British | American |
abseil | rappel (to descend on a rope) |
advocate | lawyer (distinction in Scots law) |
aerial | antenna; interchangeable in American English |
arse* | ass* (buttocks) |
barrister | lawyer (distinction in English law) |
black pudding | blood sausage |
"bird" (woman) | "chick" |
blinkers | blinders |
"bloody"*(for example, "This bloody car won't start.") | "damned", poss. contraction of blasphemy "by Our Lady". |
bollocks* | "balls"* (testicles) |
to "bonk"* | to have sexual intercourse |
bonnet (of a car) | hood |
boot (of a car) | trunk |
braces | suspenders (means something else in Britain - see appropriate list) |
buggery | sodomy |
bugger off | leave |
bum bag | fanny pack |
candy floss | cotton candy |
concession | discount |
(potato) crisps | (potato) chips |
crumpet | a porous griddle cake, eaten toasted with butter and jam, English muffin |
"crumpet"* | one or more attractive women. |
current account | checking account |
dinner jacket | tuxedo |
dodgy | suspicious |
"dosh" | money |
draughts | checkers |
dustbin | trash can |
engaged tone | busy signal |
ex-directory | unlisted (phone number) |
fairy cake | cupcake |
flat | apartment |
fortnight | Two weeks. |
gearbox | automobile transmission |
"gooseberry" (third person who intrudes on an intimate situation) | "third wheel" |
green fingers | green thumb |
high street (Scots) | main street |
hosepipe | garden hose |
knickers | panties |
laundrette | laundromat |
leisure suit | business suit |
lift (noun) | elevator |
lorry | truck (interchangeable in British English) |
loudhailer | bullhorn |
mains power (or "the mains") | house current, "the AC", "the wall" |
maths | math |
MD (managing director) | CEO (Chief Executive Officer) |
mobile (phone) | cell phone |
motorway | freeway |
naff | uncool, useless |
naff off | leave |
nappy | diaper |
oilseed rape | rapeseed oil, canola |
petrol | gasoline |
"plonker" (popularised by Only Fools and Horses) | fool |
"ponce" (derogatory term, usually for a male) | pimp (mainly northern English usage), fop, or homosexual (non-complimentary). Can also be used to refer to someone with airs and graces. |
to "ponce up" | to improve the appearance of something or someone |
to "ponce off" | to help oneself to something uninvited - e.g. mind if I ponce a fag off you? (i.e. helping myself to a cigarette - plenty of scope for misunderstanding there!) |
poof/poofter* | "faggot" (homosexual, not complimentary) |
pram | baby carriage, contraction of perambulator. |
pudding | dessert, often stodgy, or a main course dish of a stodgy nature, e.g. steak and kidney pudding |
queue | line (for waiting in) |
"randy" | "horny" (interchangeable in British English) |
ring someone | call someone (interchangeable in British English) |
roundabout (in the road) | traffic circle; rotary. (Roundabout is used in some parts of the US, including on signs) |
roundabout (fairground ride) | carousel |
to rubbish | to verbally discredit. |
scone | biscuit |
settee | couch (interchangeable in British English) |
"slag"* | "slut"* (promiscuous woman) (interchangeable in British English) |
to "slag off" | to speak in a depreciating way about someone or something |
"snogging" | kissing, "making out" |
solicitor | lawyer (distinct from an advocate in Scots Law or a barrister in English law) |
spanner | wrench |
sticking plaster, Elastoplast | bandage, Band-Aid |
ta (usually spoken rather than written) | thanks |
"telly" | TV (also used in UK) |
text (often written txt, only used since about 1998) | SMS |
to "toss (off)"* | to masturbate |
"tosser"* | fool |
"tosspot"* | fool |
trapezium | trapezoid |
tube | subway |
underground (noun) | subway |
waistcoat | vest |
to wank* | to masturbate |
"wanker"* | a silly fool, a useless person |
whilst | while (see Words only used in British English in American and British English differences) |
*denotes vulgar expression