List of words having different meanings in British and
American English
This is a list of words and phrases having differing meanings in British and
American English.
Asterisked (*) meanings, though found chiefly in the specified region, have
also some currency in the other dialect; other definitions may be recognised
by the other as Briticisms or Americanisms respectively. Additional usage
notes are provided when useful.
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 are marked with their usual area
of use.
A
Contents
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Word
British English
meanings
Meanings common to
British and American
English
American
English
meanings
accommodation housing
("residential
accommodation")
something supplied; a
compromise; a loan
see also accommodation
(eye); lodging (as for
travellers) but often used
in the plural in US for this
meaning
(esp. in the past)
a local public
conveyance, esp.
a train
see also
accommodation
(law)
accumulator
rechargeable
battery (archaic)
a type of bet (US:
parlay)
one that accumulates, as a
type of computer
processor register or a
hydraulic accumulator
ace
good, excellent
(1980s slang)
a one in a suit of playing
cards
someone who is very
good at something
fighter pilot who has shot
down a certain number of
enemy aircraft
(v.) to perform
outstandingly *;
esp., to achieve
an "A" (on a
school exam)
the best starting
pitcher in a
rotation on a
baseball team
advocate (n.)
Scottish also
Jersey, Channel
Islands lawyer
who appears in
higher courts
(rest of UK:
barrister)
someone who supports
and/or speaks for a
particular position
generic term for a lawyer
(v.) to recommend or
support
American and British English
differences
British English (BrE)
American English (AmE)
Vocabulary
List of American words not
widely used in the United
Kingdom
List of British words not
widely used in the United
States
List of words having
different meanings in British
and American English
Pronunciation
American and British English
pronunciation differences
Orthography
American and British English
spelling differences
Computing
British and American
keyboards
Fiction
List of works with different
titles in the UK and US
Page 1
antenna to
transmit or
receive
electromagnetic
waves (US:
antenna)
air, as in aerial
photography, a dance
move in Lindy Hop, and a
front aerial in acro dance
a type of skateboarding
trick
air marshal
a senior air force
officer
(equivalent to an
Army general or
Navy admiral)
an undercover law
enforcement officer on
board a commercial
aircraft, also known as a
sky marshal
à la mode
fashionable
with ice cream
alternate
(adj.) done or occurring
by turns; every second,
every other ("on alternate
weeks")
(n.) one that alternates
with another
(adj.) constituting
an alternative,
offering a choice
(UK usu. & US
also alternative)
("use alternate
routes")
"alternative",
unconventional
("alternate
lifestyles")
(n.) an alternative
*; a substitute
amber
traffic light of
this colour (US:
yellow light)
orange-yellow colour
fossilised resin; a material
used in the construction of
some tobacco pipes,
female given name
anaesthetist
(UK),
anesthetist
(US)
physician trained
to administer
anaesthesia (US:
anesthesiologist)
nurse or
technician trained
to administer
anaesthesia
anchor
(1) a position in a tug-of-
war team (2) device for
mooring ships by
providing a firm fix to the
seabed
anchorman/anchorwoman,
the last member of a relay
team to compete
a type of radio or
TV presenter ("a
news anchor").
See news
presenter for a
description of the
different roles of
a newscaster, an
American news
anchor, and a
British
newsreader.
anorak
a parka
(slang) a socially
awkward person
obsessively
interested in
something (syn.
US: geek, nerd;
dweeb; etc.)
hooded, rainproof
outerwear that lacks a
full-length zipper in the
front (UK: cagoule)
apartment
suite of rooms set
aside for a
particular person
(rare)
a set of rooms in
a building
constituting a
usu. rented
housing unit *
(implies luxury in
UK; UK usu.
Page 2
aerial
(n.) a radio
(adj.) of, in or from the
flat) – cf. s.v.
condominium
appropriate
(v.),
appropriation
(n.)
to take (money)
to oneself, to
filch or
misappropriate
to take and assign
(money) (there is
considerable overlap but
difference of emphasis)
to dispense
(money), to
budget
Asian
originating from
India, Pakistan,
Bangladesh or Sri
Lanka (South
Asian)
originating from the
continent of Asia
originating from
East Asia or
continental
Southeast Asia
ass
donkey
slow-witted or stupid
person, often in
combination (smart-ass)
(often vulgar)
buttocks (UK:
arse); also, by
synecdoche, the
person ("your ass
is dead"); also
(vulgar) anus
(short for
asshole)
(vulgar) sex ("get
some ass") (note:
the American
usage of ass is
becoming more
common in
British English)
also used as a
suffix to add
emphasis to an
adjective ("He
drove a big-ass
truck")
kick-ass: to beat
up or beat, e.g. "I
am going to kick
his ass" or, more
positively,
something that
beat (did better
than) everything
else, e.g. "The
opening band
was kick-ass".
athlete
one who
participates in
running,
throwing, and
jumping
competitions
one who
participates in
sports in general
athletics
running,
throwing, and
jumping
competitions
(US: track and
field)
sport in general
attorney
an agent or representative
authorised to act on
someone else's behalf
("attorney-in-fact",
"power of attorney")
(or attorney-at-
law) a lawyer
(UK: barrister
(England,
Northern Ireland,
Page 3
B
(Attorney General) main
legal advisor to the
government
Wales)/advocate
(Scotland) or
solicitor,
depending on the
actual profession)
(District
attorney,
prosecuting
attorney) local
public official
who represents
the government
in the prosecution
of criminals
(archaic in Br.
Eng. for lawyer)
aubergine
the plant
Solanum
melongena (US:
eggplant)
an eggplant-like colour
(US also: eggplant)
awesome
inspiring awe, spectacular great, "cool" *
(largely used in
the 1980s,
recently revived;
can have various
connotations
depending on
context –
compare UK
brilliant)
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
banger (n.) a sausage, as in "bangers and
mash"
an old motorcar in a state of
disrepair (US: beater)
a type of firework
a particularly club-friendly beat or
song
bang(s)
small explosions or reports;
(v.) have sexual intercourse with
(vulgar slang) ( eg. "bang some
chick" or "he's banging her")
locks of hair on forehead (UK:
fringe)
base
foundation, starting point; many
meanings in sciences, architecture,
politics, military instilation, etc.;
see base
in baseball, one of the three places
a runner can stand in safety; hence
in many fig. senses, off one's base
(crazy), to get to first base (esp. in
neg. constr., to get a first
important result); more recently
(slang), a metaphor for one of
three different stages in making
out (q.v.) – see baseball metaphors
for sex; more s.v. home run
bash
masturbate (vulgar slang)
(usu.Bash one out or Have a bash)
(but Have a bash more often
means the same as Have a go - to
try to achieve something, as in
"have a bash at this crossword")
to strike physically
to attack verbally
a party or celebration "they're
having a little bash this
weekend" (orig. US, but now
probably more common in UK
than US)
bath
(n.) plumbing fixture for bathing * (n.) the act of bathing
(n.) a bathroom (esp. a half bath
Page 4
(US: bathtub)
(usu. pl.) swimming pool
(v.) to bathe, or give a bath to
a (financial) loss
which has a sink and toilet but no
shower stall or bathtub, or a 3/4
bath which has a sink, toilet, and
shower stall, but no bathtub)
bathroom
room containing a bath (US:
bathtub) or shower, other washing
facilities, and usu. (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 (Hence "Going to the
bathroom" is a euphemism for
going to the toilet even in a setting
where one would not expect to
find a bath, e.g. a restaurant or
shop *) (a room without shower or
bathtub may also be known as a
powder room, but this usage may
be considered dated)
beaker
drinking vessel without a handle,
or one (with or without handles)
made of unbreakable plastic for
the use of children (US: sippy cup)
flat-bottomed vessel, with a lip,
used as a laboratory container.
beater
person who flushes game from
concealment so it can be shot at by
'the guns'
something or someone that beats
used car in very poor condition
(UK: banger)
(slang) wifebeater (q.v.)
a sleeveless undershirt (from the
stereotype that poor men who
wear them beat their wives,
perhaps from Jackie Gleason in
"The Honeymooners" TV series
(50s/60s U.S.) or more likely from
the costume of the character
Stanley in the play "A Streetcar
Named Desire (play)")
beaver
beard; a bearded man (archaic
slang)
aquatic rodent known for building
dams
woman's undepilated external
genitalia (obscene slang)
female pubic hair (slang)
bespoke
(esp. of apparel) made to the
customer's specification (US:
custom-made, tailor-made)
pret. of bespeak
bill
The bill = the police (slang, poss.
from Old Bill)
invoice; request for payment (also
US: check, tab)
a proposed law before it is voted
on by a legislature
a piece of paper money (UK:
note/banknote)
billion
(traditionally) a million millions
(10
12
) (US: trillion)
thousand million (10
9
) (now most
common in both UK and US)
(traditional UK: milliard) (see also
Long and short scales)
10
9
bin
(v.) to throw away.
(bread bin) container for storing
bread (US: breadbox)
(1) a waste container (2) a usu.
large receptacle or container for
storage ("a grain bin"; "Scrooge
McDuck's money bin")
bird (n.)
one's girlfriend or any young
female (slang; getting rarer
[1]
and
considered derogatory by some)
prison sentence (slang)
avian creature
an aircraft
insulting hand gesture involving
shaking one's fist towards
someone with knuckles pointing
towards the person being insulted
and the middle finger extended
(used chiefly in “flipping someone
the bird”) (slang)
biscuit (n.) baked sweet or savoury cake-like
item, usu. flat, which is hard when
type of quick bread served with
savory foods (UK: similar to a
Page 5
baked and softens over time
(colloquially bikkies for sweet
biscuits) (US: cookie (sweet
biscuit), cracker savoury biscuit)
(to take the biscuit) to be very
surprising (US: take the cake)
savoury scone, or similar in
consistency to a croissant)
blinder (n.) excellent performance in a game
or race (slang) "e.g. he played a
blinder"
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 usu.: blinders)
lights on a car that indicate the
direction about to be taken * (UK:
indicators)
block (n.)
a building (block of flats, office
block)
a solid piece of something
to obstruct
in a city, the portion of a street
between adjacent intersections* or
an informal rough unit of distance
derived from the length of the
same
bloody
expletive used to express anger
("bloody car") or shock ("bloody
hell"), or for emphasis ("not
bloody likely") (slang, today only
mildly vulgar) * (similar US:
damn ("damn car"))
having, covered with or
accompanied by blood
considered a euphemism for more
emphatic swear words
blow off
to break wind
to perform oral sex upon
to not turn up to meet somebody
(UK: blow out ("I'm just too busy,
I'll have to blow you out for this
evening.")
bog (n.)
toilet (slightly vulgar slang)
(bog off) go away (slightly vulgar
slang, often jocular)
wetland that accumulates
appreciable peat deposits
A plot of farmland used to grow
cranberries
(a cranberry bog)
bogey
dried nasal mucus usu. after
extraction from the nose (US:
booger) (informal)
the score of one over par in golf
an unidentified aircraft, often
assumed to be that of an enemy
alternate spelling of
"Bogie" (nickname of Humphrey
Bogart)
boiler (n.)
1.an old fowl best cooked by
boiling;
2. (derogatory) an ugly woman
(usually in the phrase "old boiler")
1. device (usu. oil or gas-fired) for
heating water for central heating
or hot water *, "central heating
boiler" (US furnace);
vessel in which steam is generated
bomb
(slang)
a striking success; used in the
phrases "go (like) a bomb" and
"go down a bomb"; Go like a
bomb also means, when used of a
vehicle, to go very fast
an explosive weapon
(v.) to be a failure ("the show
bombed"); also as n.
(n., used with the) something
outstanding ("that show was the
bomb"); sometimes spelled da
bomb
bombardier corporal in the Royal Artillery -
see Bombardier (rank)
crew member of a bomber
responsible for assisting the
navigator in guiding the plane to a
bombing target and releasing the
aircraft's bomb load - see
Bombardier (air force) (UK: bomb
aimer)
bonk
act of sexual intercourse, or to
have sexual intercourse (slightly
vulgar slang) (US: boink)
bonking off to masturbate.
blow to the head
(n. and v.) to suffer glycogen
depletion in an endurance sporting
event; see hit the wall
Page 6
bonnet
hinged cover over the engine in a
car (US: hood)
various types of Scottish or Irish
soft hat
hat tied under chin worn by a baby
or (archaically) a woman
boob (n.)
a mistake (slang); (v.) to make a
mistake
woman's breast (slightly vulgar
slang)
stupid person
boob tube
woman's shoulderless, strapless
top (US: tube top)
(the boob tube) television (slang)
boost
to (figuratively) lift up; to
improve, increase, revitalize.
to (literally) lift up, especially a
person: booster cushion*, a
cushion used to increase the height
of a seat (esp. in a car)
to steal, especially from a retail
establishment (i.e., shoplift)
boot
storage compartment of a car (US:
trunk)
footwear covering lower leg
to kick something hard
to start up a computer
(Denver boot, car boot) device
used to render cars immobile (UK:
wheel clamp)
to expel (UK: give someone the
boot)
to vomit (slang)
bottle
courage ("he's got some bottle")
(slang) (US: moxie)
to fail to do something through
fear ("he's bottled out", "he bottled
it") (slang)
to attack somebody with a broken
bottle (slang)
Give it some bottle = put some
effort into it
container for liquids
(the bottle) alcohol, heavy
drinking (synechdocal slang)
box
a gift in a box, hence Boxing Day
genital protector used in cricket
(US similar: cup)
(the box) television set (slang)
(US: idiot box, boob tube)
a box stall in a barn
any of various box-like structures,
such as:
signal box (US:
switch/signal/interlocking tower)
telephone box (US & UK also:
telephone booth), more at call box
witness box (US: witness stand)
either one of the two marked areas
adjacent to the goalmouth on a
football (soccer) pitch (see here)
see also box junction
(n.) rigid container
(v.) to attack using one's fists
(n.) general-purpose computer (e.
g. "this box needs its hard disk re-
formatted")
any of various areas on a baseball
diamond (as for the batter, or the
pitcher, the catcher, etc.)
female genitalia (obscene slang) *
(box canyon) a canyon with
vertical walls
(box car) a type of enclosed
railroad freight car (UK: goods
van)
braces
over-the-shoulder straps to support
trousers * (US usu. suspenders)
devices for straightening teeth
support that steadies or
strengthens something else
leg supports (UK: callipers)
tertiary enclosing punctuation: { }
(UK: curly brackets)
brackets
enclosing punctuation: ( ) (US &
UK also: parentheses); more at
braces
supports for shelves, etc. attached
to a wall
secondary enclosing punctuation:
[] (UK: square brackets)
brew (n.)
tea
beer
brilliant
excellent, of the highest quality
(rarely sarcastic)
very bright (of a light or a brain)
very intelligent
stupid (sarcastic use)
bud
undeveloped shoot which
normally occurs in the axil of a
leaf or at the tip of a plant stem
marijuana (slang)
hand-rolled marijuana cigarette
(slang), compare joint
shortening of 'buddy', used to
address strangers assuming a non-
Page 7
existent familiarity (UK: similar:
mate)
buffet
railway carriage containing a
refreshment counter selling snacks
and drinks, esp. on a train on
which a full restaurant car (US:
dining car) service is not provided
1.refreshment counter or bar;
2.a meal set out on a table, etc. for
diners to serve themselves
a type of sideboard
bug
insect of the order Hemiptera
pathogen, bacteria, germ
covert listening device (orig. US)
defect in software (orig. in a
machine) (orig. US)
an enthusiast of something (orig.
