words are funny...words attain weight and power in a culture. They often mean much more than just 'reference', they can convey overtones of how the users think about things. Depending on the context, they can be anything from light-hearted to deadly serious. There are words, especially swear words... and words referring to sex and bodily functions and 'delicate' topics which can offend one person, and barely elicit a huh? from someone who doesn't get the context or referrent. It takes awhile to let 'foreign' terms like 'W.C' and 'Loo' and 'knickers' and 'wanker' attain their relevance in my American head, as those phrases are just not in my daily conversation...and those may not even be the best examples *grin*...

I guess this internet thing has done a lot to blend and blur the language distinctions and make it a bit easier to visit another country, but stuff we have known from childhood is set pretty firmly...it takes a bit of forebearance to make it all work...