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Here is a list of words, proving that English and American are two different languages. You will find some of them in Ghosts of the Past. Enjoy!
Daily life
advert - advertisement, commercial
anticlockwise - counterclockwise
bank holiday - legal holiday
barrister - lawyer who represents you in court
Beefeater - nickname for the Yeoman Warders at the Tower of London
bobby/The Bill - a policeman
cashpoint machine - ATM, cashpoint for short
cheers - goodbye, thank you, also a toast
concession - discounted admission
dear - expensive
fancy - to be attracted to someone - I really fancy her!
football - soccer
fortnight - a contraction of fourteen nights, or 2 weeks
fringe - hair bangs
half eight - 8:30 - think half past (insert hour) and it will be a breeze to remember
holiday - vacation
interval - intermission (in theatres)
jumble sale - rummage sale, usually for charity
left luggage - place to check luggage for the day, replaces luggage lockers
lift - the elevator
loo - the toilet - ask for the bathroom only if you want a bath
mate - your friend
naught/nought - nothing
on offer - for sale
pavement - the sidewalk
pillar box/letter box - public mailbox (look like short red pillars, hence the name!)
Police Constable/PC - police officer
power point - electric wall socket
queue - line
queue up - line up
Remembrance Day - Veteran’s Day
ring/ring up - call on the phone
ring off/rang off – hang up or end phone call
self-catering - rental accommodations, a flat or house that is rented by the week
solicitor - lawyer who deals with clients, and does the office work for the barrister
stone - 14 pounds in weight
ta - thank you
tick - check mark
toilet - just what it says
top up - refill – also refers to adding minutes to pay as you go mobiles
Vice-Chancellor - administration at university
WC - short for water closet - just another name for the loo or toilet
wee - small
zed - the letter Z
Everyday items
bin - a trash can
biro - a ballpoint pen
braces - suspenders
brolly - an umbrella
clingfilm - saran wrap or plastic wrap
cooker - the stove
cotton buds - Q-tips
cozzy - a bathing suit
draughts - checkers
dummy - a pacifier
duvet - a comforter, with removable cover - often it will replace the top sheet on your bed
flannel - a washcloth
fag - a cigarette
fiver - £5 note
hob - the stove burner
hoover - the vacuum cleaner
jersey/jumper/pullover - a sweater
knickers - ladies’ panties
ladybird - a ladybug
mac - a mackintosh raincoat, can also be generic for a raincoat - rain mac
mobile - a cell phone
moggie - a cat
nappy - a diaper - not a napkin
pants - underwear, briefs
plaster/sticking plaster - a Band aid
pound note - a dollar bill
quid - another name for a pound note
rubber - an eraser, not the other kind of rubber
Sellotape/sticky tape - Scotch tape
serviette - a napkin
skip - a dumpster
smalls - underwear
spanner - a wrench
surgical spirit - rubbing alcohol
suspenders - garters, as in the kind that hold up stockings, not your trousers
telly - the tv
tenner - £10 note, or ten pounds
tights - pantyhose, any type
tin - a can
torch - a flashlight
trainers - sneakers or tennis shoes
trousers - pants, slacks
Wellingtons/wellies - rubber boots, rain boots
English food
afters - dessert
aubergine - eggplant
banger - sausage
bangers and mash - sausage and mashed potatoes
bap - a soft, round, floured roll
beetroot - beet
bill - your restaurant check
biscuit - cookie - and to confuse you further, biscuit can also refer to crackers, as in biscuits for cheese
bitter - dark ales served a little below room temperature - order beer and this is what you will get
black pudding - sausage made from cooking animal blood with filler until congealed
bubble and squeak - pan fried potatoes and cabbage (other veg can also be used)
Cadbury - creamy, delicious chocolate in loads of different flavors - if you have had Cadbury in America, it is nothing like this
candyfloss - cotton candy - just as sticky, just as tooth-achingly sweet
chicory - endive
chips - French fries
cider - fermented apple juice - and quite potent!
