Can You Speak British?
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A Glossary for Americans
During our recent trip to England, our friends and hosts gave us a quiz they’d found on the Internet, labeled “Can You Speak American?” This gave rise to my trying to do the same thing in reverse, but as a glossary, instead of a quiz. I want to share with all my friends, anglophiles or not, to better understand those glorious sitcoms or other TV series we so often follow on PBS, BBC or Netflix.
So here is the result of my labors, based mostly – but not all -- on my own experience. It has earned me the honored title of “trilingual” from my English friend. (Note, however, that I only dealt with the meaning of words, not their spellings or slang versions.)
When you want or say: In the UK, you ask for:
Apartment Flat
Arugula Rocket
Attorney (who pleads in court) Barrister
Baked potato Jacket potato
Band-Aid Plaster
Bangs (as in hair) Fringe
Candy Sweets
Candy store Sweets shop
Cart Trolley
Clothes pin Clothes peg
Comforter Duvet
Cookie or cracker Biscuit
Cot Camp bed
Crib Cot
Crosswalk, pedestrian crossing Zebra crossing
Dessert Pudding
Diaper Nappy
Drugstore, pharmacy Chemist
Eggplant Aubergine (the French word for it)
Electrical cord Electrical lead
Elevator Lift
English muffin Crumpet
Eraser Rubber
Facecloth Flannel
Fish sticks Fish fingers
Flashlight Torch
French fries Chips
Gasoline Petrol
GPS SATNAV (satellite navigation)
Lawyer (who only gives legal advice) Solicitor
Mail box Letter box
Nail polish Nail varnish
One-way ticket Single ticket
Pacifier (for babies) Dummy
Parka Anorak
Phone booth Phone box
Potato chips Crisps
Powdered sugar Icing sugar
Raisins Sultanas
Restrooms Toilets
Round-trip ticket Return ticket
Slacks Trousers (for women and men)
Scotch Whisky
Undershirt Vest
Shrimp, langostino Prawns
Sneakers Trainers
Subway, metro Underground
Suspenders Braces (to hold up pants)
Sweater Jumper
Swimsuit Bathing or swimming costume
Trashcan, waste basket Dustbin
Umbrella Brolly (casual)
Underwear Pants
Vest Waistcoat
Wheat bread Brown bread
Wrench (the tool) Spanner
Zucchini Courgette (the French word for it)
When they say: They mean:
ANTI-CLOCKWISE Counter-clockwise
BEDSIT Studio apartment, efficiency
BLOKE Guy
BONNET (of a car) Hood
BOOT (of a car) Trunk
CANDY FLOSS Cotton candy
CAR PARK Parking lot
CASHPOINT ATM machine
CHARWOMAN Cleaning woman
CHEEKY Nervy, impertinent, rude
CHILDMINDER Babysitter
COOKER Stove
COUNCIL HOUSING Public housing
COUNTERPANE Bedspread
CRACKER A cardboard paper tube twisted at both ends, with a banger inside, which explodes when the tube is untwisted. A beloved Christmas tradition in the UK.
CURRICULUM VITAE (C.V.) Résumé
DINNER JACKET Tuxedo
DIVERSION Detour
DOING THE WASHING UP Doing the dishes
DOLE Welfare
DRAUGHTS Checkers
DUAL CARRIAGEWAY Divided highway
DUSTBIN Trash can
DUSTCART Garbage truck
ENGAGED (phone line) Busy
ESTATE AGENT Realtor
FATHER CHRISTMAS Santa Claus
FIRST FLOOR Second floor
FOOTBALL Soccer
FRENCH LETTERS Condoms (casual)
FULL STOP Period (punctuation)
GARDEN Yard
GEAR STICK or LEVER Gear shift
GREENGROCER Produce shop
GRITTER Salt truck, spreader
GROUND FLOOR First floor
HEADMASTER Principal
HIRE (a car) Rent
HOB Stove burner
HOLIDAY Vacation
HOOVER (after its inventor) Vacuum
I DON’T MIND (when given a choice) I don’t care
INTERVAL Intermission
INVERTED COMMAS Quotation marks
IRONMONGER Hardware store owner
JUMBLE SALE Yard sale
JUMP LEADS Jumper cables
KNICKERS Female underpants
LADYBIRD Lady bug
LAV, LOO Lavatories, toilets, restrooms
LET (an apartment) Rent
LORRY Truck (of all sizes)
MAD (as in angry) Angry
MAD (as in insane) Crazy
MARMITE A thick, dark brown and salty paste, made of yeast extract, usually spread on toast or crumpets (an acquired taste)
MOBILE Cell phone
NEWSAGENT Where you find newspapers etc.
NOTICE BOARD Bulletin board
NUMBER PLATE License plate of a car
OVERLEAF Reverse of a page
PAPER ROUND Paper route
PAVEMENT Sidewalk (Americans, beware!)
PISSED Drunk
PLAIT Braid
POST Mail
POST BOX Mail box
POSTAL CODE Zip code
PUBLIC SCHOOL Private school
PUBLICAN Landlord of a public house
PUNCTURE Flat tire
QUEUE (n./v.) Line/To wait in line
QUID Buck
RASHER Slice of English bacon
REDUNDANT Laid off
RETAIL PARK Strip mall
RING(as on the phone) Call (n. and v.)
ROAD (surface where cars drive) Pavement
ROW(sounds like “cow”) Argument
RUBBER Eraser
RUBBISH Garbage
RUCKSACK Backpack
SANDWICH CAKE Layer cake
SECATEURS (from the French) Garden shears, clippers
SERVIETTE (from the French) Table napkin
SKIP Dumpster
SKIRTING BOARD Baseboard
SMART DRESS Formal attire
SPOT ON Right on
STOCKIST Dealer
SURGERY Physician’s office
TAKE-AWAY Take-out
TEA TOWEL Dish towel
TIN Can
TRANSPORT CAFÉ, CAFF Truck stop
TRUNCHEON Nightstick or billy club
TURN INDICATOR Turn signal
TURN-UPS Cuffs (pants)
VERRUCA Plantar wart
WASHING-UP LIQUID Dish soap, dishwasher detergent
WELLINGTONS Rubber boots
WHITE COFFEE Coffee with milk of cream
WINDSCREEN (of a car) Windshield
WINGS (of a car) Fenders
WING MIRRORS Side-view mirrors
YACHT Sailboat
YORKSHIRE PUDDING Pop-overs