List of words having different meanings in American and British English (A–L)
An incomplete list of words having differing meanings in standard British and American English.
- Many of the definitions are recognised by the other as Britishisms or Americanisms respectively.
- Certain words are limited to regional or specific dialect use in either usage. They will, however, be recognised and understood by most native English speakers in the country concerned. These are marked with their usual area of use.
- Many American phrases and meanings are now used and/or understood in the UK, thanks to the ubiquity of US-made movies and television programmes.
When adding words or meanings to this list, please follow the notations used in existing entries as much as possible, e.g. those of equivalent UK/US terms and common UK/US meanings.
See also
- Main article: American and British English differences
- List of British English words not used in American English
- List of American English words not used in British English
A
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ace | good, OK, excellent (slang) (+ U.S. meanings) |
a one in a suit of playing cards someone who is very good at something fighter pilot who has shot down a certain number of enemy aircraft (UK meaning not unheard of, although perhaps a bit dated as U.S. slang, and is often used sarcastically) |
| [to] advocate | Scottish lawyer who appears in higher courts (rest of UK: barrister) (+ U.S. meanings, although legal sense dated) |
to support or speak for a particular position, or someone who does so generic term for a lawyer |
| alternately | one after the other, taking turns | as an alternative (alternatively is preferred) |
| amber | yellow traffic light (U.S.: yellow light) (+ U.S. meaning) |
fossilised resin, the colour of same |
| anchor | device for mooring ships by providing a firm fix to the seabed | television newsreader/presenter (this meaning now increasingly common in the UK too) (+ UK meaning) |
| apartment | suite of rooms set aside for a particular person (rare) (+ U.S. meaning, but implying luxury) |
self-contained housing unit (UK: flat) |
| Asian | originating from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka (U.S.: South Asian) originating from the continent of Asia |
originating from East Asia or continental Southeast Asia (UK: oriental, also used in U.S., though often considered derogatory) originating from the continent of Asia |
| ass | donkey slow-witted or stupid person or buffoon (dated slang) |
buttocks (slang) (UK: arse or bum) (+ UK meanings) |
B
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| band | length of fabric, leather, elastic etc used to secure something or as decoration line of different colour or texture musical group |
jewelry ring for the finger (usually as in "wedding band," US synonym of wedding ring) (+ UK meanings) |
| bangs | small explosions or retorts | locks of hair on forehead (UK: fringe) (+ UK meaning) |
| bathroom | room containing a bath (U.S.: bathtub), other washing facilities, and usually (but not necessarily) a toilet | room, in a home or hotel room, containing a toilet, related washing facilities, and often, but not necessarily, a shower and/or bathtub |
| beater | person who flushes game from concealment so it can be shot at by 'the guns' something or someone that beats |
used car in very poor condition (+ UK meanings) |
| beaver | beard; a bearded man (archaic slang) (+ U.S. meanings) |
aquatic rodent known for building dams woman's undepilated external genitalia (obscene slang) |
| billion | thousand million (10^9) traditionally million million (10^12), which is still often meant |
thousand million (10^9) (traditional UK: milliard, which is now rare) |
| bird | avian creature one's girlfriend or any young female (slang; getting rarer and considered derogatory by some) prison sentence (slang) |
avian creature insulting hand gesture involving shaking one's fist towards someone with knuckles pointing towards the person being insulted and the middle finger extended (as in "flipping someone the bird") (slang) (UK: nearest equivalent is the V-sign or two-finger salute, which is similar but with both middle and index fingers extended; American gesture is sometimes used instead) |
| biscuit | baked sweet or savoury cake-like item, usually flat and fairly hard (U.S.: cracker or cookie) "to take the biscuit" = to be very surprising |
type of quick bread served with savory foods (UK: similar to a savoury scone) |
| blinder | excellent performance in a game or race (slang) (e.g. "he played a blinder") | either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides (UK: blinker, also used in U.S.) |
| blinkers | leather flaps on a bridle used to restrict a horse's lateral vision (U.S.: blinders) (+ U.S. meaning, although rarely heard) |
lights on a car that indicate the direction about to be taken (UK: indicators) (+ UK meaning) |
| [to] block | piece of wood, stone, ice cream etc, usually square or rectangular to stop something from getting through |
in a city, the portion of a street between adjacent intersections or an informal unit of distance derived from the length of the same (+ UK meanings) |
| bloody | adverb used to express anger (e.g. "bloody car") or shock (e.g. "bloody hell"), or for emphasis (e.g. "not bloody likely") (slang, today only mildly vulgar) (similar U.S.: goddamned) (+ U.S. meaning) |
having or covered with or accompanied by blood |
| bog | toilet (slightly vulgar slang) "[to] bog off" = [to] go away (slightly vulgar slang, often jocular) (+ U.S. meaning) |
type of wetland that accumulates appreciable peat deposits |
| bombardier | corporal in the Royal Artillery. See Bombardier (rank). | crewman in a bomber aircraft who aims and drops the bombs (UK: bomb aimer) See Bombardier (air force) |
| bonk | act of sexual intercourse, or to have sexual intercourse (slightly vulgar slang) (US: boink) (+ U.S. meaning, although rather dated) |
blow to the head |
| bonnet | hinged cover over the engine in a car (U.S.: hood) various types of Scottish or Irish soft hat (+ U.S. meaning) |
hat tied under chin worn by a baby or (archaically) a woman |
| boob | woman's breast (slightly vulgar slang) mistake (slang) |
woman's breast (slightly vulgar slang) stupid person |
| boob tube | woman's shoulderless, strapless top (U.S.: tube top) | television ("the boob tube") (slang) |
| [to] boot | type of footwear storage compartment of a car (U.S.: trunk) to kick something hard "to give something/someone the boot" = to expel/fire a person or get rid of/stop using something |
type of footwear Denver boot, a device used to render cars immobile (UK: wheel clamp) to kick something hard to expel somebody |
