Internationalisation (I18n)

Internationalisation in shorthand web-speak, apparently, can be written as I18n to indicate there are 18 letters in between the I and the n. Amazing! I prefer the long version. It's easier than counting!

I was thinking today about some of the internationalisation of my vocabulary that has occurred in the last 5 years since I left Australia.

Here are some of my new phrases, much to the chagrin of some true blue Aussie friends:
* I put on a sweater when it's cold, not a jumper.
* I wear my pants on the inside and my trousers on the outside.
* I don't wear thongs on my feet; I wear flip flops!
* As below, when I say football, I really mean soccer and only soccer.
* If I need an energy boost, I'll hunt for a candy, not a lolly.
* Chips are fat, crisps are...well...crispy.
* I bake cookies, not biscuits.
* I take my trash out at the end of the day, not my rubbish. And when I'm out, I look for a trash can, not a rubbish bin.
* I call Americans on their cell phones. The rest of the world I phone on their mobiles.