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Language: British English vs. American English 

6/28/2012

4 Comments

 
[Note: This blog posting is a continuation from a previous one in which I presented Britishism that began with the letters “a” through “l.”  Today, I’m presenting Britishisms beginning with “m” through “r”—in addition to the previous ones.]

Once upon a time, I worked for a very large New York City book publisher, who, periodically, gave me British books to “Americanize” before publishing the books for American readers.  I changed both British spellings and British words that were foreign to Americans.  Of course, being an Anglophile, I loved this task!  

In the United States, nearly all book publishers today use the Merriam-Webster dictionary as a reference for spelling and word meanings—while UK editors use the Oxford English Dictionary.  The Merriam-Webster dictionary is a direct descendant of the famous dictionary that Noah Webster wrote, An American Dictionary of the English Language.  Webster, a Connecticut Yankee who studied at Yale, was a lexicographer and English spelling reformer.  He thought British spellings were unnecessarily complex and simplified them—thus, for example, giving us “honor” instead of “honour.”  With two English-speaking countries calling upon different dictionaries to supply “proper English,” little wonder American English and British English parted ways.  Such would have been the case anyway, with the distance between our countries, but differing reference books helped cement the deal.

When I first started Americanizing books, I was quite surprised to find almost all of the unfamiliar words in the British books were, actually, in the Merriam-Webster dictionary—but they were typically labeled “chiefly British variant.”  Seeing words used in wonderful new ways fascinated me!  And like any good Anglophile, I soon incorporated them into my own vocabulary.  I hope you will too!

Below is an index of British words that confound many Americans.  Because the entire list is a bit long, I’ll present it in several blogs postings.  Enjoy! 

Britishism / Americanism

A

advert = ad, advertisement

amongst = among

aubergine = eggplant

B

banger = sausage

barmy = nutty

barrister = trial lawyer

baths = public swimming pool

beefburger = hamburger

blighter = contemptible person

bloke = a guy (informal)

bloody = damn (mildly offensive)

bobby = cop

bonnet (of car) = car hood

boot (of car) = car trunk

braces = suspenders

brilliant = great, fantastic, cool

bum = butt, buns

busker = street musician

C

car park = parking lot

cashpoint = ATM machine

castor sugar = confectioners’ sugar

chap = guy or fellow

cheeky = nervy/sassy/bold

cheerio = good-bye

cheers = thanks or good-bye

chemist (store) = drugstore, pharmacy

chips = French fries

christian name = first name

cinema = movie theater

city center = downtown

cling film = plastic wrap, such as Saran Wrap

cloakroom = coat-check room or bathroom (i.e., toilets)

concession (when buying admission tickiets) = discount

conk = nose

copper = cop

cornet (for ice cream) = cone

cot = baby crib

council estate = public housing project

crisps = potato chips

cuppa = cup of tea

c.v. (curriculum vitae) = resume or curriculum vitae

D

daft = stupid

demerara sugar = brown sugar

digestive biscuit = similar to a graham cracker

draughts = checkers (game)

dressing gown = bathrobe

dummy (for infant) = pacifier

E

Elastoplast (brand name) = Band-Aid (brand name)

elevenses = mid-morning tea break

en suite = a sleeping room (in home or hotel) with attached bathroom

estate agent = real-estate agent

F

fag = cigarette

faggot = type of meatball

fire (gas or electric) = heater

fizzy drink = carbonated soda

flannel = wash cloth

flat = apartment (rented or owned, such as a condo)

flatmate = roommate

flautist = flutist

football (game or ball) = soccer (game or ball)

fortnight = two weeks

freehold = unrestricted ownership of real estate

fringe (hair) = bangs

G

garden = yard

gawp = gawk

git (person) =  a fool

goods lift = freight elevator

goose-pimples = goose bumps

greengroceries = fresh produce

gymkhana = horse-show competition

H

hair slide = barrette

headmaster/headmistress = principal

hire = rent

hob = stove cook-top

holiday = vacation

holiday-maker = vacationer

hooter = nose

Hoover (trade name) = vacuum

hot flush = hot flash

housing estate = subdivision

I

ice lolly = popsicle

immersion heater = hot water heater

indicator (on a car) – turn signal

inverted commas = quotation marks

J

jam = jelly

jelly = Jell-o (trade name)

