Problem
When writing a book for an American audience you need to change your vocabulary. Even if you have lived in both countries, it is a constant challenge. Churchill said, We are divided from America by a common language.
Answer
Just make a list, stop worrying, enjoy the differences.
Stories
In an American hotel I phoned down and asked reception, "We're checking out. Can I have a porter?"
No porter appeared. After ten minutes I phoned again.
"Can I have a porter?"
"Ma-am, I'd gladly send you one if I knew what it was."
Thought for a minute. "A person to carry out suitcases.:
"You mean a bell-hop?"
"Yes, that's what I mean."
"Now I know who you want, Ma-am, I'll send one right away."
Americanism/Americanese - British English
à la mode - (Pie) with ice cream
aliens - visitors, people from outer space in science fiction films
attitude - bad attitude
attorney - lawyer
automobile - car
awesome - awe-inspiring, impressive, marvellous, wonderful
back in the day - in the past
baggage - luggage
bathroom - toilet
biscuit - savoury biscuit, savoury flat scone eaten with white sauce in the Southern States
bell hop - porter
buddy - friend, mate
bunch of people - group of people
burger - hamburger
butt - bum, bottom
can I get - I would like / may I have / ... please
candy - chocolate, sweets
catch a movie - watch a film
chips - crisps
close of play (sports term) - end of day or meeting
cookie - biscuit
crosswalk - crossing
deplane - disembark
do lunch - have lunch
done - finished
dove - dived
drug - dragged (past tense of drag)
dude - mate, man
elevator - lift
eraser - rubber
fall - autumn
faucet - tap
Fish and chips (same as English)
field hockey - hockey
for sure - certainly
freeway - motorway
fries - French fries (thinly cut)
French fries / fries - chips
garbage - rubbish
gas - petrol
get go - beginning, start
gifted to me - given to me
go-to man - Mr Fixit
good job - well done
good to go - ready to go
gotten - got
grits - grains of corn ground up and boiled/cooked (a bit like polenta, speciality of Southern states of the USA)
guys - people (of both sexes); girls and boys, folk
hacks - tips
heads up - warning or briefing (as if you literally had your heads up to see danger or action coming)
heaping tablespoon - heaped tablespoon
I'm good - I'm well
issues - problems
j
k
l
make a left/right - turn left/right
math - maths
Mom - Mum
moment in time - moment, time
movie - film
my bad - my (bad) mistake, my fault, my error, my bad thought / speech / action , mea culpa (Latin for my fault); sorry I did that, sorry I got found out / caught / oops
New York cheesecake - baked cheesecake
on line (New York expression for in Line)
on sale - reduced price
over easy - (eggs) cooked both sides
passed - died
pavement - built up road, roadway
period - full stop
play period - break time
q
reach out - contact
realtor - estate agent
regular size - standard size
rent it out - let it out
rest room - toilet
ride - lift
rubber - condom, Durex (brand)
sidewalk - pavement, path
skinny dipping - nude bathing (dipping in water showing your skin)
skinny latte - coffee with skimmed milk
snuck in - sneaked in
so - really / very
soccer - association football
Spring Break - Easter Holiday
stand in lie - queue
totally - yes
touch base - get in touch
trash - rubbish
truck - lorry
two times - twice
u
vacation - holiday
w
x
y
zee - zed
British English - Americanism
a
baked cheesecake - New York cheesecake
biscuit - cookie
break time - play period
bum, bottom - butt
car - automobile
certainly - for sure
chips - French fries
cooked both sides (eggs) - over easy
contact - reach out
crisps - chips / potato chips
died - passed
disembark (aircraft) - deplane
dived - dove
dragged - drug
Easter holiday - Spring break
engaged (sign on toilet door) - occupied
film - movie
finished - done
Fish and chips - Fish and chips (same in American)
free - for free
full stop - period
gas station - garage
get in touch - touch base
given - gifted
group of people - bunch of people
guys - boys, men
hockey - field hockey (as opposed to ice hockey)
holiday - vacation
I would like - can I get
I'm well - I'm good
j
k
lawyer - attorney
let it out - rent it out
lift - elevator
lift - ride
lorry - truck
luggage - bagage
man, mate - dude
mate - buddy
maths - math
motorway - freeway
Mum - Mom
Mr Fixit - the go-to man
n
on sale - available
Pavement - sidewalk
petrol - gas
porter - bell hop
problem - issue / challenge
queue - line, line up, stand in line
ready to go - good to go
really / so
route (pronounced root, a French word, as in r o u t i e r) - rout pronounced r o w t rhyming with out
rubber - eraser
rubbish - trash, garbage
s n e a k e d in - snuck in
standard size - regular size
start (noun) get go
tap - faucet
time - moment in time
tips - hacks
toilet - rest room
turn left/right - make a left/right
twice - two times
u
v
watch a film - catch a movie
well done - good job
x
yes - totally
zed - zee (last letter of the alphabet)
Stories
I was arguing in a supermarket over the novelty of Pepperidge Farm cookies which I wanted to buy. The whole joy of going overseas is to try new things. I saw about ten varieties and wanted one pack of each, to do a taste test comparison.
My husband thought we should buy one packet of biscuits, eat frugally, and sensibly, and low calorie, low sugar, no more than one biscuit between two per day for a week, and buy a different pack the following week.
From the far end of the supermarket I could see a member of staff scurrying towards us. She had clearly spotted two Brits arguing about why NOT to buy her products.
I assumed she was going to tell us to be quiet, and not disparage the supermarket's premium biscuits, nor discourage any less prejudiced and less penny-pinching customers from buying.
It turned out that she just loved our accents and wanted to know where we were from.
Tips
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4508804/Countdown-s-Susie-Dent-reveals-love-Americanisms.html#comments
Author
Angela Lansbury, author, speaker, teacher of English and languages. Please share posts.
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