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 recognized by the other as Britishisms or Americanisms respectively.
- In many cases, words may have more than one meaning, only some of which may be common to both dialects. In these cases, only the non-shared meanings are listed.
- 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 should be marked with their usual area of use.
Many American phrases (and their meanings) are now increasingly used 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
Words A-F
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| ace | good, OK, excellent (slang) (+ US meaning) |
a one in a suit of playing cards (UK meaning not unheard of, although perhaps a bit dated as US slang) |
| advocate | Scottish equivalent of a barrister (a lawyer who appears in higher courts) | (none special) |
| alternately | one after the other, taking turns | as an alternative (UK: alternatively) |
| amber | yellow traffic light (US: yellow light) | (none special) |
| anchor | device for mooring ships by providing a firm fix to the seabed | television newsreader/presenter (+ UK meaning) |
| apartment | suite of rooms set aside for a particular person (rare) | self-contained housing unit (UK: flat) |
| Asian | coming from India, Pakistan etc.; South Asian | coming from continental Southeast Asia; East Asian (UK: oriental) |
| ass | donkey slow-witted or stupid person or buffoon (slang) |
buttocks (slang) (UK: arse or bum) (+ UK meanings) |
| band | group of musicians | jewelry ring for the finger (usually as in "wedding band") (UK: wedding ring) (+ UK meaning) |
| bangs | small explosions or retorts | locks of hair on forehead (UK: fringe) (+ UK meaning) |
| bathroom | room containing a bath (US: 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 (a room without shower or bathtub may also be known as a powder room, but this usage may be considered dated) |
| beaver | beard; a bearded man (archaic slang) (+ US meanings) |
aquatic rodent known for building dams women's undepilated external genitalia (obscene slang) |
| billion | thousand million (10^9) (although the traditional value of million million (10^12) can also be meant) |
thousand million (10^9) (traditional UK: billion, or milliard, the latter now rare) |
| bird | one's girlfriend or any young female (slang; getting rarer and can be considered derogatory) prison sentence (slang) |
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 two-finger salute, which is similar but with both middle and index fingers extended) |
| biscuit | baked sweet or savoury cake-like item, usually flat and fairly hard (US: cracker or cookie) | type of quick bread served with savory foods (UK: similar to a savoury scone) |
| blinder | excellent performance in a game or race (slang) | either of two flaps on a horse's bridle to keep it from seeing objects at its sides (UK: blinker, also used in US) |
| blinkers | leather flaps on a bridle used to restrict a horse's lateral vision (US: blinders) (+ US meaning, although rarely heard) |
lights on a car that indicate the direction about to be taken (UK: indicators) (+ UK meaning) |
| block | (none special) | in a city, the portion of a street between adjacent intersections or an informal unit of distance derived from the length of the same |
| 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 US: goddamned; New England: wicked) |
(none special) |
| bog | toilet (slightly vulgar slang) | (none special) |
| bombardier | corporal in the Royal Artillery | crewman in a bomber aircraft who aims and drops the bombs (UK: bomb aimer) |
| bonk | act of sexual intercourse, or to have sexual intercourse (slightly vulgar slang) (US: boink) (+ US meaning, although rather dated) |
blow to the head |
| bonnet | hinged cover over the engine in a car (US: hood) hat tied under the chin worn by a baby or (archaically) a woman various types of Scottish or Irish soft hat |
hinged cover over the engine of a car, but only in the rare case where the engine is at the rear of the vehicle 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 (US: tube top) | television ("the boob tube") (slang) |
| boot | storage compartment of a car (US: trunk) to kick something hard |
(none special) |
| bottle | courage (e.g. "he's got some bottle") (slang) (US: moxie) to cease to do something through fear (e.g. "he's bottled out", "he bottled it") (slang, probably from Cockney rhyming slang "bottle and glass" = "arse") to attack somebody with a broken bottle (slang) (+ US meaning) |
liquor (metaphorical slang) (e.g. "hitting the bottle", "been to the bottom of the bottle", meaning drinking heavily) |
| box | television set ("the box") (slang) female genitalia (obscene slang) |
female genitalia (obscene slang) |
| braces | over-the-shoulder straps to support trousers (US: suspenders) devices for straightening teeth |
devices for straightening teeth enclosing punctuation: {} (UK: curly brackets) (+ UK meaning) |
| brackets | enclosing punctuation: () (US: parentheses, also used in UK), [] (square brackets), {} (curly brackets) (US: braces) | secondary enclosing punctuation: [] (UK: square brackets) |
| brew | cup of tea (slang) (+ US meaning) |
beer cup of coffee (sometimes tea) |
| 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) |
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") |
| bum | buttocks (slang, not really vulgar) (US: ass or butt) to borrow (e.g. "can I bum a fag off you") (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) (US: creek) (+ US meaning) |
wound caused by heat |
| butcher | "to have a butcher's" = to have a look (Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's hook = look) | "to butcher it up" = to make a big mess of things; botch |
| café | diner | (none special) |
| to call | "to call on someone" = to visit someone to make a telephone call |
to make a telephone call "to call on someone" = to visit someone (but this is becoming rare) |
| campsite | area or park for people to camp in (US: campground) | spot for a particular person or group to camp, often within a campground (UK: pitch) |
| canfield | a patience (solitaire) card game (US: Klondike) | a patience (solitaire) card game (UK: Demon) |
| chaps | men and/or boys (but increasingly used for people of either sex; in the singular it still almost exclusively refers to a male) (US: guys) one's friends ("the chaps") (US: the guys) |
