American English and British English Translated - with our problems at Disney World and a hotel

American Flag

 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

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Misunderstood American and English words - momentarily searching for pants, rubbers and rugs

US flag

I remember how we as a British family visiting Disney in Florida were on the monorail and heard the words, 'We will be stopping at ... momentarily.'

I shouted to my family, 'Quick, quick, quick! It's only a brief stop. We'll get carried on if we don't get off in a hurry!'

Later I went to a department store and wanted to buy stationery. I asked an assistant, "Where can I find rubbers?" 

She said, "We don't stock them. Try the drug store upstairs."

I stayed in the same store, looked around and found the ruler I needed. Nearby I spotted the rubbers. 

I took one to the assistant and said, " I found it."

She looked puzzled, and nodded.

I said, accusingly, "But you said, 'we don't stock rubbers'."

"Yes," she agreed.

I demanded, "So what do you call this?"

"An eraser."

"Ah. What did you think I said, and meant?"

"Rubbers. Which you buy upstairs in the drug store."

Later I wanted to buy a carpet. 

I was told, "We don't stock carpets."

But carpets were on the floor below.

What do you call these," I asked as assistant.

"Rugs."

"Do you understand the word carpet? What does it mean to you?"

"Floor covering which is fitted, wall to wall."

Here's a list of words which you need to know when visiting another country or serving strangers in a shop or on the phone.

American - English

briefly, soon - momentarily

closet - wardrobe

hidey hole, hiding place, locked or shut in cupboard with doors - closed space, closet (as in the phrase skeleton in the closet)

momentarily (shortly, soon) - briefly, just for a moment

pants - trousers

realtor - estate agent

rubber - condom

rug - carpet

British English - American

carpet - rug

closet - enclosed, locked space, hidey-hole

fitted carpet - carpet

momentarily - briefly, only for a moment, soon

estate agent - realtor

flat - one level dwelling in a multi-occupancy building

knickers, panties, pants, smalls, underwear, undies - underpants 

rubber - eraser

Rug - small carpet, no bigger than the size of a kitchen table

wardrobe - closet

walk-in wardrobe - walk in closet

Useful websites

Wikipedia American English language

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

Ten American and British phrases

American - British English
at this moment in time - now
burglarized - burgled
got - have
gotten - had
Jello - jelly
jelly - jam
make a left - turn left
a quarter after - a quarter past
momentarily - shortly, soon, in a moment
raised - brought up

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

American and British English: casket and cop to Tannoy - and pronunciation

American English - British English

On my first visit to America from England we went to Disney. On the monorail we heard the announcement 'we will be landing momentarily'. We heard the same from the pilot on an airplane. To us that implied, we will be landing for only a moment, so don't remove your seatbelt nor get out nor off.However, all the other passengers jumped up. For a moment, we thought they were Spanish speaking people who had not understood the instructions in English. Then we realised that the people who had not understood were us. We would be carried on to the next stop if we didn't follow.

a quarter after - a quarter past
at this moment in time - now
bassinet - cradle
casket - coffin
cop - police
elementary school - junior school
grade - incline
guys (could be mixed sex or even all girls) - folks, people; guys is male as in boys, fellows, lads
high school - secondary school
make a left - turn left
make a right - turn right
momentarily - shortly, soon, in a moment
Hershey (brand name of dark chocolate)- Cadbury's (brand name of chocolate)
junior (after a name) - son of
private school (paid for privately - public school (grand, traditional fee paying school, often in historic building with a boarding house, now open to the fee paying public not just run by monks and attached to the Church of England as in previous centuries)
senior (after a name) - father of
seniors / retirees - pensioners (O A P short ford age pensioner is increasingly being seen as derogatory or not politically correct
Tannoy (brand name) - public address system, loudspeakers

Pronunciation
'erbs' - herbs
'rout' - route (as in root, toot, hoot)
'yawl' (Southern drawl contraction) - you all

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and English teacher.