US)
Volkswagen Beetle
(v.) to apply a covert listening
device (orig. US)
any of various insects *
(nontechnical usage)
an important person ("a big bug");
also, someone crazy (as in
"firebug", a pyromaniac)
(v.) to annoy (colloquial) *
to go away, depart, also from a
responsibility (used with out)
(bug off) to go away (often as a
command) (from UK bugger, q.v.)
bugger
to engage in or someone who
engages in anal sex
a form of address for either a
person or item, either jocular
("he's a generous bugger") or less
so ("he's a mean bugger") (slang)
(buggered) 1. broken, not working
(typically of mechanical devices,
e.g. "the engine's buggered")
(slang); 2. syn. for bothered (e.g.
"I didn't do it. I couldn't be
buggered.") (slang)
(bugger up) to make a mess of
something (slang)
(bugger off) (imperative) go away,
leave me alone (slang)
term of endearment, often used for
children (slang)
(in spoken English, the British
"bugger" is sometimes misheard
by Americans as "booger")
buggy
2-wheeled horse-drawn
lightweight carriage
baby transport vehicle also called
(UK) pushchair (US: stroller)
any of various light cart or cars ("a
golf buggy")
(slang) an automobile (orig. US)
see baby transport for details
see also dune buggy, beach buggy
4-wheeled horse-drawn
lightweight carriage
baby transport vehicle also called
(US) baby carriage (UK: pram)
regional (esp. South) for shopping
cart (UK: trolley)
(marsh/swamp buggy) a type of
motor vehicle for marshland
(slang) caboose
(horse and buggy) something
obsolete (as from before the
invention of the automobile)
bum
to engage in anal sex (vulgar
slang)
(1)to cadge ("can I bum a cigarette
off you?") (slang)
(2) buttocks (slang) (US: butt)
hobo, homeless person
poor quality (slang)
to sadden (often used with "out")
bumps
a type of rowing race
a method of marking someone's
birthday (see The bumps)
a set of small protuberances
bunk
to be absent without authorization:
bunk off, to play truant from
school (US: play hooky)
do a bunk, to abscond (US: go on
the lam)
type of bed, where two small beds
are stacked on top of each other
(UK bunk (up) with implies
sharing a bed, rather than merely a
room)
nonsense as in "History is
bunk" (from bunkum)
group of plain beds used as no-
frills lodging (UK: dormitory, qv);
also used as a verb ("I bunked
with them in their room"; "The
cabin could bunk about 18")
bureau
a type of writing table
a public office or government
agency
a type of chest of drawers
burn (n.)
(Scotland and Northern England) wound caused by heat, or
clearing (as in a forest) made by
Page 8
chemical agents, etc.
burning vegetation
narrow river, stream – more s.v.
creek
(the act of smoking) a cigarette
C
bus (v.)
to travel by bus
to transport via bus
to clear (as tables) in a restaurant;
to work as a busboy
butcher
(have a butcher's) to have a look
(Cockney rhyming slang: butcher's
hook = look)
to kill and cut up an animal for
meat
to kill messily, or someone who
does so
one who cuts and sells meat
to make a big mess of things;
botch ("butcher it up"; "I
butchered the spelling")
butchery
(n.)
slaughterhouse, abattoir
a cruel massacre
a butcher's trade
a botch
butt (n.)
(n.) the (larger) end of anything, a
stub; also, a cigarette
a sudden blow given by the head
of an animal
a large wooden cask
a person mocked by a joke
(v.) to strike bluntly (as with the
head)
(butt in) to interfere when uncalled
for (orig. US)
(colloquial) buttocks (UK usu.
bum); hence butthead *
(n.) (butt-in) one who butts in
(v.) to cut off the end (of a log)
(butt out) to stop interfering
buzzard
a hawk of the genus Buteo
vulture (slang)
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
call box (n.)
telephone booth (UK also
telephone box)
roadside emergency telephone
call for (v.)
to require
to predict or anticipate ("The forecast
calls for rain")
campsite (n.) 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)
candy (n.)
(candy floss) heated sugar
spun into thin threads and
collected into a mass, usually
on a stick; something pleasing
but having little worth (US:
cotton candy for both senses)
(v.) to sugarcoat, or boil with
sugar (as fruit)
to sweeten
edible, sweet-tasting confection
containing sugar, or sometimes
artificial sweeteners, and often flavored
with fruit, chocolate, nuts or artificial
flavours; a piece of candy * (UK:
sweets, confectionery)
(eye candy) someone particular
attractive in a sexy way.
canfield (n.)
a patience (solitaire) card
game (US: Klondike)
a patience (solitaire) card game (UK:
Demon)
canoe (n.)
A (traditionally) skin-covered
boat propelled using one or
two single-blade paddles (UK
also: Canadian canoe)
A similar boat propelled using a
double-bladed paddle (UK: kayak, also
used in US)
car (n.)
railway vehicle, only in
combination (e.g. "restaurant
car")
(archaic) street tramway
vehicle
motorcar (n.) (UK,
q.v.)/automobile
nonpowered unit in a railroad or
railway train ("railroad car"; "a
passenger/freight/parlor/dining/baggage
etc. car") (see s.v. motor car, trolley;
UK: cf. s.v. carriage, coach, wagon)
elevator (q.v.) cage
caravan
towed recreational vehicle
containing accommodation
(US: travel trailer)
overland trading convoy
Page 9
to take such a vehicle on
holiday
caretaker (n.) one who takes care of a
building, usu. a state-owned
building, i.e. school (US:
janitor; cf. s.v. custodian)
one put in charge of a farm
after eviction of tenant
one who takes care of someone
or something
stopgap government or
provisional government
one who takes care of real estate in
exchange for rent-free living
accommodations *
carnival (v.)
the days just preceding Lent
comic good times marked by
special events
a travelling circus or fair (UK: funfair)
comprising amusement rides
carousel (n.)
a moving luggage/baggage
display unit, most often at
airports
a rotating fairground ride (UK: merry-
go-round, roundabout)
carriage (n.)
railway coach (q.v.) designed
for the conveyance of
passengers
the conveying of goods or the
price paid for it ("carriage-
paid"); "handling"
4-wheeled horse-drawn private
passenger vehicle
(baby carriage) baby transport vehicle
featuring the infant laying down facing
the pusher (UK: perambulator, pram) –
more s.v. buggy
a shopping cart (primarily in North
Atlantic states)
carry-on,
carryon
(colloquial) carrying-on,
unruly behaviour
luggage that can be carried aboard an
aircraft, bus, or train (UK: hand
luggage)
cart
a difficult or embarrassing
state ("he was put in the cart")
usu. 2-wheeled one-horse
vehicle (as that used in
farming)
a lightweight wheeled vehicle, as for
shopping, serving, carrying baggage,
etc. (UK: trolley)
cartridge (primarily related to video
games)
casket (n.)
a small box, as for jewels,
particularly an antique
The type of coffin with upholstery and
a half-open lid, any coffin
casualty
(person)
often, someone who has been
wounded; hence casualty
department (US: emergency
room)
generally, someone who has
been injured or killed
often, someone who has been killed;
see also casualty insurance
catapult
small Y-shaped handheld
projectile weapon often used
by children (US: slingshot)
a type of medieval siege
engine
an aircraft catapult
(v.) rise quickly
chaps [?]
men and/or boys (but
increasingly used for people of
either sex; in the singular it
still almost exclusively refers
to a male, "Guys" has now
become a more popular phrase
in the UK) (US & UK: guys)
one's friends ("the chaps") (US
& UK: the guys)
cheeks - as in Bath Chaps -
stewed pigs' cheeks, a delicacy
leather leggings worn by cowboys and
designed to protect the legs against
thorns (sometimes pronounced shaps),
short for "chaparajos"
check
examine for a particular
purpose
a pattern of coloured squares
a warning given in chess
leave items in the care of someone else
(e.g. at a cloakroom; hence checkroom)
(also check mark) mark used to denote
'correct' or indicate one's choice (UK:
tick, q.v.)
request for payment, especially at a
restaurant; bill
check is also the US spelling of UK
cheque
checker
one that checks (e.g. an
inspector)
a store or shop cashier (almost always a
grocery store)
(checkers) a popular board game (UK:
draughts)
Page 10
checker is also the US spelling of UK
chequer "pattern of alternating colored
squares"
cheers
(interjection)
said to express gratitude in
England, or on parting (slang).
Also cheerio.
used as a toast or valediction
chemist
pharmacist, pharmacy (US
similar: druggist, drugstore)
student or researcher of
chemistry
chip in
to express one's opinion (as in
a conversation); to "chime in"
to contribute (as money) (orig.
US)
chips (food)
French fries, although usu.
thicker cut than American fries
closer to American steak fries
French fries, in (orig. UK)
phrase fish and chips
thin slices of fried potato* (UK: crisps)
chippie,
chippy
carpenter (slang);
fish-and-chip shop (slang)
(Scot, Ire: chipper)
loose woman (dated slang);
the N. American bird Chipping
Sparrow
chum
A popular brand of canned dog
food (officially Pedigree
Chum)
bum chum a derogatory term
for a male homosexual sex-
partner.
friend (sometimes sarcastic)
(n.) waste products from fish
processing (heads, tails, blood etc.)
often used for shark fishing
(v.) to spread fish entrails etc. in the
hope of luring sharks. "We chummed
the water all morning, but never spotted
any dorsal fins." Has some cross-over
usage metaphorically in non-fishing
situations.
cider
an alcoholic drink derived
from apples (US: hard cider)
a nonalcoholic drink derived from
apples
Cinderella
a team which underachieves,
or is overshadowed by
successful neighbouring rivals
fairy tale character
a lowly sports team or individual which
enjoys an unexpectedly good run in a
tournament
city
a large town, in particular a
town created a city by charter
and containing a cathedral
"The City": the City of
London, London's financial
centre, hence financial markets
and investment banking more
generally (c.f. US Wall Street)
a usually large or important
municipality governed under a charter
granted by the state (however most
smaller towns in the US are cities); an
element of a standard mailing address
(UK "postal town")
clerk
administrative worker
(or salesclerk) store or shop worker
(UK: shop assistant)
hotel employee at the reservation desk
(UK: receptionist)
closet
any small room (esp. Northern
England, Scotland, & Ireland);
hence water closet, a room
containing a flush toilet, later
the toilet itself
a private chamber for
retirement
in secret; (come out of the
closet) to reveal what was
secret (especially in relation to
homosexuality)
a cabinet or wardrobe, as for utensils or
apparel; in the latter case oftenest built-
in; hence e.g. walk-in closet, linen
closet, and skeleton in the closet * (UK
also: in the cupboard) *
coach
bus with of higher standard of
comfort, usually chartered or
used for longer journeys*
tutor, usu. private, who
prepares pupils for
examinations *
railway carriage *
enclosed horse-drawn
passenger carriage
sports trainer
extracurricular sports teacher at a
school (UK: PE teacher)
lowest class on a passenger aircraft
(UK: economy)
cob
(mainly Northern & Central
Eng.) a type of bread roll
("Chip cob", "ham cob", "pack
of six cobs please")
corncob
a building material
a type of horse
a male swan
The portion of a corn plant around
which the kernels grow.
Page 11
(pl.) large globules of sweat
("I'm sweating cobs")
cock
(n.) form of address to a man
to gain attention or greet e.g.
"Wotcha cock!"
(n.) a popular personage e.g.
Cock o' the North
in cock up, to make a mess of
things; cock-up is the act or the
resulting state of affairs
(n.) a male bird; esp., an adult
male chicken (US oftenest
rooster)
(n.) penis (vulgar slang)
(v.) to set the hammer or firing
pin of a loaded firearm ready
for firing; likewise, to "cock
the shutter" of an old, spring-
activated camera
(n.) A type of tap, faucet, or
valve (e.g., a stopcock).
collect
To win a bet (from the idea of
picking up the winnings)
(v.) to gather together, to pick
up; (orig. US) to pick up a
person or thing
(n.) short prayer read during
the first part of a church
service as practised by certain
parts of the Christian faith;
mainly Anglican and Roman
Catholic.
