British to American

· Accumulator (automotive) = battery, car battery

· Alsatian (dog) = German shepherd

· Articulated lorry = tractor-trailer (truck), a "semi"

· Ass = donkey; U.S. ass = G.B. "arse," i.e. one's backside (in addition to normal "donkey")

· Athletics (an... meet) = track and field

· Backlog = log-jam, pile-up (of business orders, for example). U.S. backlog = comfortable reserve of orders — difference between the two is in opposite interpretation or connotation of same basic situation.

· Bank holiday = holiday

· Bap = bun, hamburger bun, hamburger roll

· Mrs. Beeton = Fanny Farmer (standard cooking, household reference book)

· Bespoke = custom-tailored, tailor-made

· Big Dipper = roller coaster (at a "Fun-Fair" = "Amusement Park"

· Bilberry = blueberry

· "Bird" = "chick"

· Biro = Papermate (ball-point pen trade name which equals "generic" name)

· Biscuit = cookie (U.S. "biscuit" is a baked bread, "bap," "scone"

· Blancmange = vanilla pudding

· Block, block of flats = apartment building (U.S. term "block" [city block] unknown as such in British English, though usually understandable.

· "Bomb" (theater terminology) = a "hit," a great success. U.S. "bomb" = G.B. failure, critical disaster, i.e. the two are exact opposites in sentences like "The play was a bomb!"

· Boiler suit = overalls

· Bonnet (automotive) = hood (of a car...)

· Boot (automotive) = trunk (of a car...)

· Bottom drawer = hope chest

· Bowler (hat) = derby (special connotations & different pronunc.)

· Braces = suspenders; U.S. suspenders = G.B. garters, stocking fasteners

· Brambleberry = blackberry

· Bottom of the street = end of the street

· Box (TV) = Tube (both slang, colloquial terms)

· Bull = "mickey mouse" (unnecessary military drill); U.S. bull = G.B. cock

· Bum = ass, rectum; U.S. bum = G.B. tramp, derelict

· Bun in the oven = pregnant, eating for two

· Call box = (tele)phone booth

· Camp bed = cot; U.S. cot = G.B. baby bed

· Car park = parking lot

· Caretaker (for a building) = janitor (not same as "vahtimestari")

· Carriage (railway) = railroad car, subway car

· Carrier bag = shopping bag

· Caucus = permanent group in a political party; U.S. caucus = G.B. ad hoc planning meeting of a group in a political party

· Central reservation = median strip (between halves of a divided highway)

· Charge sheet = police record

· Chemist (drugstore) = druggist

· Chips = french fries; U.S. chips often = dried buffalo, cow dung (other cases, i.e. poker chips, wood chips, the same)

· Chucker-out = bouncer (doorman or "enforcer" in a bar/restaurant

· "In the City" = "on Wall Street" (in main financial district)

· City editor = financial editor; U.S. city editor = G.B. "community news editor"

· Cloakroom = toilet; U.S. cloakroom = clothes closet, garment storage area

· Coach = intercity bus

· Combinations = union suit (colloquial for long underwear)

· Comforter = scarf; U.S. comforter = heavy quilt, blanket

· Compére = Master of ceremonies, M.C. (of TV game show, etc.)

· Constable = (police) officer

· "To cop" = "to get" something unpleasant, i.e. "to cop a 15-pound fine." U.S. "to cop" = to plead guilty to a lesser charge in order to avoid prosecution & probable conviction on a more serious charge ("to cop a plea" = "plea-bargaining")

· Corn = all grain crops; U.S. corn = G.B. "maize" only.

· Costermonger = pushcart seller

· (Sent to) Coventry = ostracized

· Crisps = potato chips

· Cupboard = closet; U.S. closet = G.B. w.c., or toilet

· Davenport = antique folding writing desk; U.S. davenport = large sofa, often which folds out into a bed at night.

· Deposit account = savings account

· Dinner jacket = tuxedo ("black tie" formal dress)

· Dormitory = bedroom; U.S. dormitory = G.B. residence hall

· Dresser = kitchen sideboard; U.S. dresser = bedroom drawers, vanity

· "Duck" = "goose egg" (a zero on the scoreboard of a sports match)

· Dumb = mute; U.S. dumb usually means "stupid" rather than "mute," which is a secondary meaning in U.S. usage.