jim-jams = jammies, pajamas

Jobcentre = employment office

joiner = cabinetmaker

judder = vibrate

jumper = sweater

K

kerfuffle = fuss, commotion

kettle = tea kettle

kip = sleep

kirby grip = hairpin

knackered = tired, exhausted

knickers = panties

L

ladybird = ladybug

larder =  pantry

launderette = Laundromat

lavatory = bathroom, rest room

lead (electrical) = electrical cord

leasehold = property that may be purchased or sold but belongs to a third-party

let = offer for rent

letter-box = mailbox

lido = public outdoor swimming pool

lift = elevator

lipsalve = ChapStick (trade name)

litter bin = trash can

loft = attic

loo = john, toilet

lounge = family room

luv = hon (term of endearment)

M

mac, mackintosh = raincoat

Madeira cake = pound cake

maisonette = apartment with its own exterior door

managing director (MD) = president (CEO)

mate = buddy

maths = math

minced meat = ground meat

“Mind the gap!” (subway system) = Watch your step! (i.e., Don’t trip over the gap between the train and platform)                                                                                    

muck about = fool around

mudguard = fender

mum = mom

N

naff = tacky, inferior

nappy = diaper

nick = steal

nipper = kid (usually boy)

nosh up = eat

number plate = license plate

O

OAP (old age pensioner) = senior citizen

outsize = extra large

P

P&P (postage and packing) = S&H (shipping and handling)

paddle = wade (walk through shallow water)

paddling pool = wading pool

paraffin = kerosene

pawky = artfully shrewd

perambulator = baby carriage

puckish = hungry

pensioner = senior citizen

petro = gasoline

piffle = trivial nonsense

pillar-box = free-standing mailbox

pinafore dress = jumper

pinch = steal

pip = seed, fruit pit

plait = braid

plaster (for wound) = Band-Aid (trade name)

Plasticine (trade name) = Play-Doh (trade name)

plonk = cheap wine

podgy = pudgy

polo-neck = turtleneck

porridge = oatmeal

postcode = zip code

postie = mailperson

power point = electrical outlet

pram = baby carriage  

prat = foolish person

prefect = school monitor

press-studs = snaps

purse = change purse

pushchair = baby stroller

put-you-up = sofa bed

Q

quay = wharf

queue up = line up

quid = a pound (money)

R

ramble = hike

randy = frisky, lustful

rasher = slice of bacon

rates = local tax

ratty = irritable

redundancies = layoffs

return ticket = roundtrip ticket

ring-up = call on telephone

rise (in pay) = pay raise

roomer = lodger

rubber = eraser

rug = blanket (especially for an animal)

                                                                            ***********************************************

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4 Comments
Dick Hartzell link
10/28/2012 11:56:00 am

A true labor of love compiling this glossary. Thanks very much for assembling these English/American equivalents in one place. Just wanted to mention that one of your entries appears to have been typed a bit hastily:

indicator (on a car) – turn sigle

I think you mean:

indicator (on a car) = turn signal

Reply
Zella link
10/28/2012 12:09:31 pm

Dear Dick: I'm happy you enjoyed reading the glossary--and thank you for letting me know about the typo. I've now corrected it. And by the way...someday I hope to finish this glossary. I have so many more words to add--but so little time! But the task will get done.

Reply
Dick Hartzell link
10/28/2012 12:10:54 pm

Almost forgot ... I was completely flummoxed by this entry:

copper = cip

I consider myself a fairly literate American and have no idea what a "cip" is, unless you intended the entry to read:

copper = cop

If so, I'd like to assert that most Americans, though they may no longer use the term "copper" to refer to a police officer, certainly know what it means. (The gangster movies Warner Brothers turned out in the '30s are larded with references to policemen as "coppers" or "flat foots".)

Reply
Dick Hartzell link
10/28/2012 12:11:22 pm

Almost forgot ... I was completely flummoxed by this entry:

copper = cip

I consider myself a fairly literate American and have no idea what a "cip" is, unless you intended the entry to read:

copper = cop

If so, I'd like to assert that most Americans, though they may no longer use the term "copper" to refer to a police officer, certainly know what it means. (The gangster movies Warner Brothers turned out in the '30s are larded with references to policemen as "coppers" or "flat foots".)

Reply



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