“Help yourself”…what does that phrase mean to you?

If you asked me while living in Arizona (or anyplace I assume in the US) I would have told you we offered this phrase quite frequently to our friends when they visited our home.  Help yourself…to food or drinks, a hot shower, do your laundry, whatever it is they needed.

Here in Tala I’ve found it means something completely different.  To “help yourself” refers to using the toilet.  As in “where can I help myself?” meaning “where is the toilet?”.  At the Christmas party I had to correct myself – I told a group of boys lunch would start soon and they could go and help themselves!  I stopped and quickly rephrased my statement.

Knowing the Kenyan meaning too made a difference when I was asked by a young boy at the Christmas party “where can I help myself?”  It took just a fraction of a second to remember what he was asking.  I pointed him in the direction of the latrine rather than the lunch line!

Funny how phrases can have different meanings in various parts of the world.  I’m sure most of us have experienced this to some degree.  Let me hear your examples.