This page is a cross cultural reference work for UK visitors to the USA or USA visitors to the UK. Studying the contents of this before travelling will avoid bafflement and/or embarassment.
Information will be added to the page as it is supplied. If you are searching for the definition of a word not listed, then please feel free to pose a question to me. I will try to answer all queries. If you have an amusing or unusual way words are used on both sides of the pond, then quote it to me and I will consider its addition to the page.
American words translated into English For UK visitors to the USA to make sense of what you come across on your travels.
English words translated into American For USA visitors to the UK or for USA people dealing with baffled UK visitors in the USA.
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| American word or phrase |
English translation |
| Aluminum | Aluminium |
| Apartment | Flat |
| Automobile | Car |
| Baggage | Luggage |
| Base board | Skirting board |
| Beauty Salon | Hairdresser |
| Broom | Sweeping brush |
| Broil | Grill |
| Bum | Tramp |
| Bus Depot | Bus Station |
| Cab | Taxi |
| Candy | Sweets |
| Catsup | Tomatoe Sauce |
| Check | Bill |
| Checkers | Draughts |
| Closet | Cupboard |
| Cookies | Biscuits |
| Chips | Crisps |
| De-Plane | Get off the aeroplane |
| Diaper | Nappy |
| Drapes | Curtains |
| Eggplant | Aubergine |
| Eraser | Rubber |
| Fanny | Bum, bottom |
| Fall | Autumn |
| Faucet | Tap |
| First floor | Ground floor |
| Fries or French Fries | Chips |
| Front desk | Reception |
| Garter Belt | Suspenders |
| Gas (gasoline) | Petrol (petroleum) |
| Grocery store | Supermarket |
| Happy Holidays | Happy Christmas |
| Hood (of a car) | Bonnet |
| Icebox | Refrigerator |
| Jelly | Jam |
| Jello | Jelly |
| Jumpers | Dungarees |
| Lawyer | Solicitor |
| Liquor store | Off license |
| Movie Theatre | Cinema |
| Muffler | Silencer |
| Napkin | Serviette |
| Odometer | Mileometer |
| Pantie Hose | Tights |
| Pants | Trousers |
| Pavement | Road surface |
| Pharmacist | Chemist |
| Pig in a blanket | Sausage roll |
| Pissed | Fed up, angry |
| Realtor | Estate Agent |
| Rest room(s) | Toilet |
| Rubber | Condom |
| Run (in nylons/stockings/tights) | Ladder (in nylons/stockings/tights) |
| Scallion | Spring onion |
| Scotch tape | Cellotape |
| Second floor (see also first floor) | First floor |
| Sidewalk | Pavement |
| Soda | Carbonated (fizzy) drink |
| Suspenders | Braces |
| Sweater | Jumper |
| Thumb tack | Drawing pin |
| Trunk (of a car) | Boot |
| Vacation | Holiday |
| Windsheild | Windscreen |
| Wrench | Spanner |
| Yard | Garden |
Information will be added to the page as it is supplied. If you are searching for the definition of a word not listed, then please feel free to pose a question to me. I will try to answer all queries. If you have an amusing or unusual way words are used on both sides of the pond, then quote it to me and I will consider its addition to the page.
Click here to go back to top of this page.
Click here to go back to the club pages
| English word or phrase |
American translation |
| Aluminium | Aluminum |
| Aubergine | Eggplant |
| Autumn | Fall |
| Bill | Check |
| Biscuits | Cookies |
| Boot (of a car) | Trunk |
| Bonnet (of a car) | Hood |
| Braces | Suspenders |
| Bus Station | Bus Depot |
| Car | Automobile |
| Cellotape | Scotch tape |
| Chemist | Pharmacist |
| Chips | French Fries |
| Cinema | Movie Theatre |
| Condom | Rubber |
| Crisps | Chips |
| Cupboard | Closet |
| Curtains | Drapes |
| Draughts | Checkers |
| Drawing pin | Thumb tack |
| Dungarees | Jumpers |
| Estate Agent | Realtor |
| First floor (see also Ground floor) | Second floor |
| Flat | Apartment |
| Garden | Yard |
|
Gents, as in "where are the Gents please?" |
Mens room, Mens rest room |
| Grill | Broil |
| Ground floor | First floor |
| Hairdresser | Beauty Salon |
| Holiday | Vacation |
| Jam | Jelly |
| Jelly | Jello |
| Ladder (in nylons/stockings/tights) | Run (in nylons/stockings/tights) |
|
Ladies, as in "where are the Ladies please?" |
Womens rest room |
| Luggage | Baggage |
| Mileometer | Odometer |
| Motorway | Freeway |
| Nappy | Diaper |
| Off license | Liquor store |
| Pavement | Sidewalk |
| Petrol (petroleum) | Gas (gasoline) |
| Pissed | Drunk, inebriated |
| Reception | Front desk |
| Road Surface | Pavement |
| Rubber | Eraser |
| Sausage roll | Pig in a blanket |
| Serviette | Napkin |
| Silencer | Muffler |
| Skirting board | Base board |
| Solicitor | Lawyer |
| Spanner | Wrench |
| Spring onion | Scallion |
| Supermarket | Grocery store |
| Suspenders | Garter Belt |
| Sweeping brush | Broom |
| Sweets | Candy |
| Tap | Faucet |
| Taxi | Cab |
| Tights | Pantie Hose |
| Toilet | Rest room, Bathroom |
| Tomatoe Sauce | Catsup |
| Tramp | Bum |
| Trousers | Pants |
| Windscreen | Windsheild |
Information will be added to the page as it is supplied. If you are searching for the definition of a word not listed, then please feel free to pose a question to me. I will try to answer all queries. If you have an amusing or unusual way words are used on both sides of the pond, then quote it to me and I will consider its addition to the page.
Click here to go back to top of this page.
Click here to go back to the club pages