| [to] bottle | courage (e.g. "he's got some bottle") (slang) (U.S.: moxie) to cease to do something through fear (e.g. "he's bottled out", "he bottled it") (slang, from Cockney rhyming slang "bottle of beer" = "fear") to attack somebody with a broken bottle (slang) (+ U.S. meanings) |
container for holding liquids liquor (metaphorical slang) (e.g. "hitting the bottle," meaning drinking heavily) |
| box | television set ("the box") (slang) (U.S.: idiot box, boob tube) genital protector used in cricket (+ U.S. meanings) |
container female genitalia (obscene slang) |
| braces | over-the-shoulder straps to support trousers (common U.S.: suspenders) devices for straightening teeth |
support that steadies or strengthens something else tertiary enclosing punctuation: {} (UK: curly brackets) (+ UK meanings) |
| brackets | supports for shelves etc attached to a wall enclosing punctuation: () (U.S.: parentheses, also used in UK), [] (square brackets), {} (curly brackets) (U.S.: braces) |
secondary enclosing punctuation: [] (UK: square brackets) |
| [to] brew | cup of tea (slang) to make tea (+ U.S. meanings) |
beer cup of coffee (sometimes tea) to make beer |
| brilliant | excellent (sometimes ironic) (+ U.S. meanings) |
very bright very intelligent |
| bud | undeveloped shoot which normally occurs in the axil of a leaf or at the tip of a plant stem | marijuana (slang) hand-rolled cigarette containing cannabis (slang) shortening of 'buddy',used to address strangers assuming a non-existent familiarity (UK similar: mate) (+ UK meaning) |
| [to] bugger | to engage in or someone who engages in buggery (i.e. sodomy) a form of address for either a person or item, either jocular (e.g. "he's a generous bugger") or less so (e.g. "he's a mean bugger") (slang) "buggered" = broken, not working (typically of mechanical devices, e.g. "the engine's buggered") (slang) "to bugger up" = to make a mess of something (slang) "to bugger off" = to leave, usually against another's wishes and/or knowledge (slang) "bugger off" (imperative) = go away, leave me alone (slang) |
term of endearment, often used for children (slang) to engage in or someone who engages in buggery (rare; usually understood to mean zoophilia as opposed to sodomy) (in spoken English, the British "bugger" is sometimes misheard by Americans as "booger") "to bugger off" = to leave, usually against another's wishes and/or knowledge (slang) |
| [to] bum | buttocks (slang, not really vulgar) (U.S.: ass or butt) to cadge something off somebody else (e.g. "can I bum a cigarette off you?") (slang) to engage in anal sex (vulgar slang) |
hobo, homeless person poor quality (slang) to sadden (often used with "out") (+ UK noun sense as a Britishism) |
| burn | narrow river, stream (Scotland and Northern England) (U.S.: creek) (+ U.S. meaning) |
wound caused by heat |
| [to] butcher | to kill and cut up an animal for meat, or someone who does this and usually also sells the meat to kill messily, or someone who does so "to have a butcher's" = to have a look (Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's hook = look) |
to kill and cut up an animal for meat, or someone who does this and usually also sells the meat to kill messily, or someone who does so "to butcher it up" = to make a big mess of things, botch |
C
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| campsite | area or park for people to camp in (U.S.: campground) | spot for a particular person or group to camp, often within a campground (UK: pitch) |
| canfield | a patience (solitaire) card game (U.S.: Klondike) | a patience (solitaire) card game (UK: Demon) |
| [to] caravan | type of towed recreational vehicle containing accommodation (U.S. travel trailer) to take one of these on holiday (+ U.S. meaning) |
overland trading convoy |
| chaps | men and/or boys (but increasingly used for people of either sex; in the singular it still almost exclusively refers to a male) (U.S.: guys) one's friends ("the chaps") (U.S.: the guys) |
leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect the legs against thorns (sometimes pronounced shaps) |
| cheers | said to express gratitude or on parting (especially in southern England) (slang) (+ U.S. meanings) |
shouts of encouragement, welcome, approbation, or congratulation used as a toast or valediction |
| chemist | pharmacist, pharmacy (+ U.S. meaning) |
person studying for or with a chemistry degree or who conducts research in chemistry |
| chips | french fries, although usually thicker cut than American fries "to have a chip on one's shoulder" = to have a grievance (+ U.S. meaning in some areas of the UK) |
thin slices of fried potato (UK: crisps) (UK meaning is used when referring to "fish and chips") |
| chippy | carpenter (slang) fish and chip shop (slang) |
loose woman (very rare slang) |
| chum | friend (usually ironic) popular brand of canned dog food (officially Pedigree Chum) |
friend waste products from fish processing (heads, tails, blood etc.) often used for shark fishing |
| cider | fermented alcoholic drink made from apples (U.S.: hard cider) | kind of apple juice |
| clerk | administrative worker (always pronounced "clark") | store or shop worker (UK: shop assistant) (+ UK meaning) |
| closet | small room used for storage or other purposes (e.g. a W.C. (water closet) is a toilet) secret (as an adjective; e.g. "he was a closet socialist") |
built-in wardrobe |
| coach | bus which is chartered or used for longer journeys enclosed horse-drawn passenger carriage sports trainer tutor, usually private, who prepares pupils for examinations |
enclosed horse-drawn passenger carriage railway carriage sports trainer extra curricular sports teacher at a school (UK: PE teacher) lowest class on a passenger aircraft (UK: economy class) |
| college | part of the name of some state secondary schools (U.S.: high school) and many public schools (U.S.: prep school) school that educates older pupils to A-level standard (short for "sixth form college") institution of further education that does not grant degrees or does not grant its own degrees (e.g. "technical college" or "college of further education") vocational educational or training institution one of the constituent parts of Oxford and Cambridge Universities and certain other universities professional association which usually grants some form of professional qualifications, mostly in the medical field (e.g. Royal College of Surgeons) generic term for any institute of further or higher education (usually used only by people who haven't been to one) |
constituent part of certain universities university, usually quite small and often not granting higher degrees generic term for higher education |
