Lost in Translation...

[Graham]

Thanks Robbie, that's a good one, I recall getting into strife with that one on this board

[GMan]

Kilts the universal language! Thanks Robbie

[Alaskan Celt]

[Hamish]

We had some English friends of my brother stay with us while they were visiting Alaska...when they left one of the men told my wife that if they ever came back he "...would knock her up"

Gosh, you Brits sure are friendly :P

Speaking as a true Brit. (although I am constantly being told I am a European!), that is a new one on me, at least it is if it was meant to be polite!!!

Are you sure he did not say he would "look her up", meaning that he would get in touch? That is a common enough expression.

[kiltedscot]

Once again I am in agreement with Hamish. I have never heard of "knocking anyone up" in the British-English sense of looking someone up (= contacting when visiting).
The only "polite" version of "knocking up" that I am aware of in British-English is in the sense of arousing or giving a wake-up call.

[Miah]

heheh I know when I was in the Marine Corps we went on a Med float, we went all over around the Mediterranean if we said things that some would find offensive we would just say it meant something different where we were from heheh.
Funny story incoming... about 12 guys and me are inside of a just incredible church looking around at all the cool stuff and not even realizing it we were using massive amounts of profanity. Our GYSgt comes up behind us and tells us to shut the F$%K up, how dare we use language like in the God D#$m
House of the lord! We just looked at him in amazement. He had just done exactly what he was scolding us for and not even realized it.

[KiltedHuntsman]

The funniest incident I've had is when I was over in England with some friends, we got up to leave a pub, and I said loudly to one them, "don't forget your fannypack" (she had taken it off while sitting)

Heads turned. It was then explained to me that "fanny" is brit slang for a women's vagina.

[macwilkin]

One of my professors in university, who was from Yorkshire originally, had the "knock you up" story happen to him, as he told our British Geography class one day, so I have heard of it happening.

What was it George Bernard Shaw said: "Britain and America are two peoples seperated by a common language." How true, but at times, I can't understand what some of my fellow Yanks are saying!

T.

[Alaskan Celt]

[macwilkin]

This professor of mine went to the University of York, if I remember correctly, not Oxford.

I, on the other hand, went to Southwest Missouri State University, otherwise known as "Hillbilly Tech"! 8)

T.