Mind Your Language, the old British sitcom, was a personal favourite. Actually, it continues to be. In one scene, the teacher, Mr Brown, asks Juan Cervantes, the Spanish bartender, “What’s unique to Britain?”

Juan fires back with a quick, savage reply: “Speak English!” It’s funny and true.

English is a British export, but different parts of the world have made it their own. In some cases, the meanings change so much that it’s funny — until it’s not.

Then I read this piece in The Guardian, which made me smile — until I realised I’d been using words and phrases that meant something completely different to a group from the other side of the Atlantic. The British and American divide, in full swing!

Reading it made me realise how often I use words that mean something else depending on where you are in the world.

Take “run up,” for example. In the US, it means to prepare for something, like the run-up to an event. In the UK, it can mean racking up expenses, like running up a credit card bill. Both meanings seem familiar, probably because I’m talking to both sides of the Atlantic quite often. You might say that’s clever — but be careful, in the US, that might not be a compliment at all!

Then there’s “gutted.” In Britain, if you’re gutted, you’re absolutely devastated. In the US, it sounds more like someone’s preparing fish for dinner. Or take the word “cheeky.” In Britain, it describes someone who’s playful and bold. Tell that to an American, and they might think the person is being rude.

Even simple phrases like “in the future” and “in future” mean different things. Going forward, let’s make a note of that! 🙂

Two moments recently made me smile. First, in a meeting with Australian colleagues, I used the phrase “the cat’s whiskers.” I said something like, “They think they’re the cat’s whiskers, but they’re not quite there.” I got some amused and confused looks.

Then, in a meeting with British colleagues, a gentleman said, “He made a Horlicks of the proposal.” This time it was my turn to perk up. Growing up, I had to drink Horlicks to “grow strong”. It was also the go-to drink you bought when visiting someone in hospital. Just now, I learned that “to make a Horlicks” means to completely mess something up. (I quite liked this line. “There’s also a theory that the slang refers to the beverage’s fickle nature. A little too much powder, or an insufficient amount of stirring, and a glass of Horlicks can become a gritty, chunk-filled disaster.” For it triggered memories!)

English has shifted and changed — and keeps doing so. One of the joys of working with people from different cultures is encountering these quirks! Even when they leave me confused for a moment.

As for me, after learning what it means to “make a Horlicks” of something, I’m ready to see if I can get a Boost from moments like these!