Is there a different understanding of "rubber" in British and American English?

Solution 1:

Anyway, when talking to British people do I really have to expect that they don't know what I'm talking about when using the word rubber instead of condom?

Yes. That definition of rubber is not really used in the UK. Some people would know it from personal experiences of Americans. Like me. I know it because I have met some Americans in the UK and this word came up in the context of meeting one of them: in primary school, there was an American pupil in the last year. This definition would not generally, be reliable in the UK.

And when talking to American people, should I avoid rubber and use eraser instead whenever I expect it might sound ambiguous? To be more concrete: the OALD designates rubber (as eraser) as British English, thus do I have to suspect that an American may not be aware of that meaning?

That would be the most reliable approach. As you can see from this discussion, there are some Americans who are aware of the British meaning of rubber but it is not used in the USA. Because of this, it is unreliable in the USA and many Americans might not know this meaning. When talking to Americans, it would be best to use the American word, eraser.

Finally, when talking to both an American and a British at the same time, which words do I use for condom and eraser so that both will understand me correctly?

For a condom, just use the word condom. This is the proper word used in the UK and the USA. As the following links show, using the word rubber to mean a condom, is American slang:

US slang for a condom (Cambridge Dictionaries Online)

[countable] American English informal a condom (Longman Dictionary)

And the USA has this slang for the word, as well as the word itself.

For the word eraser, there will have to be a different kind of answer. This is an example of, one of the many differences in American English. Because the word eraser is not generally, reliable in the UK, it is not certain that any, particular British person, will know its American meaning. Whether or not it will be understood, will depend on which, particular British people you talk to.

If you talk to an American person and a British person at the same time, just use the word condom. It is understood in both countries.

Regarding eraser, you have a few possibilities. If you find out first, that one of the two knows the word used in the other's country; you can use a sentence that has just that word. For example, if you knew that the American person knows the British meaning of rubber, you can use just that. It could be that you are writing with a pencil and want to change some of the writing. You could ask, "have you got a rubber?". If you don't know in advance whether one of the two knows the word used in the other's country; you would need to use a sentence that covers both words. For example, you could ask "have you got a rubber/eraser?". You could also find out by asking, when you talk to them.

Solution 2:

As far as British English is concerned, a rubber is normally an eraser (unless the context specifically indicates otherwise). Using the word for a condom is not unknown; but the usual "rubber" epithet for that is rubber johnny. Having said that, the word condom is far more likely to be used to refer to a condom than any other term. The Government started using "condom" in anti-AIDS advertising in 1987 and it's now acceptable and mainstream with no euphemisms needed.

Received wisdom on this side of the Atlantic is that rubber should not be used in the New World if you mean "eraser", because you don't remove pencil marks with a condom. I'm sure a native American English speaker will say what the right words are on their side of the ocean.

Solution 3:

My experience indicates that Americans frequently misunderstand the use of "rubber" - even in a classroom setting, where erasers are quite common and condoms often less common. I grew up in Hong Kong and the USA, and asked a classmate in the USA if I could "borrow [his] rubber". I received odd looks from him and nearby classmates, and clarified with "eraser". I have related this story as a humorous anecdote on a number of occasions, and often surprise most people here in the states when I state my request to borrow a "rubber" - this indicates to me that it is not commonly understood by many Americans. As such, I would prefer "eraser" over "rubber" to avoid derailing a conversation or request.

Solution 4:

I think, from the variants presented in these answers, that the answer to your final question is simple. If you're aiming for maximum clarity, use "condom" for condoms, "eraser" for erasers, and skip the ambiguous "rubber" altogether.

That is, if you're aiming for clarity. :)

Solution 5:

Why is solid latex known as rubber? Because of its ability to rub out pencil marks! That being the case, there should be no embarrassment in asking someone for a rubber.