|
> SlowTrav > United Kingdom & Ireland > Instructions for Visitors
American English vs. United Kingdom English
Earline Fultz
On the message board we had a contest to find common words that are different
in US English and English English. These are the results. See the thread.
"England and America are two countries divided by a common language."
- George Bernard Shaw, 1856 - 1950 -
| United States |
United Kingdom |
Notes |
Baby Things |
| crib |
cot |
|
| diaper |
nappy |
|
| nursing |
breast feeding |
|
| pacifier |
dummy |
|
| prenatal classes |
antenatal classes |
|
| rocking a baby |
nursing a baby |
|
| stroller |
push chair/pram |
|
Body Parts |
| bangs (hair) |
fringe |
|
| brush your teeth |
clean your pegs |
|
| butt/ booty |
bum |
|
| legs |
pins |
|
Clothing |
| dress |
frock |
|
| fanny pack |
bum bag |
|
| garters |
suspenders |
ladies' lingerie |
| off the rack |
off the peg |
|
| pajamas |
pyjamas (spelling) |
|
| panties (underwear) |
lollies, spankies |
|
| pants |
trousers |
|
| panty hose |
tights |
|
| run (in a stocking) |
ladder |
|
| suspenders |
braces |
|
| sweater |
jumper |
|
| tennis shoes/sneakers |
trainers |
|
| underpants |
pants |
|
| undershirt |
vest |
|
Driving/Walking/Transportation |
| billboards |
hoardings |
|
| blinker |
indicator |
|
| disembark, to get off |
to alight |
|
| driver's side |
off side |
|
| drunk driving |
drink driving |
|
| exit |
way out |
|
| flat |
puncture |
|
| gas |
petrol |
|
| gas station |
garage |
|
| headlights |
headlamps |
|
| hood |
bonnet |
|
| passenger side |
near side |
|
| pedestrian crossing |
zebra crossing |
|
| rent (a car) |
hire (a car) |
|
| round trip ticket |
return ticket |
|
| RV |
caravan |
|
| speed bump |
sleeping policeman |
|
| subway |
underground |
|
| traffic circle, rotary |
roundabout |
|
| train station |
railway station |
|
| truck |
lorry |
|
| trunk |
boot |
|
| underpass |
subway |
|
| windshield |
windscreen |
|
| yield (on a sign) |
give way |
|
Expressions/Sayings |
| An expression of general annoyance |
Oh! Bollocks! |
|
| Bye! |
Cheerio! |
|
| come in |
go through |
|
| Dear |
Chuck, love, pet, hinny, hen, my lover |
Regional differences |
| different from |
different to |
|
| Don't bump your head! |
Mind your head! |
|
| Don't like/care for |
Not fussed |
|
| extremely |
dead slow |
e.g., dead slow; dead sexy; dead good at ... |
| figure it out |
suss it out |
|
| get along |
get on |
|
| Give it up; you're wasting your time |
Leave it out. |
|
| goodbye |
Tara-Welsh |
|
| hit on |
chat up |
|
| How are you? |
You ok? |
|
| I could care less |
I couldn't care less |
|
| I don't care |
I don't mind |
|
| I don't have (something) |
I haven't got (something) |
|
| I have (something) |
I've got (something) |
|
| I'll knock on your door in the morning. |
I'll knock you up in the morning. |
|
| I'm pleased that X happened |
I'm happy that X happened |
|
| I'm stuffed! (after a meal) |
I'm stuffed (sexually satisfied) |
|
| in the hospital |
in hospital |
|
| It's hot today. |
It's close today. |
|
| It's not kosher (it's not genuine). |
It's not cricket. |
|
| mail a letter |
post a letter |
|
| Most everything |
Nearly everything |
|
| No problem |
Not to worry |
|
| Oops! |
Whoops! |
|
| right away |
straight away |
|
| speechless |
gobsmacked |
|
| the line's busy |
the line's engaged |
|
| to deflate somebody |
to take the piss |
|
| to get sick (catch a cold, virus, etc.) |
to get sick (vomit) |
|
| to stand in line |
to queue |
|
| to take the "scenic" route |
going round the back doubles |
|
| turn the gas off |
turn the gas out |
|
| uh-huh |
oh right |
|
| was supposed to do x |
was meant to do x |