(adj., adv.) charged to the receiver ("to
call collect", to reverse the charges) ("a
collect call") [from collect on delivery]
college
part of the name of some state
secondary schools (US
approx.: high school) and
many independent schools (US
approx.: prep school)
educational institution between
school and university (e.g.
sixth form college, technical
college, college of further
education)
vocational training institution
professional association which
usu. grants some form of
professional qualifications,
mostly in the medical field
(e.g. Royal College of
Surgeons)
constituent part of some larger
universities, especially ancient
universities
an independent institution of higher
education (as a small university or a
division of a university) granting
bachelor's degrees
generic term for higher education, but
only at the undergraduate level
comforter
a baby's dummy (q.v.)
one who comforts
quilted bedspread
commissioner professional head of the
Metropolitan Police and City
of London Police (US: chief of
police)
political head of a police department
member of any commission
commode
portable toilet for use in a
room without plumbing
normal toilet, in a bathroom (q.v.)
compensation
the act of compensating
damages awarded for a legal
wrong
(workers' compensation)
payment to injured workers
remuneration received by employees
(unemployment compensation)
compensation paid to an unemployed
person (as a laid-off worker), arising
from government resources
concession
reduction in price (discount)
for a certain category of person
the action of conceding
in politics, the action of a
candidate yielding to another
an area within one country that
is administered by another
a lease or grant of premises or land for
a particular use, or the so contracted-
out service, as in concession stand, i.e.
a counter, stand or area at public
entertainment venues where snacks
and/or drinks are sold, often at inflated
prices
a concession stand
condominium
a political territory (state or
border area) in or over which
two sovereign powers formally
(also condo) a type of joint ownership
of real property (as an apartment
Page 12
building)
agree to share equally
dominium (in the sense of
sovereignty) and exercise their
rights jointly
property are commonly owned and
other portions are individually owned;
an apartment in a condominium
constable
technically, a police officer of
any rank, but usu. 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)
construction
the act or process of building
or constructing; a structure; the
construction industry
from construe: the assigning of
meaning to ambiguous terms
road construction and maintenance
work; roadwork ("a construction
area/zone") (UK: roadworks)
cooker
an appliance for cooking food
(US: cookstove, stove, range);
see also AGA cooker
a cooking apple, a large sour
apple used in cooking
a pot or utensil for cooking in
("pressure cooker", "rice
cooker", "slow cooker")
a person who cooks (UK always cook)
cookie
a bun (Scotland)
a biscuit of a particular variety,
usually containing chocolate
chips (often referred to as a
"chocolate chip cookie")
a small packet of information
stored on users' computers by
websites
a small, flat baked cake * (UK usu.
biscuit, q.v.)
fellow, guy * ("a tough cookie"); also,
an attractive girl *
(that's the way the cookie crumbles)
that's how things go
(to toss one's cookies) to vomit
(cookie-cutter) trite, banal
a cook (army slang)
cop
to take ("cop a look at this",
"cop one of these") (slang)
to be blamed for, be caught
("he'll cop it!") (slang)
police officer (short for
"copper") (slang)
(cop a feel) to grope (slang)
(cop a plea) (law, orig. slang) to plead
guilty to a lesser offence to not be tried
for a graver charge; compare plea
bargain
(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)
the metallic element copper
police officer (slang, orig. UK)
coriander
the leaves of the coriander
plant, used as a herb (US:
cilantro or Chinese parsley)
the plant Coriandrum sativum
dried seeds of this plant
corn
wheat in England, oats in
Scotland and Ireland
any of various cereal plants or
grains (US usu.: grain), also in
combination (e.g. cornfield, a
field of any cereal)
(see also US)
in both dialects, the principal
crop cultivated in a particular
region
Indian Corn, in corn on the
cob, corn flakes, popcorn
horny swelling on the foot
Zea mays; originally known as Indian
corn (q.v.; UK usu.: maize or
sweetcorn); hence cornfield, cornstarch
(UK: corn flour), corn bread, cornball,
cornblade, etc.
something corny *, hence cornball
cot
infant bed; hence cot death
(US: crib)
camp bed
coulee
a (solidified) stream of lava
(chiefly Western, orig. Canadian) a
deep steep-sided ravine formed by
erosion, or a small valley or stream
court shoe
a women's dress shoe with a
heel (US: pump, q.v.)
a type of athletic shoe used for sports
played on an indoor court, such as
volleyball or squash (UK similar:
plimsoll or regionally pump)
Page 13
in which portions of the
D
cowboy
an unscrupulous or unqualified
tradesman
a cowhand working with livestock, a
legendary archetype found in wild west
genre works (UK: drover)
cracker
small parcel that makes an
explosive report when pulled
from both ends, traditionally
pulled at Christmas
attractive woman (slang)
anything good ("the new
product is a cracker") (slang)
thin, hard, unsweetened biscuit
(formerly chiefly US, now
common everywhere)
an unsophisticated, typically rural
white person (also white cracker;
derogatory slang, southeastern US);
also, someone from Georgia or Florida
crèche
day care, day nursery
nativity scene, manger scene, crib
(q.v.) *
creek
tidal channel through a coastal
marsh (orig. sense)
any inland stream of water smaller than
a river (other terms: UK: rill, gill; N.
Eng. & Scot.: burn; Eng. & New Eng.:
brook; Midland US: run)
crew
body of people manning a
vehicle of any kind
gang of manual workers (e.g.
road crew)
group of friends or colleagues
("I saw him and his crew at the
bar")
rowing as a sport
crib (n.)
nativity scene, crèche (q.v.) * a manger or rack, or stall for
cattle
a plagiarism, as of a student
("crib sheet")
cribbage
small enclosed bedstead for a child;
hence crib death (UK: cot)
(informal) one's house or apartment
a bin for storing Indian corn
a structure of logs to be anchored with
stones; used for docks, dams, etc.
(orig. Canada) a small raft of timber
crumpet
an attractive female (slang)
A savoury waffle-like cake
made from flour or potato and
yeast
cubicle
A compartment in a bathroom
with low walls that contains a
toilet. (US: stall)
A compartment in a larger area
separated from similar
adjoining compartments by
low walls, such as in an office
area.
cuffs
The ends of a garment's
sleeves, furthest from the
wearer
short for handcuffs
An arrangement at the bottom of
trouser-legs, in which the material is
folded back upon itself to form a trough
externally around the bottom of the leg.
(UK: turn-ups)
cunt
offensive (or sometimes
indulgent) term often applied
to men
vagina (usu. obscene)
offensive, obscene term usu. applied to
women
custodian
a football (soccer) goalkeeper
a keeper or guardian of a
person or thing
one who cleans and maintains a
building; a building superintendent, a
janitor
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
daddy
longlegs,
daddy-
long-legs
crane fly
daddy long-legs spider
harvestman
davenport a type of writing table *
[both prob. from the names of their
resp. manufacturers; both old-
a type of couch, often convertible
into a bed
Page 14
fashioned]
dead
(of a cup, glass, or bottle) empty,
finished with
very, extremely ("dead good",
"dead heavy", "dead rich")
deceased
completely, perfectly ("dead
straight", "dead on", "dead right")
extremely quiet (e.g. business or
nightlife)
(dismissive usage) boring
dead beat,
deadbeat
exhausted (slang) (US: dead tired)
an idler; someone who does not
pay their debts, often in
construction ("deadbeat dad")
(slang)
DC
Detective Constable, a police
officer who works in or with a
branch of CID.
direct current
(see also other expansions)
District of Columbia
deck
(n.) the floor or level of a ship or
other types of vehicles
the roadway of a bridge
a recording device
(v.) to decorate for a festivity
("deck the halls with boughs of
holly", "decked out with flags")
to hit a person hard enough such
that they fall to the floor (orig. US)
a pack of cards
a wooden, raised platform
adjoining a house, usu. enclosed
by a railing
a packet of narcotics (slang)
(v.) to pile up (logs) on a deck of
logs or a skidway
(on deck) in baseball, the hitter due
up next ("Albert is on deck, so
they must be careful to not walk
this batter."). A general usage
connotes availability, e.g. "Who's
on deck?" (Who is available to do
this?). Occasionally used to
indicate who is next in line.
depot
a location (large building or piece
of land) where buses, trams or
trains are stored when not in use
and maintained
a storehouse or depository; a
location for the storage of military
or naval supplies. A slow-release
drug injection (usu. psychiatric)
a railroad station or bus terminal
or station; also, an air terminal
DI
Detective inspector (police)
Drill instructor (military)
diary
personal calendar * (US:
appointment book, appointment
calendar, datebook)
personal journal
digital
radio
a radio that receives a DAB signal.
a radio with a digital display
die (n.)
tool used in metalworking to form
a part under pressure
singular of dice, numbered cube
used in games of chance (UK: dice
for both singular and plural)
dim (trans.
v.),
dimmer
(switch)
to reduce the intensity of a
domestic, industrial or other light;
hence dimmer (switch)
to lower a vehicle headlight's
beam, typically when approaching
vehicles travelling in the opposite
direction at night (UK: dip); hence
dimmer switch (UK: dip switch)
diner
one who dines ("a picky diner")
railroad dining car (UK:
restaurant car)
a type of restaurant (especially
prevalent in New Jersey),
traditionally but not necessarily
often resembling a dining car
dip (trans.
v.), dip
switch
to lower a vehicle headlight's
beam, typically when approaching
vehicles travelling in the opposite
direction at night (US: dim); hence
dip switch (distinguished from
DIP switch) (US: dimmer switch)
(n.) a pickpocket (slang)
to lower into a liquid; esp., a sheep
or dog in chemical solution; to
lower and then raise
Page 15
dirt
substance(s) rendering something
unclean
incriminating evidence ("we've got
the dirt on him now")
earth, soil *
diversion
circuitous route to avoid
roadworks (US: detour)
deviation; recreation; tactic used to
draw attention away from the
action
dock
water between or next to a pier or
wharf (US: berth, also used in UK,
or slip)
section of a courtroom where the
accused sits during a trial *
(v.) to reduce an employee's
wages, usu. as discipline
constructed place to moor a boat
or engage in water sports (largely
interchangeable with pier or
wharf, although often with a
modifier, such as "ferry dock",
"swimming dock", etc.)
docker
dockworker, stevedore * (US:
longshoreman)
one that docks (as tails of animals)
dogging
various kinds of public sexual
activity
pursuing diligently as a dog would insulting in a persistent fashion,
often referring to the dozens
dollar
5 shilling coin or equivalent
amount (obsolete; used in slang
until early 1970s, especially in
"half-dollar" = half-crown, but
some re-stamped Spanish dollar
coins were used in the UK in the
late 18th/early 19th century)
major unit of currency of the USA
dormitory,
dorm
(n. or usu. adj.) (part of) a town
where commuters live, usually
dormitory town (US: bedroom or
bedroom community)
(n.) large sleeping-room with
many beds,* typically in a
boarding school ("a sleeping
dormitory"; usu. abbreviated to
dorm)
building with many small private
rooms, as for housing the students
of a college (UK: hall(s) of
residence, hostel)
dormitory car — railway sleeping
car
drape
(v.) to hang limply
(n., usu. pl.) curtain
draw (n.)
cannabis (slang)
an act of drawing, or something
drawn
a game result in which no
player/team wins (also tie)
a ditch that draws water off an area
of land
a shallow valley or gully
dresser
(furniture)
a type of cupboard or sideboard
esp. for kitchen utensils *
a chest of drawers, usu. with a
looking glass (UK: dressing-table)
drop (of
liquid)
several (fluid) ounces ("just a drop
of tea, please") (meiotic usage)
droplet (less than a milliliter)
duck
a score of zero by a batsman in
cricket, supposedly derived from
the zero-like shape of a duck's egg.
Hence to "break one's duck": to
score one's first run. c.f. US: "get
the monkey off one's back"
a term of endearment
(n.) a bird of the family Anatidae
(v.) to lower the head or body
suddenly, to dodge
(v.) to plunge under the surface of
water
(n.) a heavy cotton fabric
duff
of poor quality
non-functional
(up the duff) pregnant (slang,
originally Australian)
a type of pudding
coal dust
vegetable matter on the forest floor
* (also in Scotland)
buttocks (colloquial)
dummy
rubber teat for babies (US:
pacifier)
mannequin, especially for
automobile crash tests
fake, usu. legal
idiot (slang)
the contract bridge player who
faces his hand after the
bidding/auction
dungarees
sturdy protective bib trousers (cf.
(slightly dated) jeans (blue denim
Page 16
s.v. overall)
jeans)
E
duplex
composed of two parts
two direction (electronical
signalling)
(or duplex house) an often
vertically divided two-family
dwelling *
(or duplex apartment) an
apartment on two levels *
(duplex locomotive) a large steam
locomotive with two sets of
driving wheels
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
earth
safety connection of an electrical
circuit, or to connect (an electrical
device) to this (US: ground)
the planet Earth
soil
the burrow of some animals
efficiency
the quality of being efficient
(or efficiency apartment) a
minimal often furnished
apartment, similar to a studio
apartment (UK: compare bedsit)
el
(L) letter identifying a learner
driver; see L-plate
the letter L
an elevated railway (as that of
Chicago or the now-defunct Third
Avenue El in New York City)
elevator
flap on the back of an aeroplane
used to control pitch
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)
building for grain storage (in full
grain elevator)
engaged
(adj.)
in use – of a toilet/bathroom stall
(US: occupied; but the opposite is
vacant in both); of a telephone line
(US & UK also: busy), hence
engaged tone (US: busy signal)
committed; involved in something
betrothed
engineer
a technician or a person that
mends and operates machinery
one employed to design, build or
repair equipment
practitioner of engineering
one who operates an engine, esp. a
locomotive (UK: engine driver)
entrée
starter (q.v.) of a meal
(traditionally, the course served
between the fish and the joint, but
now used for any starter)
(usu. "the entrée") right of entry,
insider-type access
main course of a meal
estate
any defined area of real property,
as in housing estate (US:
subdivision), council estate (US:
housing project) or trading estate
(US: industrial park)
car with van-shaped body (US:
station wagon)
grounds of a large piece of real
property which features a mansion
and beautiful landscaping
property left by a deceased person
evergreen
non-deciduous, a non-deciduous
plant
eternally youthful, new etc.
(n.) branchlets or sprigs of an
evergreen tree, usually a conifer
such as pine, spruce or fir, often
used as a Christmas decoration
wrapped around human-made
structures
Page 17
and American English
faculty
division of a university, dealing
with a specific group of disciplines
(e.g. faculty of arts)
academic staff of a school, college
or university
fag
cigarette (slang) *
(in England; obs.) young public
schoolboy who acted as a servant
for older pupils
drudgery, chore ("it is such a fag –
I come back tired to death" – J.
Austen)
(v.) to tire, exhaust ("the fagged
whale abated his speed" – H.
Melville) (obs. usage in US)
male homosexual (short for
faggot) (insulting slang) *
faggot
kind of meatball (see faggot
(food)), bundle of sticks, usu. for
use as firewood (old-fashioned;
often spelled fagot).
Male homosexual (insulting slang)
(see faggot (slang)).
fall
to become pregnant. (Either as in 'I
fell pregnant' or as in 'She fell for a
baby.');
descend or tumble
become sick, come down with an
illness ("he fell ill") (uncommon in
US)
autumn
fancy (v.)
(v.) exhibit a fondness or
preference for something; exhibit
an interest in or willingness to:
date/court someone, commit some
act, or accept some item of trade
US colloq. equiv. of "to fancy" is
"to like" something or someone (or
regarding tastes and preferences,
"to love"); "fancy" as a verb is
now used in the US almost solely
by UK ex-pats, but was once oft-
used by Southern gentility (landed
gentry)
fanny
vagina (slang), vulva (vulgar
slang)
(fanny about or fanny around, very
mildly vulgar slang) to mess about
or prevaricate ("Stop fannying
about and hit it with the hammer")
buttocks (colloquial); hence fanny
pack (UK: bum bag)
featherbed bed or mattress stuffed with
feathers (usually 2 words)
(v.) to pamper, to spoil
to require that more workers are
hired than are needed, often by
agreement with trade unions
quilt, or comforter, stuffed with
feathers for use on top of the
mattress (but underneath a sheet
and the sleeping person) (UK:
mattress topper)
fender
a fire screen
a cushioning device to protect the
side of a boat, ship, or dock
fender (vehicle): the part of an
automobile, motorcycle or other
vehicle body that frames a wheel
well (UK: mudguard or wing)
a frame fitted in front of a vehicle
(locomotive or automobile) to
absorb shock (UK: bumper - see
Bumper (automobile))
fifth
ordinal number 5: 20% (one-fifth) bottle of spirits ("A fifth of
bourbon"); such bottles
traditionally contain 1/5 of a US
gallon; to "plead the Fifth
(Amendment)"(esp. testifying
against oneself in an incriminating
manner)
filth
(the filth) the police (derogatory
slang)
dirt, disgusting substance
obscene material
first
degree
the least serious category of burn
(see article)
the most serious category of a
crime; of murder, carries a lifetime
prison- or death-sentence (also
informal murder one; see article)
first floor
(of a
the floor above ground level (US:
second floor)
the floor at ground level (often,
but not always, the same floor as a
Page 18
F
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
American English meanings
building's lobby) (UK: ground
floor)
building)
fit (adj.)