| comforter | one who comforts | quilted bedspread (+ UK meaning) |
| commissioner | professional head of the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police (U.S.: chief of police) | political head of a police department head of certain other institutions |
| concession | reduction in price (discount) for a certain category of person | counter, stand or area at public entertainment venues where snacks and/or drinks are sold, usually at inflated prices (short for "concession stand") |
| constable | technically, a police officer of any rank, but usually understood to mean a police officer of the lowest rank (one who holds no other more specific rank) (US: officer or patrolman) | peace officer in a township without an organised police department official who serves summonses (UK: bailiff or sheriff's officer) |
| [to] cop | police officer (short for "copper") (slang) to take (e.g. "cop a look at this", "cop one of these") (slang) to be blamed for, be caught (e.g. "he'll cop it!") (slang) "to cop a feel" = to grope (slang) |
police officer (short for "copper") (slang) "to cop a feel" = to grope (slang) "to cop a squat" = to take a seat (slang) |
| copper | low value coin, brown or 'copper' coloured (currently 1p and 2p coins) large copper vessel used for heating water and washing clothes (archaic) (+ U.S. meanings) |
a metallic element (Cu) police officer (slang) |
| coriander | the leaves of the coriander plant, used as an herb (U.S.: cilantro or Chinese parsley) (+ U.S. meaning) |
dried coriander seed |
| corn | any of various cereal plants or grains, especially the principal crop cultivated in a particular region, as wheat in England or oats in Scotland and Ireland horny swelling on the foot |
Indian corn, maize sweetcorn |
| cot | baby's cradle (U.S.: crib) | camp bed |
| cracker | small parcel that makes an explosive report when pulled from both ends, traditionally pulled at Christmas attractive woman (slang) anything good (e.g. "the new product is a cracker") (slang) cream cracker = thin, hard, savoury biscuit |
thin, hard, savoury biscuit poor, uneducated, bigoted white person (also white cracker; derogatory slang, southeastern U.S.) |
| creek | tidal channel through a coastal marsh | any inland stream of water smaller than a river (UK: stream, rill, burn) |
| crew | body of people manning a vehicle of any kind gang of manual workers (e.g. road crew) group of friends or colleagues (e.g. "I saw him and his crew at the bar") |
rowing as a sport (+ UK meanings) |
D
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| dead beat, deadbeat | exhausted (slang) (US: dead tired) | someone who does not pay their debts, often in construction (e.g. "deadbeat dad") (slang) |
| DC | Detective Constable (police) | District of Columbia |
| DI | Detective Inspector (police) | Drill Instructor (military) |
| diary | personal calendar (+ U.S. meaning) |
personal journal |
| dirt | substance(s) that require removal from clothes, children's faces, rooms etc to make them clean (+ US meaning) |
earth, soil (+ UK meaning) |
| dock | water between or next to a pier or wharf (US: berth, also used in UK, or slip) | constructed place to moor a boat or engage in water sports, largely interchangable with pier or wharf, although often with a modifier, such as "ferry dock", "swimming dock", etc. |
| dodgy | fake (e.g. "dodgy money") (slang) possibly (but not definitely) illegal (slang) of dubious origin (slang) acting suspiciously (e.g. "he looks a bit dodgy") (slang) poorly done or in poor condition (e.g. "a dodgy car", which could also mean it was possibly stolen) (slang) homosexual (rare slang) |
shoddy |
| dollar | 5 shilling coin or equivalent amount (obsolete; used in slang until late 1960s/early 1970s, but some re-stamped Spanish dollar coins were used in the UK in the late 18th/early 19th century) (+ US meaning) |
major unit of currency of the USA |
| drape | to hang limply | curtain (+ UK meaning) |
| drop (of liquid) | several (fluid) ounces (e.g. "just a drop of tea, please") (meiotic usage) (+ US meaning) |
droplet (less than a milliliter) |
| dummy | rubber teat for babies (US: pacifier) (+ US meanings) |
mannequin, especially for automobile crash tests fake, usually legal idiot (slang) |
E
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| elevator | moving belt to transport grain, hay bales etc. | platform or cage moved vertically in a shaft to transport people and goods to various floors in a building (UK: lift) (+ UK meaning) |
| engineer | (none special) | railroad locomotive driver (UK: engine driver or train driver) |
| entrée | starter (first course) of a meal (traditionally, the course served between the fish and the joint, but now used for any starter) right of entry |
main course of a meal |
| estate | any defined area of real property, as in council estate (US: housing project) or trading estate (US: industrial park) (+ US meaning) |
grounds of a large piece of real property which features a mansion and beautiful landscaping |
F
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| faculty | division of a university, dealing with a specific group of disciplines (e.g. faculty of arts) | academic staff of a college or university (+ UK meaning) |
| fag | cigarette (slang) young public schoolboy who acted as a servant for older pupils (obsolete) (+ US meaning as an Americanism) |
male homosexual (short for faggot) (insulting slang) cigarette (extremely rare) (slang) |
| faggot | bundle of sticks, usually for use as firewood kind of meatball (see faggot (food)) male homosexual (see faggot (slang)) (insulting slang; native to the north of England, but an Americanism elsewhere) |
bundle of sticks, usually for use as firewood male homosexual (insulting slang) (see faggot (slang)) |
| fall | to descend, drop descent (+ U.S. meaning, although archaic and generally regarded as an Americanism) |
autumn (+ UK meanings) |
| fanny | vulva (vulgar slang) "to fanny about" or "to fanny around" = to mess about or prevaricate (very mildly vulgar slang) |
buttocks (slang, but not obscene) |
| filth | the police (derogatory slang; never used without the definite article) | (none special) |
| first floor (of a building) | the floor above ground level (See Floor numbering) | the floor at ground level (often, but not always, the same floor as a building's lobby) |
| fit | (of a person) attractive, sexy (slang) (+ US meanings) |
(of a person) in good physical condition suitable for its purpose (usually followed by for or to) |
| flapjack | flat oat cake (US: granola bar) | pancake |
| flannel | washcloth (+ US meaning) |
particular type of fabric/material used for the manufacture of trousers or suits, but more commonly recognised in America as a fabric used in warm winter night clothes and sheets |
