Travelling abroad? Avoid These 15 English Words When in Other Countries

#1 France

Avoid asking about preservatives in France; you'll probably be met with strange looks. It means ‘condom' in France.

Going to Turkey? Avoid asking for a peach in the supermarket or anywhere else for that matter. It means ‘bastard' in Turkish.

If you're in Portugal, refrain from singing with happiness that it's ‘pay day'. No one will be impressed. In Portuguese it means "I farted".

If you're visiting Norway, don't use the word ‘pick'. Your Norwegian colleague is unlikely to be impressed - it means ‘dick' over there.

Try not to talk about speed when in the company of others in Sweden. It means ‘fart'.

If you've had the misfortune of a bump on your car, note that the word ‘bump' in Swedish means ‘dump'.

If you ask your Swedish host or hostess for a kiss, they might very well direct you to the toilets. In Swedish, the word means ‘pee'.

Out for a Mexican in Korea? It's probably best not to ask for salsa: it means ‘diarrhoea' in Korean.

If you're visiting Hungary, whether on business or for pleasure, avoid asking for a cookie. It means ‘small penis' in Hungarian.

‘Never look a gift horse in the mouth', we're told; perhaps more so in Germany where the word means ‘poison'.

In Germany, latte doesn't mean the frothy, milky concoction you get from your local Starbucks. It means ‘erect penis' in some German quarters.

Asking for the bill might raise a few guffaws in the Netherlands: ‘bil' means ‘buttocks' there.

The word cool is too close for comfort to the Spanish word 'culo'; a crude term for 'bum'. Best avoided.

Refrain from boasting about the tremendous prices you offer your clients. In this country, ‘tremendo' is the word for ‘terrible'.

It's perhaps a little late for Ben & Jerry's ice cream, but if you're in Japan, avoid using the word it means ‘diarrhoea' over there.