wat does rubber mean in you area

Cleveland   Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:38 pm GMT
for me it always means erasers but several days ago when I was in England I asked an English guy that if he had an rubber, and he told me I have to go to "the machine" to get one, and, very seriously, he told me this conversation is really odd. I wasn't realized nothing, the only thought was that he was really weird, but today I heard that "rubber" in some areas of england refers to "condom", so Im wondering that what does rubber mean in your area?
Guest   Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:33 am GMT
rubbers = overshoes (made of rubber, presumably).
Guest   Thu Sep 27, 2007 12:47 am GMT
In my area, rubber is referred to a tree on which rubber grows. For example, "let's go pickin' some rubbers."
Jim   Thu Sep 27, 2007 2:31 am GMT
An eraser (or, of course, rubber the rubbery substance, or one who rubs).
Skippy   Thu Sep 27, 2007 1:12 pm GMT
If someone said "a rubber" I would immediately think of a condom. Aside from that you only really hear it in "this is made of rubber" or "that's a rubber puck" etc.
K. T.   Fri Sep 28, 2007 3:09 am GMT
I can't believe this or can I? Cleveland, are you SURE you didn't know this? Oh la la...

If you are trying to work in the US, you probably need to look at a website comparing British and American terms for common items.

Here's an address for one such site.

http://esl.about.com/library/vocabulary/blbritam.htm
Guest   Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:15 am GMT
"when I was in England I asked an English guy that if he had an rubber, and he told me I have to go to "the machine" to get one, and, very seriously, he told me this conversation is really odd."

LOL this is like the reverse of that pearl necklace situation from few months ago