clotted cream - thick, incredibly delicious cream to spread on scones, or served with cake
coriander - cilantro
cottage pie - minced beef and veg, topped with mashed potatoes - not to be confused with shepherd’s pie
courgette - zucchini
cream tea - consists of a pot of tea, scones and strawberry jam, with the previously mentioned clotted cream - delicious!
crisps - potato chips - in a million and one flavors
crumpet - what we think of as an English muffin, but loads tastier
cuppa - cup of tea – ah, instant relaxation
digestives - tasty round cookies, made for babies and toddlers
entrée - appetizer - not the main course
fairy cake - cupcake
fizzy drink - pop or soda
Flake - a long, crumbly stick of Cadbury chocolate - heaven!
gammon - ham
gateau/gateaux - a rich cake, usually served with cream
golden syrup - a thick syrup used for sticky pudding and desserts - my nephews have it on their peanut butter sandwiches instead of jam or honey - yum!
hot pot - a one pot stew, usually made with lamb, veg and sliced potatoes on top, slow cooked in a low oven
jacket potato - baked potato
jelly - jell-o
kippers - smoked herring - I’ve had them cut in half and served on a plate for breakfast - beautiful!
ladyfingers - light, crispy, sweet sponge cakes
lady’s finger - okra
lager - closest to American beer, drunk from a pint glass instead of a bottle and served cold, but not as cold as you’re used to
lemon squash - lemonade, still
lemonade - lemon lime soda, carbonated - think Sprite or 7-Up
mash - short for mashed potatoes
mince - ground beef or other meat
mushy peas - dried peas that are soaked overnight and simmered until they go all, well, mushy - much tastier than they sound
pasty - (pass-tee) savory half-moon shaped handheld pie, originally from Cornwall - a good one is heavenly, a bad one is like eating flavored glue (I’ve had both, unfortunately)
pickle - a mixture of veg, spices and vinegar - looks like a brown lump on your plate, is a surprising burst of flavor when you eat it
pickled onions - shallots in pickling vinegar - lovely with a good, creamy cheese
pub grub - aka pub food - can be surprisingly good, and a good value as well
pudding - general name for dessert
rasher - slice of bacon
sausage roll - sausage wrapped in pastry
savoury/savouries - pastries that are savory instead of sweet
Scotch egg - hardboiled egg wrapped in sausage meat, coated with bread crumbs and deep fried, then eaten cold
shandy - lager and 7-Up
shepherd’s pie - minced lamb and veg, topped with mashed potatoes - not to be confused with cottage pie
soda - soda water
soldiers - finger size slices of toast - perfect for dipping in egg yolk
squash - a concentrated drink for kids - add water and you’re good to go
starters - appetizers
stone - the pit in your fruit
stout - dark beer or ale
sultanas - golden raisins
swede - rutabaga
take-away - fast food places like Pret a Manger or EAT will ask if your order is eat in or take-away - it means to go, and unless you’re dying to sit in that noisy, often narrow room for an extra charge, say “take-away, please!”
tart - like our pies, with fruit or jam - I’ve always had mine served with cream or custard
toad in the hole - sausages cooked in Yorkshire pudding batter
treacle pudding - steamed sponge cake with a thick syrup topping - can also be served with custard or cream
Yorkshire pudding - a light batter that is baked in a tin with hot oil at very high heat until it rises – similar to popovers in America... but not really... just another unique bit of English cuisine
Places
apothecary – place that dispensed medicine and medical advice - now the modern chemist
bridleway - public right-of-way path for walkers, horseback riders, and cyclists
bungalow - single story house
canteen - a cafeteria
casualty - emergency room, may also be called A&E for accident and emergency
chemist - pharmacist/ pharmacy - what you know as a drugstore, plus loads more on offer than you would ever expect
chippie/chip shop - fish and chip shop
cinema - movie theatre, where you go to see a film, not a movie
dress circle, upper circle - the upper rows in the theatre (may also be called royal circle, grand circle, depending on the theatre) - these seats are close together, so you will be nose to knees with the person behind you
cupboard - any closet in the house
en-suite - bathroom is attached to the room and not shared
fell - hill, mountain or high plain (Lake District and Pennine Dales)
first floor - second floor (our first floor is the ground floor in England)
flat - apartment
gallery - balcony
gangway - aisle in the theatre
gaol - jail – pronounced the same
garden - the entire yard, not just the flower or veg beds!
