Cross-Cultural Communication
Careful! This sign of something being totally fine here in the United States also means “zero” in France, and “money,” in Japan.
The O.K. Sign
Two of the world’s seven continents owe their names to this Italian merchant and explorer.
Amerigo Vespucci
Known for her costumes and stage presence, this musical artist made quite the statement when showing up to the 2010 MTV VMAs in a dress made of meat.
Lady Gaga
Codename Kids Next Door was a show led by Nigel “Numah One” Uno that aired on this television network.
Cartoon Network
This company’s colorful fleeces and puffy jackets were originally intended for outdoor adventurers, designed to weather conditions in regions like the one it’s named after.
Patagonia
In American culture, it signifies that you are aware and paying attention, but Japanese are taught not to maintain this with others, as it is often seen as disrespectful.
Eye Contact
This continent’s Dry Valleys are the driest place on Earth, with record-low humidity and little-to-no annual precipitation.
Antarctica
On May 17th, 2004, Marcia Kadish and Tanya McCloskey become the first people to legally do this in the United States.
In a 2015 GOP Debate, this person exclaimed that if they were to choose their own codename, it would be “humble.”
Donald Trump
Adidas is credited with inventing shower shoes, which took on this name as they grew in popularity decades later.
Slides
Make sure when you’re famished that you don’t order antipasto, which means this, rather than a pasta alternative.
Appetizer or Starter
Home to 54 countries, Africa recognizes over 2,000 official languages, with this language being most popular.
Arabic
Although this couple was married from 2014-2019, they met on the set of 2005’s “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” where they had fallen in love on-set, though he was still married to somebody else at the time.
Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie
This president was the first to get his own codename, “General,” and no, the 1998 Jim Carrey film had nothing to do with this.
Harry Truman
This Canadian brand favors its home country by selling its merchandise for the same price in both US dollars and Canadian dollars — meaning Americans can save more than 25% by crossing the border for their pricey goods.
Lululemon
You don’t have to be in France to commit one of these, literally meaning a “false step.”
Faux Pas
This continent is home to the largest ecosystem in the world, covering approximately 133,000 square miles.
Australia/Oceania - The Great Barrier Reef
Kanye West infamously interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech during this award show in 2009.
MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs)
This company’s electric car project is codenamed “Titan.”
Apple
Now named after the Greek goddess of victory, this company was originally founded under the name Blue Ribbon Sports.
Nike
This sleep medication’s name has French and Spanish origins, with the hope that you slept well and thus had a good morning.
Ambien
Asia is home to both the highest and lowest points on Earth, located in these two countries.
Mount Everest - Nepal/China; Dead Sea - Jordan
With hopes of raising awareness of climate change, a one-off concert event in 2007 titled this featured the likes of Genesis, Snoop Dogg, Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more playing on every continent.
Live Earth
It was the code name for a covert US Air Force mission to Laos during the Vietnam War to supply line crew technicians. Today, it’s the code name for a webpage that can no longer be found. Coincidence?
404 OR Project 404
Under Armour’s proprietary moisture-wicking fabric, intended for use in hot conditions, is appropriately called this.
Heat Gear