|
| what's up with ... |
what about ... |
|
| with respect to ... |
in respect of ... |
|
| work it out |
sort it out |
|
| Yikes! |
Crikey! |
|
| You're splitting hairs |
It's academic |
|
| Miscellaneous slang: |
| do the "wild" thing (polite ST version) |
shag |
|
| friggin' (polite ST version) |
bloody |
|
| pissed |
angry |
|
Food/Drink/Smoke |
| (potato) chips |
crisps |
|
| 7-up or Sprite |
lemonade |
|
| a cup of tea |
a spot of tea |
|
| arugula |
rocket |
|
| baked potato |
jacket potato |
|
| beer |
lager |
|
| biscuits |
scones |
|
| breakfast |
fry up |
not necessarily breakfast, but a selection of foods all fried |
| broil |
grill |
|
| candy |
sweets |
|
| cheap wine |
plonk |
|
| cigarette |
fag |
|
| cookies |
biscuits |
|
| corn meal |
use polenta |
|
| cornstarch |
cornflour |
|
| dessert |
puddings |
|
| dinner |
tea |
|
| drunk |
pissed |
|
| drunk (adj.) |
paralytic |
|
| eat |
scoff |
|
| egg salad |
egg mayonnaise |
|
| eggplant |
aubergine |
|
| English muffin |
simply a round, flat bread roll to be split in two, toasted, and eaten with butter |
|
| entrees |
mains |
|
| french fries |
chips |
|
| get drunk |
get lushed |
|
| green pepper |
capsicum |
|
| Lemonade |
bitter lemon |
|
| molasses |
treacle |
|
| muffin |
fairy cake |
|
| napkin |
serviette |
|
| popsicle |
ice lolly |
|
| roast (noun) |
joint (noun) |
|
| rutabaga |
swede |
|
| salad dressing |
salad cream |
|
| sausage |
bangers |
|
| shrimp |
prawns |
|
| soy |
soya |
|
| spoonful of butter |
knob of butter |
|
| sugar, brown |
Demerara |
|
| sugar, granulated |
caster sugar |
|
| sugar, powdered |
icing sugar |
|
| sugar, superfine |
caster sugar |
|
| take out (food) |
to go |
|
| to go/carry out |
to take away |
|
| zucchini |
courgette |
|
Furniture/Electronics |
| antenna |
aerial |
|
| cell phone |
mobile |
|
| sofa |
settee |
|
| TV |
telly |
|
| vacuum cleaner |
hoover |
|
Holidays |
| federal holiday |
bank holiday |
|
| Merry Christmas! |
Happy Christmas! |
|
| New Year's Day |
New Year |
|
| Santa Claus |
Father Christmas |
|
Houses/Buildings |
| aluminum |
aluminium |
|
| apartment |
flat |
|
| bathroom/restroom |
loo |
loo is slang but is usually used |
| cot |
camp bed |
|
| cow barn |
byre |
|
| cul-de-sac |
close (with a soft "s") |
|
| dirt (in yard) |
earth (in garden) |
|
| do the dishes |
washing up |
|
| dumpster |
skip |
|
| elevator |
lift |
|
| faucet |
tap |
|
| garbage |
rubbish |
|
| garbage can |
dustbin |
|
| ground (an electrical wire) |
earth |
|
| real estate |
property |
|
| rent an apartment |
let a flat |
|
| sidewalk |
pavement |
|
| sod |
turf |
|
| soil |
earth |
|
| spackle |
filler (or polyfilla) |
|
| stove/range |
cooker |
|
| stovetop |
hob |
|
| toilet |
washroom |
|
| toilet paper |
bog roll |
|
| townhouse |
terraced house |
|
| yard |
garden |
|
| yard work |
gardening |
|
Miscellaneous |
| afghan |
rug |
|
| attitude |
arrogance, pomposity, condescension, self-importance |
|
| auction |
flog |
|
| awesome |
ace |
|
| bachelorette party |
Hen's night |
|
| bill |
bank note |
|
| cheap (as in stingy) |
mean |
|
| check |
cheque |
|
| check off (a list) |
tick off |
|
| checking account |
current account |
|
| chilly, breezy (weather) |
fresh |
|
| clothespins |
clothes pegs |
|
| counter-clockwise |
anti-clockwise |
|
| dish cloth/towel |
tea towel |
|
| dish rag |
dish cloth |
|
| doctor's office |
surgery |
|
| eraser |
rubber |
|
| exhibit |
exhibition |
|
| expensive |
dear |
|
| face cloth |
flannel |
|
| field (sports) |
pitch |
|
| fight |
row |
|
| finished, resolved, complete, & done |
done & dusted |
|
| flashlight |
torch |
|
| get upset |
