Monday, June 12, 2017

This week's Americanisms and Britishisms: Grocers, closets and wardrobes


Flag of the USA

American - British
the grocery store - the greengrocers
store - shop, department store, big store (a small shop or one man business is not called a store. In Britain 'a store' is a huge place for storage like a warehouse)
closet - wardrobe (Very few people in the UK have houses big enough for a walk in closet); WC is short for water closet The word closet is no longer used. Closet is used as a synonym for hiding place. Coming out of the closet - outing yourself.)
hard cider - cider
apple juice (filtered and pateurized) - apple juice
cider - freshly pressed unfiltered apple juice
hard cider - cider


UK flag

British - American (alphabetical)
Apple juice - filtered and pasteurized apple juice
cider - hard cider

corner shop - convenience store
department store, shop - store 
freshly pressed, unfiltered apple juice - cider
grocers - grocery store
general store - hardware shop
wardrobe / walk-in wardrobe - closet
 

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, teacher of English and languages.

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