| flat | self-contained housing unit in a multi-storey building (U.S.: apartment, also sometimes encountered) | deflated tire (UK: flat tyre) in some areas (such as Upstate New York), an apartment that occupies the entire floor of a small building |
| fluid ounce (fl. oz.) | liquid measure equal to 28.41 millilitres | liquid measure equal to 29.57 milliliters |
| flyover | elevated road section (i.e. long road bridge, US: overpass) | ceremonial aircraft flight (UK: fly-by or fly-past) higher-level road bridge that goes above both a lower bridge and a road below the lower bridge |
| football | association football (US: soccer) | American football |
| fringe | arrangement of locks of hair on the forehead (US: bangs) | (none special) |
| full stop | punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence (US: period), sometimes used in speech for emphasis (e.g."Who does he support? Arsenal, full stop!") | complete stop (of traffic) |
| furnace | large hearth or container for heating or melting metal | principal domestic heat source in central heating (UK: boiler) (+ UK meaning) |
G
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| gagging | (especially as in "gagging for it") desperate, especially for sex (+ US meanings) |
choking fighting the urge to vomit (e.g. "that was so disgusting, I was gagging") |
| gallon | about 6/5 of US gallon or 4.54609 litres | about 5/6 of British (imperial) gallon or 3.78541 litres |
| garage (see also pronunication differences) |
fuel filling station, e.g. "a Texaco garage" | (parking garage) building serving as a public parking facility, or the portion of a private building used for parking (UK: multistorey car park or just multistorey) |
| gas | state of matter (see gas) natural gas |
gasoline (UK: petrol) gas pedal (UK: accelerator) air trapped in the stomach (UK: wind) (+ UK meanings) |
| geezer | gangster, man (esp. Cockney) | old person (derogatory; UK: old geezer [not derog.]) |
| gooseberry | supernumery third person preventing a couple from courting a green hairy summer fruit (Ribes grossularia) |
a green hairy summer fruit (Ribes hirtellum) |
| government | the cabinet or executive branch (US: the administration) the political party supporting the cabinet in parliament (+ shared general meanings: "the act or office of governing") |
the collective agency through which government is exercised (UK: the state) all such individual agencies (UK: the public sector) (+ shared general meanings) |
| grass | an informant (often to the police) (to grass on) to tell on somebody (US: to squeal) marijuana |
grazing; to feed (livestock) with grass (UK: at grass, to put out to grass) marijuana |
| grill | cook directly under a dry heat source (US: broil) | cook over a gas or coal fire |
| ground floor (of a building) | the floor at ground level | sometimes used thusly, but American English prefers first floor Lower of two floors that are each at a different ground level due to sloping terrain. |
| guard | the official in charge of a railway train (US: conductor, which is also used in the UK) |
(none special) |
| gyro | abbreviation for gyroscope. Or giro, a particular form of bank payment similar to a cheque, especially a government benefit payment for unemployment or disability. "I'll pay you back when my giro comes." | abbreviation for gyroscope. Or a sandwich, the Greek gyro, more familiar to Americans than the similar Turkish Döner kebab, which is more common in Britain |
H
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| highway | (chiefly in official use) public road | main road |
| to hire | to rent or rental (e.g. of a car) | to recruit |
| hockey | hockey played with a ball on grass (field hockey) hockey played on a hard surface (e.g. concrete) or indoors |
hockey played on ice with a puck (ice hockey) (+ UK meaning) |
| hog | to take more than one's fair share of something "road hog" = motorist who holds up other traffic by driving slowly or out of lane; any bad driver |
mature pig motorcycle, especially a large one (typically a Harley-Davidson (+ UK meanings) |
| holiday | any time off from work or school, including the period between school terms (US: break, vacation) recreational trip away from home (US: vacation) |
A specifically defined US Federal Holiday |
| homely | (Of a house) comfortable, cozy, rustic (US: homey) (Of a person) home-loving, domesticated, house-proud |
(Only used of a person) plain, ugly |
| hood | head covering attached to, and forming part of, a garment the folding fabric top on a convertible car (US: convertible top) |
hinged cover over the engine in a car (UK: bonnet) a contraction of neighborhood short for hoodlum, a tough, destructive young man, or generically any criminal head covering attached to, and forming part of, a garment |
| hooker | name of a player's position in a Rugby Union or Rugby League team - position is in the centre of the front row of the scrum (+ US meaning as an Americanism) |
prostitute |
| hooter | steam whistle or siren in a factory or other large workplace sounded as a signal for beginning or ceasing work car horn nose |
(in plural) vulgar term for breasts |
| horny | sexually attractive (slang) sexually excited (slang) |
sexually frustrated (slang) |
| hunting | pursuing animals on horseback | pursuing animals on foot (UK: shooting or stalking) |
I
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ice pick | ice axe, a tool with a pointed end used by rock- and mountain-climbers for splitting ice | small awl-like tool for breaking ice into small pieces for drinks |
| indicator | turn signal in a car |
(none special) |
| inspector (police) | lowest supervisory rank above sergeant (rough US equivalent: lieutenant) | senior rank in some police departments (rough UK equivalent: superintendent) |
J
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| jam | a preserve made from fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin (US: jelly) | certain kinds of fruit preserve, especially the kinds with pieces of fruit left in: strawberry jam, but grape jelly |
| jelly | fruit flavoured dessert set with gelatin (U.S.: commonly referred to by familiar trademark Jell-O; generically gelatin (pudding)) | preserve made from the liquid of fruits boiled in sugar and set with pectin, without pieces of fruit |
| jock | slang term for a Scotsman or a Highland Terrier (scottie) | slang term for an athlete slang term for the undergarment called an athletic supporter or jock strap |
| john | (none special) | prostitute's client (slang) toilet (slang) |