get your knickers in a twist |
|
| gone bad |
gone pear-shaped |
|
| grip, firm grasp |
purchase |
|
| happy, pleased |
chuffed |
|
| holiday (or federal holiday) |
Bank holiday |
|
| leash (for dogs) |
lead |
|
| luxurious (adj.) |
posh |
|
| Main Street |
High Street |
|
| manner, behavior, opinion, stance, position |
attitude |
|
| mineral spirits |
white spirits |
|
| money |
slang terms:
- quid - pound
- a ton - £100 note
- a monkey - £500 note
|
|
| nap |
kip |
|
| parakeet |
budgie (budgerigar) |
|
| period |
full stop |
|
| Queen Anne's Lace |
wild parsley (or cow parsley) |
|
| remit |
charter, responsibilities |
|
| rubber |
condom |
|
| scotch tape |
cellatape | |
| shag |
dancing |
|
| shoddy, quick fix |
bodge |
|
| soccer |
football |
|
| something that tries too hard to be adorable |
twee |
|
| specialty |
speciality |
|
| study |
revise |
|
| stuff, gear, tools, supplies, etc. |
kit |
|
| temp (worker) |
seconded (accent on 2nd syllable) |
|
| terrific, excellent |
brilliant |
|
| Thermos bottle |
Thermos flask |
|
| Tic Tac Toe |
Noughts & Crosses |
|
| tick off |
make angry |
|
| tired |
knackered |
|
| trash can |
rubbish bin |
|
| two weeks |
fortnight |
|
| umbrella |
brolly |
|
| vacation |
holiday |
|
| well |
tidy |
|
| Z (zee) |
zed |
|
| zero |
ought |
|
School |
| grammar school (elementary school) |
private school |
|
| math |
maths |
|
| private school |
public school |
|
| school |
university |
|
| tuition |
fees |
|
Sexual |
| heartbroken |
gutted |
|
| horny |
randy |
|
| kiss |
snog |
|
| knock up |
get pregnant |
|
| penis |
pecker |
|
| sexual intercourse |
shag |
|
| to be pregnant |
in the pudding club |
|
Stores |
| fruit market |
green grocer |
|
| liquor store |
Off License |
|
| pharmacy |
chemist |
|
| store (a business) |
shop |
|
People |
| arguments, disagreements and generic "trouble" |
argy bargy |
|
| bad temper |
be in a strop
have/throw a wobbly
have a cob on
throw your toys out of the pram
go off on one
having the hump (about something)
|
|
| bobby pin your bangs |
Kirby-grip your fringe |
|
| bookmaker |
turf accountant |
|
| bum |
tramp, dosser |
|
| card shark |
card sharp |
|
| cop |
bobby |
|
| crazy |
mad |
|
| dumb |
stupid, idiot |
|
| eyeglasses |
spectacles |
|
| fanny |
bum |
|
| fired |
sacked |
|
| friend |
mate |
|
| girls/women |
birds |
|
| homely: unattractive person |
homely: cosy, friendly home |
|
| idiot |
tosser |
|
| jerk |
wanker |
|
| laid off |
made redundant |
|
| lawyer |
solicitor |
|
| mom, mommy |
mum, mummy |
|
| muddled, confused |
at 6s and 7s |
|
| Realtor |
Estate Agent |
|
| school crossing guard |
lollipop lady |
|
| shot (vaccination) |
jab |
|
| slow poke |
slow coach |
|
| snicker |
snigger |
|
| stupid/crazy |
daft |
|
| supplier |
stockist |
|
| taking advantage of someone (or: taking something too far) |
taking the piss |
|
| tramp |
bum |
|
| tramp |
slut, ho |
|
Verbs |
| call |
ring |
call you tomorrow |
| like |
fancy |
I fancy tea and scones |
| whine |
whinge |
complain |
Street Names
PatrickLondon: Something that's struck me - not so much vocabulary as speech
habit. In the UK, we would give a street its full name, where at least some
Americans seem to drop the "Street", "Avenue" or whatever. In London, and
probably most other towns and cities too, there could be confusion between
a district and a street or square("Victoria", "Bloomsbury"); and often, posh
Georgian and Victorian developments would have their associated Lane or Mews
for service access, so you could easily have in the same district a Square,
Avenue, Street, Lane and Mews all with the same name. And developers often
lacked imagination too.
Back to Top |
|
