American and British English - a few words

US flag

 American - British

diaper - nappy

dish soap - washing up liquid

soccer - football

Subway - underground

British - American

football - soccer

nappy -diaper

underground /tube - subway

washing up liquid - dish soap

Americanisms and British language equivalents

 

American - British

attorney - lawyer/solicitor

In the UK, a solicitor deals with paperwork, such as when buying a house. A barrister stands up to speak for you in court.

US - UK

drug store - chemist

diaper - nappy

elevator - lift

eraser - rubber

fall - autumn

hood (or car) - bonnet

parking lot - car park

real estate - property

rubber - Durex/condom

shopping cart - shopping trolley

sidewalk - pavement

trucker - lorry driver

trunk (of car) - boot

vacation - holiday

UK - US

autumn - Fall

bonnet (of car) - hood

boot (of car) - trunk

car park - parking lot

chemist - drug store + pharmacy

holiday - vacation

lift - elevator

lorry - truck

lorry driver - truck driver/trucker

Nappy - diaper

pavement - sidewalk

property - real estate

rubber - eraser

shopping trolley - shopping cart

Useful Websites

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

see my other posts for more details

American English and British English

 

American - British

A bunch of people - a group of people, a bunch of flowers

check - bill

chips - crisps

cookies - biscuits

diaper - nappy

eraser - rubber

faucet - tap

french fries - chips

gas - petrol

it sucks - it's bad news/it's a disaster/that's bad luck/a real bind/that pisses me off/disappointing

over easy (of an egg) - cooked both sides

raised - brought up

rest room - toilet

rubber - condom

sunny side up - a fried egg

truck - lorry

worrisome - worrying

British - American

a fried egg - an egg,  sunny side up

a group of people - a bunch of people

bill - check

biscuits - cookies

brought up - raised

chips - french fries

condom - rubber

crisps - (savoury) crackers/potato chips

it's bad news/it's a disaster - it sucks

lorry - truck

nappy - diaper

petrol - gas

rubber - eraser

tap - faucet

toilet - rest room

worrying - worrisome

Useful Websites

translate google

About The Author Angela

Angela Lansbury is a British author who has lived in the USA.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.

Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot.

Angela Lansbury, author and speaker. Member of many toastmasters  speaker training clubs and speaking contest judge.

Angela Lansbury, the author of 20 books including Wedding Speeches & Toasts, and Quick Quotations, has lived in the USA, Spain and Singapore. 

She  has several blogs and writes daily on at least two of the following:

travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com

dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com

translateforfun.blogspot.com

Please share links to your favourite posts.

Can you answer the quiz on Americanisms and British equivalents? Words of the world: bothy, diaper, grifter, pants and more

I shall start with a couple of words which were new to me, which I saw in the newspaper this week. Then I shall give you a list of some common words in the USA and British equivalents.

USA
grifter - con artist, swindler, petty crook, USA (not to be confused with drifter, a low-life person who drifts from place to place, as the British police and newspapers would say, of no fixed abode


UK
bothy - mountainside overnight shelter open for the public, UK, especially Scotland - mountain refuge

AMERICAN - BRITISH ENGLISH
1 a quarter after - a quarter past
2 bell hop - porter (in a hotel)
3 closet - wardrobe (or walk-in wardrobe)
4 condo - large apartment block or complex of several blocks with communal leisure facilities such as a gym and swimming pool, maybe a shop - apartment complex with leisure facilities
5 cookie - biscuit
6 diaper - nappy
7 faucet - tap
8 hacks - tips and tricks
9 make a right - turn right
10 momentarily - briefly, for just a moment

11 over-easy - cooked both sides (usually to describe fried egg, occasionally meat)
12 pants - trousers
13 pie a la mode - pie with ice cream
14 private school - fee paying school
15 public school - private school
16 regular - standard size
17 rest room - toilet/bathroom
18 underpants - pants
19 truck - lorry
20 trucker - lorry driver

