2009
France
Where's the beef?
While staying at a hostel in Paris after Christmas, my wife and I perused the bulletin board to see what was happening in the neighborhood. One poster invited us to ... read more
by Brian Morgan
18 Mar 2009
Ghana
Hey man! Chale!
My favorite slang that we used was "chale!" People would use it like the way Americans say, "Heyyy man!" I most often used it when bargaining with street vendors, in ... read more
by Catherine Dickson
18 Mar 2009
Ecuador
Don't Worry, Ripa Rana
"Chita Mana Ripa Rana" is the best bit of slang I have learned so far, having lived and traveled in 16 countries. It's a Kichwa (Quichua) saying roughly meaning ... read more
by Megan Williams-Dunnill
18 Mar 2009
Japan
Yoka!
Yoka is slang or dialect used in northern Kyushu in the southwest of Japan. Depending on the intonation, context, non-verbal expression, tone, and number of times you use it, it ... read more
by Joshua Beatty
18 Mar 2009
Brazil
Don't sweat the small stuff
The first idiom i learned when i arrived in Brazil in the state of Bahia was "só alegria!" meaning "only joy" and connotes "don't sweat the small stuff." This ... read more
by Jenny Schneider
18 Mar 2009
Ireland
'Craic' is not a drug
In Ireland, you may hear people asking you, "What's the craic?" (pronounced "crack"). No, they aren't offering you drugs -- it's simply their way of asking, "What's ... read more
by Erin Dillon
18 Mar 2009
Paraguay
Different ways to do nothing
In the indigenous language of Paraguay (Guarani), they have a phrase "epo'e mobi revipe" which translates to "Sticking your thumb up a snake's butt" and is the equivalent ... read more
by Todd Guren
18 Mar 2009
Ecuador
Talking straw?
In El Salvador, my favorite slang phrase was "¡que paja!," or "pajero," which means, literally, "what straw!" or "one who makes straw," but is used to mean "bullshit" or "bullshitter ... read more
by Molly Beer
18 Mar 2009
Italy
Good luck, and I'm thinking of you
Two of my favorite Florentine phrases: "In boco al lupe" literally means, "In the mouth of the wolf," and is used to say, "Good luck." "Squelo" is a verb that ... read more
by Vanessa Vigneault
18 Mar 2009
Fiji Islands
Don't get too faded
"Oouuuut of it" or "faded" = Drunk; "set" = cool or good. read more
by Vincenzo Cosmo
19 Mar 2009
Mexico
The low-down on Mexican slang
Wanna learn some Mexican slang? Here are some examples that you will hear a lot amongst Mexican youth: gacho = bad; padre, poca madre, chido, chulo = cool; chingon = very good; un ... read more
by Charles Mostoller
18 Mar 2009
Russia
Bribery isn't funny
In Russian stylistics class last week, the topic of bribery arose when we were talking over a point of grammar. For the next 15 minutes, rather than continue our discussion ... read more
by Alec Luhn
18 Mar 2009
Russia
Russian sports cheers
I won’t go into the murky expanses of the rude cheers fans yell in mat (the Russian cuss-word dialect), but I will mention the popular chant, “Sudyu na miylo ... read more
by Alec Luhn
18 Mar 2009
Samoa
A big problem
Slang foreign word today: "Samoan: Fa lavee lavee." Soft "a"s, hard "ee"s. A "fa lavee lavee" is a family affair like a wedding or funeral and is used ... read more
by Carlton Roos
18 Mar 2009
New Zealand
Sweet as, bro
Kiwis are full of quirky local lingo. A favorite lingual pastime of theirs is to shorten words and add a "-y" suffix. Examples include "breaky" for breakfast, "wetty" for wetsuit ... read more
by Aaron Scott-Klingborg
18 Mar 2009
South Africa
Preparing for the stoplight apocalypse
If you are being given driving directions in South Africa, and the man has just said, "Go over the robots and then turn left," you should not panic at the ... read more
by Christina Taylor
18 Mar 2009
Switzerland
Swiss French slang: Four short important words
"Ca va ou bien?!" "Ca va?" is the colloquial way to say, "Hello," or to greet someone informally in French. This certainly applies in Swiss Romandie -- the French-speaking area of ... read more
by Jessica Brogan
18 Mar 2009
Peru
Beer is not cerveza, work is not trabajo
"Chela" is apparently the appropriate word to use when ordering beer in Peru, if you want to avoid being immediately labeled as a tourist (I come from a rare bloodline ... read more
by Melissa Thetford
18 Mar 2009
Peru
Super cool
Living in Lima has been super cool! Or should I say: mostro, alucinante, paja, chévere, bacán/bacano, piola. It's been all of the above. read more
by Analisa Freitas
19 Mar 2009
Spain
When frogs grow hair
I was trying to explain what I meant to my Spaniard friend when I dismissed an idea with, "Yeah, when pigs fly." He pondered this puzzle for a moment, and ... read more
by Joanne Kramb
19 Mar 2009
Spain
Cool, dude.
