Some Americanisms are a whole new language to non-Americans. We have a ton of slang terms and idioms, and many don’t make sense, even to us! Out of so many, these 19 American phrases are the most ridiculous to non-Americans.
Working the graveyard shift
To a non-American, working the graveyard shift could easily mean working at the cemetery, but Cambridge explains that it’s actually just working the night shift. Typically working from midnight into the early hours, the empty streets and eerie stillness of the graveyard shift have led to this phrase.
I could care less
To many native English speakers, saying “I could care less” implies that you care a great deal about something, whereas ‘I couldn’t care less,’ says the opposite. This is super confusing because “I could care less” means the former to Americans!
That’s sick
Understandably, sickness has negative connotations, as it’s associated with illness or something bad. That’s exactly why non-Americans find it ridiculous that Americans say ‘that’s sick’ when they love something! It makes no sense for a negative word to describe something positive!
Take a rain check
The phrase ‘take a rain check’ is pretty much exclusive to the US, and is used commonly among all age groups. If you are taking a raincheck, you’re essentially canceling on some plans, but it’s a more casual way of saying this, keeping things informal and light-hearted.
Hit the gas
Hit the music, hit the light, hit the button… Americans just love hitting things! One that seems ridiculous to non-Americans, though, is to ‘hit the gas’. While we understand it means to speed off quickly, there’s really no hitting involved, especially when you use your foot.
Going to the restroom
The rest of the world says toilet or bathroom, yet strangely, Americans call it ‘going to the restroom’… why!? Well, Bloomberg recalls that restroom became a popular American phrase in the 20th century as a place to go and actually rest. We no longer do that, yet the term has stuck, confusing non-Americans.
Table it
To ‘table’ something is just not a term used outside of the US. To non-Americans, it might sound like simply putting something on a table, but in reality, it means that you’ll come back to it later. We have no idea why tables are involved!
I can’t put my finger on it
While the phrase “I can’t put my finger on it” is commonly used throughout many native English countries, it’s highly unusual to anyone whose first language isn’t English. They’d take this as a literal action, assuming you physically can’t touch something rather than the real definition: not fully understanding or recalling something.
Counterclockwise
Non-Americans may understand the meaning of counterclockwise, but they still find it ridiculous. In the UK and Australia, the term would be anticlockwise, and while they mean the same thing, using counterclockwise in either of these countries would be highly unusual. We Americans just like to be different!
Piece of cake
A ‘piece of cake’ is an American phrase that puzzles non-Americans because it has nothing to do with cake, disappointingly. It’s actually used to describe something that is very easy, perhaps because it’s so easy to eat one more piece of cake!
Bi-weekly
When bi-annually means twice a year, why does bi-weekly mean every two weeks in America? Everywhere else, bi-weekly means twice a week! Instead, fortnightly would be the term used to describe something that happens every two weeks. Merriam-Webster needs two definitions for bi-weekly because of this confusing Americanism!
Write me/write you
Non-Americans don’t understand why it’s necessary to miss out on a word from the phrase “write me”. Saying ‘write to me’ is considered to be proper English, and for such a small word, why is there a need to skip it? This not only baffles foreigners, but American boomers too!
The hood of the car
A hood is something that goes over your head, so when referring to cars, it should surely be the roof of the car. In classic American style, though, we’ve made things complicated for non-Americans; the hood of a car here means the engine cover, which other countries call it a bonnet.
Ballpark figure
Saying “ballpark figure” confuses non-Americans because, naturally, they assume you’re talking about baseball. However, a ballpark figure is just a rough numerical estimate when you don’t know exact numbers. There are many American phrases just like this that are related to sports that seem to have no connection at all!
Shoot the breeze
When a non-American first hears the phrase “shoot the breeze,” nothing makes sense; surely, that would be a pointless action. Well, that’s exactly what it means in the US–shooting the breeze simply means idly doing a pointless activity or talking about nothing in particular.
The American Dream
The American Dream is a phrase commonly used in the US, but it has little meaning to non-Americans. If you’re from outside the US, it’s hard to understand exactly what the American Dream is, but its themes are most commonly understood as freedom and capitalism.
Water under the bridge
Non-Americans will be left stumped by “water under the bridge.” This phrase refers to leaving disagreements in the past; someone might brush off an old grudge by stating, “It’s all water under the bridge.” This phrase commonly appears in the UK, too, but other countries are baffled.
Put up your dukes
Referencing a fist fight, whether seriously or lightheartedly, putting up your dukes is not a phrase used outside of America. Dukes is US slang for hands, hence how the phrase arose, and without sharing the same slang, no other country would adopt this.
Each dog has his day
Last but not least, saying “each dog has his day” is a way of saying that everyone, at some point, will have their day of success in life. According to Cliffs Notes, it’s a phrase coined by William Shakespeare in Hamlet, yet for some reason, the phrase has been adopted exclusively by American English rather than British English.
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