| English | American |
| aubergine | eggplant |
| Autumn | Autumn or Fall |
| bangers | sausages |
| biscuit | cookie |
| bolshy/stroppy | sassay, talking back, being argumentative |
| bonnet | hood |
| bootlace | shoelace |
| Boot(car) | Trunk |
| butty | sandwich |
| caravan | motorhome |
| chemist | pharmacist |
| Cheque | Check |
| cinema | movies |
| Cot for a baby | Crib |
| crisps | chips |
| chips | fries |
| clingfilm | plastic wrap/ saran wrap(brandname) |
| Courgettes | Zucchini |
| disc | disk |
| doddle | easy task |
| dodgy | iffy, suspect |
| duvet | comforter |
| Estate Car | Station Wagon |
| flannel | washcloth |
| film | movie |
| fishmongers' | fish store (a place to buy fresh fish to eat, similar to a fish market) |
| foetus | fetus |
| gammon | ham (gammon is ham in the UK only when it's cooked. Raw, it's gammon) |
| Garden | Yard |
| High heels | pumps |
| Holiday | Vacation |
| ice lolly | popsicle |
| ironmongers' | hardware store |
| Jam | jelly or jam or preserves |
| jelly | jell-o, gelatin |
| jacket potato | baked potato |
| joint | roast (normally in the UK stuffed with stuffing and sliced, yum) |
| jumper | sweater |
| kerb | curb |
| ladder | run (in stockings/nylons/tights) |
| ladder | ladder ? Wooden or metal to climb |
| lemonade | a usually clear sweet, fizzy lemon soda |
| lemon squash | lemonade |
| Lounge | Living Room |
| lift | elevator |
| loo | bathroom/toilet |
| mince | ground beef/hamburger(as in hamburger helper) |
| Mobile | Cell Phone |
| off | Spoiled or stale (a friend from Scotland got an odd look when she said "these biscuits are off" meaning these cookies were stale |
| off license | liquor store |
| paracetamol | acetaminophen (tylenol for US) |
| pickled gherkin | pickle |
| plait | braid (as in hair or other materials) |
| programme | program |
| Public School | Private School |
| Queue Here | Stand In Line |
| return | round-trip (do you know howconfused I was when I asked for a return on the bus back at home and the guy said "you mean round trip"? I've become brit-ised!) |
| sellotape | Scotch Tape (both brand names) |
| sent to Coventry | saying where if somebody has annoyed you, or gets on your nerves, you ignore them, to the extent where they almost don't exist |
| Settee | Sofa |
| Skittery | Nervous, Jumpy |
| Shop | Store |
| Tap | Fawcett |
| Trainers | sneakers |
| trousers | pants |
| Washing Up Liquid | Dish Soap or Dishwashing Liquid |
Explanations of different things.
If the English call biscuits what Americans call cookies, what do the English call what Americans call biscuits?( Not sweet, made with flour, baking powder, a bit of shortening and water. Rolled out, cut with a round biscuit cutter and baked on baking sheets.)
The nearest I can think of is the soft bread rolls. I love American biscuits. I had them while I was there, and have tried making them here too, I only ever made them with the Bisquick mix though, and never had them home made. Saying that, I love the pancakes made with Bisquick (?spelling) too.
Pancakes here are different as well. Ours are more like Crepes, really thin, and we actually have a Pancake Day.
Whats the difference between the living room and the den?
In America, at least, the living room is more like the nice room where you can entertain guests. The den is where the TV is, and gets a bit shabby looking. We call it the family room. Some dens are in the basement or otherwise further back in the house.
There's another thread started that includes many more explanations of the differences between the English and American word explanations
here it is.
