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PaperclipPerfector  1d ago (text post)   1441 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for April 26, 2026

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

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What phrases are mostly innocent in the US but innuendo in the UK? Have some colleagues in the UK and would like to make things funny from time to time. I have no idea what they mean by "you alwight" and I want revenge.

Some examples that might be helpful.

  • "Bender" can be used as a derogatory term for a gay man.
  • "Bugger" can used as a verb meaning "to sodomize" (I don't know if this word has an innocent meaning in the US).
  • "Pants" refers to boxers and briefs, not trousers.
  • "Pissed" means drunk, rather than angry.
  • "To pull" means to get a girl to come home with you e.g. "I managed to pull at the pub last night."
  • "To shag" means to have sex with (I assume a lot of Yanks are familiar with this owing to Austin Powers).
  • "Slag" means a promiscuous woman.
  • "Spunk" means ejaculate.

I’ve heard over there “jacked up” means things are really good. Over here “jacked up” means things are really bad. Only in some contexts does “jacked” mean things are good in the US.

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