· Dustbin = garbage can, ashcan (exterior waste-disposal unit)

· Dynamo (automotive) = generator (within automobile engine)

· Earth wire = ground wire (in electricity, electronics)

· Elastic band = rubber band

· To Enjoin = to compel, to legally force; U.S. enjoin = to legally forbid — i.e. same term in same general contextual usage has precisely the opposite meaning

· Ex-serviceman = veteran; U.S. veteran = G.B. old ex-serviceman; (U.S. term has no special age connotation, only that the person have had prior military experience sometime)

· Fag = (a) cigarette; (b) public-school underclass "servant"; U.S. fag = low-slang term for male homosexual.

· Fanny = vagina (vulgar usage); U.S. fanny = light euphemism for "backside," either male or female.

· First floor = second floor, etc. (Britain walks in ground floor, goes up 1 set of stairs to first floor; U.S. ground floor and first floor are the same.

· Fish slice = pancake turner, spatula (kitchen tool); U.S. spatula = G.B. tongue depressor (medical instrument)

· Fitted carpet = wall-to-wall carpeting

· Flan = pie, fruit pie

· Flannel = washcloth; U.S. flannel = heavy warm cotton fabric; "flannels" would be long underwear made from such heavy warm fabric.

· Flat = apartment; U.S. flat = tenement flat = poor-standard slum apartment.

· Flick knife = switch-blade knife, a switchblade

· Flyover = overpass (as in a bridge over a road); U.S. flyover = airplane passing over a certain place, as in military parade "flyovers"; verb is "to overfly."

· Form (school) = grade [i.e. first form = first grade in school]

· Garden = yard; U.S. garden = vegetable garden, fljower garden, i.e. area of special cultivation. U.S. yard = G.B. paved area (lorry yards)

· Goods (car, train) = freight; U.S. goods = supplies, commercial stock

· Grind = sexual intercourse; U.S. grind = slang for "hard (routine) work."

· Haberdasher = notions seller; U.S. haberdasher = men's clothing seller

· To Hack = to (deliberately) kick; U.S. to hack = to chop, cut viciously.

· High street = Main street

· To Hire = to rent (in most cases); U.S. to hire = to employ Hire-purchase = (the "never-never") = installment plan

· Hoarding = billboard (large advertising sign alongside road)

· Hold up = traffic jam; U.S. holdup = robbery at gunpoint.

· Homely = home-loving, domestic, pleasant; U.S. homely = plain- looking (female), therefore often "left" at home.

· To Hoover = to vacuum (carpets, etc.) "Hoover" in the U.S. is a brand name only, never used as a verb.

· Inland = internal, domestic (Inland Revenue = Internal Revenue)

· Inverted commas = quotation marks (GB = 'xx'; USA = "xx")

· Inquiry agent = private detective

· Jelly = Jello (deriving from brand name Jell-O, gelatin dessert)

· "On the job" = having sexual intercourse; U.s. "on the job" = while working, learning, i.e. "on the job training."

· Joint = pot roast; U.S. "joint" = marijuana cigarette

· Juggernaut lorry = a very large truck, an overlong truck, a "double semi" truck

· Jumble sale = rummage sale

· Jumper = light pullover (sweater); U.S. jumper = type of knee- length woman's dress worn over blouse or sweater

· Kirby grips = bobby pins (to fasten long hair...)

· A Knock-up = (tennis) to warm up, to volley a few, to practice-volley

· To Knock up = to awaken, call early in the morning; U.S. "to knock up" is colloquial for "to impregnate"

· Lacquer = hairspray; U.S. lacquer = wood varnish, shellac (high-gloss), i.e. protective decorative wood coating

· Ladder = (in women's stockings" = a runner, a run

· Lay-by = (beside a road) = a pull-off, a rest area.

· Left-luggage office = check room, baggage check (room)

· Level crossing = railroad crossing.

· Lift = elevator

· Lip balm = chapstick

· Logic-chopping = splitting hairs, hair-splitting

· Long jump (in athletics) = broad jump (in track and field)

· Lorry = truck

· Loud-hailer = bullhorn, amplified megaphone

· Lucky dip = grab bag (children's party game or activity...)

