What kind of juice would you like, cola or tea? The Japanese sometimes take liberties with words when they import them from English, adjusting their meanings to suit their needs. In Japan the word “juice” （ジュース）is often casually used to mean any canned or bottled beverage, and it’s common for the term be applied to things like a can of iced tea or a carbonated drink, although we wouldn’t think of these things as juice in English. Some other words the Japanese use with slightly altered meanings include “rouge” for lipstick, “manicure” for nail polish, “hair manicure” for hair coloring, and “milk” for powdered creamer to put in your coffee. If your house gets cold in the winter, you can turn on a “stove” (a kerosene heater), and if you want to check your weight, just step onto the “health meter” in your bathroom. The large number of differences between the meanings of “English” words as the Japanese use them and what they mean to native speakers can certainly get confusing: I remember a conversation I was having with a student about a shortcut I’d found while exploring the city that day, but she thought I was complimenting her on a short haircut she’d recently gotten.
Mmm, look at all that delicious juice.
