When you learn another language, you tend to learn conversational words and sentences. Since they require a decent understanding of the language in question, idioms and multi-word expressions come later. Heck, even if you speak the same language as another country, you may not understand some of the phrases and colloquialisms they use because they just don’t transfer to where you live.

It’s like being in Australia and hearing a story about some guy who went to Maccas and bumped into a banana bender he knew. He always thought the guy was overall a cobber, although he had kangaroos loose in the top paddock.*

The same thing goes for people who visit the U.S. We certainly have our share of expressions and sayings that WE all understand. But a visitor? Maybe not so much. Here are some good ones:

Sign your John Hancock

Someone’s “John Hancock” means their signature.

Americans tend to know the phrase because they’re taught about Hancock’s big and bold signature on the Declaration of Independence. Legend says Hancock stated, “There! His Majesty can now read my name without glasses. And he can double the reward on my head!” (but there’s actually no proof that he said it). Anyway, those who were born elsewhere would have to be taught the backstory of Hancock, the Declaration of Independence, etc., before the phrase would make sense.

Riding shotgun

It means “riding in the passenger’s seat.”

The term came from the Wild West. Back then, the person in the passenger’s seat would hold a shotgun to protect the stagecoach from bandits.

Giving a ballpark figure

“An estimated amount, within a reasonable range of accuracy.”

The phrase began in the early 1900s, when baseball was becoming more popular. Each ballpark had different capacities and to help fans know what the maximum number of people who could attend would be, officials would give estimates, or “figures” of same. The term eventually entered common usage to mean any sort of rough estimate.

Going Dutch

“Each person participating in a paid activity will cover their own expenses.”

The term may have originated in Great Britain as a way to suggest the Dutch were stingy. However, others suggest it originated in 19th-century America when the Pennsylvania Dutch would bring their own food to gatherings (like a potluck).

She’s having a hissy fit

“A temperamental outburst; a tantrum.”

The term started in the US in the mid-20th century. It’s either alluded to the hissing and sputtering of such an outburst, or it may be a shortened form of the word “hysterical.”

Jonesing for some ice cream (or anything else)

Jonesing is “having a fixation on.” It could mean a craving, a strong desire or an addiction.

The term is believed to have come from Jones Alley, in Manhattan, which was where addicts tended to hang out in the 1960s. Heroin has also sometimes been known as Jones.

Passing the buck

The expression means “avoiding responsibility or blame by passing it on to someone else.”

The term originated from a ritual practiced during card games in the late 1800s. Card players used to place a marker, called a “buck,” in front of whoever was the dealer for that game. The marker was passed to the next player along with the responsibility of dealing. “Passing the buck” eventually became synonymous with passing on responsibility.

US President Harry Truman had a sign on his desk that said, “The buck stops here,” which meant he would take responsibility instead of avoiding it or passing it along.

What does that sentence about the Australian guy mean?

*The guy went to McDonald’s and bumped into a friend from Queensland. He always thought the guy was very nice, even though he wasn’t very bright.

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