Words a foreigner should know in US

  • Thread starter Thread starter Clausius2
  • Start date Start date
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around informal American slang, particularly terms and phrases that may not be found in standard dictionaries. Participants share examples of regional slang, with a focus on California, and explore the challenges of understanding and using such language as a foreigner in the U.S.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant lists informal phrases from their native language that are not commonly known, seeking similar examples from U.S. slang.
  • Another participant expresses concern about the difficulty of regional slang and advises against using certain popular slang terms.
  • Some participants note that slang can be challenging to learn and often requires cultural context to understand.
  • Suggestions are made to watch American television shows and movies as a way to familiarize oneself with slang and regional dialects.
  • A participant shares a list of slang terms, including derogatory terms and phrases, highlighting their meanings and contexts.
  • There is mention of the evolving nature of slang, with some terms becoming outdated or less commonly used.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the complexity of learning slang and the importance of cultural context, but there are multiple competing views on which slang terms are relevant or appropriate to use.

Contextual Notes

Some slang terms shared are considered derogatory or sensitive, and their usage may vary significantly based on context and audience. The discussion reflects a wide range of informal language that may not be universally accepted or understood.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals planning to travel to the U.S., particularly to California, and those interested in understanding American slang and informal language.

  • #31
TheStatutoryApe said:
LYN, I've never heard anyone around here use the terms "Bird" or "Pigeon".

The terminology isn't as common in the OC. It's more of an urban thing, although, to be honest. it really isn't that common in my experience in Los Angeles (don't know about San Diego). I've heard it mostly in songs.

And I thought that people working while union workers were on strike were called scabs?

You're right. I got the two mixed up.
 
Science news on Phys.org
  • #32
juvenal said:
I'd like to also add that I haven't heard quite a few of loseyourname's words or phrases, either ever or in a long, long time.

Where do you live? Maybe the regional slang of southern California isn't as broadly known as I thought. I just figured people would at least here it since it is common in popular music and film.

And some of those terms like wetback, gook, or cool person are very derogatory and close to the equivalent of "cool person" for black people, and should almost never be used unless one is looking for either social banishment or a physical beating.

You'd be surprised at how commonly they are used, especially among younger people. Most won't call a Vietnamese guy a gook to his face, but they'll use that term and others like it in the third person quite frequently.
 
  • #33
Clausius2 said:
Game - is this used as: He has a great game (He has flirted with too many women)?

It's not that he flirts with too many. In fact, popular consensus seems to be that you can never get too much. "Game" is used to refer to the ability to successfully pick up women. A guy with "game" is a guy that knows how to woo the opposite sex.

Note: There is no use of the indefinite article with this phrase. People won't say "He has a great game," but rather "he has great game."

Off the heezy - Also means off the hook. I don't understand the meaning of off the hook. I didn't caught it.

Off the hook basically means that something really impresses you. For instance, if a guy says that a party was "off the hook," it means that it was a really good party. Personally, I would say that the party was "hoppin'," but that isn't common. In fact, I don't know if anyone else says that.
 
  • #34
In the aftermath of the British shooting of the innocent Brazilian man, I'd say the word "Freeze !" goes to the top of the list. :(
 
  • #35
Iced Tea in the US isn't sweetened.

I learned that lesson the hard way.

And US Corn Pops are gross. Again, they are pretty much unsweetened.

And you have to figure out just what the hell they call the "place where you urinate/crap".

Here we call it a bathroom. Also called a washroom. Also rarely called a lavatory.

I remember at the Dallas/Ft Worth Airport I asked some woman at the ticket booth where the bathroom was. She says "WHAT?! What are you sayin?" "Can you please tell me where the nearest bathroom is?" "WHAT?! OHHHHHH...You mean RESTROOM...it's right over there". Major WTF moment. I was 13 and had absolutely no clue what a restroom was. But it was indeed a bathroom and I learned a new word that day.

Also, just as a general tip, always count your change! Since all the money is the same colour, cashiers sometimes try and screw you over. You can't get away with it in countries where they have real money, but in the US it is rampant. ESPECIALLY if you look like a tourist or a person who isn't American.

I realize this post is not really what you were looking for, <words> but still, these are things to keep in mind.

:smile:
 
  • #36
Integral said:
Hopefully he will not need, or get, a PF goodbye party. He should spend a couple of days traveling then be in San Diego with internet acess and will be joining us from his new time zone, so the time he posts may change but he aint going nowhere as far as we are concerned. :biggrin:


My bet is that within 6 months he will be speaking american slang with the best of them.
I think we should say goodbye to Spanish version of Clausius2 and say hello to American version of him. So we still need to hold a PF goodbye party for him, am I right? :wink:
 
Last edited:
  • #37
ek said:
Iced Tea in the US isn't sweetened.

I learned that lesson the hard way.

