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American British Words
3

American British Words

American British Words

2
(OP)
Briticism and Yankeeism Words

A

AMERICAN BRITISH
Airplane Aeroplane
Aluminum Aluminium
Apartment Flat
Appetizer Entree, Starter
Archeology Archaeology



B
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Babysitter Minder
Baked Potato Jacket Potato
Bathroom Loo, The Toilet
Band-Aid Elastoplast
Bank Teller Cashier
Bedspread Similar to a Eiderdown and Duvet
Billion Trillion
Bleachers Terrace
Braces (for teeth) Brace



C
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Call (on the phone) Ring
Cafeteria Refectory
Can Tin
Candy Sweets
Catalog Catalogue
Cents Pence
Chapstick Lip Balm
Check Cheque
Checkers Draughts
Chips Crisps
Cigarette Fag  
Closet (bedroom) Wardrobe  
Clumsy Cackhanded
Collect Call Reverse Charge Call
Color Colour
Cookie Biscuit
Cotton Candy Candy Floss
Commercial Advertisment
Cracker Savoury biscuit
Crib Cot
Cross Walk Zebra Crossing, Pedestrian Crossing
Crossing Gaurd Lollipop Man
Cupcake Fairy Cake
Curb Kerb



D
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Dessert Afters, Pudding
Detour Diversion
Diaper Napkin, Nappy
Dollar Bill Note
Drugstore Chemist
Duplex Semi-Detached House



E
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Eggplant Aubergine
Elevator Lift
Emergency Room Casualty
Eraser Rubber
Expensive Dear



F
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Faucet Tap
Favorite Favourite
Fire Department Fire Brigade
Flashlight Torch
A Flirt Tart
Freeway (Expressway) Motorway, Carriageway



G
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Galvanize Galvanise
Garbage Man Dustman
Garter Belt Suspenders
Glue Gum
Gasoline Petrol
Gizzards Offal
Golashes Wellingtons, Wellies
Gray Grey
Gutter Gully



H
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Hamburger Bun Bap
Honor Honour
Hood (car) Bonnet
Horny Randy
House (one story) Bungalow
Humor Humour
Hungry Peckish



J
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Jail Gaol
Jello Jelly
Jelly Jam
Jewelry Jewellery



K-L
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Kiss (passionate) Snog
Ladybug Ladybird
Line Queue
Living Room Lounge
Lawyer Barrister, Solicitor
Leash (Dog) Lead
Licens Plate Number Plate
Liquor store Off Licens, Offy



M
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Mail Post
Mailbox Postbox
Mail Carrier Postman, Posty
Maneuver Manoeuvre
Math Maths
Menopause The Maenopause
Mold Mould
Movie Film
Movie Theater Cinema



N-O
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Napkin Serviette
Nudist Naturist
On/Off Ramp Slip Road
Oven Cooker
Overalls Dungarees
Overpass Flyover



P
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Pacifier Dummy
Pants Trousers
Paper Towel Kitchen towel, Kitchen Paper
Parade Carnival
Parking Lot Car Park
Pharmacist Chemist
Picnic Basket Picnic Hamper
Pie Crust Pastry Base
Plastic Wrap Clingfilm
Private school Public school
Public School State school
Pajamas Pyjamas



R-S
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Raincoat Mackintosh
Realtor Estate Agent
Rent (to) Hire
Robe Dressing Gown
Sand Box Sand Pit
Sandwich Butty, Sarny
Santa Clause Father Christmas
Sell Flog
Shopping Cart/Basket Trolley
Sidewalk Pavement
Sir Squire, Guv'nor
Sneakers Trainers, Plimsolls,Pumps
Soccer Football
Spelled Spelt
Stroller Pram, Pushchair
Styrofoam Polystyrene
Suspenders Braces
Sweater Pullover, Jumper



T
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Take-Out Take-Away
Talk Show Chat Show
Traffic Jam Tailback
Thumb Tack Drawing Pin
Tic Tac Toe Naughts and Crosses
Tire Tyre
Toothpick Cocktail Stick
Track Housing Housing Estate
Trailor Caravan
Trash Rubbish
Trash Can Bin, Dustbin (the one outside)
Truck Lorry
Trunk (car) Boot
Tuxedo Dinner Jacket



U-Z
 
AMERICAN BRITISH
Umbrella Brolly
Undershirt Vest
Underwear Pants, knickers
Vacation Holiday
Vest Waistcoat
Wallet (Woman's) Purse
Washcloth Flannel
Windshield Windscreen
Yard Garden
Zee (letter) Zed
Zip Code Post Code
Zucchin Courgette


RE: American British Words

Somebody help me properly attribute this quote:

"America and Britain are two countries separated by a common language."

RE: American British Words

George Bernard Shaw

RE: American British Words

The Brits use trillion for billion?!?  How does that work?  What do they use for 10^12?

