Different Meanings for Words

[Faerydust]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

[dawnfire]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

I think the term hamper is referring to the basket.,so you can have a clothing hamper (a clothing basket) or a christmas hamper ( a basket with christmas goodies in it)

[Faerydust]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

I think the term hamper is referring to the basket.,so you can have a clothing hamper (a clothing basket) or a christmas hamper ( a basket with christmas goodies in it)

Yes, you're right and that's what I was trying to say and worded badly. A gift hamper in the UK is what we, in the US, call a gift basket.

[Leafy]

As an Aussie I can say that I have absolutely no idea what Holly Vallance was referring to. I've always known it to be a bad movie. Just double checked with DH and he agrees with your definition. He adds that it could be a cult movie with a small audience.

I have no idea why she was confused then? Oh well myth busted.

She may have been confusing it with a "blue movie" which as far as I know is a polite term for pron (is there ever really a polite term for pron?)

Aha! I think you are probably right Frozen Lulupop. It makes sense to me.

[Thipu1]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

I think the term hamper is referring to the basket.,so you can have a clothing hamper (a clothing basket) or a christmas hamper ( a basket with christmas goodies in it)

Although it's less used than it once was, the term 'picnic hamper' is still around.  This is a basket often fitted out with dishes and flatware.  Christmas hamper has a very similar meaning.  Many Americans would understand the term.

[Faerydust]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

I think the term hamper is referring to the basket.,so you can have a clothing hamper (a clothing basket) or a christmas hamper ( a basket with christmas goodies in it)

Although it's less used than it once was, the term 'picnic hamper' is still around.  This is a basket often fitted out with dishes and flatware.  Christmas hamper has a very similar meaning.  Many Americans would understand the term.

Perhaps it's a regional thing here as well. There were a few posts, I'm assuming also from people in the US, mentioning that they were confused by the word hamper also. I received one of those picnic baskets with dishes and flatware as a present once. Everyone else referred to it as a picnic basket.

[katycoo]

What does 'B movie' mean to you?
I'm in the UK and to me it means a not very good movie kind of like a strait to DVD movie. Similar to the b side on a single in the days of final.
On strictly come dancing Holly Valance said it meant something very different in oz.
I can guess what she was hinting at but I thought I'd ask anyway just in case :-)

As an Aussie I can say that I have absolutely no idea what Holly Vallance was referring to. I've always known it to be a bad movie. Just double checked with DH and he agrees with your definition. He adds that it could be a cult movie with a small audience.

Yep.  Not only no personal knowledge, but Google OZ had nothing for me either.

Maybe she was confusing it with a blue movie?

Historically, a B film was the lesser of a double feature.

[violinp]

What does 'B movie' mean to you?
I'm in the UK and to me it means a not very good movie kind of like a strait to DVD movie. Similar to the b side on a single in the days of final.
On strictly come dancing Holly Valance said it meant something very different in oz.
I can guess what she was hinting at but I thought I'd ask anyway just in case :-)

As an Aussie I can say that I have absolutely no idea what Holly Vallance was referring to. I've always known it to be a bad movie. Just double checked with DH and he agrees with your definition. He adds that it could be a cult movie with a small audience.

Yep.  Not only no personal knowledge, but Google OZ had nothing for me either.

Maybe she was confusing it with a blue movie?

Historically, a B film was the lesser of a double feature.

Exactly. They were also more campy in part, and most people think of the B films as being horror or sci fi (they weren't). Val Lewton directed several B pictures that are considered cult classics now, like Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, and The Isle of the Dead.

More info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B_movie

[Mopsy428]

On another forum I read a post about someone purchasing a Christmas hamper for someone. I'm in the US and to me, a hamper is something you throw your dirty laundry in so I was a little confused. I googled it and learned that in the UK it is a term for what we refer to as a gift basket.

I think the term hamper is referring to the basket.,so you can have a clothing hamper (a clothing basket) or a christmas hamper ( a basket with christmas goodies in it)

Although it's less used than it once was, the term 'picnic hamper' is still around.  This is a basket often fitted out with dishes and flatware.  Christmas hamper has a very similar meaning.  Many Americans would understand the term.

Perhaps it's a regional thing here as well. There were a few posts, I'm assuming also from people in the US, mentioning that they were confused by the word hamper also. I received one of those picnic baskets with dishes and flatware as a present once. Everyone else referred to it as a picnic basket.

I'm American, and I think most people where I live would probably be momentarily confused if you said "Christmas hamper" or "picnic hamper". Where I live, a hamper pretty much refers to the basket where you put your dirty close; I've never heard anyone here use "hamper" in place of "basket".

[Thipu1]

I've always heard tha B Movies are simply low-budget films that aren't up to truly professional standards.  that doesn't mean they can't be great fun. 

Classic B Movies were produced by Hammer Studios in the 1950s and 1960s.  Think of the junky horror films that produced more laughter than shocks.

[oz diva]

A ute is smaller than a truck.

[kglory]

In the US, a "truck" is sort of an umbrella term -- encompassing personal vehicles like this http://www.google.com/imgres?q=pickup+truck&um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1280&bih=624&tbm=isch&tbnid=_AyPgGvxFKYN2M:&imgrefurl=http://just4wheels.com/rental/moving_trucks/&docid=1hOZgaP6Ym-PBM&imgurl=http://just4wheels.com/images/classes/apickup.jpg&w=420&h=315&ei=joQaT83DKMOU0QH4oJyuCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=340&vpy=333&dur=911&hovh=194&hovw=259&tx=131&ty=174&sig=103838273789622978794&page=1&tbnh=120&tbnw=158&start=0&ndsp=18&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0:

  and really huge vehicles like this: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=semi+truck&start=18&num=10&um=1&hl=en&biw=1280&bih=624&tbm=isch&tbnid=CNnQahKWwkoJbM:&imgrefurl=http://blog.greatcdltraining.com/blog/semi-truck-driving-school&docid=7cFDXZEfCB82nM&imgurl=http://cdn.content.compendiumblog.com/uploads/user/75321d89-ec00-4dc3-949e-9e3cdcad7f55/24d23099-06e4-4e21-a4f2-ec8ad10b91a5/Image/95d35cb43965b04b4232935518bd8a40.jpg&w=533&h=313&ei=24QaT7sjwufRAbHf2cEL&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=946&vpy=5&dur=998&hovh=172&hovw=293&tx=163&ty=94&sig=103838273789622978794&sqi=2&page=2&tbnh=106&tbnw=181&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:4,s:18
 .

The latter is what we'd call a semi or semi truck.
The former, just a pickup truck.

But it wouldn't surprise me to hear either referred to as a truck.

[oz diva]

Okay that first link we'd call a ute (short for utility truck). The 2nd one is definitely a truck. And then we have road trains.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_train

[Betelnut]

Got another one for everyone...is a "hot mess" a good thing or a bad thing?

If something is hot, I usually think that's a good thing. If something's  a mess, that's bad right? But then you put them together and it's like    I've heard it used on TV and stuff, but the meaning seems to alternate between being a good thing and a bad thing, depending on the situation.

Hot mess is bad.  You look messy and unkempt.

[jaxsue]

Got another one for everyone...is a "hot mess" a good thing or a bad thing?

If something is hot, I usually think that's a good thing. If something's  a mess, that's bad right? But then you put them together and it's like    I've heard it used on TV and stuff, but the meaning seems to alternate between being a good thing and a bad thing, depending on the situation.

Hot mess is bad.  You look messy and unkempt.

I hear it used for someone who's just messed up in other ways, such as "Snookie (Jersey Shore) is such a hot mess."