In Spain, there are many popular slang sayings; however, most are a bit too inappropriate to post here. One that is used frequently is, "Que guay!" meaning, "Sweet!" or "Awesome ... read more
by Ellen Burkhardt
19 Mar 2009
Samoa
"White trash" Samoan
"Pa lagi" Is pronounced Pah Langi. Its original translation is roughly "sprang forth from the heavens," as the original white missionaries to Samoa came in airplanes, which the locals had ... read more
by Carlton Roos
19 Mar 2009
Argentina
They aren't calling you fat!
Having learned Spanish in California and spoken it in Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico, I thought with a little review I'd be ready to take on the Porteños -- city ... read more
by Gianna Toboni
20 Mar 2009
Ghana
"Please, I'm coming."
In Ghana, a phrase that I became accustomed to hearing everyday was "Please, I'm coming." In Western terms, this could be translated to how we would say "I'll ... read more
by Laura Schwecherl
21 Mar 2009
New Zealand
Sweet As
Kiwis have a happy-go-lucky attitude to life, represented by their ubiquitous use of the phrase, "Sweet as." "How's life going?" "Sweet as, mate." You also hear spin-offs, like, "How ... read more
by Amy Waterman
23 Mar 2009
New Zealand
She'll be right, mate.
If you're worried about anything, a Kiwi friend will reassure you, "She'll be right, mate." Your friend means that everything will be fine. Or, as their Aussie cousins ... read more
by Amy Waterman
23 Mar 2009
France
A crash course in Verlan
"Mais c'est reloud! La meuf a annulé la teuf. Je suis trop vénère." Even if you've taken French before, this sentence may be incomprehensible. Don't worry, you ... read more
by Emily Monaco
23 Mar 2009
Ecuador
It's Cold!
In Ecuador the indigenous language is Quechua, but everyone has adopted parts of the language into their Spanish. Instead of saying, "Hace frio!" when it's cold, most Ecuadorians will ... read more
by Jon Brandt
24 Mar 2009
Germany
My new cell phone makes me horny.
My favorite German slang word would have to be the word "geil." The literal translation is horny, randy, or sexually aroused, but young Germans use this word for EVERYTHING. It ... read more
by Bianca Walterspiel
25 Mar 2009
Brazil
An afro is called a "black power"
To this day, an afro is called a "black power" (pronounced black-y power) in Brazil. The Black Power movement of the '60s and '70s resonated strongly with Afro-Brazilians, especially those ... read more
by Rachel Morgenstern-Clarren
25 Mar 2009
China
Pretty fly for a laowai
As a foreigner in China, I am quite used to overhearing conversations about myself in public places. They usually range from guessing my country of origin to commenting on my ... read more
by Katrina Klett
26 Mar 2009
France
Registres de Langues: How to Be Really Impolite and Not Even Notice
In French, "registres de langue" are sets of synonyms that are selected in conversation based upon the status of the other person. If you're talking to a teacher, you ... read more
by Emily Monaco
26 Mar 2009
Ecuador
Ya mismo
In Ecuador, "Ya mismo" is a common saying. Literally translated, it could mean "soon" or "right now." Yet in this country, it means anything but -- usually referring to a time ... read more
by Jon Brandt
27 Mar 2009
Ecuador
No sea malito!
A very common phrase in the sierra is the phrase, "No sea malito!" It's usually said in a whiny voice when bargaining for something, and should be pulled out ... read more
by Jon Brandt
29 Mar 2009
Ecuador
Go ahead, continue no more
Something you hear all the time in Ecuador is a contradictory phrase. Generally, the words, "No más," are added on to directions that would mean the opposite. An example of ... read more
by Jon Brandt
29 Mar 2009
Chile
My pololo
Unlike most Spanish-speaking countries, to distinguish between "fiancé" and "boyfriend," Chile uses the word "pololo." So if you're dating someone, you're "pololeando" and he/she is your "pololo ... read more
by Sara Zanussi
30 Mar 2009
Switzerland
It is shitting on me
“Es scheisst mich an”, literally means, “it is shitting on me” in German. But don’t worry, it’s really just an angry way of saying “I’ve had enough ... read more
by Chantal Panozzo
02 Apr 2009
India
Sleep Tight, Loose Underwear
“Good night, sleep tight, loose underwear.” The first time my Ladakhi roommate said this to me, I sat up in bed in surprise. “Loose underwear?” “Yes, so funny…” she said ... read more
by Emily Strasser
13 Apr 2009
Chile
Chilenismos
Although you can find "chilenismos" in almost any guide book about Chile, these often only include the slang used by older people. Here are a few words used mostly by ... read more
by Laurel Wolf
04 Apr 2009
Ecuador
A bus driver by any other name...