(of a person) attractive, sexy
(slang)
(of a person) in good physical
condition
suitable for some purpose (usu.
followed by for or to)
fix (v.)
to make firm, fasten, or attach *
(the original sense, no longer very
common in US)
to set or arrange (as a date) * ("A
time has been fixed")
to repair (orig. US)
to sterilise (an animal)
to manipulate usually
underhandedly ("To fix a fight by
paying a boxer to take a dive.")
to adjust or prepare, esp. food or
beverage * ("I'll fix you a
sandwich")
(esp. South) to get ready ("I'm
fixing to retire")
to get even with (someone) [1]
(fix up) to provide
flapjack
flat oat cake (US: granola bar)
pancake
flannel
a cloth for washing the face or
body (US: washcloth)
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
(n.) self-contained housing unit
(US: apartment)
(adj., of a battery) discharged,
exhausted, dead
(adj.) level and smooth
structured at a single level, not
hierarchical
(n.) a flat tyre/tire *
an apartment that occupies the
entire floor of a small building
(upstate New York); used also in
phrases such as railroad flat
flip-flop
a type of footwear (see article for
synonyms)
a type of electronic circuit
an about-face or U-turn (UK also:
about-turn), as in politics
fluid
ounce (fl.
oz.)
liquid measure equal to 28.41
millilitres
liquid measure equal to 29.57
milliliters
flyover
elevated road section (i.e. long
road bridge, US: overpass)
ceremonial aircraft flight (UK:
flypast)
an elongated left-turn ramp
passing over or under the whole
highway interchange
the flyover is a term for middle
America, as distinct from the
'coasts'.
football
(usually) Association football (US:
soccer). Less frequently applied to
Rugby football (espec. Rugby
Union in English private schools).
American football
footpath
a paved strip for pedestrian use,
especially along the side of a road
(US: sidewalk)
a narrow trail suitable only for foot
traffic
forty (40)
the number 4 × 10
a 40 acre parcel of land,
specifically one sixteenth of a
section, constituting the smallest
unit of agricultural land commonly
surveyed ("back 40", "front 40").
an undeveloped plot of land (as on
a farm, ranch, etc.) of unspecified
size.
in an urban or youth setting, "a 40-
ounce beer".
forward
one who plays in a forward
position in rugby, i.e. one who
takes part in scrums.
an area to the front
an outgoing disposition
a position in football (soccer) in
front of midfielders
a position in basketball, nowadays
split into power forwards, who
tend to play closer to the basket,
and small forwards, who tend to
either shoot from the perimeter or
Page 19
drive from the perimeter to the
basket.
G
fourth
next after third (e.g. the fourth
person, fourth floor)
A musical interval
one of four equal parts into which
something is divided (UK & US
sometimes also quarter, q.v.)
fringe
arrangement of locks of hair on the
forehead (US: bangs)
the outer area of something
a decorative border e.g. on
clothing
holding an extreme political
position ("lunatic fringe")
frock
(or smock-frock) outer garment
formerly common in rural Europe,
see also overall
(also short frock) indoor garment
for children and young girls *
a woman's dress or gown (dated) *
habit of monks and friars
(also frock coat) a style of
gentleman's jacket or coat, cut at
knee length, usually worn as an
outer garment.
frog
French person (insulting slang)
an amphibian
full stop
punctuation mark used at the end
of a sentence, sometimes used in
speech for emphasis ("Whom does
he support? Arsenal, full stop!")
(US: period, q.v.)
complete stop (as of traffic) [2]
furnace
large hearth or container for
heating or melting metal, usually
for an industrial process
principal domestic heat source in
central heating based on water or
steam (UK: boiler)
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
gagging
(especially as in gagging for it)
desperate, especially for sex
choking
fighting the urge to vomit ("that
was so disgusting, I was
gagging")
gallon
4.54609 litres (about 6/5 of US
gallon)
3.78541 litres (about 5/6 of UK
gallon)
garage
(see also
pronunciation
differences)
fuel filling station, e.g. "a Texaco
garage" (also petrol station, US:
gas station)
a genre of music
place where vehicles are repaired
building attached to or in the
grounds of a residence for storing
a car
(parking garage) building serving
as a public parking facility (UK:
multistorey car park or just
multistorey)
garnish
(n. (v.)) (to add) decorative or
savory touches to (food or drink)
(v.)to furnish
(v.) to take (as a debtor's wages)
by legal authority
gas
state of matter (see gas)
natural gas
gasoline, hence gas station (UK:
petrol)
gas pedal (UK: accelerator)
flatulence
air trapped in the stomach or
intestines (UK: wind)
geezer
gangster, man (esp. Cockney)
old person (derogatory; UK: old
geezer [not derog.])
general
The second highest rank in the
British army (second to field
marshal).
The basics of a subject.
The Highest rank in the US army.
give way
to give the right of way (to
vehicles, pedestrians, etc.); hence
give way sign (US: yield [the
to retreat; to break down
Page 20
right of way] )
glaze
general term for thin shiny
coatings applied to food, painted
surfaces, clayware, etc.; a glossy
surface
a slippery coating of ice (also
known as sleet, q.v.); a stretch of
ice
gob
(n.) mouth; (v., slang) to spit
lump
a large amount ("gobs of")
(slang) a sailor
go down
(fig.)
to leave a university (as Oxford)
to come down (with an illness)
to be accepted or remembered
to go on, happen (often a major
event, e.g. a drug bust "it's going
down right now!" or "it went
down last week". But also used as
a greeting, "What's going
down?"); oral sex
goods
items to be transported (as by
railway) ("a goods train") (US &
UK also: freight)
useful objects or services;
products; merchandising;
personal property
incriminating evidence ("we have
the goods on him")
gooseberry
supernumerary third person
preventing a couple from courting
(US: third wheel)
a green hairy summer fruit
(Ribes hirtellum in the USA),
(Ribes grossularia in Europe)
government
the cabinet or executive branch
(US: the administration)
the political party supporting the
cabinet in parliament
the act or office of governing
the collective agency through
which government is exercised
(UK: the state)
all such individual agencies (UK:
the public sector)
grade
(education)
a level of music examination
("Guitar grade 4". Usually refers
to ABRSM.
(n. & v.) teacher's assessment of a
student's work (UK also mark)
level or year of a student in
elementary, middle, or high
school ("in 10th grade") (UK
equiv.: year); hence grader, a
student in a specified grade ("a
10th grader")
(grade school, the grades)
elementary school
see also Grade Point Average
grade (other)
(n.) a rating, degree, or level; (v.)
to lay out in grades
[US meaning generated grade
separation and the idiom make
the grade]
(n.) slope, gradient, or elevation;
also ground level ("at grade",
"over grade"); hence grade
crossing (UK: level crossing)
(v.) to level (as a roadbed), hence
grader, construction machine for
doing this *
graduate (v.)
(education)
graduate
(adj.)
(education)
to finish university with a degree
relating to a student at the point
of gaining, or who has recently
completed, a degree
to move from a lower to higher
stage; to effect change in steps; to
mark with units of measurement
or other divisions.
to finish studying at any
educational institution by passing
relevant examinations
relating to a student taking a
higher degree (UK equiv.:
"postgraduate"), eg. graduate
school
graft
hard work
to join or connect two separate
but similar items (typically in
biology, especially medicine and
horticulture)
a form of political-economic
corruption
grass
an informant (often to the police)
(to grass on) to tell on somebody
(US: to squeal)
green ground cover
marijuana
grazing; to feed (livestock) with
grass (UK: at grass, to put out to
grass)
grammar
school
a type of secondary school,
normally a selective state funded
school
elementary school (less common
today)
Page 21
H
grill
to cook directly under a dry heat
source (US: broil)
to question intensely (informal)
to cook over a gas or coal fire
(UK: barbecue)
ground floor
(of a
building)
the floor at ground level (US
usu.: first floor)
lower of two floors that are each
at a different ground level due to
sloping terrain (UK: lower
ground floor)
guard
the official in charge of a railway
train (US & now UK also:
conductor)
to watch over for security
one who guards
a protective device
military division used to help the
country after a disaster
in football, one of two offensive
positions on either side of the
center or a defensive position
across from the center (nose-
guard)
one of two positions in
basketball, usually players who
are the best ball-handlers and
shooters. Usually smaller than the
forwards or center. Most common
division is between point guards
(playmakers) and shooting guards
(more often score-first).
guff
extraneous or useless things,
ideas, or
paperwork/documentation; also to
break wind ("Have you guffed,
Dr Watson?")
nonsense, insolent talk, back talk
gum
cement consisting of a sticky
substance that is used as an
adhesive (US usually: glue)
a type of confectionery composed
of chicle used for chewing
gutted
disappointed and upset (informal) past tense of gut: eviscerated;
plundered; despoiled; made
powerless and/or ineffectual
(of a building) stripped of interior
structure, leaving only frame and
exterior walls (e.g.by fire)
gyro
(see also giro)
gyroscope
a sandwich, the Greek gyro, more
familiar to Americans than the
similar Turkish döner kebab,
which is more common in Britain
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
haberdasher a dealer in small items and
accessories, as for sewing; hence
haberdashery (US: notions)
a dealer in men's apparel and
accessories; hence haberdashery
half
half pint of beer, cider or lager
fifty percent/0.5 times.
halfway
house
a place where victims of child
abuse, orphans or teenage
runaways can stay, a shelter
drug rehabilitation or sex offender
centre
hamper
large basket for food (especially
picnic hamper, Christmas
hamper)
to impede or hinder
basket for clothes that need
washing (UK: Linen basket or
laundry basket)
hash
number sign, octothorpe (#) (US:
pound sign)
hashish
Hash (food), beef and other
ingredients mashed together into a
coarse paste
Page 22
highway
(chiefly in official use) public
road; see Highway Code
(highway robbery) something too
expensive; see also highwayman
main road (as between cities)
(divided or dual highway) a road
with two roadways and at least
four lanes (UK: dual carriageway)
(highway post office) in the past, a
bus transporting mail that was
sorted en route
hike
a usu. recreational walk
an increase in amount (as in
wages) *
(to take a hike) to go away (also
used as a command)
hire
to rent * (as a car); rental
(hire purchase) a purchase carried
out over time by making regular
payments (US: installment plan)
to employ, recruit *; a person who
is recruited
hob
the flat top surface of a cooking
stove (US: cooktop)
a part of a fireplace
an elf
trouble (as in "raising hob" -
chiefly US)
(UK has less common "playing
hob")
hock
a German wine ("down their four-
and-twenty throats went four-and-
twenty imperial pints of such rare
old hock" – Charles Dickens) (US:
Rhine wine)
Hock tide, an ancient holiday
hock (zoology)
pawn (n. & v.) ("I can borrow a
dime from the barber, an' I got
enough junk to hock for a
blowout" – Jack London); prison
(both from Dutch) *
debt
the end of a smoked ham *
to hock-a-loogie, to spit.
hockey
hockey played with a ball on grass
(field hockey) *
hockey played on a hard surface
(e.g. concrete) or indoors
hockey played on ice with a puck
(ice hockey) *
hog
(dialect) a yearling sheep
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
adult pig
motorcycle, especially a large one
such as a Harley-Davidson
hole-in-the-
wall
automatic teller machine, cash
machine (informal)
a small, out-of-the-way place, as a
restaurant, with a negative
connotation. However, often used
to preface a compliment, e.g. "just
a hole-in-the-wall place you've
never heard of, but they serve the
best steak in the city."
holiday
see Bank Holiday
(often pl.) time taken off from
work, school, etc., including the
period between school terms (US:
break, vacation)
recreational trip away from home
(US: vacation)
day when people are generally
exempt from work, school, etc.
see Federal holiday
(the Holidays) the days
comprising Christmas and New
Year's Day (and Hanukkah), and
often also Thanksgiving (used esp.
in the phrase "happy Holidays")
festival, whether or not generally
entailing a public holiday:
"Halloween is my favorite
holiday"
home
(noun): condition of domesticity,
or one's permanent and regular
shelter, but not the physical
structure or property.
In AmE widely used also to mean
the physical structure and
property, and references to them,
e.g., "home loans",
"homeowners", and "tract homes".
This usage is overwhelmingly
predominant in commercial
language and public discourse,
Page 23
e.g. "the home mortgage crisis".
I
home run
final part of a distance, final effort
needed to finish (US:
homestretch)
a success (from baseball)
(also homer) a four-base hit in
baseball
(slang) sexual intercourse; more
s.v. base
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
the folding fabric top on a
convertible car (US: convertible
top)
head covering forming part of a
garment
component of academic regalia
hinged cover over the engine in a
car (UK: bonnet)
a contraction of neighborhood,
especially regarding a poor
neighborhood
short for hoodlum, a tough,
destructive young man, or
generically any criminal
hooker
in rugby football, the player
position in the centre front of the
scrum
prostitute (informal) *
hooter
steam whistle or siren in a factory
or other large workplace sounded
as a signal for beginning or
ceasing work
car horn
nose
(hooters) female breasts (vulgar
slang)
horny (adj.,
slang)
sexually attractive
sexually excited
craving sexual satisfaction
hump
a state of depression (dated) ("to
be in a hump")
a state of annoyance ("to get the
hump")
a traffic calming tool ("a speed
hump") * (US & UK: speed
bump)
to move a heavy load by human
effort a short distance
a rounded mass sticking out from
its surroundings
(v., vulgar slang) engage in sexual
intercourse, animals breeding or
trying to breed
see also rail terminology
(n. & v.) (to make) a vigorous
effort ("hump yourself", "to get a
hump on") (regional)
(n.) a mountain barrier to be
crossed (as by air)
(hump day) Wednesday
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
icebox
cabinet containing ice for food
refrigeration
refrigerator
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
immediately (conj., informal) as soon as ("I
await your call immediately you
get this message")
(adv.) directly; in no time
Indian corn
Zea mays (historical or technical;
usually, UK maize or sweetcorn,
US corn, q.v.)
A particular variety of maize/corn,
with multicolored kernels, used
for decorations
indicator
direction-indicator light on a
vehicle (US: turn signal)
one that indicates
inspector
(police)
lowest supervisory rank above
sergeant (rough US equivalent:
lieutenant)
senior rank in some police
departments (rough UK
equivalent: superintendent)
intern
replacement
(v.) to confine (as during a war, or (n.) one (as a graduate or college
Page 24
to a hospital)
(adj., archaic) internal
J
student) temporarily employed for
practical training, e.g. in the
science, engineering, or
technology fields; esp., in the
medical field, a physician (rough
UK equivalent: houseman) in
their first year of postgraduate
training
(v.) to work as an intern
international
Pertaining to or common to more
than one country.