leather leggings worn by cowboys and designed to protect the legs against thorns (pronounced shaps) |
| cheers | said to express gratitude in southern England (Midlands and North use ta, also used in South), or on parting (slang) (+ US meaning) |
used as a toast or valediction |
| chemist | pharmacist, pharmacy (+ US 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 (+ US meaning in some areas of the UK) |
thin slices of fried potato (UK: crisps) |
| chippy | carpenter (slang) fish and chip shop (slang) having a grievance (a chip on one's shoulder) |
loose woman (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 (US: hard cider) | a 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) | built-in wardrobe |
| coach (person) | (none special) | sports teacher at a school (UK: PE teacher) |
| college | part of the name of some state secondary schools (US: high school) and many public schools (US: 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) |
a single location for higher education in a group of such schools (the university) university, usually quite small and often not granting higher degrees |
| comforter | one who comforts | quilted bedspread (+ UK meaning) |
| commissioner (police) | professional head of the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police (US: chief of police) | political head of a police department |
| 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) |
| 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) (+ US meanings) |
the metal Cu police officer (slang) |
| corn | any of various cereal plants or grains, especially the principal crop cultivated in a particular region, as wheat in England, oats in Scotland and Ireland | Indian corn, maize |
| cot | baby's cradle | 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) (+ US meaning, but only in "cream cracker") |
thin, hard, savoury biscuit poor white person (derogatory slang, S.E. US) |
| 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 co-workers (e.g. "I saw him and his crew at the bar") |
rowing as a sport (+ UK meanings) |
| 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 (+ US meaning) |
personal journal |
| dirt | substance(s) that require removal from clothes, childrens faces, rooms etc to make them clean | earth, soil (+ UK meaning) |
| dollar | 5 shilling coin or equivalent amount (obsolete; used in slang until late 1960s/early 1970s, but was an actual British minted coin in late 18th/early 19th century) | 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) |
| earth | ground of an electrical circuit, or to connect (an electrical device) to ground | (none special) |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| 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 (occasional use) (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) |
male homosexual (insulting slang) (see faggot (slang)) |
| fall | (none special) | autumn |
| fanny | vulva (obscene slang) "to fanny about" or "to fanny around" = to mess about or prevaricate (very mildly vulgar slang) |
buttocks (slang, but not obscene) |
| film | motion picture (US: movie) (+ US meanings) |
thin membrane membranous material on which motion pictures and photographs are made to make a motion picture |
| filth | the police (derogatory slang; never used without the definite article) | (none special) |
| first floor (of a building) | the floor above ground level | 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 (US: apartment) | deflated tire (UK: flat tyre) |
| 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) |
| furnace | large hearth or container for heating or melting metal | principal domestic heat source in central heating (UK: boiler) (+ UK meaning) |
Words G-M
| 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 | fuel filling station, e.g. "a Texaco garage" In British English, rhymes with "marriage" or is pronounced as "GA-rahzh", the first syllable carrying the stress in both cases. |
(parking garage) building serving as a public parking facility (UK: multistorey car park or just multistorey) In American English, the initial "a" is a schwa, the stress is on the second syllable, the second "a" is broad ("ah"), and the final "g" is pronounced as "zh", adhering to the word's French etymology: guh-RAHZH. |
| garter | band worn around the leg to keep up a stocking or sock | suspender for a sock or stocking (+ UK meaning) |
| gas | Natural gas | Gasoline (UK: petrol) air trapped in the stomach (UK: wind) (+ UK meaning) |
| 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 political party in power (US: administration) (+ US meaning) |
the executive |
| 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) |
| hammered | (none special) | drunk or intoxicated |
| hi (interjection) | hey | (none special) |
| 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 (US: field hockey) hockey played on a hard surface (e.g. concrete) or indoors |
hockey played on ice with a puck (UK: 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 (+ 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) |
(none special) |
| 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 meaning) |
| 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) (+ US meaning as Americanism) |
sexually frustrated (slang) (UK: randy) |
| hunting | pursuing animals on horseback | pursuing animals on foot (UK: shooting or stalking) |
| 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) |
| 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 | a fruit flavoured dessert set with gelatin (US: Jell-O) | a 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 (US: bud) all or some of the limb of a meat animal, before or after cooking (+US "establishment" meaning) |
an establishment, especially a disruptable one (a gin joint; let's case the joint) prison (in the joint) (+UK meanings) |
| jug | any container with a handle and mouth or spout for liquid (US: pitcher) (in plural) vulgar slang for breasts |
large container with a narrow mouth and handle for liquids (UK: pitcher) |
| jumper | sweater | pinafore dress or jump suit |
| knickers | panties | knickerbockers |
| to knock up | to manufacture hastily to practice before tennis to wake up by knocking (+ US meaning) |
to make pregnant |