· Lumber room = spare room, storage room (in a home)

· Mackintosh = raincoat, overcoat, trenchcoat

· Mains = ordinary built-in home electrical network (no special word as equivalent in U.S.)

· Market garden = truck farm

· Marrow (vegetable) = squash, gourd

· Mason = stoneworker; U.S. mason can be stone- or brickworker

· Marriage lines = marriage certificate

· Mean = stingy, tight with money; U.S. "mean" normally means nasty, spiteful, ill-meaning in action toward another

· Mess kit = formal military dress for ceremonial dining; U.S. mess kit = army or boy scout utensils for cooking or eating a meal on the trail.

· Minced meat = hamburger meat, ground beef; U.S. minc em eat = sweet, spicy ground meat/fruit/nut combination used for making pies, especially around Thanksgiving/Christmas

· Mineral water = any carbonated soft drink; U.S. mineral water = bottled natural water (containing normal minerals) from spring or health spa, Perrier water, etc.

· Mistress = teacher in girls' school; U.S. mistress = lover (extramarital)

· Mob = gang, group (neutral); U.S. mob = angry crowd; "the mob" = Mafia

· Motorist, motoring = driver, driving

· Music Hall = vaudeville (generic entertainment type/place name)

· Nappy = diaper (for infants not toilet-trained)

· A Neat drink = a straight drink, i.e. "give me a straight whiskey" = whiskey without water or other additives

· Nervy = nervous, jumpy; U.S. nervy = bold, impertinent, i.e. nearly the opposite of the British usage

· Night club = private membership club; U.S. nightclubs are public (commercial) entertainment places

· Number plate = license plate (on automobiles)

· Off-license = liquor store

· Old boy (girl) = alumni, alumnus, alumna [of a school]

· Pantechnicon = moving van

· Panda car = police patrol car, police cruiser

· Patience (card game) = Solitaire

· Pecker (keep your pecker up) = keep your chin up; U.S. pecker = penis

· Pram (peramulator) = baby carriage, baby buggy, stroller, walker

· Petrol = gasoline, gas (to go in automobiles, airplane, etc.)

· Pie = meat pie; U.S. pie is always a fruit or fruit-derived pie, unless "a meat pie" is specifically indicated

· Pillar-box = mailbox, post office box, letter box, letter drop

· Pissed (he was really...) = drunk; U.S. "pissed = angry, upset

· Pitch (soccer) = field (football) [GB "football" = US "soccer"]

· Plimsolls = sneakers, tennis shoes, gym shoes

· Point = electric outlet, railroad switch (depending on context)

· Polka dots = chocolate chips (food product for baking)

· Prawn = shrimp

· Prom, prom concert = music concerts where most of the audience is standing; U.S. prom = dance, semi-formal, especially at end of year in high schools, colleges

· Rates = local, municipal property taxes

· Redundant = laid off (from a job); U.S. redundant = superfluous (no connotation of connection with jobs at all)

· Return ticket = round-trip ticket

· Ringway = circular road (around a city), bypass

· Rise = raise in salary

· To Roger = to "screw," have sex with; to exploit, take advantage of, to use

· Roll neck (pullover) = turtleneck (sweater).

· Roundabout = traffic circle

· Rubber = eraser; U.S. rubber = condom, prophylactic device

· Saloon = "sedan" car (automobile); US saloon = western-style bar

· Saloon bar = one section of an English pub

· Sanitary towel = sanitary napkin, feminine hygienic item

· A good screw = a good salary; U.S. "good screw" equals good "fuck" or good sexual experience

· To Screw = to cajole, persuade, extract money from; U.S. "to screw" = to have sex with, fornicate

· Season ticket = commuter (train, bus) weekly or monthly ticket; U.S. season ticket is admission ticket to all home games in one season of a particular sports team

· To Second to = to temporarily loan staff to another job or unit

· Sellotape = Scotch tape (both brand names now used as "generics"

· "Semi" = duplex, duplex house; U.S. "semi" = tractor-trailer truck rig

· Seminary = Roman Catholic seminary only; U.S. Seminary can be ANY religion, i.e. Lutheran, Methodist seminaries

· Sherbet = powdered, fruit-flavored candy; U.S. sherbet = G.B. sorbet (pronounced "soorbay")

· Shorthand-typist = stenographer

· To shy = to throw something (he shied a rock at the stray dog...)

