A laptop is not a computer: 7 words that give out Russian-speaking immigrants in America

Before moving to the USA, Anastasia believed that she knew English quite well. It turned out - no. And the point here is not only in the American accent of English, but also in the fact that some words, as it turned out, we understand incorrectly. Many of them do not mean at all what we put into them. Anastasia shared these observations in her article on Zen Yandex.

A laptop

For our man, a laptop is a computer, but an American will present an ordinary notebook. So the expression “my laptop is broken” in America, in general, no one will understand. How can a notebook break?

The correct word is laptop

This is what laptops familiar to us are called in the United States.

French fries

In the early days in America, Anastasia's husband tried to order such potatoes. Said fries. The response from the restaurant staff was invaluable. He was not exactly surprised, but embarrassed by such a request.

And all because Anastasia's husband asked for "free potatoes."

Fried potatoes in the United States are called french fries, or simply fries (pronounced fries). And our "free" for the American ear sounds like "free".

By the way, "fris" is spoken in American English. In the UK, such a "potato" is called "chips" (chips), and in Australia "hot chips" (hot chips).

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Quest

If you mean adventure, then that's right - this is a quest. But in Russia this is also the name for a modern game, where a group of people is locked in a room and you need to find a way out by solving riddles. The Americans will not understand you, because they call this game the escape room.

Stewardess

Previously, this word was called flight attendants. But now they use the phrase flight attendant for this. This literally translates as "flight attendant"

Metro

In America, they don't talk about the subway like that. Anastasia claims that she has never heard this word.

When referring to the subway, Americans usually say train. But you can also say subway (subway).

But the word underground is not used here. However, the subway in the United States is also rare, because some of the tracks are underground, and some are on the surface.

Option

If we are talking about a choice between several, for example, roads, then the Americans will not say variant. In this case, in American English it is better to say option.

But the word "variant" is used by the Americans in the context of "species, variety".

On the subject: It's not just about words: what problems in English speech spoil the life of Russian-speaking immigrants in the USA

Bartender

If you call a bartender in an American bar, no one will answer. And in general, it is not customary here to call the staff of a bar or cafe. Better to address with the words "excuse me sir / miss". And the profession itself in American English is called bartender.