Anchovy,
Not to worry, you didn't offend me! :p Just that whoever came up with the terms is obviously English and trying to explain american slang... that doesn't exist! :o

But this guy needs some serious help if he plans to explain anything in AM english as he obviously didn't study it, for instance:

We don't 'go shag balls' here! Try that in a conversation, nobody is going to understand. Is he refering to Bowling?!

Banging.. well, it means the same as it does over there, but its definately not a nice or refined way of talking about having sex.

He left out the meaning of Randy in US English, besides of JUST being somebody's name! (now that I know what it means in England- what a terrible name to give your poor child! No way for him to make friends in school! )

Nevertheless, your listing was entertaining and useful.

I like learning what different countries (esp. english speaking ) use for what! Helps to understand better when you speak with them! I have family from Australia... the only cousins who don't correct me when I say Herb! :p I don't swear often... and I don't know where I got it from, but for some reason I'm partial to 'bugger!', I also say bloody and use fancy the way you guys do... seems to me that british english is so much more colorful in that you can use a lot more to express yourself without resorting to foul language- which is dull, since there's a serious lack of creativity in it!

About your wife though... jajajajajaja! That's too funny! Yup! I've already learned some words never to use if I ever go to latin america! Like: 'cojer' if I want to get a taxi... over there I better 'agarrar' the cab! :o One thing I've learned though, when you speak with someone that obviously has a different accent than you, chances are if they say something strange to you, it doesn't mean the same to them, so when in doubt I just ask!

ole ole ole oleeee ole ole oleee ole ole ole oleeeeee ole ole oleee ole ole oleeee ole ole ole

Espe,

Actually shagging balls is a term used in sports. When a baseball team is taking batting practice, the people who run around and pick up the foul balls that are hit are "shagging balls."

Now that brings up another question. How about the old Disney movie, "The Shaggy Dog?" Of course I always chuckle when I remember Petticoat Junction and the town of Hooterville.

Our Spanish son had a difficult time when he first came to the states, not having any idea what our slang. Someone said, "You're pulling my hair!", when he told them something. He looked at them and said, "It wasn't me! Honest!"

Then there was the young man from Burgos who stayed with us for a while. He had a list of our expressions. One of them, which meant a person was "with it," was; "He's on his balls." He'd been told. He was quite relieved to find out that wasn't right -

Wolf (Who wonders if they showed the old American TV show Zorro in Spain, and if people thought they were getting something different than what they got.)

That helps Wolf, and I learned something new! (I'm not a big baseball fan, can you tell?!)Cute though, the way kids take things so literally sometimes, and to top it off add on that they're learning a new language- and slang is a language all its own! I've had some real whoppers in spanish.. but then sometimes I strike out with my english too! :p

However, I think we're getting off topic, and MM is going to give us a little shout. I'm going to look up a thread to see what we've got on slang...

Seems like the Gibraltar issue is at rest, at least for now... let's bring it back to life when Spain, England and Gibraltar start arguing over what's what! Shouldn't be long... :o

lol when I incorrectly corrected Anchovy I said it was supposed to be losser instead of tosser I started a new thread hahahaa.

I really should check this board more often…

Espe3, I think you SHOULD ‘go there’, at least once in your life. What I think the EU is is that it is nothing like the United States. This is because the US has a Constitution that has no parallel in the European Union. Sure, the US has the word ‘United’ in it, and the EU has the word ‘Union’ in it, and both those words share the same root, but that is where the similarities end. When Belgian pensioners and Italian jobless benefit seekers are operating under the same electoral and taxation system, then the ‘Union’ thing might ring a bell. Also, when Rhode Island, Ohio and Idaho are asked to coordinate foreign, military and immigration policies like, say, Spain, Slovenia and Poland then, yes, I won’t fell quite so lost. Please help me by noting the posts I skipped over.

Kurt, no need to worry, I have no trouble speaking my mind. However, I think you're missing the parallels I'm talking about.

Some things over a message board or internet, never come across the way they were intended or get explained in the depth that they should. A good debate should be done in person. That said...

The European Union does have something of a Constution set up. Although it may be primarily more concerned at the moment with foreign policy and union economy, they are moving into other aspects of rule within union countries. (Immigration, for example.) Yes, each country has a different identity and I hope it stays that way! And each country still votes for their own people, who strangely enough how they vote also decides on which people are representing their country in the EU government! Doesn't seem so different to me!

Yes, like you said, each state doesn't get a say in how foreign policy is delt with... but how Florida handles illegal immigration is independent of the way California, Texas, or any of the northern border states deal with it. Not so in the Union. So the similiarities are closer than you would like to believe. But if you insist that they aren't, well, that's your opinion and you're entirely entitiled to it, as I am mine. And we can agree to disagree