Microsoft Office 2007 came with a new feature, instead of going to the new ribbon at the top you could now highlight a chunk of text and a floating mini-toolbar would appear in which you could access the most-used commands: bold, underline, etc.
I remember the program manager demonstrating this to the closed group and announcing proudly that Office now had a `floater`.
At which point all of the Brits and South Africans either sniggered or plain exploded with laughter.
It took a while for things to settle before it emerged that the Americans in the room didn't see what was so funny, and the Brits and South Africans interpretation of a `floater` was a turd floating in a swimming pool.
The name was changed by the next time we saw the feature, if I recall correctly they went for the far less ambiguous "mini toolbar".
Why does a language have a word for such a thing? Is it common? I haven't even thought about the possibility of the existence of such a thing till now.
Anyone that grew up going to public swimming pools, with other kids, knows the term. Not necessarily from first-hand experience, but at least from legend.
I remember the program manager demonstrating this to the closed group and announcing proudly that Office now had a `floater`.
At which point all of the Brits and South Africans either sniggered or plain exploded with laughter.
It took a while for things to settle before it emerged that the Americans in the room didn't see what was so funny, and the Brits and South Africans interpretation of a `floater` was a turd floating in a swimming pool.
The name was changed by the next time we saw the feature, if I recall correctly they went for the far less ambiguous "mini toolbar".