| joint | hand-rolled cigarette containing cannabis an establishment, especially a disreputable one (a gin joint; let's case the joint) all or some of the limb of a meat animal, before or after cooking |
prison (in the joint) (+ UK meanings) |
| jumper | sweater | pinafore dress or jump suit |
K
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| kebab | commonly a döner kebab (sometimes doner or donner kebab), strips of meat (usually lamb or chicken) cooked by being heated on a revolving device and served stuffed in a pita bread (In the US, the Greek varieties souvlaki or gyro are better known than the Turkish döner) (+ US meaning) |
meat served on a skewer together with onions, tomatoes, etc. (e.g., shish kebab) |
| knickers | panties | knickerbockers |
| to knock up | to manufacture hastily to practice before tennis to wake up by knocking (+ US meaning) |
to make pregnant |
L
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| lamp | a device that burns liquid to produce light (US: lantern) | a free-standing device that emits a continuous light (UK: lantern) |
| lantern | a free-standing device that emits a continuous light (US: lamp) | a device that burns liquid to produce light (UK: lamp) |
| lecturer | the entry-level academic rank at a university (below Senior Lecturer, Reader, and Professor) (+ US meaning) |
someone who gives a lecture |
| lemonade | clear, carbonated, lemon-flavoured drink similar to Sprite and 7Up (lemon and lime flavoured) | non-carbonated drink made by mixing lemon juice, sugar, and water (UK: traditional lemonade, rarely seen) |
| let | rent (an apartment, business premises etc) (+ US meanings) |
allow, give permission. leave (as in let him be or let it be) ease (as in let up on the accelerator) indicate (as in don't let on) a first bad serve which is allowed to be retaken, as in tennis, table tennis, and volleyball rent (rarely; exists primarily in "sublet") |
| leverage | mechanical advantage of a lever (+ US finance meaning as Americanism) |
take advantage of a capability (business) the use of debt finance (UK: gearing) (+ UK meaning) |
| lift (noun) | platform or cage moved vertically in a shaft to transport people and goods to various floors in a building (US: elevator) (+ US meaning) |
ride as a passenger in a vehicle (as in, to give someone a lift) item placed in shoe to increase the height of the wearer, normally plural (lifts, elevator shoes) |
| line | (none special) | a queue a lie, short for a line of bull a phrase used for hitting on women, short for pickup line to hit a line drive (a hard straight shot) in baseball |
| liquor | The broth resulting from the prolonged cooking of meat or vegetables. Green liquor is traditionally served with pie and mash in the East End of London (+ US meaning as an Americanism or a legal term) |
A distilled alcoholic beverage |
| loaded (slang; of a person) | rich | drunk or high (+ UK meaning) |
| lounge | a room for relaxation and entertainment in a house (lounge bar) part of a pub |
a bar |
| love (noun) | used as an informal term of address (+ US meaning) |
beloved person, darling--often used as a term of endearment |
| lush (slang; of a person) | attractive (usually used by women in reference to men) (+ US meaning, but rather old-fashioned) |
an alcoholic |
M
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| mad | insane eccentric |
enraged |
| in Britain, one posts a letter via Royal Mail | in the US, one mails a letter via US Postal Service | |
| [to] major | important rank between captain and lieutenant-colonel in the British Army and Royal Marines |
important to specialise in a subject at university (e.g. "he majored in physics") (roughly approximate UK: to read) subject specialised in at university rank between captain and lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force and some police agencies |
| majority (politics) | the greatest number of votes difference of votes between first and second place (US: plurality) |
more than half of all votes (UK: absolute majority) |
| marinara (sauce) | a sauce containing seafood, usually in a tomato base | a sauce containing tomatoes and herbs, with no seafood or meat (UK: napolitana sauce) |
| mate | friend (US: pal) informal term of address, as in "hello mate" (+ US meaning, but only applying to animals) |
spouse or partner |
| mean | stingy, miserly, selfish | angry, cruel, vicious |
| military | relating to the armed forces in general, but not to individual branches of the armed forces relating specifically to the British Army |
relating to armed forces in general or to any of the individual branches of the armed forces armed forces |
| Middle East | area of southwest Asia and northern Africa, stretching from the Mediterranean to Pakistan, in particular Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria | countries of SW Asia and northern Africa, usually considered as including the countries extending from Libya on the west to Afghanistan on the east |
| momentarily | for a moment | in a moment; very soon (+ UK meaning) |
| moot | debatable (a moot point) | irrelevant (+ UK meaning) |
| MP | Member of Parliament Military police officer (member of the Royal Military Police) |
Military police officer |
| muffler | scarf | device to silence an automobile (UK: silencer) or gramophone |
N
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| napkin | piece of material used to protect garments from spilled food or to remove food residues from around the mouth | sanitary towel (+ UK meaning) |
| nappy | folded cloth or other absorbent material drawn up between the legs and fastened around the waist, usually worn by infants to counter incontinence (US: diaper) | twisted or kinked, considered insulting when applied to hair (also called napped) |
| newsreader | one who reads the news on radio or television (US: news anchor) (+ US meaning) |
program for reading Usenet articles |
| nick | prison or police station (slang) to steal (slang) to arrest (slang) (+ US meaning) |
small cut |
| nickel | the metallic element nickel (Ni) | 5 cent coin (+ UK meaning) |
| nonplussed | Bewildered; unsure how to respond | Unfazed (this usage is relatively new and probably originates from a misunderstanding of the word, but it is widespread in the US) source: Wikitionary |
O
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| outside lane | the part of the road nearest the vehicles going in the opposite direction, used especially by faster vehicles | the part of the road nearest the edge, used especially by slower-moving vehicles (note that in both cases the term applies to the rightmost lane in the direction concerned) |
P
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pacifier | (none special) | rubber teat for babies (UK: dummy) |