BRITISH ENGLISH - AMERICAN
1 a quarter past - a quarter after
2 biscuit - cookie
3 council housing - public housing
4 council school - state school
5 fried egg cooked both sides (rarely served, usually just fried egg) - egg over-easy
6 lorry - truck
7 momentarily - soon, shortly, not for long
8 nappy - diaper
9 pants - underpants
10 pie with ice cream -  pie a la mode

11 porter (in a hotel) - bell-hop
12 public school - private school, usually historic with high fees
13 toilet - rest room
14 standard size - regular, normal, medium size
15 tap - faucet
16 tips and tricks - hacks
17 trousers - pants
18 turn right - make a right
19 wardrobe - closet
20 condo

Quiz
1 What is a grifter?
2 What is a bothy?
3 What is the British English for diaper?
4 What is the American word for lorry?
5 What do the Americans call trousers?
6 What is the British for truck?
7 How do the Americans say turn right?
8 What is a quarter after?
9 What is the British English for faucet?
10 What is the American for toilet?

Answers above

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker, has lived in the UK, the USA and Singapore.
See many blog posts on American English British English and learning languages. Please share links to your favourite posts.

American English and British English - How I was confused by words you read, see on signs and hear

Flag of the UK

Same language? Mostly. George Bernard Shaw, playwright, and wit, described, American and Britain as ,'two countries separated by a common language'.

My long lists are at the end but I shall start by entertaining you with some stories of problems I had with American English.

I was brought up (raised) in England. As a student, I went on holiday all round the USA on a Greyhound bus. I had a special ticket, not just for students, 99 dollars for 99 days. The Greyhound buses still go from city to city, carrying passengers from station to station, and you can send parcels. the buses carry the logo of the greyhound, symbol of speed.

In America, the first difference was the use of the word bus. Greyhound bus? The bus was what we in England call a coach. A long-distance coach. The Vehicle was a one-decker, going from one city to the next.






Greyhound company symbol

 
Greyhound bus.

When we got off the bus, sometimes at dawn, when I was not at my brightest, I faced the challenges of language.

At the city stops, I could not see any signs for toilets. They were labelled rest rooms.

Sometimes we stopped long enough for a snack. The menus offered apple pie a la mode. That meant with a dollop of ice cream on top.

I soon learned that a lorry was called a truck in the USA, and even Canada, which often uses British English.

.
Might-E Truck, Canadian company vehicle.

After I married, we went to the USA again. At Disney world on a monorail we heard that the vehicle would be stopping 'momentarily'. We rushed to the exit, fearing the monorail would be making only a brief stop. No. They meant, in a moment.

Food
Later, when we lived in the USA, I still found some of the vocabulary challenging. We soon discovered that biscuits were called cookies.

Clothes
In shops, nobody understood when I wanted to buy a nappy. I didn't understand the word diaper.

Pants were a constant cause of confusion. Now, I can usually work out what is meant. But the unintended double entendre is embarrassing.

Erase
When I asked for "a rubber" in a department store's stationery department, the assistant told me, "We don't stock them, You need a drug store."

Whilst I continued shopping, looking for a ruler, I soon found a rubber. I asked the assistant, "What do you call this?"
She replied, "An eraser."

I popped into the nearby drug store and asked, "Do you have rubbers?" She showed me to a shelf displaying Durex. Ah. Condoms.

Right
In the car, I did not understand a passener's request for me to, "Make a right!"

Put what right? Correct what?

He meant a right turn.

I asked, "Are you in a hurry to get home?"

"No hurry,"  my passenger replied. "I'm not expected until 'a quarter after'."
"What's that? You mean a quarter past."

"Sure, do."

Hm. I would have said, that's certainly right.

Garage
I said, "Than you dont mind if we stop. I need to fill up with petrol." I asked the American passenger, "Is there a garage near here?"

He told me, "Nothing nearby."

A few yards later, around that next corner, was a garage. I demanded, "What's this, then?"

"A gas station."

To him, in America, a garage was a place or business which did repairs (and stored cars).

