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Oh, those idioms will just kill you. Australia idiomatic communication meets U.S. communication

Idiomatic expressions are always dangerous, since the meanings of words and phrases are not always based on the literal meanings of the words themselves. Language is funny that way. Idioms are particularly troublesome across cultures, and even when the people involved speak the exact same language.

David Ricks, in his book Blunders In International Business describes the experiences of a prominent American banker over in Australia to give an important speech. To quote:

...he certainly started off on the wrong foot by indicating that he was "full." The subsequent nervous laughter of the other diners suggested something was wrong, so he tried to clarify the situation by saying that he was "stuffed." One can imagine his astonishment when he learned that "full" implied being drunk, and "stuffed" suggested being involved in se*ual intercourse.

Lesson? Idioms are critical to understanding. Not only are they relevant when work is translated, but also when speaking in a location other than your usual one. We should also not forget that generations have their idioms also, and that can be problematic if you assume words mean the same thing to everyone regardless of age.