heath - open land with low growing plants and vegetation
High Street - the main street or road in a town
licenced restaurant - restaurant with a license to sell alcohol
lift - elevator
listed - protected historic building
loft - attic
London School of Economics/LSE - well-known university in London
lounge - living room
mews - stables built behind 17th-18th century London houses, now converted into modern dwellings
newsagent - similar to our convenience store
off-licence - liquor store
pitch - playing field
public footpath - right of way path on private land that gives walkers the legal right to travel, also known as public rights of way
public school - private school, i.e. Eton
stalls - the best seats in the theatre, close to the stage
state school - public school
theatre - live theatre
to let - to rent
towpath - trail or road along the river, originally used to tow boats
Transport
bonnet - the car hood
boot - the car trunk
call - as in call at the station, rather than stopping
caravan - a trailer - and the cause of many a tailback
car park - the parking lot
cat’s eyes - road reflectors
clearway - section of road where it is illegal to stop
coach - a long distance bus
diversion - a detour
dual carriageway - divided highway with a minimum of 2 lanes in each direction
flyover - the overpass
ford - low water crossing
gearstick - the stick shift
give way - yield
hand brake - the parking brake
lorry - a truck
motorway - the freeway
petrol - gas
return ticket - a round trip ticket
roundabout - a traffic circle
service areas - freeway rest areas (also called motorway rest areas or MSAs)
single ticket - a one way ticket
sleeping policeman - a speed bump
slip road - an entry or exit ramp
subway - an underground walkway
tailback - what we refer to fondly as a traffic jam
taxi rank - a taxi stand
ticket inspector - the person who checks your ticket on the train
Tube/Underground - the subway
verge - grassy edge of the road
way out - the exit
zebra crossing - (rhymes with Debra) the crosswalk
English slang, or what did he just say?
all agog - excited - I’m all agog!
at sixes and sevens - in a confused or difficult situation - I’ve been at sixes and sevens since the theft
bloody - less offensive expletive - not bloody likely!
Bob’s your uncle - there you go, that’s it!
brilliant - magnificent, excellent
cheap as chips - inexpensive
chuffed - delighted, pleased
codswallup/codswallop - nonsense (I’ve seen several spelling variations of this one - they all mean the same thing, a load of nonsense)
dicey - risky
donkey’s years - ages, a long time
full Monty - the whole thing, going all the way
gander - to take a closer look at something - take a gander at that!
give over - stop, give me a break
gobsmacked - shocked, amazed, speechless
hen night/hen party - bachelorette party
homely - homey, cozy
hump - to carry something heavy
just a tick - just a second
loads - lots – as in I use this word loads of times!
mean - tight fisted, stingy
natter - to talk incessantly, go on and on
nick - to steal, take without permission
knackered - exhausted
knock up - to be woken up - please knock me up at 7 am (I had a B&B proprietor ask when I would like to be knocked up in the morning - fortunately I knew what she meant!)
over the moon - ecstatic - he’s over the moon about it!
pear-shaped - gone wrong, become a disaster
pissed - drunk (not something you want to say to someone of new acquaintance!)
put a sock in it - shut up
rubbish - nonsense
skive - to avoid responsibility, as in skiving off work
snog/snogging - kiss, kissing, making out
sod off - piss off, get lost
sorted - fixed the problem, worked things out
spend a penny - go to the bathroom/loo
splash out - spend far too much money!
stag night - bachelor party
suss out - figure out
taking the mickey - making fun of someone
wanker - nice definition: an unpleasant person, normally a man
whinge - (rhymes with hinge) to whine or complain in an exceedingly annoying fashion
wonky - unstable, crooked
Yank - American