Luckily for students of the Spanish language, the term for many professions can be described by adding "-ero" to a relevant noun. Thus, an "ingeniero" is an engineer, a "marinero ... read more
by Heather Heinz
15 Apr 2009
China
How do you say "taint" in Chinese?
One day, while debating the correct English term for that mysterious private region sometimes referred to as the "taint," I realized I wanted to know what it's called in ... read more
by Amy Adoyzie Lam
22 Apr 2009
Japan
Gaijin and Gaijin Traps
Any foreigner living in Japan becomes accustomed to surprised murmurs of "Gaijin da!" - it's a foreigner! Short for "gaikokujin" (literally "person from outside the country"), gaijin is a term ... read more
by Heather Heinz
29 Apr 2009
El Salvador
When you see a pretty girl in El Salvador...
... you say, "Que cuero!" This literally means something like, "What a hide!" or "What a skin!" read more
by Cody Adkinson
29 Apr 2009
China
Sing-K -- karaoke in Hong Kong
Karaoke, affectionately known to young Hong Kongers as 'Sing-K,' is more than just the lone song at a bar with a small TV, sung on a dare. The phrase 'Sing-K ... read more
by Nadia Sheng
29 Apr 2009
Jamaica
"Funny" in Jamaica isn't funny
Jamaicans have a great sense of humor. But no matter how much a guy makes you laugh, never say to him, "You're funny." I had a habit of saying ... read more
by Lily Girma
09 May 2009
Iran
Know old street names
There’s a bizarre, time-warped kind of slang that exists in Tehran when it comes to one thing: names. Some streets in Tehran are only referred to by their pre-revolution ... read more
by Mimi Hanaoka
11 May 2009
United Kingdom
What about ye?
A typical Belfast greeting is "What about ye?" It seems simple enough in writing, but when hearing it through a full-on Belfast accent, you'll find yourself unsure of how ... read more
by Elizabeth Nelson
20 May 2009
Argentina
Who’s the ñoqui here?
Want to understand the graffiti scrawled all over Buenos Aires? Keep this in mind: A “ñoqui” isn’t just a type of pasta, it’s also an insult thrown at ... read more
by Julie Turkewitz
31 May 2009
Peru
Essential nightlife lingo
When you're going to a bar or club, you're going to a "disco," and if you're going with your friends, you're going with your "patas." When ... read more
by Elena Mayté Medina Sanchez
03 Jun 2009
Ecuador
Tell me that again?
Instead of the typical "¿Qué?" to indicate you have not heard and/or understood what someone said, you will often hear Ecuadorians say "¿Mande?" However, both are common and you ... read more
by Ashley Haugo
03 Jun 2009
Swaziland
Shame or sharp
Although one of Swaziland’s official languages is English, Swaziland version of English is sometimes hard to follow but when in doubt one of these two words will always work ... read more
by Mallory Primm
17 Jun 2009
Spain
Everyone is a man!
My Spanish host father liked telling stories. To ensure I was paying attention, he would often address me as "hombre" ("man"). I grew used to this. In fact, it made ... read more
by Mike Mian
19 Jun 2009
Switzerland
Numbers in Swiss-French
In the Western part of Switzerland, known as Swiss-Romande, the spoken language is French. For the most part, it is the same language spoken in neighboring France, but several words ... read more
by Marissa Moran
22 Jun 2009
Spain
Cheesy pick-up line
Girls will hear catcalls in Spain as often as they'll chew on jamón serrano and sip sangria. Females walking alone or with any number of amigas may be called ... read more
by Victoria Marlin
26 Jun 2009
Argentina
Two resources that will help you speak like an Argentine
Argentine slang sent me into a tizzy when I first arrived here, and it still continues to confuse me. If you're wandering the streets of Buenos Aires and don ... read more
by Julie Turkewitz
28 Jun 2009
Singapore
Yeah Lah!
Singaporeans have their own language called Singlish. This does not mean they do not speak English, but rather a mixture of English and whatever their spoken native language is (i ... read more
by Shawn Campbell
29 Jun 2009
Japan
Counting (by twos)
Japanese has over 100 different counter terms: “go ko” is five small, round objects while “go hon” is five broad, flat objects; “go mei” is five people, but so is ... read more
by Heather Heinz
08 Jul 2009
South Africa
"Just now" does not mean now
If someone from South Africa tells you he or she will do something "just now" don't think it means right away. It is a response that basically means "in ... read more
by Megan Greve
13 Jul 2009
Malaysia
Most misinterpreted Manglish phrases
Some "Manglish" (Malaysian English) phrases are unintentionally offensive. Here's what they actually mean: (1) "Why you so boring?" -- When a person asks you this, what they really mean to ... read more
by Nagi Maganti
31 Jul 2009
South Africa
Izzit? I'm not really sure.