Foreign, not from the USA.
("International version of software
for country xxx", in British
English this is a contradiction in
terms.)
interval
break between two performances
or sessions, as in theatre (US:
intermission)
a gap in space or time; see interval
(music), interval (mathematics),
interval (time)
(esp. New England, also spelled
intervale) low-lying land, as near
a river (US also bottomland)
inventory
itemisation of goods or objects (of
an estate, in a building, etc.)
the stock of an item on hand in a
store or shop
the process of producing an
inventory in a store or shop (UK:
stocktaking)
IRA
Irish Republican Army [listed
here to reflect common usage]
Individual Retirement Account
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
jab
an injection with a hypodermic
needle, as in the case of an
inoculation (US: shot)
(informal) to stab, thrust, or
penetrate
jam
a preserve made from fruits boiled
in sugar and set with pectin (US:
jelly), especially including the
seeds of the fruit
traffic hold-up
certain kinds of fruit preserve,
especially the kinds with pieces of
fruit left in: strawberry jam
jelly
a fruit flavoured dessert set with
gelatin (US: Jell-O (trademark),
gelatin dessert (generic))
a preserve made from the liquid of
fruits boiled in sugar and set with
pectin, without pieces of fruit
(e.g.'redcurrant jelly')
a preserve made from fruits boiled
in sugar and set with pectin (UK:
jam), especially including the
seeds of the fruit
Jesse
(often as Big Jesse, derogatory
insult for a man) Non-macho,
effeminate, sometimes gay.
A male name (uncommon in the
UK). A shortening of the female
name Jessica.
jock
a Scotsman or a Scottish Terrier
(Scottie) (slang)
a private soldier (slang) (UK:
squaddie)
slang term for an athlete
slang term for the undergarment
called an athletic supporter or jock
strap
joint
piece of meat for carving *
(slang) hand-rolled cigarette
containing cannabis and tobacco
connection between two objects or
bones
an establishment, especially a
disreputable one ("a gin joint";
"let's case the joint") (slang, orig.
US)
(slang) hand-rolled cigarette
containing only cannabis
(slang) prison ("in the joint")
jolly
very (informal) (as in jolly good)
happy; jovial
jug
any container with a handle and a
mouth or spout for liquid (US:
pitcher)
(jugs) breasts (slang)
large container with a narrow
mouth and handle for liquids
(similar to UK pitcher)
jumper
a knitted upper body garment (US:
sweater)
jump shot in basketball
Non-permanent electrical
pinafore dress
jump suit
Page 25
connection, especially on a PCB
K
L
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
kebab
commonly a döner kebab
(sometimes doner or donner
kebab), strips of meat (usu. lamb
or chicken) cooked by being
heated on a revolving device and
served stuffed in a pita bread (In
the US, the Greek varieties
souvlaki or gyro are better known
than the Turkish döner)
(often spelled "kabob" in the US)
meat served on a skewer together
with onions, tomatoes, etc. (e.g.
shish kebab)
keen
eager or intent on, example: he is
keen to get to work on time.
desirable or just right, example:
"peachy keen" – "That's a pretty
keen outfit you're wearing." (slang
going out of common usage)
keeper
a curator or a goalkeeper
one that keeps (as a gamekeeper or
a warden)
a type of play in American football
("quarterback keeper")
something of significance ("that's
a keeper"). Can be used in many
contexts. Often used in sports
fishing to refer to a fish not
released.
kit
clothing, esp. a sports uniform
(e.g. football kit)
any of various sets of equipment
or tools
a set of parts to be assembled, e.g.
into a scale model
a group of person or objects ("the
whole kit and (ca) boodle/billing")
klaxon
(slang) a fool, idiot
Trademark (somewhat generic) for
a mechanical alarm or horn used in
submarines and early automobile
models
kleenex
specific brand of disposable paper
handkerchief (Kleenex)
any disposable paper handkerchief
(from tradename)
knickers
women's underwear (US: panties)
knickerbockers
knob
A dim-witted person
The penis, or specifically the glans
(slang, vulgar) ("polishing the
knob")
a rounded door handle
knock up
to practise before tennis
to awaken or summon by
knocking
to prepare quickly ("Knock us up
something to eat" — L.M. Alcott)
to impregnate* (slang, sometimes
vulgar)
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
ladder
a run (vertical split) in the fabric of
tights
a vertical or inclined set of rungs
or steps.
lavatory
toilet
closet in passenger vehicles (e.g.
trains) containing a toilet and
washbasin/sink.
washbasin, place for washing
lay by (v.),
lay-by (n.)
(n.) roadside parking or rest area
for drivers
(v.) to lay aside
to stow
(n.) a last cultivating in the
growing of a crop
(v.) to cultivate (a crop) for the last
Page 26
time
lead
(rhyming with "speed") a cable
(US: cord), or a dog's leash
to guide through
leader
newspaper editorial
main violin in an orchestra (US:
concertmaster)
see also Leader of the Opposition
one who leads
a pipe for carrying water ("rain
water leader")
lecturer
the entry-level academic rank at a
university (below Senior Lecturer,
Reader, and Professor) (US:
"assistant professor")
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)
let
to rent (as real property) * ("rooms
to let")
(n.) the act of renting; rented
premises
(let out) to reveal
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
(let out) to end (of school,
meetings, etc.)
levee,
an early afternoon assembly held
by the King or Queen, to which
only men were admitted (Always
levée, with accent)
a reception in honour of a
particular person
an embankment on a river (as the
Mississippi River)
the steep bank of a river, or border
of an irrigated field
(esp. Southern & Western US) a
landing place or quay
leverage
mechanical advantage of a lever
take advantage of a capability
(business)
the use of debt finance (UK:
gearing)*
knowledge not immediately
revealed to be used to one's
advantage
liberal
(politics)
a person who generally supports
the ideas of the UK Liberal
Democrats, a centre left-party
a person who holds the political
ideals of Liberalism.
a person who advocates modern
liberalism; see American
liberalism
life
preserver
a type of weapon for self-defence
(US: blackjack)
life vest, personal flotation device
(UK: lifebelt or lifejacket)
lift (n.)
platform or cage moved vertically
in a shaft to transport people and
goods to various floors in a
building (US: elevator)
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)
an elevation in mood, "I got a lift
just talking with her."
line
(see also track)
a breadthless length
a group of persons, usually waiting
for something, arranged in order of
arrival (UK: 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
liquor
the broth resulting from the
prolonged cooking of meat or
vegetables. Green liquor is
traditionally served with pie and
mash in the East End of London
a distilled beverage *
(hard liquor) strongly alcoholic
beverage; spirits
(liquor store) retail establishment
selling liquor (usu. for
consumption off the premises)
(UK similar: off-licence) ("I held
up and robbed a hard liquor store"
Page 27
– Paul Simon)
M
loaded
the state of a firearm with bullets
or shells in its firing chamber.
bearing a load.
(slang; of a person) rich
drunk or high
lot
(the lot) the whole thing (US
similar: the whole schmear or
enchilada or ball of wax or
shebang)
(a lot) a great deal
a number of things (or, informal,
people) taken collectively
fate, fortune
a prize in a lottery
a measured plot of land; a portion
of land set for a particular purpose
("a building lot"), e.g. for parking
("parking lot") or selling ("used
car lot") automotive vehicles. But
also a "vacant lot"
a film studio
lounge
a room for relaxation and
entertainment in a house
(lounge bar) part of a pub
a room for relaxation in a public
place
a bar
love (in
addressing
people)
informal term of address
beloved person, darling (- often a
term of endearment)
loveseat
a seat which accommodates two
people facing in opposite
directions. Can be wooden or
padded.
a two-seater couch
lox
liquid oxygen (engineering)
thin-sliced smoked salmon,
commonly consumed on bagels
lugs (n.)
ears (lugholes)
a small projection (engineering)
a lug nut fastens a tire to the
wheel, (UK wheel nut).
a "big lug" is usually a term of
endearment for a large shy, goofy
man.
lumber
(n.) disused items (as furniture)*;
hence lumber room
(v.) to encumber (as with such
items) ("I was lumbered with
work")
(v.) to move awkwardly or heavily
("he lumbered out the door")
(n.) timber that has been sawed
and (partly) prepared for
construction or woodworking;
hence lumberyard (UK:
timberyard), lumber camp,
lumberjack, lumberman, lumber
wagon, lumber town, etc.
(v.) to log and prepare timber
to make a rolling sound (dated)
lush
(slang; of
a person)
attractive (usu. used by women in
reference to men - principally
West Country)
luxuriant
an alcoholic * especially female
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
mac
raincoat; abbreviation of
Macintosh
a brand of Apple inc. computers;
abbreviation of Macintosh.
(Slang; proper n.) A term of
informal address used with male
strangers; generally implies more
unfriendliness or disapproval than
the more neutral 'pal' or 'buddy':
"Get your car out of my way,
Mac!" Stereotypically used by
working-class New Yorkers such
as cab drivers. UK generally
'mate'. Cf. 'Jack.'
macintosh
raincoat (often shortened to mac)
a brand of Apple inc. computers
(often shortened to Mac)
(wrongly) McIntosh Red, a type
of apple
Page 28
mad
eccentric *
insane
enraged *
very, or a large amount of
something (slang, as in "he has
mad skills")
(used in Royal Mail, the name of
the British postal system; cf.
postal)
(Scot.) a payment (tax, rent, etc.)
(Scot.) a travelling bag or pack
(n.) the postal system of a nation
letters, packages, etc. sent by post;
as delivered to individual, orig.
US, UK often post
(n. & v.) email
(v.) send a letter (UK: post or
send); noun originated mail
carrier & mailman (UK:
postman), mailbox (UK: postbox;
letter box), mail slot, mail drop,
etc.
mailbox
(UK: mail
box)
a file for storing electronic mail
(or related computing or
voicemail usage)
an item of street furniture serving
as a receptacle for outgoing mail
(UK: post box; letter box; pillar
box); a receptacle for incoming
paper mail (UK: letter box)
main line,
mainline
a major railway line (as the West
Coast Main Line); compare trunk
a major vein (as for drug injection
purposes) (orig. 1930s US slang);
also used as a v.
a railroad's primary track, or a
primary artery, route, road, or
connection
Pennsylvania Main Line
mainline Protestant churches
major
(in the past, in English public
schools) used to denote the eldest
of two or more pupils with the
same surname ("Bloggs major")
important or significant
(n.) rank between captain and
lieutenant colonel in the army and
marines.
(n.) a college/university student's
main field of specialization ("his
major is physics"); the student
himself ("he is a physics major");
(v.) to pursue a major ("he
majored in physics") (compare
minor; UK: compare read)
(n.) rank between captain and
lieutenant colonel in the air force
(UK squadron leader) and in some
police agencies (UK approx.
superintendent).
majority
(politics)
the greatest number of votes
difference of votes between first
and second place (US: plurality)
more than half of all votes (UK:
absolute majority)
make out
to draw up, to seek to make it
appear, to fabricate a story
to see with difficulty; to
understand the meaning of
to kiss (see Making out) (UK: to
snog)
to succeed or profit ("She made
out well on that deal.") *
mangle
a machine with two rollers, used
to extract water from wet fabric
(US: wringer)
to damage, disfigure, mutilate or
destroy
marinara
(sauce)
a sauce containing seafood, usu.
in a tomato base
a sauce containing tomatoes and
herbs, with no seafood or meat
(UK: napolitana sauce)
marquee
large, open-sided tent installed
outdoors for temporary functions
*
signage placed over the entrance
to a hotel, theatre, or cinema
(attrib.) the ability (of a show) to
draw audience, "box
office" ("marquee value")
a prominent celebrity or athlete
("marquee player")
mate
friend (US: pal)
informal term of address ("hello
mate")
animal's sexual partner
checkmate, the winning of a game
of chess
an officer on a merchant ship
spouse or partner
mean (adj.)
stingy, miserly, selfish *
of inferior quality, contemptible
a statistical average (see mean)
unpleasant, unkind, vicious *
median
a statistical average (see median)
geometric median
median nerve
the portion of a divided highway
used to separate opposing traffic
(UK central reservation)
Page 29
meet with
to face (as a situation), experience
("If you can meet with triumph
and disaster, and treat those two
impostors just the same" -
Kipling)
to have a meeting with (as people)
("Vice president meets with Iraqi
officials", CNN) * (UK generally
meet (transitive) or meet up with)
[3]
meter
measuring instrument, including
electric meter, gas meter, etc.
the basic unit of length in the
metric system * (UK usu.: metre)
mezzanine
intermediate floor between main
floors of a building
lowest balcony in a theatre, or the
first few rows of seats thereof
(UK usu. dress circle)
mid-Atlantic in the middle of the Atlantic
Ocean, half-way between UK &
US
middle of the Atlantic coast of the
USA (exact definition of Mid-
Atlantic States may vary)
military [?]
relating specifically to the British
Army
relating to armed forces in general (adj.) relating to any of the
individual branches of the armed
forces
(n.) armed forces
minor
(in the past, in English public
schools) used to denote the
youngest of two or more pupils
with the same surname ("Bloggs
minor")
not very important
see minor (law), minor (music)
(n.) a person under the age of 18
years, generally, and for legal
reasons more specifically (as in
"the name of the defendant is
withheld because he is a minor"),
or under an age legally required
for certain behavior (such as
purchasing alcohol), or under the
age of consent.
(n.) secondary academic subject
(compare major) ("has a major in
biology and a minor in English");
(v.) to study as one's minor ("she
minored in English")
minor league;
miss out
to omit
to lose a chance; usu. used with
on
mobile (n.)
mobile phone (US: cell phone)
decorative structure suspended so
as to turn freely in the air
mobile
home
a mobile, non-motorised piece of
equipment with living facilities; a
caravan (q.v.)
a type of manufactured dwelling
transported to the home site using
wheels attached to the structure
momentarily
for a moment
in a moment; very soon
mono
(adj.) monophonic (of reproduced
sound, e.g. radio or CD player
using a single speaker)
monochrome
(n.) infectious mononucleosis, a
disease caused by Epstein-Barr
virus (UK: glandular fever)
moot
(adj.) debatable ("a moot point")
(v.) to bring up for debate
(these meanings are fading from
use in US English)
see also moot court
(adj.) irrelevant ("a moot point")
(orig. legal, now in common use)
(v.) to make irrelevant
(incorrect/uneducated usage)
mortuary
(n.)
building or room (as in a hospital)
for the storage of human remains
(US: morgue)
funeral home, funeral parlour
motorbike
a motorcycle
a lightweighted, small motorcycle
motor car,
motorcar
(formal) a car (motor vehicle)
(US: automobile)
a self-propelled railway vehicle
MP
Member of Parliament
Military police officer [?]
other expansions
muffin
a thick round baked yeast roll,
usually toasted and served with
butter (US: English muffin)
a confection similar to a cupcake
but unfrosted and less sweet,
sometimes even savory (e.g., corn
muffin) * (UK: American muffin)
muffler
a scarf
device to silence an automobile
Page 30
(UK: silencer) or gramophone
N
O
mummy
mother, as addressed or referred
to by her child (US: mommy)
a chemically preserved corpse,
such as those of ancient
Egyptians.