· Sideboards = sideburns (in a hairstyle)

· Single = one-way ticket; U.S. "single" in context would mean "only one" as opposed to "several" tickets

· To Snog = to neck (i.e. kissing, hugging, etc., esp teenagers)

· Spinster = any unmarried woman; U.S. spinster is always OLD unmarried woman

· Standard lamp = floor lamp (as opposed to table or wall lamp)

· S.T.D. (subscriber trunk dialling) = direct distance dialling [on the telephone, as opposed to dialling through operator]

· Steps = ladder; U.S. "steps" always would mean staircase, built- in stairway or staircase

· To stream (pupils in a school) = to track (streaming = tracking)

· Stroke (punctuation) = diagonal, slash

· To Stuff = to fornicate, have sex with; U.S. "I'm stuffed..." = to be comfortably, pleasantly full of food, satiated

· Sub-editor = copy reader or rewrite person, in journalism

· Subs = dues, as in union dues, etc.

· Subway = underground walking passage, underpass, pedestrian tunnel; U.S. subway = G.B. "underground," i.e. underground railway system for public transportation

· Superannuation scheme = retirement pension plan

· Supply teacher = substitute teacher

· Supertax = surtax

· Surgery = a doctor's office, office hours, reception time; U.S. "surgery" refers to "surgeon" operating on a patient

· Suspenders = garters, for socks or stockings only; U.S. suspenders = G.B. braces, for holding up trousers

· Sweet = dessert, or piece of candy

· Sweetshop = candy store

· To Table (parliamentary procedure, conference terminology) = to put on agenda for immediate handling; U.S. "to table" = to put aside [indefinitely], to delay further handling

· Tannoy = public address (p.a.) amplification system

· Teat = baby bottle nipple; US teat = GB nipple = breast nipple

· Terrace house = row house, garden apartment, town house

· Are you Through? (telephone) = are you connected; U.S. "are you through"? = are you finished, completed, with your call

· To tick = to check, place check mark beside

· Tights = hose, panty hoseh, nylons, nylon stockings; U.S. tights = leotards, skin-tight exercise suit, knit stocking pants

· Tinkle = telephone call [give me a tinkle sometime]; U.S. "tinkle" = children's talk for "to urinate"

· Tip = garbage dump; U.S. tip = hint, advice, clue

· Torch = flashlight; U.S. torch = burning, flaming light or weapon

· Touchline = sideline (in sports, such as on soccer pitch, etc.)

· Tower block = high-rise apartment building

· Trade union = labor union (but usually organized by "trades" in England, by "industry" in the U.S. — US "Auto Workers' Union" would be represented by different "trades" in GB)

· Tram = streetcar, trolley car

· Transport cafe = truck stop (roadside cafeteria, restaurant, popular with truck [lorry] drivers

· Traveller = travelling salesman

· Treacle = molasses

· Trousers = pants; U.S. pants = G.B. underwear shorts

· Trunk call = long-distance call (on a telephone)

· Turn it up (colloquial) = stop it, cut it out! U.S. "turn it up" = increase the volume

· Undercarrige = landing gear (aircraft)

· Underdone = rare (extent to which you wish your meat cooked)

· Underground= subway (cf "subway")

· Vest = undershirt; U.S. Vest = G.B. waistcoat

· Windscreen (automotive) = windshield

· Wing (automotive) = fender, bumper (pre-70s designs...)

· White spirit = turpentine, paint thinner; U.S. "white lightning" (spirits) = potent home-distilled backwoods alcohol!

· Wholemeal = whole-wheat (bread, flour, etc.)

· Yankee/Yank = any American in general, U.S. Yankee = Northeast erner ONLY, i.e. specific regional, historical definition

· Zebra crossing = crosswalk, pedestrian crossing (Ped Xing)

· "Zed" = "Zee" (pronunciation of last letter in alphabet)