clash between an english native speaker and english student

[jirikoo]

I live in Australia studying english extensively and frequently. Sometimes when talking with my native colleagues at work we happen to differ on many various grammar questions and more importantly word and phrase usage.

Here are some of the examples i hope you will help me shed the light on them:

1) I say: "Its a "f-a-g" today. She (native speaker) goggles her eyes trying to calm me down. She says "f-a-g" means only "f-a-g-o-t". What I meant was: hard work or slavery.

Question: who is right? If "f-a-g" really means a hard work is it a common colloquial expression ?

2) She spilled water. I say "What did you commit?" She doesn't understand me. I meant: What did you do? I thought that the word "To commit" means "cause" or "do". She claims that "to commit" means only "to bond" or "to bind (oneself to...)" in relation to "commitment" etc.

Question: who is right? If "commit" really means also "cause" is it a common colloquial expression?


3) Catch up. I said "Don't catch my words up". What I meant was: Don't watch and analyze my every single word. Do not translate each word literally. She doesnt figure out what i meant.

Question: who is right? Is "catch up" in this context right? If so is it a common colloquial expression?

Thank you guys

[Pete]

I live in Australia studying english extensively and frequently. Sometimes when talking with my native colleagues at work we happen to differ on many various grammar questions and more importantly word and phrase usage.

Here are some of the examples i hope you will help me shed the light on them:

1) I say: "Its a "f-a-g" today. She (native speaker) goggles her eyes trying to calm me down. She says "f-a-g" means only "f-a-g-o-t". What I meant was: hard work or slavery.

Question: who is right? If "f-a-g" really means a hard work is it a common colloquial expression ?

2) She spilled water. I say "What did you commit?" She doesn't understand me. I meant: What did you do? I thought that the word "To commit" means "cause" or "do". She claims that "to commit" means only "to bond" or "to bind (oneself to...)" in relation to "commitment" etc.

Question: who is right? If "commit" really means also "cause" is it a common colloquial expression?


3) Catch up. I said "Don't catch my words up". What I meant was: Don't watch and analyze my every single word. Do not translate each word literally. She doesnt figure out what i meant.

Question: who is right? Is "catch up" in this context right? If so is it a common colloquial expression?

Thank you guys
I'm a native speaker of English, born in the U.S., and I've lived here over 60 years. I can't speak for others, but I've never heard "f-a-g", "commit", or "catch up" used in the ways you illustrate. From what you say, it wouldn't appear that they are used in Australia either. Where did you pick up those usages?

(You do hear "commit" used in particular collocations with words like crime.
- He committed a felony.
- Has she ever committed a serious crime?

I wouldn't extend that usage to, "What did you commit?", especially in a context like spilling some water.)

[Rusty]

I can't add any more to Pete's answer on commit and catch up. OneLook Dictionary gives the hard work definition for f-a-g, along with other meanings. Random House dictionary says the hard work definition is solely British. I have heard f-a-g-ged out to mean very tired out, but I am not sure if I heard it in Canada, Australia, England or in the United States.