Christmas lights means Xmas shopping, even Xmas stockings for dogs

Cards, presents and souvenirs - whether you are at home or abroad, it's good to have a few extra presents ready. You go overseas for Christmas and there's a last minute invitation. You invite family to a Christmas party and they bring an extra guest.

Suddenly it's the last date for posting presents and cards. Be prepared.

Lights are on already in Oxford Street, London. Too early for some.But Christmas shops are open all year in some parts of the world such as the USA.

Here's what I've seen in Harrow, NW London.

Cheapest presents and party ware, gift wrap, and Santa hats:

Poundland
You name it, they've got it. Budget crackers. Hats. Even a push-on back cover for the iPhone 6 in red, green or purple.

Paper plates, napkins, paper cups, table decorations, red hats. Snowflake pattern suitable for any religion or none.

Reindeer antlers, Red hats, black hats from Poundland in Harrow.

Marks and Spencer
Chocolates and food for Xmas for home, parties and gifts.
An idea from their window display, gingerbread biscuits cut in the shape of Xmas trees. Branches all over the world, including Singapore.

Marks and Spencer in Harrow.

BOOTS the Chemist
The baubles hanging in Boots reminded me of the red and green accessories, scarves and ear-rings they were selling. Red scarves and Santa ear-rings.

Boots in Watford.

CLINTONS
Great pop up Xmas cards.

Clintons in Harrow.

WAITROSE Supermarket, South Harrow
Half price crackers, mince pies and biscuit tins until Nov 10th. The display by the entry door shows the current offers. See the free Waitrose  Weekend magazine free in store for the latest offers as well as recipes, interviews, gardening tips, and lots more.

Tesco had Santa socks even in the smaller Tesco Express in Hatch End.

Christmas stockings for dogs and cats? Yes.

Christmas stocking for your cat from Waitrose.

Christmas stocking for your dog from Waitrose.

What else can you buy on the internet? Christmas theme tee-shirts and sweaters.

All kinds of cookware.


Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker.

British English and Americanisms - hose, power outage, consignment store

In today's Daily Mail in the US section I read about a power outage. In the UK we would say power cut.

US-UK
a la mode-French for in fashion but in the USA a pie a la mode is a pie or dessert having additional cream, often whipped cream. (Check with the serving staff what they mean or look at the menu pictures.)
boardwalk-deck (or promenade, although a promenade is often concrete)

billfold - wallet
consignment store-sale or return shop for secondhand fashions
dime store-bargain basement/cheap shop
eraser-rubber
hood-bonnet (part of a car)
Hoover-vacuum cleaner
hose-stockings
Kleenex-paper tissues, paper hanky
make a right/left-turn right/left
over easy- (fried egg) cooked both sides, over meaning turned over, easy meaning whites are slightly runny
power outage-power cut
sidewalk-pavement
pacifier-dummy
purse-bag
pavement-tarmac/road
pleased to meet you-how do you do (formal)
rubber-Durex/condom
trunk-boot

UK - USA

bag - purse

deck - boardwalk

Durex - rubber

dummy - pacifier

bonnet (front of car) - hood

egg cooked both sides - over-easy

how do you do (formal) - pleased to meet you

paper hankie - Kleenex

pavement - sidewalk

power cut - power outage

purse - coin purse

rubber - eraser

stockings - hose

turn right - make a right

(dessert) with cream - a la mode

vacuum cleaner - Hoover

wallet - billfold

I compiled this list from what I found different living in Rockville Maryland and on visits to the USA from England and also on websites and in newspapers. Somewhere in storage I have at last two books of dictionary style translations. One is a small and inexpensive paperback.

For a more comprehensive list go to Wiki comparison of American and English.

Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer, translator and tutor of French and English, A level, conversation, packaging, written work, websites.