| pants | underpants (usually briefs) of poor quality (slang) (of a situation) bad, unfortunate (slang) |
trousers |
| paraffin | kerosene | a waxy fraction of petroleum commonly used to make candles (UK: "paraffin wax") |
| paralytic | extremely drunk | (none special) |
| pavement | sidewalk | asphalt; tarmac; the road surface |
| PC | Police Constable (+ US meanings) |
politically correct personal computer |
| pecker | courage, pluck (used in the phrase "keep your pecker up", remain cheerful) | penis (slang) |
| period | section of time menstruation |
punctuation mark used at the end of a sentence (UK: full stop), sometimes used in speech for emphasis to state that a decision is final and/or a subject is closed for discussion (e.g. "You are not going to that concert, period!") (also sometimes used in UK) (+ UK meanings) |
| pint | about 6/5 of US measure, 20 Imperial fluid ounces (19.2 US fl. oz.), 568 ml pint of beer, lager or cider (e.g. "Pour us a pint") |
about 5/6 of British (Imperial) measure, 16 US fluid ounces (16.65 Imperial fl. oz), 473 ml |
| piss | on the piss = drinking heavily, going out for the purpose of drinking heavily to take the piss = to mock (+ US meanings) |
urine urinate |
| pissed | intoxicated, drunk (often pissed as a newt) urinated |
angry, irritated (short for pissed off, which is also used in UK, but only in its full form) urinated |
| pitch | outdoor site for a stall or some other business site for a tent (US: campsite) playing field for a particular sport (football pitch, rugby pitch, cricket pitch etc) a sticky black substance obtained from tar an attempt to persuade somebody to do something, usually to accept a business proposal |
in baseball, the delivery of a baseball by a pitcher to a batter an attempt to persuade somebody to do something, usually to accept a business proposal |
| pitcher | large container with a handle and lip or spout for liquids, usually water (US: jug) | any container with a handle and lip or spout for liquids(UK: jug) baseball player who pitches (throws) baseball towards the batter |
| pleb/plebe (shortened from plebian) | (pleb) derogatory term for someone inferior, common or ignorant | (plebe) a freshman at the US Military Academy or US Naval Academy (+ UK meaning) |
| pop | carbonated soft drink (colloquial) (US: soda) short for popular music father (colloquial and quite rare) |
short for popular music, a style of music. It is usually influenced by, but milder than, urban music. short for soda pop, U.S. Midwest and Western New York term for carbonated soft drink father (colloquial) |
| post | in Britain, one posts a letter via Royal Mail | in the US, one mails a letter via US Postal Service to go postal, a sudden, irrational burst of rage (slang) |
| pound sign | symbol of the Pound Sterling (£) (GBP) | hash sign (#) |
| prep(aratory) school | fee-paying private junior school (which prepares pupils for public school) | fee-paying private senior school (which prepares pupils for university) (UK: public school) |
| presently | soon (US: momentarily, q.v.) (+ US meaning) |
now (UK: currently) |
| press, pressure | (none special) | insistently influence, or attempt to influence, someone else (e.g. The manager pressured his assistant to work late) (UK: pressurise) |
| pressurise, pressurize | insistently influence, or attempt to influence, someone else (e.g. The manager pressurised his assistant to work late) (US: pressure) | (none special) |
| professor | holder of a chair in a university, the highest academic rank (the usual order being Lecturer, Senior Lecturer, Reader, Professor) | academic faculty of all ranks: Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, and (Full) Professor (the latter being largely equivalent to the UK meaning) |
| prom | shortening of 'promenade concert', one of a series of concerts held as part of a classical music festival that takes place in the late summer based around the Royal Albert Hall in London | dance/party held for pupils to celebrate the end of a school year/graduation |
| public school | long-established and prestigious fee-paying private school (note that not all private schools are classed as public schools) (US: prep school) | tax-supported school controlled by a local governmental authority (UK: state school) |
| pud | short for pudding, especially in "Christmas pud" (rhymes with 'good') | slang term for penis (rhymes with 'mud') |
| pudding | dessert course of a meal a heavy dessert or main course (e.g. steak and kidney pudding), often suet-based used in the name of some other savoury dishes (e.g. black pudding, pease pudding) |
a creamy dessert |
| to pull | to persuade someone to be one's date or sex partner on the pull = seeking a date or sex partner |
to succeed in a task, as in "to pull off" |
| punk | follower of Punk music | worthless person (+ UK meaning) |
| purse | feminine money container (US: wallet) | handbag (+ UK meaning) |
| pylon | electricity pylon, part of an electric power transmission network (US: "mast" or "transmission tower") | traffic cone support structure for suspension bridge or highway |
Q
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| quart | liquid measure equal to 1.136 litres (6/5 of an American quart) | liquid measure equal to 0.946 litres (5/6 of a British quart) |
| quarter | (none special) | 25 cents (a fourth of a dollar) |
| quid | colloquial term for pound sterling (plural is quid also; in Ireland it can refer to the punt or Euro) (+ US meaning) | a measure (mouthful) of chewing tobacco |
| quite good | mediocre, acceptable good, well done (ironic, according to subtle voice intonation) |
excellent |
R
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| [to] railroad | tramway (obsolete) to coerce |
railway |
| [to] read | to study a subject at university (e.g. "he is reading physics") (roughly approximate US: to major in) (+ US meanings) |
to peruse and understand written material perused and understood written material |
| reader | the second highest academic rank at a university, after professor | (none special) |
| regular | the opposite of irregular (e.g. "the pentagon had regular sides", meaning they are all the same length) full-time professional (as opposed to part-time, volunteer or conscript) member of a military, police or firefighting organisation |
usual or ordinary lowest grade of gasoline (historically: leaded gasoline) non-decaffeinated coffee unmodified, especially non-dietary/sugar-free/fat-free medium-sized |
| restroom | a room for staff to take their breaks in; a staffroom | a room in a public place, containing a toilet |
| to ring | to call (someone) by telephone | (none special) |
| rubber | pencil eraser condom |
condom waterproof rain boot (UK: wellington) |