And US Corn Pops are gross. Again, they are pretty much unsweetened.

And you have to figure out just what the hell they call the "place where you urinate/crap".

Here we call it a bathroom. Also called a washroom. Also rarely called a lavatory.

I remember at the Dallas/Ft Worth Airport I asked some woman at the ticket booth where the bathroom was. She says "WHAT?! What are you sayin?" "Can you please tell me where the nearest bathroom is?" "WHAT?! OHHHHHH...You mean RESTROOM...it's right over there". Major WTF moment. I was 13 and had absolutely no clue what a restroom was. But it was indeed a bathroom and I learned a new word that day.

Also, just as a general tip, always count your change! Since all the money is the same colour, cashiers sometimes try and screw you over. You can't get away with it in countries where they have real money, but in the US it is rampant. ESPECIALLY if you look like a tourist or a person who isn't American.

I realize this post is not really what you were looking for, <words> but still, these are things to keep in mind.

:smile:
I think that was maybe a Texas thing regarding the restroom. I usually say restroom and that is what they are usually marked but we all know what a bathroom is and wouldn't have any trouble figuring out what your saying. Quite a few people around here say bathroom. Maybe that lady was just being anal retentive about whether or not it should be referred to as a bathroom since there is no bath in it. When I worked at a coffee house I was that way when people tried ordering in Starbucks lingo. That though was mainly because half the time they didn't even know what they were saying.

That's something Clausius. When you order coffee just use simple words. I'm not sure if they have the same barista etiquette in Spain as they do in other countries or not. Around here coffee houses try to use european lingo for their menu but they almost always mess it up.
Starbucks coffee is terrible by the way. Unless you like double roasted beans. Tastes like it was burnt.

And I'm not sure what ek is talking about in regards to money. You should definitely check you change to make sure you got the right amount. People won't usually try to short change you though. Some times they just make mistakes because they've been sitting there at the register giving people change all day long. Sometimes also they're just not very bright. :wink:
I've actually though more often had people give me back more money than they were supposed to. I once had someone accidentally give me back more money than I gave them in the first place.
 
  • #38
arildno said:
You need a bit of correction here:
"Queen" is used to designate an effeminate (gay) male; butch occasionally used for a masculine (gay) male.

However, you (as a straight person, that is) can by no means figure out who's the "top" and who's the "bottom" by this.

... I am pretty sure if someones "butch", it means they are a lesbian who looks like a guy. A queen is a royal figure in a monarchy. :-p
 
  • #39
Pengwuino said:
... I am pretty sure if someones "butch", it means they are a lesbian who looks like a guy. A queen is a royal figure in a monarchy. :-p
Butch is used to describe men too. I remember an old roommate of mine saying "ready to get all butched out" when he was referring to moving some heavy boxes.
 
  • #40
TheStatutoryApe said:
Butch is used to describe men too. I remember an old roommate of mine saying "ready to get all butched out" when he was referring to moving some heavy boxes.

Then what he meant was that he was getting prepared to call moving men so he can drool over them because he was gay.
 
  • #41
I thought 'butch' was used to describe a girl who seems manly. Usually associated with girls people think are ugly because they're...well, manly.
 
  • #42
Pengwuino said:
... I am pretty sure if someones "butch", it means they are a lesbian who looks like a guy.
Quite so; that's why I used the caveat "occasionally".
 
  • #43
Thanks everyone for posting and helping me here!. Surely I will have to look at this despites I will be in USA then. I've learned about the game, about the coffee, about asking for the restroom, and about getting the correct money change, also about butches (in which arildno seems very interested :biggrin: ).

To sum up, thank you very much. If you've got more suggestions, let me know. But now I am going to leave this thread and this forum for some time. I am a bit busy with the arrangements. I hope to see you soon.
 
  • #44
Clausius2 said:
also about butches (in which arildno seems very interested :biggrin: ).
"Butch Cassidy&The Sundance Kid"; yep, that's the kind of Western I like.. :approve:
 
  • #45
loseyourname said:
Where do you live? Maybe the regional slang of southern California isn't as broadly known as I thought. I just figured people would at least here it since it is common in popular music and film.
I live in Pasadena since I attend Caltech, but I've met and hung out with people outside of Caltech. For example, I used to take boxing classes for a while in downtown LA in a gym where it was largely hispanic and black Angelenos.

loseyourname said:
You'd be surprised at how commonly they are used, especially among younger people. Most won't call a Vietnamese guy a gook to his face, but they'll use that term and others like it in the third person quite frequently.

Not in my personal experience, but anyhow, the point was just to warn him not to use it as a term of endearment with any Asians he meets. But perhaps to back up your point, in my high school in NJ, racial epithets like gook seemed to be thrown around more though, but not on a regular frequency. This was also around when all those Vietnam movies were coming out like Platoon and Full Metal Jacket and Hamburger Hill.