Different Meanings - Different Places / Distintos Significados - Distintos Lugares
This post is for those who have had either travel experience, or contact with different cultures: I invite you to post words (one per post, please) that you know can mean different things in different places in the same language. Please post your word in English or Spanish, with the corresponding translation and the meaning the word has in at least two different places.
For example, the word "China" refers to the country in most Hispanic countries. In Puerto Rico, it also means "orange" (the fruit). "Plátano" means "plantain" in most of the Caribbean, but it means "banana" is several South American countries.
Esta publicación es para aquellos que han tenido experiencia de viajes, o contacto con distintas culturas: te invito a publicar palabras (una por publicación, por favor), que sepas que tiene distintos significados, en el mismo idioma en distintas partes.
Por ejemplo, la palabra "China" se refiere al país en la mayoría de los países hispanos. En Puerto Rico, también significa "naranja" (la fruta). "Plátano" se refiere al banano grande que se cocina en la mayor parte del Caribe, pero en algunos países sudamericanos se refiere a la bana dulce que se come cruda.
Plátano de cocinar / cooking plantain
Plátano - banana.
30 Answers
In many countries a "paddywagon" (the vehicle used by police to transport people who have been arrested) is called a "fugón celular," "furgón policial," "furgón de la policía" or "coche celular", but in Mexico they call it "la julia"
Not to be confused with "Las Julias"
In Spain, they use "coger" to take, get, catch something.
Example: No me gusta coger el avión = I don't like flying.
In México, the use the verb "agarrar" or "tomar."
Example: No me gusta tomar el avión = I don't like flying.
I'm not entirely certain, but I believe coche means pig in Guatemala, whereas in Spain it means car.
"Huevos" is a word that is not often used in Mexico to refer to "eggs." Instead, the word "blanquillos" is used to avoid the awkwardness of the word "huevos" (which is slang for testicles).
So, in Mexico, in order to avoid asking someone "Tiene huevos?," we'd say "¿Tiene blanquillos.?"
"Blanquillo" in the normal sense just means something white.
tortilla - Spain - omlette (qué sabrosa - una tortilla española!)
tortilla - Mexico - flat, round cornbread frequently used to either scoop up beans or as an ingredient in enchiladas
From Ecuador:
ardilla - badly behaved child
literal translation - squirrel 
When I was in Canada (aged 11), I had to erase some pencil marks so I asked someone for a rubber... the look I got! 
In the UK this is a rubber....
I believe in America and Canada it is referred to as an eraser, and definitely not a rubber. 
In Mexico
Chulo ..... Pimp
and
Chulo ....... Cute (ie: a cute dog)
camión - Spain - truck
camión - Mexico - city bus
What I'm looking for are words that mean different things in different countries that speak the same language. Just one word, though!
Lo que estouy buscando son palabras que significan cosas diferentes en países diferentes que hablan el mismo idioma. ¡Sólo una palabra!
In Venezuela, "torta" means "cake".
In Mexico, "torta" means "sandwich"
In Puerto Rico, "torta" means a "fist blow"
There are actually a few more meanings for "torta", in other Spanish speaking countries. If I'm not mistaken, "torta" generally means a flat, pie-like food in Spain.
I know that just in the world of bakery there are lots of words that mean different things in different Spanish speaking countries. Also in English, come tho think of it.
.
choclo - Perú
choclo - Méjico
pararse - Venezuela - to stand up
pararse - Spain - to stop
(and in Argentina isn't it "to fall down"?!!!! - I may be wrong about that...)
tostada = España
tostada = Méjico
Go easy on me, because really, I'm trying!
ahorita in Cuba means in a little while, like in later.
and
ahorita most everywhere else means right now, like in at this moment.