Food
We stopped for food, looking for a take away. It was called a take out.

Worldwide, the words differ for Take Away

A take-out or takeout (U.S., Canada, & the Philippines); carry-out or to-go (Scotland and some dialects in the U.S. & Canada); take-away (U.K., Australia, South Africa, & Ireland, and occasionally in North America);takeaways (New Zealand); grab-n-go; and parcel (India & Bangladesh Pakistan) is a prepared meal or other food items, purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet that the purchaser intends to eat elsewhere.

In America, when we drove through West Virginia in the Nineteen Eighties we wanted a restaurant. But we saw only fast food, and clubs.

Eventually we saw a passer-by and asked him for a restaurant. He pointed.

I objected, "But it says Club!"

He explained, "The clubs are restaurants. Because they serve alcohol, diners have to join a club, by paying one dollar and giving their identity and age, in order to enter a premise serving alcohol and to be served alcohol."

We went to the restaurant and were asked to fill out the forms. We did so. Then we were asked to pay three dollars, one dollar each.

My husband objected to the three dollar charge,"I can't drink because I'm driving. Our son is too young to drink.  My wife doesn't want to drink."

The restaurant owner chewed for a moment, then said, " The law requires me to charge you, a membership fee. But I can reduce the price of your meal, by three dollars. Because, it's late at night, and I'm about to close, and I've no other customers, so I'm sure happy to have your business.  How's that? Great. I'm so glad to see you. Where are you guys from?"





Websites
wiki - American English
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_American_and_British_English#Vocabulary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_Lines
Terminology worldwide for Filling Stations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filling_station
https://www.sweet2eatbaking.com/uk-us-conversion/

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author, speaker and speech trainer, was born and educated in England and lived in the USA.

I have several more posts on Americanisms and learning languages.
Please share your favourite posts.

What Americanism and Britishisms mean

US flag

American - British English
Band-aid - elastoplast/sticking plaster
chit-chat - natter
clothes pin - clothes peg
diaper - nappy
eraser - rubber
good catch - (well done?)
funeral parlor - motuary, morque
Kleenex - paper hanky/tissue
mail - post
napkin -sanitary towel
Onesie - Babygrow
pacifier - dummy
pavement - road surface
period - full stop
plimsol - sneaker
pudding - blancmange
rubber - contraceptive/Durex

British English - American
Babygrow - Onesie
blancmange - pudding
clothes peg - clothes pin
dummy - pacifier
Durex - rubber
Elastoplast /sticking plaster - Band-Aid
full stop - period
jelly - Jello
nappy - diaper
natter - chitchat
paper hankie - Kleenex
post - mail
road surface - pavement
rubber - eraser
sneaker - plimsol

Quiz
Test yourself
British English - American
Babygrow -
blancmange -
clothes peg -
dummy -
Durex -
Elastoplast /sticking plaster -
full stop -
jelly -
nappy -
natter -
paper hankie -
post -
road surface -
rubber -
sneaker -

Useful websites

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_American_and_British_English
https://context.reverso.net/translation/
https://www.facebook.com/groups/polyglotcommunity
https://translate.google.com/

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

I and my family have lived in the UK, Spain, the USA and Singapore. I am a travel writer and photographer and teacher of English A level and English as a foreign language.

Please come to a Toastmasters International Club where the English clubs have a language evaluator or grammarian.  We also have French, German, Mandarin Chinese, Tamil and other language clubs based in Singapore and many more online around the world which because of Covid-19 are now meeting online.

I am Immediate Past President of Braddell Heights Advanced, meeting on Zoom the first Wednesday of the month but  the third Saturday afternoon and occasionally on other Wednesdays our workshops are on app learncool.sg 

Incoming president Faith from July 1st 2020 could change dates and platforms so please contact the club.

learncool.sg

Or quicker to type and easier to remember: 

 tinyurl.com/BHACOOL

For language lovers:Useful Websites

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

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

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

https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogs
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/04/how-to-say-thank-you-in-several.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2019/05/introducing-yourself-in-english-spanish.html
https://travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com/2020/01/second-set-of-portuguese-words.html Please share links to your favourite posts
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
translate.google.c

Americanism and British English - still surprised xxx xoxo?