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
nancy
nancy-boy: effeminate or
homosexual male
Woman's given name
napkin
nappy (q.v.), diaper (dated, not
well known)
piece of material used to protect
garments from spilled food or to
remove food residues from around
the mouth [formerly esp. US;
alternative UK term serviette is
obsolescent]
(oftenest, sanitary napkin)
absorbent piece of material worn
by a woman while menstruating *
(UK usu. sanitary towel)
nappy
folded cloth or other absorbent
material drawn up between the
legs and fastened around the waist,
usu. worn by infants to counter
incontinence (US: diaper)
twisted or kinked, considered
insulting when applied to hair, esp.
that of persons of African descent
(also called napped)
nervy
nervous, fidgety *
bold, presumptuous
nick
prison or police station (slang)
to steal (slang)
to arrest (slang)
small cut
(computer jarg.) nickname
nickel
the metallic element (Ni)
5 cent coin
nonplussed
bewildered, unsure how to respond unfazed (incorrect usage)
nonce
a sex offender; in particular, a
child molestor (slang)
the present moment
a word used only once
a single-use token in a
cryptographic protocol
nor
neither ("'She didn't come.' 'Nor
did he.'")
(Scotland & Ireland) than
("someone better nor me")
and not, or (not) ("neither sad nor
happy"; "he never eats, nor does
he ever feel hungry")
notion
concept, conception, inclination
(pl.) small items and accessories,
esp. for sewing (UK:
haberdashery, q.v.); hence notion
store, notion counter, etc.
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
office
(cap.) a government department
("Colonial Office", "Foreign and
Commonwealth Office")
(pl.) the outbuildings and
dependencies of a dwelling (as an
estate)
a place of business; a position or
function
a particular division of an
administrative unit ("Patent
Office")
the place where a physician or
dentist practises (UK: surgery)
optician
(dispensing optician) professional
who dispenses lenses and
spectacles
(ophthalmic optician) professional
who tests eyes and prescribes
lenses (US: optometrist)
professional who dispenses lenses
and spectacles
optometrist
ophthalmic optician
in the U.S., optometrist and
Page 31
ophthalmologist are separate,
opticians are the same as UK
dispensing opticians
P
ouster
a person who ousts
the act of forcing the removal of
someone from a position of
influence or power
outside
lane
the part of the road nearest the
vehicles going in the opposite
direction, used especially by faster
vehicles (US: inside lane)
(in both cases the term applies to
the rightmost lane in the direction
concerned)
the part of the road nearest the
edge, used especially by slower-
moving vehicles (UK: inside lane)
overall (n.) loose-fitting protective outer
garment (US: coverall)
(in pl.) sturdy protective bib
trousers; dungarees
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
pacifier
something or somebody that
brings peace
rubber teat for babies (UK:
dummy)
panda
police car (slang)
giant panda, red panda
pantomime traditional Christmas time holiday
theatre
silent acting, usu. without props,
by mime artist (UK: mime)
pants
underpants (also briefs or boxers)
of poor quality (slang)
(of a situation) bad, unfortunate
(slang).
usually, any trousers, exc. in "to
get into her pants", etc., in which
it denotes women's
underclothing*
paraffin
kerosene
a waxy fraction of petroleum
commonly used to make candles
(UK: paraffin wax)
paralytic
extremely drunk (slang)
relating to or affected by paralysis
park
a tract of ground kept in its natural
state, about or adjacent to a
residence, as for the preservation
of game, for walking, riding, or
the like
(esp. Scotland) a pasture or field
area for the parking of motor
vehicles ("a car park")
(sports) a soccer or rugby field
see also country park
outdoor area for recreational uses
("Central Park", "Hyde Park")
national park (orig. US)
any of various areas designated
for certain purposes *, such as
amusement park, theme park,
industrial park, trailer park,
memorial park (a cemetery)
(sports) enclosed ground for ball
games, oftenest the ballpark
a level valley among the
mountains (as the Rocky
Mountains); also, an area of open
grassland, or one for cultivation,
esp. if among the woods
parking
the act of parking (a vehicle)
To engage in romantic intimacy in
a parked vehicle. (regional) turf
strip between sidewalk and street
(many regional synonyms exist;
there is no standard name).
parkway
a railway station with parking
areas intended for commuters
generally, an open landscaped
limited-access highway (q.v.) (see
article)
regional term for parking (q.v.)
pass out
to graduate from a training centre
of a disciplined service (military,
police etc)
to become unconscious
to die *
to distribute *
patience
any of a family of one-player card
games (US: solitaire, q.v.)
the quality of being patient
pavement
a paved strip at the side of a road,
reserved for pedestrians (US:
sidewalk)
the road surface *
Page 32
PC
police constable
politically correct
personal computer
other expansions
pecker
courage, pluck (slang, used in the
phrase "keep your pecker up",
remain cheerful)
penis (slang)
peckish
slightly hungry, snackish *
irritable or angry (rare)
peg
(n.) (often clothes peg) a wooden
or plastic device for fastening
laundry on a clothesline (US:
clothespin)
(v.) to fasten (laundry) on a
clothesline
(n.) a cylindrical wooden, metal
etc. object used to fasten or as a
bearing between objects
(v.) to fix or pin down
(v.) to hit with a projectile
(n.) a throw (as in baseball)
(v.) to identify or classify (as
someone) *
penny
(pl. pence, or, when referring to
coins, pennies) 1/100 (formerly,
1/240) of the Pound Sterling
[listed here to reflect ordinary
usage]
a small amount usu. in contrast to
a larger one ("Penny wise, Pound
foolish", common phrase in both
British and American usage)
(pl. pennies) a cent (esp. the coin)
(penny-ante) trivial, small-time.
period
section of time
menstruation, Time period, The
Periodic Table.
punctuation mark used at the end
of a sentence
(interj.) used at the end of a
statement to emphasise its finality
* ("You are not going to that
concert, period!") (UK: full stop
for both senses)
pint
about 6/5 of US measure, 20
Imperial fluid ounces (19.2 US fl.
oz.), 568 ml
pint of beer, lager or cider ("Pour
us a pint")
about 5/6 of British (Imperial)
measure, 16 US fluid ounces
(16.65 Imperial fl. oz), 473 ml
piss
(on the piss) drinking heavily,
going out for the purpose of
drinking heavily
(to take the piss) to mock
urine (usu. vulgar)
urinate (usu. vulgar)
low-quality beer (vulgar)
pissed
intoxicated, drunk (often pissed as
a newt; sometimes pissed up)
urinated (usu. vulgar)
(pissed off) angry, irritated
angry, irritated
pitch
outdoor site for a stall or some
other business
site for a tent (US: campsite, q.v.)
playing field for a particular sport
(football pitch, rugby pitch,
cricket pitch, etc.) (US: field)
an attempt to persuade somebody
to do something, usu. to accept a
business proposal
a sticky black substance obtained
from tar
the slope of a roof
rotation on a lateral axis (as an
aircraft or spacecraft)
the frequency of a sound
to erect a tent
to discard (in various card games,
e.g., bridge)
in baseball, the delivery of a
baseball by a pitcher to a batter
"pitching a tent" (slang): to have
an erection (describes the shape of
the fabric covering one)
(slang) to dispose
a brief summary of a broader
work or idea meant to be
attractive to a third party e.g.
"What's the pitch?"
pitcher
a large container (often
earthenware), usually round with
a narrow neck, used for holding
water or another liquid [4] (US:
jug)
any container with a handle and
lip or spout for liquids* [5] (UK:
jug)
baseball player who pitches
(throws) baseball towards the
batter (UK: bowler)
(gay slang, from baseball) a top or
dominant partner
pitman
a miner working in a pit
the man that stands in a pit when
sawing timber (with another man
standing above)
a connecting rod (as in a sawmill)
a master barbecuer, the person
responsible for managing a
barbecue pit.
Page 33
plaster
an adhesive bandage placed on a
minor cut or scrape (UK also:
sticking/sticky plaster,
Elastoplast; US: Band-aid);
a cast of plaster of Paris ("a leg in
plaster")
a pastelike mixture that hardens
when applied to walls and
ceilings;
plastered - drunk
plimsoll,
plimsol,
plimsole.
noun: a rubber-soled cloth shoe; a
sneaker.
waterline to show the level the
water should reach when the ship
is properly loaded [syn: load line],
named after Samuel Plimsoll
point
(pl.) railway turnout * (US:
switch)
(power point) electrical socket
(US: outlet)
cape or promontory jutting into
sea
(full point) syn. with full stop
(q.v.)
(see article)
piece of land jutting into any body
of water, esp. a river ("points and
bends"); a prominence or peak (of
mountains, hills, rocks), also an
extremity of woods or timber
pontoon
blackjack, twenty-one
a buoyant device
pop
a sharp explosive sound
popular music
carbonated soft drink (US usage is
regional; also: soda, soda pop)
father (colloquial)
(v.) to kill
porter
doorman, gatekeeper, or building
maintenance worker *
bearer of burdens
a style of beer
railway sleeping car attendant
post (v.)
to send a letter * (US: mail)
to display on a noticeboard or
bulletin board, Internet forum, etc.
to announce ("the company posted
a first-quarter profit of $100
million")
to inform ("keep me posted") *
postal
related to the paper mail system
(used in the name of the United
States Postal Service; see mail)
(to go postal) to commit a sudden,
irrational burst of rage (slang)
pound sign
symbol of the Pound Sterling (£)
(GBP)
number sign, octothorpe (#) (UK:
hash sign)
precinct
a pedestrian zone in a city or town
("a shopping precinct")
a space enclosed (as by walls)
subdivision of a county, town, etc.
for the purpose of conducting
elections
section of a city patrolled by a
police unit; the police station in
such a section
prep
(aratory)
school
(in England) fee-paying private
junior school (which prepares
pupils for public school)
fee-paying private senior school
(which prepares pupils for
university) (UK: public school or
independent school)
pressman,
presswoman
a journalist employed by a
newspaper (US:
newspaperman/newspaperwoman
(rare), or by specific job)
one who operates a printing press
pressurise
(UK),
pressurize
(US & UK)
insistently influence, or attempt to
influence, someone else ("The
manager pressurised his assistant
to work late") (US & UK also:
pressure)
subject a volume of gas or liquid
to physical pressure, as the
atmospheric pressure within an
aircraft ("For the passengers'
comfort, the airliner's cabin was
pressurized to 10000 ft")
proctor
variant of the word procurator, is
a person who takes charge or acts
for another.
an examination supervisor (UK:
invigilator)
professor
holder of a chair in a university,
the highest academic rank (the
academic faculty of all ranks:
Assistant Professor, Associate
Page 34
usual order being Lecturer, Senior
Lecturer, Reader, Professor)
Professor, and (Full) Professor
(the latter being largely equivalent
to the UK meaning)
project
a plan; a temporary endeavour
undertaken to create a unique
product or service
publicly subsidised usu. low-
income housing development –
see public housing in the United
States and Canada (UK: cf. s.v.
estate)
prom
shortening of 'promenade concert',
originally one of a series of
concerts (The Proms) held as part
of a classical music festival that
takes place in the late summer
based around the Royal Albert
Hall in London, but now also used
elsewhere
shortening of 'promenade', a
raised walk next to the beach in
seaside resorts
dance/party held for pupils to
celebrate the end of a school
year/graduation, a shortening of
'promenade', a formal parade *
protest (v.t.)
to forcefully express an opinion,
to advocate: "The prisoner
protested his innocence."
to campaign or demonstrate
against: "The prisoner's friends
protested the judge's
decision." (UK: protest against)
public
school
long-established and prestigious
fee-paying independent school in
England or Wales (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) * (also in
Scotland & Northern Ireland)
pud
short for pudding, especially in
"Christmas
pud" (pronounced /ɑpȚd/)
slang term for penis
(pronounced /ɑpȜd/) (from
'pudendum')
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
pull
to persuade someone to be one's
date or sex partner (slang)
(on the pull) seeking a date or sex
partner (slang)
to move something towards
oneself
an injury to a muscle, tendon, or
ligament, e.g. "I've pulled my
hamstring."
to carry out a task (esp. milit.) ("to
pull guard duty")
pull off
(of a vehicle) to start moving
to succeed in a task
pump
(shoe)
(regional) a plimsoll (US:
sneaker)
the word (of unknown origin) has
variously denoted a pantofle, a
low thin sole shoe, a formal men's
shoe
(Reebok Pump) a brand of athletic
shoe with an internal inflation
mechanism
usu. women's high(ish) heeled
shoe (UK similar: court shoe,
q.v.)
punk
follower of Punk music
worthless person; from
conventional societal perspective
any young outlaw or tough; from
perspective of outlaws and others
valuing physical fighting, a
coward
purse
feminine money container or
wallet (US: coin purse)
in boxing etc, the money to be
awarded in a prize fight
handbag
Page 35
Q
R
pussy
a cat (becoming less common in
the US, due to the other
meanings)
Slang term for vagina
a weakling
pylon
electricity pylon, part of an
electric power transmission
network * (US: mast or
transmission tower)
A large architectural feature,
usually found as one of a pair at
the entrance to ancient Egyptian
temples - see Pylon (architecture)
traffic cone; temporary traffic lane
separator.
support structure for suspension
bridge or highway
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
quart
1/4 (UK) gallon or 2 (UK) pints.
Liquid measure approximately
1.136 litres (6/5 of an American
quart).
1/4 (US) gallon or 2 (US) pints.