| rubbish | garbage, trash to dismiss as worthless |
understood by Americans as a Britishism except when it is used to impugn a statement; American English speakers can deride an idea as "rubbish" and be understood, but they do so at the risk of sounding "stuck up" or pompous (+ UK meaning as regionalism or legal/technical term) |
S
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| saloon | closed automobile having two or (usually) four doors, a front and rear seat and a separate boot/trunk (US: sedan) (saloon bar) posh bar within a pub or hotel officers' dining room on a merchant ship passengers' lounge on a liner or luxury train |
bar; especially associated with the Wild West bar that serves only spirits and no food |
| sat | sitting: "I've been sat there for an hour." | (none special) |
| school | place of primary or secondary education grouping of departments or large department within a university faculty |
any educational institution |
| seeded (grapes, etc.) | with the seeds left in | having had the seeds removed (also seedless, used in UK) |
| semi | semi-detached house | semi-truck, semi-trailer |
| set square | A triangular object used in technical drawing (known as a triangle in American English). | A T-square (also used in technical drawing). |
| shag | (vulgar) to copulate, or copulate with a type of bird, similar to a cormorant a type of shredded coarse tobacco (+ US meanings) |
a kind of a dance a kind of fabric with a thick, long strands; often used in carpets long, matted hair (cf. Shaggy from the Scooby Doo cartoon) (+ UK sexual meaning, as a Britishism; popularized by Austin Powers movies) |
| shattered | exhausted (+ US meaning) |
devastated emotionally |
| sherbet | a fizzy powdered confectionery | a type of frozen dessert (also spelled sherbert) |
| sheriff | chief royal peace officer of a county, now (as high sheriff) largely only a ceremonial role (England and Wales) local judge, in full sheriff-depute or sheriff-substitute (Scotland) |
elected chief legal officer of a county, usually also in charge of the county's law enforcement service |
| [to] shingle | pebbles, particularly those on the seashore beach formed from shingle wooden roof tile to cover a roof with wooden tiles shingles = a painful disease of the skin, caused by the chickenpox virus |
wooden roof tile sign proclaiming one's name and calling (e.g. "hang a shingle out") to cut a woman's hair in an overlapping style to cover a roof with wooden tiles to cover something like a shingled roof shingles = a painful disease of the skin, caused by the chickenpox virus |
| shop | consumer retail establishment of any size (US: store) (+ US meaning, but only in combination, e.g. machine shop) |
workshop practical class at school taught in a workshop |
| shorts | short trousers strong alcoholic drinks served in multiples of 25 ml, sometimes with mixers (US: shots) |
short trousers underpants, boxers |
| shot | sound made by firing a cartridge from a firearm | strong alcoholic drink served in multiples of 1.5 American floz. (29.57 ml) (UK: short) (+ UK meaning) |
| show | theatrical production, often specifically a musical | television programme, especially drama or comedy (+ UK meaning) |
| shower | a short period of rain | a celebratory party where gifts are given to an individual e.g. a baby shower to celebrate an imminent birth (+ UK meaning) |
| sic | Latin for "Thus", "just so" — states that the preceding quoted material appears exactly that way in the source, usually despite errors of spelling, grammar, usage, or fact. | pronunciation spelling of "seek" used as a dog command, and by extension as a verb meaning to set (as a dog, etc.) to attack someone, e.g. "I'll sic my attorney on you". (+ UK meaning) |
| [to be] sick | [to] vomit "off sick" = not at work because of illness "to pull a sickie" = to fake an illness in order to get time off work |
[to be] unwell [to be] disgusting to vomit |
| siding | dead-end railway tracks that lead off another railway line | external wall covering, cladding, weatherboarding (+ UK meaning) |
| silencer | device to silence a car/automobile (US: muffler) (+ US meaning) |
device to silence a firearm |
| skillet | (regional dialect) a frying pan a type of stir-fried food item |
a frying pan, often cast iron a long-handled stewing pan or saucepan, often having short legs or feet |
| slag | (derogatory) promiscuous woman (US: slut, also used in UK) a general insult directed at someone of either sex (+ US meaning) |
waste from steel refining |
| slash | colloquialism for urinating (to have a slash) the punctuation mark '/' (technically an Americanism, but often used for internet addresses) |
the symbol '/' (typography: slash (punctuation); UK: oblique or stroke) |
| (to) slate | to disparage (+ US meaning) |
to schedule, such as "slated for demolition" |
| snout | police informant tobacco (slang) (+ US meanings) |
pig's nose nose (slang) |
| sod | unpleasant person, originally short for sodomite ("He's a sod, isn't he?) unfortunate person when prefixed by 'poor' ("The poor sod's had his wallet nicked.") + US meaning |
layer of grass and earth |
| soda | sodium bicarbonate carbonated water, or any non-alcoholic drink made with it, but not usually one sold ready-mixed |
carbonated soft drink, usually one sold ready-mixed (UK: fizzy drink or colloquially (fizzy) pop) |
| solicitor | lawyer who advises clients, represents them in the lower courts, and prepares cases for barristers to try in higher courts | chief law officer of a city, town, or government department (+ UK meaning, but considered very stuffy) |
| solitaire | peg-jumping puzzle game (see peg solitaire) | any of a family of one-player card games (see solitaire) (UK: patience) |
| squash (noun) | fruit cordial drink (squash (drink)) a sport (squash (sport)) (rarely) the vegetable |
vegetable (squash (vegetable)) (rarely) the sport |
| stood | standing (colloquial, mainly in northern England): "I've been stood here for an hour." | (none special) |
| stoop | forwards bend of the spine bringing the shoulders in front of the hips dive of a predatory bird towards its prey |
raised porch or entrance veranda (+ UK meanings) |
| store | place for storage of items not needed for immediate use large consumer retail establishment (as department store or superstore only) |
consumer retail establishment of any size (UK: shop) (+ UK meaning) |
| [to] sub | [to] subsidise (pay for something in place of someone else) [to] substitute (usually in sport) [to] edit copy for length and/ or house style (newspapers, sub-edit in full) subscription submarine sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy rank) subaltern (British Army second lieutenant or lieutenant) |
