Americanisms, British English, German, Hebrew, Yiddish

 Americanism - British English

candy - sweets

donut - doughnut (made from sweetened dough, usually fried, ball or ring shaped)

fancy restaurant - smart restaurant

Jello (brand name which is used as a generic word) - jelly

homely - plain (a homely woman has no make-up and looks ordinary)

matzo (singular) matzos (plural) - matzoh /matzah

preserve - jam with whole fruit

Smart (person, pejorative) - a smart Alec, a wisecracker, too clever by half 

for Passover

Kosher for passover, matzo photo by Yoninah from Wikipedia

British English - American

jam - preserve

jelly - Jello

a home-body, ordinary-looking, plain, ugly - homely 

smart - clever

smart Alex - smart

German

geld - money

Hebrew 

pesach - Passover

kosher - fit (for consumption. Usually checked by a Jewish authority, in the UK by the London or Manchester (in the north) Beth Din. However, in the USA by individual rabbis. They may be lenient - or more strict.  Therefore the stricter ones have their own followers and often the food is dearer because the training is longer and so is the time spent checking. For example, of the entire animal, including the animal's lungs to check it has no disease.) 

kosher for Passover - in addition to following kosher rules derived from the book of Leviticus in the Hebrew bible, (Levicitcus is the Greek word we use from the Greek translation, which was then translated into English) containing no pork,;during Passover, from which is the abstinence of Lent, no yeast or leavening in the bread, hence only crackers such as matzoh.  Again the products or kitchens are checked by somebody knowledgeable and authorized.

suganiyot - donuts (ot is the suffix or ending for feminine plural, whilst im is for masculine or both sexes)

Yiddish

gelt - Yiddish for Money, from the German geld

Chocolate coins covered in gold foil with pictures of  the 7 branch menorah.  (For Hanukah the 9 branch Hanukah would be more appropriate.)

heimische - home-like (positive)

Useful Websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suffixes_in_Hebrew

About the Author

About the Author of this blog, Author Angela Lansbury

BIOGRAPHY

Angela Lansbury B A Hons ACG ALB PM5 EH5 DL5 VC5 
The Author of several books, including: Etiquette For Every Occasion. Wedding Speeches & Toasts. How to be the Best Man. Quick Quotations. Who Said What When.

Blogs travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Braddell Heights Advanced Toastmasters Speakers Club Vice President Public Relations (VPPR), Previous President

Join BHA 1st Wednesday 7pm and 3rd Saturday 2 pm Singapore time 

Vice President Public Relations (VP PR) of Tampines Changkat Advanced;

Secretary of weekly online Singapore International Dynamic Toastmasters Speakers’ Club;

Member and past president of Harrovians toastmasters club, UK; Past member of HOD Toastmasters, London. Past member in Singapore of: Toastmasters Club of Singapore (TCS); Tiarel; and Senja Cashew.

More details from Toastmasters International find a club.

Regular attendee at annual Swanwick Writers’ School, England.

Regular attendee at annual Writers’ Holiday, Wales.

Contributor to poetry readings, and after tea courses on: Speaking On Radio To Promote Books; and Plots And Character.

Winner of many club and area speaking contests in the UK and Singapore.

Language advisor to Empire Toastmasters club in Indonesia.

Language and speech workshops in Singapore.

Speaker on radio and TV in England, Scotland, the USA, and Australia.

Compiler of a school course on public speaking for teachers to prepare pupils for school open days with attending ceremonies before government ministers, Singapore.

Former member of Harrow Writers’ Circle, London, and two writing groups in Singapore.

Angela is on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Twitter. She would be delighted to link up with new friends.

I  also have a blog on comic poems.

 Please share links to your favourite posts. 

