About This Quiz
Although there are many languages spoken around the world, they certainly are not always used in the exact way they were intended. Take English, for example. The phrase, "the Queen's English" refers to its purest form, one that royalty may use. And you can bet your bottom dollar that Queen Elizabeth isn't going to use any slang words... well not in public at least!
That said, slang is a part of just about every language in the world and is found all over the globe. And you know what? Slang can be regional as well. What might a slang word in Australia isn't in England or the United States. But it gets even better than that. What might be a slang word in London, England, might not be a slang word in Liverpool, England! How cool is that?
So let's get to the task at hand, shall we? And it's a fun one, that's for sure. We've found slang phrases from around the world and we want to see just how much you can work out what they actually mean. Make sure you read them carefully, as sometimes their names could be a clue. If you aren't sure, make use of one of our clues! Good luck!
Although it is not as much of a slang term as in the '80s and 90s, "kiff" basically means awesome, for example, "That was a kiff wave you surfed there."
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In Indonesia, the term "BT" or sometimes "bete" is used to refer to a negative mood or emotion. People use it to convey that they might not be in the best of spirits.
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Malawians love to shorten their city names to slang terms. Blantyre is known as "BT" while Lilongwe is known as "LS." Interestingly, the city of Zomba is called "Texas."
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Paris has its own set of slang words that you won't find anywhere else in France. And in that slang, someone asking for a "clope" wants a cigarette.
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As with many major cities in the world, residents have a form of slang that is used daily. When you someone needs to chill out in Rome, they will be told to "scialla."
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It seems like Australians like to rename pretty much everything, because a snag is simply a sausage! 'strewth!
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Coffee culture is huge in Sweden. And they take their coffee breaks seriously. A "fika" will usually include a pastry of some kind as well.
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Irish slang is just weird. How can "get the messages" mean going to get groceries? We're not sure either, but it does.
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How weird it that? Spanish slang for money, is "pasta." And when you visit there and spend it, it's a case of pasta-la-vista, baby! Except, it won't be back.
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"Howzit" is a combination of two phrases, hello and how are you. It is used as a form of greeting when meeting someone you will end up chatting with.
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"Argy-bargy" is a U.K. slang term for an argument! This generally happens on nights out at the local pub, usually over a game of football!
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Ok, so "Paw" is actually pronounced "pav" in Polish and means peacock. To let the peacock out in that country means to get sick.
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Not only is "tako" a slang word for octopus in Japan but it can be used to as an insult as well, inferring a person is stupid.
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"Peng" is can be used to describe anything that is of the highest quality. It is often used by men to describe good-looking women, however.
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Little towns in America, with one main street are often called "podunk." They are see as boring, not worth visiting and insignificant.
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"You little ripper" is a classic Australian term. It's a congratulatory saying, along the lines of "That's fantastic." Another similar Australian saying is "Good on ya, mate!"
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Yes, South Africans had some strange slang terms in the 1980s. But if you think about it, "bowl me the ages" sort of refers to time, doesn't it?
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"Honk" is a term used throughout the United Kingdom to describe someone throwing up. This usually happens after a night at the local pub or nightclub, when someone consumes a few too many! Just keep their hair out of it!
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They're a New York classic, but the locals have a name for their city's favorite fast food - a "dirty water dog" and that's because the water they cooked in doesn't get changed that often during the day (if at all).
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If you "have a gargle" in Ireland, you are going to have a drink. If you have "been on the gargle" you have been out drinking. Gargling seems fun!
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Cockney rhyming slang has many terms like this. And it's simply based on rhyming. So "brown bread" is dead and "Adam and Eve it" is believe it. Strange!
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No, don't worry, it's not your significant other! Another word for it is the "telly." Yes, the "idiot box" is simply a television. Is it still an "idiot box" if you watch general knowledge game shows? Now there's a question...
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Most people in Australia are pretty chill. "No drama" is something someone might say to you if you stood on their toe at a concert and apologized. All it really means is, don't worry, it's cool.
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"The fuzz" is United Kingdom slang for the police imported from North America. Interestingly, the ordinary policeman is not armed with a pistol. And that noisy neighbor? He might call the policeman a "copper," yet another slang term for law enforcement in the U.K.
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They come out at night... and in droves, looking for blood. No, it's not a zombie invasion, it's just mosquitos! In Australia, they simply call these pests "mozzies."
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In South Africa, "babbelas" is an Afrikaans language term for a severe hangover! Steer clear of the person who has it!
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Not so much in the corporate world, but in construction and other industries such as that, workers will call their boss "the gaffer." It is also a term that soccer players use for their manager.
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What a strange term for the act of cleaning vegetables. Does a mechanic "wrench" food as well? How confusing!
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Yes, your "ivories" are your teeth in the U.K. But in both countries, as well as in the U.S. and beyond, the word can also be used for piano keys (tickling the ivories) or even to describe dice. Why? Well, the keys of a piano and dice were made out of ivory in days gone by.
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"Ursäkta" can be used in many ways. For example, you could use it to call your waiter or when you hurriedly pass people while running for a train.
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No, "thongs" are not what you think, and yes, you can wear them to the beach. Thongs are simply sandals or flip-flops, the perfect footwear for the beach or all summer long down under!
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“Ganbatte" roughly means do your best in or keep it up in Japanese. It is often shouted at sports events in support of a team.
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"Chowdahead" is a form of an insult in Boston, United States. It is used to refer to someone who is seen to be doing something stupid, as in "Don't be a chowdahead, you can't park in the disabled zone."
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"Tucker" is an Australian term for food, along the lines of "tuck in." Bush tucker is found in the Outback, a vast region of Australia that is largely uninhabited. An example of bush tucker would be something like witchetty grubs, or perhaps even crocodile meat.
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"Bliksem" is an Afrikaans language word that means that some is going to do some bodily harm to you, as in "I am going to bliksem you." Interestingly, it can also be used to show amazement as in "Bliksem, did you see that?"
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