Of the many challenging decoding situations I encountered while trying to comprehend South Africa's unique twist on what I thought was my mother tongue, the ubiquitous phrase "izzit" proved ... read more
by Janelle Little
02 Aug 2009
United Kingdom
Bobbies and sleeping policemen
1. If you should ever require the assistance of a police officer, ask for a "bobby." (You get extra brownie points for saying the word with a British accent.) 2 ... read more
by William Hardy
12 Aug 2009
Turkey
Say "no" without actually saying anything
In Turkish, the word "hayir" (said like "high-er") means "no," but you won't hear it used all that often. To say "no" in Turkish, you can normally use the ... read more
by Jessica Cross
16 Sep 2009
Japan
"Fight!" does NOT mean "engage in a physical altercation!"
One of my jobs at the school where I worked in southern Japan was writing letters to students each week. I had up to 80 student journals to read and ... read more
by Saleem Reshamwala
17 Sep 2009
United Kingdom
All right?
During my first week at Oxford, many British students I met would ask me "all right?" I stared blankly back trying to find an appropriate response when all I kept ... read more
by Amy Glynn
21 Sep 2009
United Kingdom
In Scotland, "band-aids" are called "plasters"
Me: "Do you happen to have any band-aids? I have a huge blister on the back of my heel." Hazel, my flatmate: "A what?" Me: "A band-aid." Hazel: "I'm ... read more
by Julie Ardelean
23 Sep 2009
Mongolia
More or less a "yeah"
The word for "yes" in Mongolian is "tiim" and the word for no is "ugui," but if you're speaking casually with a Mongolian you probably won't hear those ... read more
by Lindsay Myron
13 Oct 2009
Peru
Playful plata: Keeping your change straight in Peru
The first time a cobrador (bus conductor) asked me for a "china," I recoiled a bit, not yet used to people referring to me by my race. Later, I found ... read more
by Courtney Ng
16 Oct 2009
Malawi
Texas is in Malawi
To travel like a local, forget the names listed on the map. The capital Lilongwe is known colloquially as “Ls” and Blantyre, Malawi’s largest city, is “BT.” These epithets ... read more
by Rebecca Jacobson
03 Nov 2009
Spain
"Hot" means something else
One day, walking down the sun drenched streets of Spain, I loudly and, what I later discovered, inappropriately exclaimed, "Estoy caliente!" I thought I was making a simple remark on ... read more
by Courtney Rogers
11 Nov 2009
Thailand
Same same, but different
"Same same, but different" is a phrase commonly used to help farang (foreigners) understand what something is by comparing it to something they already know. It is also used in ... read more
by Anna Schwaber
20 Nov 2009
Laos
Laoglish
Some more modern slang involves the incorporation of English words into the Lao lexicon, often with a unique pronunciation for the added word. For example, many people say "khawy bo ... read more
by Gabriel Shaya
30 Nov 2009
Germany
Don't be offended, he's really just trying to hit on you!
I was once told "du bist eine geile Sau" at a bar, and then had to suffer through a friend trying to convince me that being called a "horny pig ... read more
by Danielle Cosme
03 Dec 2009
South Africa
It's hectic just now
Though the first language of many white South Africans is English, don't be fooled into thinking that means you won't need a translator. Certain phrases have seeped their ... read more
by Leona Rosenblum
07 Dec 2009
Tanzania
Greet with confidence
Greeting is an important part of Tanzanian culture. This is apparent in the dozens of phrases that exist for saying "hello" and "how are you?" One of the more popular ... read more
by zahra hirji
01 Jan 2010
Tanzania
Avoid Disney Swahili
Even if your only familiarity with East Africa is from "The Lion King," avoid using Disney Swahili. The popularized phrase "hakuna matata" or "no worries" is grammatically correct, but using ... read more
by zahra hirji
01 Jan 2010
Cyprus
"Dude" is cool but not "dudette"
In the Greek-speaking South, you will hear a word pronounced "ray" quite a lot. This means something like "dude," "guy," "man," "friend" -- and Cypriots use it for both girls and ... read more
by Madeline Blount
07 Jan 2010
United Kingdom
The Wight way to rabbit
Confused? Try brushing up on your Cockney rhyming slang. A linguistic anomaly in England, rhyming slang supposedly developed as an idiom of resistance in the rougher parts of East London ... read more
by Marshall Worsham
07 Jan 2010
Israel
What did you call me?
Most of Israeli slang is derived from Arabic words. Some of these terms are: “yalla,” which means "let's go," "Sababa," which means "good" or "cool," and "walla," which means ... read more