Americanisms and Britishisms which travellers need to know: from British autumn to trousers, from American bassinet to underpants

American - English
bassinet - Moses basket
candy - sweets
cookies - biscuits
cop - copper
crib - cot
diaper - nappy
drooled - dribbled
eraser - rubber
Fall - autumn
fanny pack - bum bag
federal - national / nationwide
fussy - grizzly
hood - bonnet
onesie - Babygrow
pacifier - dummy
pants - trousers
scallions - spring onions
sneakers - trainers
sprinkles - hundreds and thousands
store - shop
stroller - pram/push chair
sweatshirt - jumper
tired - knackered
turn signal - indicator
trash - bin
truck - lorry
trunk - boot
underpants - pants

 


English - American
autumn - Fall
Babygrow - onesie
biscuits - cookies
bin - trash
bumb bag - fany pack
boot - trunk
copper - cop
cot - crib
dribbled - drooled
dummy - pacifier
grizzly - fussy
indicator - turn signal
jam - jelly / preserve
jelly - Jello
jumper - sweatshirt
knackered - tired
lorry - truck
Moses basket - bassinet
nappy - diaper
national - federal
pants - underpants
pram/pushchair - stroller
rubber - eraser
shop - store
spring onions - scallions
sweets - candy
trainers - sneakers
trousers - pants

Useful Websites
visitbritain.com
visitbritainshop.com
visitlondon.com
visitsingapore.com
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/07/flags-and-food-for-singapores-national.html

About The Author
Angela Lansbury, the author, - not related to Angela Lansbury the actress nor any of the other dozen people named Angela Lansbury or Lansbury.
I have many more posts on Americanisms and language. I teach English and other languages to individuals and companies. I am a polyglot. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Today's Americanism: the candy and cookie in the trash can

I find lots of Americanisms when Americans comment on forums.

American English - British English

baggage - luggage
hood (of car) - bonnet
trunk - car boot
candy - sweet / dessert
cookie - biscuit
convenience store - corner shop
cop - police / bobby / Mr Plod
correction officer - prison officer / prison guard
drug store - chemist / pharmacy
elementary school - junior school
eraser - rubber
first floor - ground floor
second floor - first floor (and so on)
garbage - rubbish
IRA - tax office / inland revenue/ income tax office
Kleenex - paper hankie(s) / tissues
Mom - Mum /mother
on consignment - second hand shop / sale or return shop
pavement - tarmac / road / roadway / motorway
sidewalk - pavement
Pop - Dad/father
private school - public school (one of the grander and more expensive private schools, originally
rubber - Durex, condom
sticking plaster - Elastoplast (brand name)
sticky tape - Sellotape (brand name)
church schools which were later opened to the fee paying public)
public school - state school, council school
rookie - fresher (college/uni) / novice
senator - member of Parliament / MP
store - shop
take out - take away
thrift store - charity shop
trash can - dustbin / litter bin / rubbish bin / waste paper basket / wheelie bin
truck - lorry
I guess - I suppose / I think
I figure - I guess / I presume
go figure - how absurd / whatever / who'd have known/ who'd have guessed/ who knows why / well I never / well, what do you know / live and learn
vacation - holiday
WTF - what the hell

So an American might say:
There's candy and cookies in the trash can.
A British person would say:
There's sweets and biscuits in the litter bin.

Please send me more suggestions. Polite ones!
Angela Lansbury, author, travel writer and photographer, language teacher, speaker

Americanisms

Two countries divided by a common language. Here are some of today's discoveries:
Foods from an article on food on a stick: ice lollies (known as popsicles in the US) and lollipops (also known as suckers and hard candy). Watch out for mistake in stationery and drug stores.

USA -UK
bobby pin - kirby grip
candy - sugar
cookie - biscuit (the US version is often large size and thick)
diaper - nappy
drug store / pharmacy - chemist
eraser - rubber
hard candy - lollipops
jelly - jam
Jello (brand name) - jelly
Kleenex - paper tissues / paper hankies
mom - mum
muffin - cup cake
pants - trousers
panty hose - tights
pavement - roadway / road surface / Tarmac
popsicles - ice lollies
roller coaster - big dipper
rubber - condom
sidewalk - pavement
soother/teether - dummy
suckers - lollipops
temple (Jewish) - synagogue
underpants - pants

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker (public speaking and radio), has lived in Rockville, Maryland and Connecticut, USA; London, England; and Singapore.