Recently, Reddit user u/AlexanderLibert1983 posed the question, "What are some expressions used by Americans that are commonly misunderstood by non-Americans?" Here are some of the most interesting responses:
2. Picking up the room
"I had a Texan friend tell me he was 'picking up the room.' I knew he hadn't gained super strength suddenly but I'd never heard that phrase. He explained he meant tidying up the place."
6. Elbow grease
"I spent more time than I would like to admit figuring what 'elbow grease' meant in many cleaning tutorials."
7. Bless your heart
"'Bless your heart' is just a nice Southern way of saying, 'Get fucked.'"
9. Major league asshole
"I was in my thirties before it occurred to me that the 'major league' must be an actual American tournament. The UK equivalent might be a premier league arsehole, which is pretty funny."
11. Rooting
"'Rooting' in America seems to mean something like cheering them on. In Australia, it’s a more vulgar way of saying fucking."
12. Taking something with a grain of salt
13. To table something
"In the USA, to table means to postpone or suspend consideration of a pending motion. In the rest of the English-speaking world, to table means to begin consideration (or reconsideration) of a proposal."
Which American expressions do you find confusing? LMK in the comments below!
Responses have been edited for length and clarity.