| 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 lowest academic rank at a university (the next lowest: senior or principal lecturer) (+ 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 |
| 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 |
| in Britain, one posts a letter via Royal Mail | in the US, one mails a letter via US Postal Service | |
| majority | 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 |
| 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 |
| mobile (noun) | mobile phone, cell phone (+ US meaning) |
decorative structure suspended so as to turn freely in the air (sometimes pronounced with a long i as in eel) (UK meaning becoming common) |
| momentarily | for a moment | in a moment; very soon (+ UK meaning) |
| moot | debatable (a moot point) | irrelevant (+ UK meaning) |
| muffler | scarf | device to silence an automobile (UK: silencer) or gramophone |
Words N-P
| 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 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 Ni | 5 cent coin (+ UK meaning) |
| Oriental | East Asian, continental Southeast Asian | East Asian, increasingly considered slightly condescending or politically incorrect when applied to persons |
| 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) |
| 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 | (none special) (+ US emphasis meaning) | punctuation mark (UK: full stop) used for emphasis to state that a decision is final and/or a subject is closed for discussion (You are not going to that concert, period!) (UK: full stop) |
| pint | about 6/5 of US measure, 20 fluid ounces, 568 ml | about 5/6 of British (Imperial) measure, 16 fluid ounces, 473 ml |
| piss | on the piss = drinking heavily, going out for the purpose of drinking heavily (+ US meaning) |
urine; urinate |
| pissed | intoxicated; drunk (often pissed as a newt) | 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 |
| plastered | very drunk | (none special) |
| pleb/plebe | (pleb) derogatory term for someone inferior, common or ignorant | (plebe) a freshman at the US Military Academy or US Naval Academy |
| 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 |
| 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 at a university, the highest academic rank (US: full professor) | any member of academic staff at a college or university |
| 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) |
| 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 |
(none special) |
| punk | follower of Punk music | worthless person (+ UK meaning) |
| purse | feminine money container (US: wallet) | handbag (+ UK meaning) |
Words Q-S
| Word | more common British meaning | more common American meaning |
|---|---|---|
| quarter | (none special) | 25 cents (a fourth of a dollar) |
| quid | colloquial term for pound sterling (plural is quid also) (+ US meaning) | a measure (mouthful) of chewing tobacco |
| quite good | mediocre, acceptable good, well done (ironic, according to subtle voice intonation) |
excellent |
| railroad | tramway (obsolete) | railway |
| reader | the second highest academic rank at a university, after professor | (none special) |
| regular | (none special) | usual or ordinary lowest grade of gasoline (historically: leaded gasoline) non-decaffeinated coffee unmodified, especially non-dietary/sugar-free/fat-free |
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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 |
| shingle | pebbles forming a beach | (none special) |
| shingles | a painful disease of the skin, caused by the chickenpox virus | a form of roof covering (+ UK meaning) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
| 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) |
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 slang for "tobacco" |
(none special) |
| 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) |
| spunk | semen (US: jizz) (+ US meaning) |
courage, sauciness (+ UK meaning) |
| squash (noun) | fruit cordial drink (squash (drink)) a sport (squash (sport)) (rarely) the vegetable |
vegetable (squash (vegetable)) (rarely) the sport |
| stood | standing: "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) 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) |
| subway | pedestrian underpass | at least partially underground passenger rail system, or the underground structure for such a system |
| 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) |
Words T-Z
| 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") |
| tailgater | a motorist who follows another vehicle too closely | someone who picnics from the rear of a vehicle (+ UK meaning) |
| 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 acccused 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 |
| theatre | playhouse (Star Wars opened in theaters in 1977. would be understood as an Americanism.) | (spelled theater) cinema (+ UK meaning, spelled theater or theatre) |
| 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) | skin-tight, often opaque, pants or pants and top, such as worn by gymnasts |
| 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) | (none special) |
| tosser | idiot (literally, someone who masturbates, a derogatory term similar to wanker) | (none special) |
| tough (interjection) | I don't care | that's unfortunate (+ UK meaning) |
| tramp | homeless person who moves (tramps) from town to town (US: hobo) | loose or promiscuous woman prostitute |
| 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. | a prostitute's client (+ UK meaning) |
| trillion | million million (although the traditional value million million million can also be meant) |
million million (UK: trillion, or traditional billion) |
| 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, suitcase) primary railway line (trunk line) or road (trunk road) |
storage compartment of a car (UK: boot) (+ UK meanings) |
| tube | the London subterranean railway system | television |
| twat | alternative to twit (a largely inoffensive term for someone who is a bit silly, although some consider 'twat' to be offensive) to hit someone 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" |
| underground | subterranean railway system (US: subway) (+ US meaning) |
subterranean space or channel |
| 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) |
| [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") |