When travelling, pack a list of Americanisms and British English. I was distressed in Disney, Florida, on hearing that our monorail would be stopping momentarily. I thought they meant briefly, and rushed my family with, our suitcases, to the door. Later I tried to check out of a hotel on the other side of the USA, the west coast, and asked for a porter. I was anxious to check out before the deadline so as not to risk being charged for another half day or day. The porter never arrived. The reciptionist told me to ring housekeeping. They thought I wanted some kind of drink and were in no hurry. Eventually, after ringing recption frantically for the missing porter, I discovered that my hotel receptionist understood only the word bellhop. The word porter is used in the USA, but only at railway stations.
USA - UK
automobile - car
autoroute - motorway
backpack - rucksack
baggage - luggage
bellhop - porter (in a hotel)
crib - cot
diaper - nappy
dummy - (depending on context) dimwit/pacifier/mannekin or clothes model
Fall - autumn
faucet - tap
gas station - garage/petrol station
hood (automobile) - bonnet (car)
make a right - turn right
Main street - high street
momentarily - in a moment, shortly, soon
pants - trousers
pharmacy - chemist
truck - lorry trunk (of a car) - boot (of a car
underpants - pants
Take out - take away (food)
windshield - windscreen
UK - USA
autumn - Fall
bonnet (car) - hood (automobile)
boot - trunk
car - automobile
chemist - pharmacy
cot - crib
garage - gas station
high street - main street
lorry - truck
luggage - baggage
momentarily - briefly
motorway - autoroute
nappy - diaper
pants - underpants
porter (in a hotel) - bellhop
rucksack - backpack
Take away - take out (food)
tap - faucet
trousers - pants
turn right - make a right
windscreen - windshield
Useful Websites
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_English
Read more posts by Angela Lansbury, travel writer, English teacher, tutor and trainer, fashionista. Everything you wanted to know and need to know for your fun trips. Read posts on destinations, travel clothes, packing, preparing to learn languages, famous authors' statues, travellers' homes, trails, museums, historical houses - plus fun food, and bargain shopping.
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