American English and British English are only slightly different, but I learn new things constantly.


An English author was asked by the copy editor to leave out xxx on the end of letters (mail and email) because Americans would not understand this mean kiss, kiss, kiss.


Americans and some Europeans think it means x rated. Readers are puzzled.

I have noticed but never understood xoxo. Apparently Americans use this to mean kiss hug, hiss hug.

What about Canadians?


Canadians follow British language habits more closely than the Americans.

I already knew what I thought were most of the Americanisms from living in the USA as well as the UK.

British English - American English
bargain basement/bargain shop - thrift store
condom/Durex - rubber
kindergarden - preschool
lorry - truck
Mum - Mom
nappy - diaper
primary school - elementary school
public school - private school
rubber - eraser
secondary school - high school
tip - hack
turn right - make a right

American English - British English
elementary school - primary school
eraser - rubber
hack - tip
high school - secondary school
make a right - turn right
Mom - Mum
on consignment - sale or return
preschool - kindergarden
private school - public school/fee-paying school
public school - state school/council school
truck - lorry
thrift store - bargain shop

Well, love to all of you.
xxx
xoxo

About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Americanisms - cookout and more

Problem
Cookout? That is an Americanism. I am British.  I understand the word. At least, I understand the two root words. Cook. Out. But what are the implications? It is not a cold meal. That would be a picnic. 

Answers
As far as I can see, a cookout is what in the UK would be called a barbecue.  A meal for family and friends cooked outdoors.

Campers can cook differently. I've seen or heard of animals such as pigs being cooked buried with hot coals in countries such as Hawaii and the Philippines. You can cook over a tiny stove with a scouts group or hiking group. But a meal to entertain a small group would usually be a barbecue.

Americanism - British
cookout - BBQ
diapers - nappies
elementary school - primary school
high school - secondary school
highway - motorway
line up - queue

main street - high street
parking lot - car park

pavement - road / tarmac
roadway - road
route - motorway, major route
sidewalk - pavement

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

Americanisms - internship and diaper

Problem
I keep meeting words which I half recognize on American or American language websites.

Answer
Keep on ongoing list, A-Z, in a diary.

Story
I was teaching English to a group of students at a school in Singapore. One of the pupils asked me to explain the word diaper. I translated it as nappy.

She asked me, "Are you sure?"

'Yes,' I answered. 'I grew up in England. I had a baby in England. I know the word nappy. Then I lived for two years in America.'


Tips
American English - British English
American English - Americanism
British English - English
diaper - nappy
internship - apprenticeship, work experience

Author
Angela Lansbury, author and English teacher.

American and British English - auto to yard

American - British

auto /automobile - car
bus (as in Greyhound bus, single decker long distance) - coach
candy - sweets / confectionary
closet - cupboard
consignment - second hand sale or return store, where donor and shop share profits
comforter - duvet (bedding)
diaper - nappy
drug store - chemist
eraser - rubber
fall - autumn
hack - tip
hood - bonnet (car)
hooker - prostitute / street walker
hose - stockings / tights
Jello (brand name) -  jelly
jelly - jam
line - queue
pavement - tarmac / roadway
pickup / pickup truck - HGV, trailer ?
program - programme (theatre)
program - program (computer)
purse - bag (lady's handbag)
rubber - condom / Durex
Run - ladder (in stockings / tights)
Kleenex/tissues - paper hankies (Kleenex is a brand name so I have given it a capital letter)
sidewalk - pavement
subway - underground / London tube
store - shop
story - storey (level of building)
story - story (tale in book)
thrift store (cheap shop) - charity shop
truck - lorry
trunk - boot (car)
tuxedo - man's formal jacket with no tails, named after place where tails were cut off - dinner jacket
wallet / coin purse - purse
yard - garden

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

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.