The converse applies to "You b*ggers" which in Britain and Australia is almost equivalent to saying "You fellas" but I am told is taken literally by Americans who are then highly offended
Yes, that is a word that causes problems in America. I recall hearing in a radio interview about one well known Australian soap opera a fair few years back that contained the line "It hurts like bu**ery", meaning of course that it hurts a lot. When the episode went to air in the UK there were no adverse comments, but in the US it never made it to air. Apparently it was taken to mean that it hurt just like the last time he was sodomised, and the conversation when it was being considered for broadcast went along the following lines:
"He said WHAT?"
"He said 'It hurts like bu**ery'"
"He can't say that!"
"Why not, it's just like saying 'It hurts like hell'"
As far as I remember from the radio interview, the words "It hurts like hell" had to be substituted in the American version.