RE: American British Words

I think that's backwards; the American trillion (10^12) is the British billion.  

The American billion (10^9) is the Britsh thousand million

I'm guessing that the British 10^15 is a thousand billion

The British trillion is 10^18


Source:
http://onelook.com/?w=trillion&ls=a

TTFN

RE: American British Words

Excellent post !!!
I employed an educated (tutored) person from Gravesend.
He was pleasant, smart, and had other good qualities. He was in love with a Michigan woman, and had a long dating commute until he moved here.

My favorite is "bangers and mash". He also used to joke about "polyethylene" and "polythene".

Also said "...he was going to knock-up his friend" meaning he would knock on his door. In my part of the US, 'knock-up' means something entirely different. I won't explain.
I did explain to him and he quit saying that.

Buy a dictionary, keep it nearby and USE it. Webster's New World Dictionary of American English is recommended, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

RE: American British Words

The problem begins at 109:

The US calls that a billion, while others call it a milliard.  More information is available at:

http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Milliard.html

Regards,

Cory

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips Fora.

RE: American British Words

Milliard, according to other references:

"In European usage, one milliard equals 1, 000, 000, 000 = 10^9 = one thousand million = one American billion.

In Britain, Ireland, and Australia, the word "milliard" has been largely replaced by either "thousand million" or the American usage of "billion". "

Source:
http://onelook.com/?w=Milliard&ls=a

TTFN

RE: American British Words

Interesting, I guess one really does learn something new every day.  Europeans must really think the US is in trouble with $5 trillion in debt.  That's $5*10^12, not $5*10^18!

RE: American British Words

Interesting list Rich2001, however, what I want to know is if

  • An American flashlight is a British torch, what is an American torch (portable light consisting of flaming material wound around a stick of wood)?
  • An American flirt is a British tart, what is an American tart (small open pie with sweet filling)?
  • An American crib is a British cot, what is an American cot (narrow bed, especially one made of canvas)?
  • An American cookie is a British biscuit, what is an American biscuit (small cake of shortened bread make with baking powder)?
And one that really offended my daughters when we were in England ten years ago - an offer to "stroke the pussy - meaning a CAT of course."

Patricia Lougheed

Please see FAQ731-376 for tips on how to make the best use of the Eng-Tips Forums.

RE: American British Words

I always think of an American biscuit as a scone (but only just).

But what is an "English Muffin?" they were unknown in the UK until introduced from the US. I guess this equates to Chow Mein (I think) a chinese dish not invented there!

Pat, a close relative of "stroke the pussy".... and one for considerable embarrassment, is a "pat on the fanny" since these are anatomically different in the UK from the US....

RE: American British Words

Nope, that was chop suey and fortune cookies.  
Also, crispy things that some people called chow mein. The Chinese, after all, gave pasta to Marco Polo.

TTFN

RE: American British Words

Fortune cookies are Chinese where they were originally known as "Moon Cakes" and only eaten at the festial of the moon.
During the Mongol occupation of China the Mongols were billeted with chinese families. When the Moon Festival came and each family opened their Moon Cakes the message inside simply said "Kill the Mongol".

RE: American British Words

Given that the title of the page is "Folktale Related to Moon Cakes" as is the equally compelling http://www.humnet.ucla.edu/humnet/folklore/folk15/Gloria%20Chiang/folklore1, that's hardly an authorative reference.

Certainly, no one in my family or any other Chinese person I know has ever commented on the similarity of fortune cookies to subversive moon cakes.  

Bear in mind that the Mongols united and ruled China for over 80 yrs, the dynasty lasted only as long as the descendants of Kublai Khan could maintain unity of purpose.  And it's doubtful that the Mongols were "billeted" in peoples' homes for 80+ yrs.  

TTFN

RE: American British Words

Several sources show the fortune cookie evolving either in San Fransico or New York and one source suggests they were devised by a Japanese American.
However, the link with the moon cakes is clearly made/claimed in this site:
http://www.chinatown-online.co.uk/pages/food/fortune.html

RE: American British Words

After spending about a year (split up trips over about 5 years) in the Far East, mainly in Malaysia and Taiwan, dealing almost entirely with the Chinese communities I never saw any Fortune Cookies out there. I've met them in the US and Canada, and more recently they have become more common in UK.

The mention of 'gwailow' brings back many happy memories. Although originally used as a derogatory term for caucasians (literally 'pale ghost' or 'white demon') it is now frequently used colloquially as a friendly greeting for european colleagues.

Good Luck
johnwm

RE: American British Words

Americans are no more able to show who first introduced the fortune cookie than they are able to resolve the great mystery of who "invented" the hamburger.
It is therefore difficult to either claim authoritatively nor dislaim authoritatively the background to their creation.
The story, as i related it is as it was told to me my by mandarin teacher, it was required that we did not just learn the language but the history as well.

So i have no argument no case to prove.