Liquid measure equal to 0.946
litres (5/6 of a British quart).
quarter
one of four equal parts into which
something is divided, as a quarter
hour or, especially for financial
purposes, a quarter of a year; in
generic usage (as in fractions), US
usu. fourth
25 cents (a fourth of a dollar)
queue
a group of persons, usually waiting
for something, arranged in order of
arrival * (US: line)
an ordered sequence of objects,
from which the first one in is also
the first one out (cf. Stack (data
structure))
quid
colloquial term for pound sterling
(plural is quid also; in Ireland it
can refer to the punt or Euro)
a measure (mouthful) of chewing
tobacco
quite
to some extent or degree, e.g. in
the phrase "quite good" meaning
"mediocre, acceptable" or "good,
well done" (a meiotic usage,
depending on voice intonation)
agreeing with a given statement,
often expressing reluctant
agreement or disbelief ("I'm
innocent, and this document
proves it!" "Quite.") according to
intonation)
to the fullest extent or degree ("All
art is quite useless" – Oscar Wilde)
to a great extent or degree
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
rabbit
(v.) (slang) to talk at length,
usually about trivial things;
usually to 'rabbit on'
(n.) the animal rabbit, a lagomorph
railroad
tramway (obsolete)
(v.) to coerce
to convict with undue haste or
with insufficient evidence
the general term for the system of
mass transit using trains running
on rails: see usage of the terms
railroad and railway
(v.) to work on the railroad
to transport by railroad
see also at underground
railway
the general term for the system of
mass transit using trains running
tramway
Page 36
on rails: see usage of the terms
railroad and railway
raisin
(UK usage excludes currants and
sultanas)
a large dark grape, dried
any dried grape
rambler
one that rambles (as a hiker), see
Ramblers' Association
a type of rose
one who talks excessively, often
without making cohesive points
(to ramble on)
a style of house, usu. a ranch
house
(see also Rambler (automobile),
Nash Rambler)
randy
a slang term meaning sexually
aroused (American horny)
a male or female given name or
nickname deriving from the names
Randall, Randolph, or Miranda
range
a line, collection, etc. of products
or merchandise, as in top of the
range (US: top of the line)
a type of kitchen stove like that
featured on the TV programme
The 1900 House
a series of things in a line (as
mountains)
a sequence or scale between limits
a place where shooting is practised
an area over which a species of
animal or plant is found
a cooking stove with an oven and
burners on the top surface
an open area for the grazing of
livestock
a series of townships (q.v.), a
Public Land Survey System unit
of land east or west from a
Principal Meridian
raunchy
Lewd, vulgar, sexually explicit
foul-smelling, dirty
raunch (n.): stench, miasma
read
to study a subject at university
("he is reading physics") (roughly
approximate US: major (in))
to peruse written material
reader
the second highest academic rank
at a university, below professor
(US equivalent: associate
professor)
one who reads
a teaching assistant who reads and
grades examination papers.
receptionist hotel reservation desk worker (US:
clerk) see also concierge
front desk employee in business
establishments, organisations, or
hospitals
recess
(time)
remission or suspension of
business or procedure
pause between classes at school
(UK: break, playtime, Lunchtime)
redcap
a military police officer
a baggage porter (as at a train
station)
redundant
laid off from employment, usu.
because no longer needed ("The
company made 100 workers
redundant")
unnecessary; repetitive
regular
normal, customary
following a uniform pattern in
space or time
(of a geometric shape) having
equal sides and angles
frequent
one who frequents a place
a full-time professional member of
a military organisation (see
Structure of the British Army and
Regular Army)
of an ordinary kind; also, nice or
agreeable ("a regular guy")
of an ordinary or medium size *
unmodified, especially non-
dietary/sugar-free/fat-free *
non-decaffeinated coffee
lowest grade of gasoline
(historically: leaded gasoline)
remit
(n.) set of responsibilities ("within
my remit"; "to have a remit")
(pronounced /ɑriəmǺt/)
(v.) to defer; in law, to transfer a
case to a lower court; to send
money; to cancel.
(pronounced /rǺɑmǺt/)
restroom
a room for staff to take their
breaks in; a staffroom (US:
breakroom)
a room in a public place,
containing a toilet
retreat
(v.) to go backwards, especially
a period of group withdrawal for
Page 37
study or instruction under a group
leader
(military) to move away from the
enemy; to withdraw
(n.) a period of withdrawal from
society for prayer or meditation
review
to reassess, inspect, perform a
subsequent reading
to write a review
to study again (as in preparing for
an examination) (UK: revise),
hence review (n.)
revise
to study again (as in preparing for
an examination) (US: review),
hence revision
to inspect, amend, correct,
improve, esp. written material
ring (v.)
to call (someone) by telephone
to sound a bell
(ring up) * to total up a customer's
purchases on a cash register
rise
(increase)
an increase in wages (US: raise)
an increase in amount, value,
price, etc.
roast
(colloquial) to reprimand severely. (v.) to cook in an oven; (n.) meat
so cooked
(n.) an event where an individual
is ridiculed for the sake of
comedy; (v.) to host or perform
such an event
roommate
a person with whom one shares a
bedroom
(also roomie) a person with whom
one shares a house or apartment
(UK: housemate or flatmate)
root (v.)
to have sex with (vulgar slang)
(orig. Australian)
to fix; to rummage; to take root or
grow roots
to cheer ("I will be rooting for
you"); to dig or look for (root
around) *
rotary
a machine acting by rotation
(cap.) organisation whose
members comprise Rotary Clubs
a circular road intersection (US
also traffic circle, UK usu.
roundabout; see articles)
roundabout a merry-go-round
a circular road intersection * (US
usu. traffic circle or rotary, q.v.)
a detour or circuitous path
a type of men's jacket used in the
past (see e.g. Mark Twain)
row (n.)
(Pronounced /'raȚ/, to rhyme
with "cow")
a noisy quarrel *; a continual loud
noise ("Who's making that row?")
(Pronounced /'roȚ/, to rhyme
with "toe")
a line of objects, often regularly
spaced (as seats in a theatre,
vegetable plants in a garden etc.)
a line of entries in a table, etc. (as
opposed to a column)
an instance of rowing (as in a
boat)
a series of prison cells ("death
row")
a particular street or area of a town
(as in skid row, dilapidated
neighbourhood haunted by
vagrants, misfits, etc.)
a series of row houses
(row house) town house, q.v.
rubber
(countable
noun)
pencil eraser
the duration of a match in certain
games (e.g., bridge)
condom
waterproof rain boot (UK:
wellington)
run
(n.) a leisure drive or ride ("a run
in the car")
(v.) senses orig. US and now
common are: to be a candidate in
an election (UK also stand); to
manage or provide for (a business,
a family, etc.); the idioms run
scared, run into. More s.v. home
run; see wiktionary for additional
meanings, a type of cage which is
made so that animals (eg.
Hamsters, rabbits, Guinea pigs,
etc.) can run around in it.
(v.) to propose (someone) as a
candidate
to drive past ("to run a red light")
to hunt (as the buffalo or the deer)
(n.) an instance of running for
office
a creek (q.v.)
run-in
the final part of a race; approach
to something, also run-up (q.v.)
an argument or altercation *
rundown
(n.)
a reduction (as of an
establishment)
a detailed summary (orig. US
slang)
a type of play in baseball
tired, depressed.
Page 38
run-up
the period preceding an event (as
an election) *
the act of running up
a sudden increase (as in price)
(orig. Stock exchange) *
S
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
saloon
closed car having two or (usu.)
four doors, a front and rear seat
and a separate boot/trunk (US:
sedan)
(saloon bar) posh bar within a
pub or hotel
passengers' lounge on a liner or
luxury train (US approx.: parlor
car)
officers' dining room on a
merchant ship
bar, especially in the Wild West
bar that serves only spirits and no
food
a room in a house used for
receiving guests; a salon
scalp (v.)
to cut the scalp off; to take
something away
to resell (as tickets) at higher
prices (UK: tout)
to trade (as stocks) for quick
profits
scheme
official systematic plan (as of the
government) ("a pension
scheme")
(Scotland) Low-cost public
housing (US: project)
a plan, often secret or devious; a
plot ("criminal scheme")
school
place of primary or secondary
education
grouping of departments or large
department within a university
faculty (among other meanings,
e.g., a group of experts sharing
perspective or methods, or a
group of fish)
any educational institution; in
school: state of being a pupil in
any school normally serving
minor children of any age, or in a
college or university at any level;
at school: usually, physically
present on campus. (UK: at
school for both)
scrappy
not neatly organised or poor
a scrappy player is one who
sometimes plays well, but often
plays badly.
fragmentary
bellicose or fightingly determined
a scrappy player is one who
compensates for a lack of size or
speed with grit and
determination.
second (v.)
to transfer temporarily to
alternative employment
(pronounced /sǸɑkǢnd/, to
rhyme with "beyond")
to endorse, support, or bring
reinforcements
section (v.t.)
to detain under the Mental Health
Act 1983
On section, detained in a mental
hospital.
to cut or slice into sections
sedan
a chair or windowed cabin,
carried by at least two porters in
front and behind
a common car body style (UK:
saloon, q.v.)
seeded
(grapes, etc.)
with the seeds left in
having had the seeds removed
(uncommon usage) (also
seedless, used in UK)
semi
semi-detached house (US:
duplex)
semi-trailer truck (UK:
articulated lorry)
series
(television)
a single batch of episodes of a
television programme (US:
season)
all of the episodes of a particular
television program
Page 39
set square
a triangular object used in
technical drawing (US: triangle)
a T-square (also used in technical
drawing)
shade
penumbra, partial obscurity;
nuance
(pl.) sunglasses (orig. US);
reminder of the past
window blind
shag
to copulate, or copulate with
[understood in the US also]
a seabird (various members of the
cormorant family)
a kind of a dance, associated with
"beach music," esp. from the
Carolinas (orig. US)
a kind of fabric with a thick, long
strands; often used in carpets
long, matted hair (cf. Shaggy
from the Scooby Doo cartoon)
a type of shredded coarse tobacco
(v.) to chase after; to chase and
fetch (as a fly ball in baseball)
a style of long hair with
numerous layers (not matted or
untidy)
shattered
exhausted
broken into many small pieces.
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, usu. also in charge of the
county's law enforcement service;
elsewhere any member of a
county (vs. state or local) police
shingle
pebbles, particularly those on the
seashore *
to cut a woman's hair in an
overlapping style
(shingles) a painful disease of the
skin, caused by the chickenpox
virus
wooden roof tile
to cover a roof with wooden tiles
sign proclaiming one's name and
calling ("hang a shingle out")
to cover something like a
shingled roof
ship (verb),
shipping
To transport goods by sea,
movement of goods by sea
Shipping (fandom)
To transport goods, movement of
goods
Shipping & handling, standard
form of charge for delivery of
goods (UK: Postage & packing)
shop
consumer retail establishment of
any size (US: store); hence
shopfront (US: storefront), shop-
soiled (US: shopworn), shop
assistant (US: (sales) clerk)
workshop, only in combination
("machine shop")
small or specialized consumer
retail establishment (e.g. coffee
shop, dress shop)
workshop; practical class at
school taught in a workshop
shorts
strong alcoholic drinks served in
multiples of 25 ml, sometimes
with mixers (US & UK also:
shots)
short trousers (US: pants)
underpants, boxers
shower
spray of water used to wash
oneself
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
sic
Latin for "Thus", "just so" —
states that the preceding quoted
material appears exactly that way
in the source, usu. despite errors
of spelling, grammar, usage, or
fact.
pronunciation spelling of "seek"
used as a dog command, and by
extension as a verb meaning to
set (as a dog, etc.) to attack
someone ("I'll sic my attorney on
you")
sick
(off sick) not at work because of
illness
(to be sick) to vomit
(slang) disgusting (corruption of
unwell
(out sick) not at work because of
Page 40
illness
sickening)
(slang) cool, good, interesting
sideboard
(pl.) sideburns, side-whiskers
an item of furniture also known
as buffet
siding
a dead-end railway track leading
off the main line and used to
store rolling-stock
a short section of railroad track
connected by switches with a
main track, enabling trains on the
same line to pass (UK: loop)
external wall covering, cladding,
weatherboarding
silencer
device to silence a
car/automobile (US: muffler)
device to silence a firearm
silk
a Queen's Counsel
material made from unwound
silkworm cocoons
the silky, pistillate flower of corn
(maize)
a parachute (orig. slang of the
United States Air Force)
silverware
things made from silver,
including bowls, spoons, etc.
Also trophy's won by a sports
team (ie. FA Cup, Challenge
Cup...)
eating implements (spoon, fork,
knife) (UK: cutlery; US also
flatware)
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
skip (n.)
large rubbish container (US
approx: Dumpster)
an act of leaping or omitting; see
skip (radio), skip (in record
player)
one who disappears without
paying their debts ("finding a
good skip tracer is harder than
finding your debtors")
skive (v.)
to avoid work or school (play
truant)
v. to cut or pare leather/rubber; n.
an indentation made from skiving
skivvy
a scullery maid or lowest servant
doing menial work, somebody at
the bottom of the pecking order
[origin of both senses is
unknown; they are likely
unrelated] [note that skivvy has a
third distinct meaning in
Australian English]
(pl.) men's underwear
(colloquial)
slag
(derogatory) promiscuous woman
(US & UK also: slut)
a general insult directed at
someone of either sex
A product from the iron-smelting
blast furnace; mainly used in
tarmac production
slash
(colloq.) an act of urinating ("to
have a slash")
to cut drastically
the symbol '/' (orig. US) (also
virgule, solidus; UK also:
oblique, stroke)
an open tract in a forest strewn
with debris, especially from
logging
a swampy area
slate
(v.) to disparage ("many critics
have slated the film"), hence
slating
(n.) a type of rock; a greyish
colour
(v.) to cover with slate
(v.) to schedule * ("slated for
demolition")
to designate (a candidate, as for
political office)
(n.) a list of candidates
sleeper
A horizontal member which lies
beneath, and binds together, the
rails of a railway. (US: railroad
tie, crosstie)
A railway vehicle providing
sleeping accommodation (a
sleeping car).
Sleeper (espionage) - A deep
cover secret agent
Sleeper (car), an automobile
modified for high performance
but with a normal-looking
exterior (UK: Q-car)
sleet
snow that has partially thawed on
its fall to the ground
(partially) frozen raindrops, ice
pellets; a mixture of rain and
snow or hail; also, glaze (q.v.)
slough
(wetland)
(usu. pronounced /ɑslaȚ/, to
a marshy area, a swamp
a secondary channel; a small
backwater; a pond (usu.
