Can the same language mean different things in different cultures?

Is it difficult for someone English to be friends with an American? Can there be misunderstandings due to words having very different meanings on each side of the pond? It seems like it is relatively easy to insult an American with absolutely no intent whatsoever? Anyone experienced this? What did you do to remedy the situation?

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bijouxbroussard · F

I guess the idea of getting to know people, making sure they’re comfortable before throwing slang around, is a good rule of thumb. I have a couple of English friends who are expats living in the U.S. We’ve been friends 30 & 35 years, so I trust them. Once, one friend upset another American friend by referring to "coloured people" which is a sensitive term here, but less so in the UK.
All three of us being black, it was obvious that the Brit wasn’t making a racial slur and the other American learned something new. 😅

ArtieKat · M

@bijouxbroussard When I was a child it was quite usual for people in the UK to be referred to as Coloured, with no intention of insult. With the rise of Black Power in the USA during the 60s it became usual to refer to people as "Black". What I have noticed recently, however, is that it appears to be politically-correct to use the term "people of colour". 🤔