However, for my Chinese history and that of the Mongol occupation, i prefer the official histoiry books as a better source of information than peoples recollection of their history, especially given the lamentable state of history education in schools.

I am sure that in the UK most people, when asked about Nelson imediately think of Del Boy (Only Fools and Horses) because he lives in Nelson Mandella Flats and are quite ignorant of Horatio Nelson, and they are often as ignorant of who Churchill is or Adolf Hitler. I have met Frenchmen who didn't know about the battle of Waterloo and so on.

The term Billeted that i sued was perhaps innappropriate but i was reffering to the method of control in which every ten chinese families was controlled by a Mongol who was in charge of them. Since the families were responsible for all the expenses... well anyway, it is not my place to research or advise on Chinese history.

I find it more likely that the inspiration for the fortune cookie is the moon cake whether that is a figment of "folklore" or documented history, than otherwise. Obviously, however, without documentary evidence that everyone will agree is historically accurate and not an elaborate forgery like the Hitler diaries we are at an impasse.

Given the preceding Chinese history/folklore which does exist (whether the stories behind it are true or not) i would tend to place some credance on the potential link. I certainly could not and would not presume any authority to deny such a link.

Now if we were talking about Bengali fortune cookies and all we had in history was the Chinese Mooncake story, then you'd have me. A conincidence but nothing more.
The fact that one sory attributes fortiune cookies to the chinese laboroers in the '49 gold rush is one possibility, and we should not exclude that even Japanese Americans may know something of Chinese history given that their own culture took so much from the Chinese and the failure of the Mongol attempt to invade Japan from China is a significant link with China and the Mongols etc etc.

Proof? Sorry, no can do. Dismiss the link? I don't think so either. On the balance of probability, that has to be each persons own choice.

RE: American British Words

PS Fortune cookies are not, as JohnWM says, to be found in China or any far east country.
The attempt to introduce them failed. That does not prove that fortune cookies were not inspired by the moon cakes or the history.

Given the US treatment of the Chinese laborours one might conjecture that they were reminded of their past treatment by the Mongols and the creation of the fortune cookie was an ironic comment on that state of affairs.

RE: American British Words

I wouldn't count on all those translations as being 100% accurate!

Quote:

coconut shy — booth where you throw
coconuts at a target to win a prize
You actually throw wooden balls about the size of a tennis ball at coconuts resting in wooden cups. You win any coconuts that are dislodged from the cup.

Quote:

car-boot sale — garage sale
Actually an organised open air market, generally with upwards of 100 stalls

Quote:

cup matches — soccer games played
under the rules of the Football Association
cup-tie — final game
Specifically matches in a knockout competition - not normal league games.

Quote:

fishing smack — fishing boat
Specifically a gaff-rigged ketch or yawl for commercial fishing circa 1800 - 1950

Quote:

snooker — game of pocket billiards
using 15 red balls
Be very careful with this! Pocket billiards has a very specific slang meaning in the UK (which only involves one cue and two balls!)

Quote:

slips — in cricket, the outfield,
guarded by the slip-fielders
Slips is that specific part of the field behind and on the offside of the batsman

Quote:

twitchter — birdwatcher
Normally spelt <Twitcher> pejorative term for gangs of birdwatchers who slavshly follow any hint of a rare or unusual avian sighting

Good Luck
johnwm

RE: American British Words

vpl wanted to know

    * An American flashlight is a British torch, what is an American torch (portable light consisting of flaming material wound around a stick of wood)?
    * An American flirt is a British tart, what is an American tart (small open pie with sweet filling)?
    * An American crib is a British cot, what is an American cot (narrow bed, especially one made of canvas)?
    * An American cookie is a British biscuit, what is an American biscuit (small cake of shortened bread make with baking powder)?

From my recollection

Torch.

Flirt does not equal tart in that sense, we use flirt as well. Usually tart is anywhere between a flirt and a prostitute but can just mean girl/woman in a slightly derogatory fashion. A tart is a tart when it is made of pastry.

Cot, hmm, camp-bed? Bunk?

Biscuit in UKish is properly a twice baked (from memory?) unleavened cake (I think). We'd probably call things like brownies cakes. Chocolate chip cookies are biscuits, in the supermarket.

Cheers

Greg Locock

RE: American British Words

"Bobs your uncle and Sallys your aunt".
What does this mean?

And what are "Bristols"?

RE: American British Words

Bristols are a make of car originally from, i think, the same company that made the Bristol Blenheim bomber.... oh, you mean those things Rita Hayworth was famous for do you?

Yes, lots of bad translations there adding their burden to furture arguments .... i guess i need another source.


RE: American British Words

Bristols - rhyming slang from the football (soccer) team Bristol City

Good Luck
johnwm

RE: American British Words

I think we have over looked a big one:

The British mould and American mold (plastic injection related).d

Ray Reynolds
"There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home."
Ken Olson, president, chairman and founder of Digital Equipment Corp., 1977
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