submarine substitute teacher (UK: supply teacher) to teach in place of the normal teacher [to] substitute (usually in sport) submarine sandwich |
| subway | pedestrian underpass Glasgow subterranean railway |
underground commuter railroad |
| superintendent | senior police rank senior official in various undertakings (railways etc.) |
senior official person in charge of a building (UK: caretaker) |
| suspenders | elasticated support for stockings (US: garter) | elasticated support for trousers (UK: braces) |
| switch | device for turning electric current on or off | mechanism that allows a railway train or tram to change tracks (UK: points) (+ UK meaning) |
T
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| to table (e.g. parliamentary procedure) |
to raise for consideration ("to bring to|put on the table") | to suspend from consideration (to shelve) ("to put it back on the table after having picked it up") |
| tap | valve through which liquid is drawn and dispensed (common US: faucet) as in "phone tap", a device for listening to other people's telephone calls tap up: to covertly enter negotiations (e.g. "the manager accused the other team of tapping up his player") |
selected/chosen/requested/asked, especially to be publically selected for a special honor from one's peers as in the (possibly apocryphal) American Indian ceremony (e.g. "She was tapped for the position of CEO") (+ UK meanings) |
| tea | a beverage, usually taken hot with milk afternoon snack (US: late lunch) evening meal |
a beverage, hot but also taken cold with lemon and/or sugar |
| to be on the telephone/phone | to have a working telephone (now rare, since most people do) (+ US meaning) |
to be talking on the telephone |
| terrier | member of the Territorial Army (slang) (most commonly used for the breed of dogs) |
one of various smallish breeds of dog |
| theatre / theater | playhouse | cinema (+ UK meaning) |
| tick | a check mark a moment (just a tick) credit (on tick) |
(none special) |
| to tick off | to admonish | to annoy |
| tights | nylons, usually sheer, which also cover the groin (US: pantyhose if sheer; tights if not, or made of other than nylon) | skin-tight, often opaque, pants or pants and top, such as worn by gymnasts |
| tip | a place where rubbish is disposed (US: dump, landfill) to pour (+US meanings) |
pointed or narrow end advice voluntary gratuity paid e.g. at a restaurant to (cause to) lean to one side |
| tit | idiot (slang) (+ US meanings) |
various species of small bird woman's breast (vulgar slang) |
| tom | prostitute slang term for a private in the Parachute Regiment (+ US meaning) |
unneutered male cat |
| torch | hand-held device that emits light (US: flashlight) (+ US meaning) |
flaming club used as a light source |
| tosser | idiot (literally, someone who masturbates, a derogatory term similar to wanker) | (none special) |
| tough (interjection) | I don't care | that's unfortunate (short for "tough luck") (+ UK meaning) |
| tramp | homeless person who moves (tramps) from town to town (US: hobo) (+ US meanings, although less common) |
loose or promiscuous woman; prostitute (+ UK meaning) |
| trapezium | a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides | a quadrilateral with no parallel sides |
| trapezoid | a quadrilateral with no parallel sides | a quadrilateral with one pair of parallel sides |
| trick | adjective describing an unstable knee or elbow: 'trick' knee, 'trick elbow (rare) | what a prostitute does for a client (+ UK meaning) |
| trillion | million million (although the traditional value, million million million, is sometimes still meant) |
million million (UK: trillion, or traditional billion) |
| trim (a Christmas tree) | decorate the tree | cut the tree to the right size |
| trolley | cart or wheeled stand used for conveying something (as food or books) (US: shopping cart) as in off one's trolley, insane as in trolleyed, very drunk; |
trolley car (UK: tram) |
| trooper | cavalry horse troopship (obsolete) rank held by a private in the Household Cavalry, Royal Armoured Corps or SAS |
state policeman |
| trunk | large (person-sized) container (also travelling chest) primary railway line (trunk line) or road (trunk road) |
storage compartment of a car (UK: boot) large (person-sized) container (also travelling chest) |
| Tube | the London subterranean railway system (sometimes incorrectly applied to other underground railways, i.e., "the Berlin tube") | television |
| twat | an insult applied to someone who is being stupid (considered vulgar by some) to hit someone or something hard, e.g. "say that again and I'll twat you!" (+ US meaning) |
vulgar term for vagina |
| tyke | an informal, sometimes disparaging, term for someone from Yorkshire (+ US meaning) |
term of endearment for a child, like "little rascal" |
U
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| underground | subterranean subterranean railway system, particularly the ones in London and Glasgow (US: subway) illicit |
subterranean subterranean space or channel illicit |
| us | objective case of I (i.e. alternative to "me"), particularly in the North of England (e.g. "lend us a tenner") (+ US meaning) |
objective case of we (e.g. "he saw us") |
V
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| vacation | the period between university terms (also vac) | time off from work or school (UK: holiday) a recreational trip away from home (UK: holiday) (+ UK meaning) |
| valve | (vacuum) tube, as in pre-1960s electronics | (none special) |
| vest | garment, usually sleeveless, worn under a shirt (US: undershirt) sleeveless garment worn as an only visible top |
sleeveless garment worn over a shirt (UK: waistcoat) (e.g. kevlar vest, which would also be used in UK) |
| vet | veterinarian | war veteran (+ UK meaning) |
W
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| [to] wash up | [to] wash the dishes (more generally, to clean after eating food) | [to] wash one's hands (more generally, to clean before eating food) |
| way out | the exit from a room, building or site | extreme (as in "way out there") |
| well | really, used for emphasis (colloquial) (e.g. "that was well funny") (+ US meanings) |
adverb of good in good form, in good health, not ill pit sunk to obtain water or oil |
| wicked | slang interjection ("Wicked!") for something very good, astounding or interesting | in the American Northeast, a colloquial adverb with the meaning of "very" ("wicked good") |
Y
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| yankee | anybody from the USA (usually shortened to yank) (can be pejorative) | someone from the north-eastern states of the USA (can be pejorative) player for the New York Yankees |