h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I am a US native. My ex is from Lancashire. After getting married in the US, we settled in the mid-west of that country. One afternoon while shopping, we parted company inside a large mall. I was going to get a variety of things, he was stopping by a book store. As I was going into the first shop, he yelled over a crowd of people ... "Don't forget the rubbers!" It took me a moment to realize he meant the small soft rubbery things you erase pencil marks with (in the US - erasers). I turned bright red and later explained to him that it was less than polite to yell what he had in public...unless he wanted me to buy a box of condoms.

wsfn

Imagine my embarrasment as a recent immigrant to Canada. Once in a college lecture as the new English guy asking my neighbour to borrow his "rubber". This was no problem for my colleague save for the condition that he be allowed to use it first.