Page 41
rhyme with "plough")
pronounced /ɑsluə/ and often
spelled slew)
smashed
beaten, destroyed as in it was
smashed
Exceedingly drunk
smokestack
a system (as a pipe) for venting
hot gases and smoke: such a
system on buildings, locomotives
(UK primarily: chimney or
funnel), and ships (UK & US
also: funnel)
(attrib.) heavy industry,
manufacturing industry *
("smokestack industries",
"smokestack stocks")
smudge
a blurry spot or streak
a smouldering mass placed on the
windward side to protect from
frost or keep insects away (as in
smudge pot)
snout
police informant
tobacco (slang)
pig's nose
nose (slang)
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.") or 'silly' ("The
silly sod really got it knackered.")
layer of grass and earth (in UK in
a formal/literary sense)
turf
soda
carbonated water, or any non-
alcoholic drink made with it, but
not usu. one sold ready-mixed
any of various chemical
compounds containing sodium
(as sodium bicarbonate or sodium
carbonate), carbonated water
(regional) carbonated soft drink,
usu. one sold ready-mixed (also
'pop,' 'soda pop') (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 *
(considered overly formal in US)
one that solicits (e.g.
contributions to charity), an
advertiser, a promoter; often
annoying
chief law officer of a city, town,
or government department
solitaire
peg-jumping puzzle game (see
peg solitaire)
any of a family of one-player
card games (see solitaire) (UK:
patience)
sort (v.)
to deal with; hence sorted as
expression of appreciation;
(slang) to be adequately supplied
with narcotics
all used with out:
to arrange or take care of
(something) *
to solve an esp. difficult situation
(also reflexive) *
(informal) to set (someone)
straight, or to get even with
(someone)
sorted, to have or get fixed, have
problems worked out, so things
are working correctly ("He's
really got it sorted now.")
to arrange or classify; often used
with out
spanner
general term for a tool used for
turning nuts, bolts, etc. (US:
wrench, q.v.)
something interfering (US:
(monkey) wrench)
a wrench with holes or pins at its
end for meshing with the object
to be turned (UK: C spanner)
spaz
(offensive) Incompetent, useless,
uncoordinated, messing
Page 42
disabled person (from spastic)
something up. Can be used self-
referentially. Has less offensive
connotations in American usage.
spigot
a spile in a cask
a tap or faucet
spook
a ghost; a spy, government
undercover agent (both orig. US)
a black person (insulting)
spotty
pimply ("a spotty teenager")
of inhomogeneous quality ("a
spotty record")
sprouts (n.)
brussels sprouts
alfalfa sprouts
spunk
(vulgar) seminal fluid (US: cum) courage, daring, or enthusiasm
squash (n.)
fruit cordial drink (squash
(drink))
sport (squash (sport))*
vegetable (squash (vegetable))*
(UK also gourd)
squat
(n.) premises occupied by
squatters (v.)
to occupy (as premises) illegally
to bend deeply at the knees while
resting on one's feet
(n.) the act of squatting
an exercise in weightlifting
(n.) nothing (slang; short for
diddly-squat)
(more at cop)
stabiliser
(UK),
stabilizer (US
& UK)
(pl.) additional wheels to help
learner cyclists (US: training
wheels)
something that stabilises, as
stabilizer (aircraft) or stabilizer
(chemistry)
stall
(enclosure)
(pl.) front seats in a theatre (US:
orchestra)
compartment for an animal in a
barn
a booth or counter (as in a
marketplace)
seat in a church's choir
compartment containing a shower
or toilet (UK: cubicle)
a marked-off parking space
enclosure for a locomotive in a
roundhouse
(box stall) compartment in a barn
where an animal can move
untethered (UK: loose box)
stand (v.)
to be a candidate in an election *
(US: run)
to be vertical; to remain
stationary; to buy (someone)
(something)
starter
first course of a meal * (US usu.
appetizer); more s.v. entree
one that starts (as a device to start
an engine)
transportation dispatcher or
elevator (q.v.) dispatcher
starting pitcher (baseball)
the official who starts a track
race.
stash
(v.) to quit, put an end to ("to
stash it")
(v.) to store away [old criminals'
slang revived in US]
(n.) a hiding place, or something
(esp. drug or liquor) stored
away*
stone
(pl. usu. stone) 14 pounds in
weight (14 lb), normally used
when specifying a person's
weight ("My weight is twelve
stone four", meaning 12 stone
and 4 pounds; US "172 pounds")
a small rock
stood
(colloquial, mainly Northern
English) standing ("I've been
stood here for an hour")
past tense and participle of stand
stoop
A post or pillar, especially a
gatepost. (Rare except in dialect).
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
(orig. Dutch; esp. Northeast).
Also refers to the external stairs
leading up to a row house,
"Sitting on the stoop."
store
place for storage of items not
needed for immediate use*
large consumer retail
establishment (as department
store or superstore)
consumer retail establishment of
any size (UK: shop), e.g. grocery
store, hardware store,
Page 43
convenience store, dime store;
hence storefront (UK: shopfront),
storekeeper (UK: shopkeeper)
stove
a hothouse or greenhouse for
plants
the grate of a fireplace
wood- or coal-burning room-
heating appliance
(or cookstove) appliance for
cooking food * – compare range
(UK usu. cooker)
see also Franklin stove
straight away,
straightaway
(usu. spaced) immediately, right
away *
(solid) a straight (in a road,
racecourse, etc.)
strike
a good solid shot, as in scoring a
goal in soccer
(Strike off) to remove a
professional's license (e.g., for
attorneys: US disbar) ("What do
you call a priest who's been
stricken off?" – Dick Francis)
to temporarily stop working
(often as part of a union)
knock down all pins in bowling
to ignite a match
to miss, as to miss the ball with
the bat in baseball
student
person studying at a post-
secondary educational institution
person studying at any
educational institution *
stuff (v)
to have sex - often used as a
milder form of "fuck", eg "Get
stuffed!" (for "Fuck off!"), "Our
team got stuffed in the match",
etc.
to pack tightly with, especially
with food: "I'm stuffed" = "I've
eaten too much".
sub
to subsidise (pay for something in
place of someone else - often
used for any sort of informal
loan)
(in newspaper publishing) edit
copy for length and/or house
style (in full: sub-edit)
subscription (UK: membership
dues, as in an association or club)
sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy rank)
subaltern (British Army second
lieutenant or lieutenant)
subscription: a purchase by
prepayment for a certain number
of issues, as of a periodical
submarine
(n. & v.) substitute (usu. in sport)
(sexual) submissive
substitute teacher (UK: supply
teacher)
to teach in place of the normal
teacher
(regional) submarine sandwich*
subdivision
the process or an instance of
subdividing
the division of a tract of land into
lots (q.v.) for the purpose of sale,
or the tract of land so divided.
(UK:estate, development)
subway
pedestrian underpass
Glasgow subterranean railway
(Subway) restaurant chain for
submarine sandwiches
underground commuter railway
suds
(n.) froth, lather; (v.) to lather
(v.) to form suds; hence sudser (a
soap opera) and adj. sudsy (in
both lit. & fig. senses)
(n.) beer
superintendent senior police rank (US approx.:
deputy inspector)
senior official in various
undertakings (railways, public
works, etc.)
person in charge of a building
(UK: caretaker)
the head of a school district or a
State Department of Education
sometimes, the head of a police
department
(dated) a train conductor
suspenders
elasticated support for stockings
(US: garter)
elasticated support for trousers
(UK: braces)
swede
Swedish (yellow) turnip (US:
rutabaga)
(Swede) a person from Sweden
sweet
(n.) An after-meal dessert, more
s.v. candy
(adj.) Sweet-tasting; (adj.) to
describe someone who is kind,
gentle, or giving
(n.) Short for sweetheart. Also, to
be sweet on someone is to have a
crush on them.
Page 44
(adj.) used to describe something
as good ("That car is sweet!")
T
switch
(n.) see electric switch, telephone
switch, network switch
(v.) to operate a switch
to exchange, swap, make a shift
(n.) mechanism that allows a
railway vehicle to change tracks
(UK: points); hence switch
engine or switcher (UK: shunter),
switchyard (UK: marshalling
yard), switch tower (UK: signal
box)
(v.) to change tracks by means of
a switch
see also bait and switch
switchback
a road or railway that alternately
ascends and descends
a roller coaster
a zigzagging road or railway, usu.
in the mountains; also, a hairpin
turn in a road or trail
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
tab
a cigarette (Geordie)
to run; often used in the military
to refer to double-time or quick-
time marching. From the
abbreviation Tactical Advance to
Battle.
a small projection, flap, etc.
an informal credit account, usu. at
a bar ("Put it on my tab")
a formal account for services at a
restaurant or bar ("May I have the
tab?", "Pick up the tab") (UK
always bill in this context)
table (verb)
(as a
parliamentary
procedure or
in the context
of a meeting)
(also lay on the table) to raise for
consideration
(also lay on the table) to suspend
from consideration, to shelve;
(colloquial) to postpone
tailback
queue of vehicles, traffic jam
(US: gridlock, backup)
offensive backfield position in
American football
tank top
jumper (US: sweater) without
sleeves
sleeveless t-shirt (UK: vest, q.v.)
(also see wifebeater) *
tanner
slang for a pre-decimalisation
sixpence coin or sixpence value
one who tans
tap
valve through which liquid is
drawn and dispensed * (US usu.:
faucet, spigot)
a spile or spigot in a cask; a
device for dispensing beer from a
keg
(phone tap) a device for listening
to other people's telephone calls
(tap up) to covertly enter
negotiations ("The manager
accused the other team of tapping
up his player")
(tap dance) A type of dance e.g.
"I go to tap every Saturday"
to select, designate; esp. to
publicly select for a special
honour from one's peers as in the
(possibly apocryphal) American
Indian ceremony ("She was
tapped for the position of CEO")
and as in being designated a
college fraternity pledge.
vulgar slang for "have sex with"
tart
female prostitute
(In US, generally understood but
not generally used except in pop
tart [overly sexualised female
singer])
(adj) sour-flavoured, sarcastic
(n) any of several forms of sweet
dessert or snack consisting of
filling (usually fruit) in a pastry
shell
tea
afternoon snack (US: late lunch)
evening meal (sometimes called
high tea)
a hot beverage made by infusing
Camellia sinensis leaves (hot
tea);
Herb tea a tea-like beverage
made from herbs (UK infusion
Iced tea sometimes taken with
lemon and/or sugar
Page 45
(archaic))
on the
telephone
having a working telephone (now
rare, since most people do)
talking on the telephone
teller
one that tells (as stories)
a person who counts the votes in
an election
a bank clerk or cashier who
receives and pays out money *;
hence automated teller machine
terrace
row of identical or mirror-image
houses sharing side walls * (US:
row house, townhouse)
a type of veranda or walkway or
area close to a building
see also terrace (agriculture),
terrace (gardening), stream
terrace
(regional) parking (q.v.)
terrier
member of the Territorial Army
(slang). Also, record of land
ownership (e.g. by local
authority).
one of various smallish breeds of
dog
theatre (UK
& US),
theater (US)
(or operating theatre) hospital
room for surgical operations (US:
operating room)
a place where stage plays are
performed
cinema ("movie/motion picture
theater")
through
(time)
"Open through 6pm Monday",
"through" is not used in relation
to time in British English.
In other contexts it is taken to
mean "Through and out the other
side", for example "if you go
through the tunnel you will be in
Kent". In the context of time it
would mean "Open until at least
6pm Monday, maybe later". More
usual in British English is to say:
"Open until 6pm Monday".
Up to, until.
tick
the symbol (US: check mark)
a moment ("just a tick")
credit ("on tick")
blood-sucking arachnid (see tick)
sound of an analogue clock
tick off
to admonish
to annoy
tie
a game between two teams e.g.
Manchester won the tie against
London
an article of clothing worn around
the neck
a game result in which neither
player/team wins (also draw)
tights
nylons, usu. sheer, which also
cover the groin (US: pantyhose if
sheer)
skin-tight, often opaque, trousers
(UK: leggings) or one-piece
trousers and top (UK: unitard),
such as worn by gymnasts
tip
(n.) a place where rubbish is
disposed (US: dump (also UK),
landfill)
(v.) to pour
(n.) pointed or narrow end
advice
voluntary gratuity paid (as at a
restaurant)
(v.) (tip off) to advise
(v.) to (cause to) lean to one side
(tip one's hand) to disclose one's
intentions or opinions
tit
various species of small bird of
the genus Parus (US: chickadee,
titmouse)
idiot (slang)
woman's breast (vulgar slang)
toasted (v)
lightly cooked on both sides (eg
of a slice of bread)
somewhat drunk
toilet
room containing a toilet
(US:restroom)
"Do you need to use the toilet?" is
perfectly acceptable in UK but
apparatus for excretion
Page 46
"uncomfortable" in American
English
tom
prostitute
-- hence tomming (pp.), the
activity of prostitution
a private in the Parachute
Regiment (slang)
unneutered male cat
torch
handheld device that emits light
(US: flashlight)
flaming club used as a light
source
(v.) commit an act of arson. (n.)
an arsonist.
tosser
idiot (literally, someone who
masturbates, a derogatory term
similar to wanker)
one that tosses
not a hoarder; someone who gets
rid of things ie "are you a keeper
or tosser?"
tough (interj.)
I don't care
that's unfortunate (short for
"tough luck")
tout
(v.) to resell tickets at higher
prices (US: scalp)
to get and sell information on
racehorses
(n.) one who resells tickets (US:
scalper)
one who gets and sells
information on racehorses
(n.) a police informer (mainly
used in Northern Ireland and the
Republic of Ireland [6] [7]) (US:
stool pigeon, England: grass)
(v.) to importune, solicit, or
canvass
(n.) one who does this [the n.
appears to be in more general use
in UK; cf. s.v. US solicitor]
(v.) to promote, recommend ("the
movie was touted as a
masterpiece")
tower,
tower block
a fortified keep, too small to be
named a "castle", e.g. along the
English/Scottish Border ("a peel
tower"), along the English coast
& elsewhere (inc. occas. U.S.
Eastern Seaboard) ("a Martello
tower"), around the Jersey
(Channel Islands) coast ("a Jersey
tower");
tower block — a high-rise block
(q.v.) of flats
man-made structure, taller than it
is wide (see control tower,
watchtower, water tower)
power line transmission structure
(UK usu. & US occas. pylon,
q.v.);
railroad building containing
levers for working switches (q.v.)
and signals ("an interlocking
tower") (UK: signal box)
hence towerman, person in charge
of any such tower (UK, for a
signal box: signalman)
townhouse,
town house
historically, residence of a peer or
member of the aristocracy in the
capital or major city
(Scots) town hall
(modern usage) a fashionable
urban house, usu. terraced, often
at least 3 storeys
a house in town (as opposed to
one in the country)
one of two or more single-family
houses of uniform design and
joined by common sidewalls *
(US also rowhouse, UK usu.
terraced house for more than two,
or semi(-detached) for two joined
houses)
township
in the past, a subdivision used to
administer a large parish
(Scotland) a very small
agricultural community
an approx. 36-square-mile
(93 km
2
) division of land
comprising 36 sections
a unit of local government, see
civil township
track
a trail
a footprint
awareness ("keep/lose track")
recorded material
distance between wheels of a
vehicle
a racetrack or racecourse
the rails of a railway (UK often:
line)
used in railway stations (as with
following number) to denote the
place where a train arrives at and
departs from ("Is that the
Chattanooga choo choo, track
29?") (UK: platform)
track and field, athletics, esp. the
sports performed on the running
track
categorisation of students
Page 47
according to their needs
tradesperson a person who sells goods in a
store; a person who travels to
customers' homes to sell things or
who delivers goods to a
customer's home
(n.) a skilled manual worker in a
particular field; a journeyman
trainer
a padded sport shoe (US similar:
sneaker)
one who trains
tramp
homeless person who moves
(tramps) from town to town (US
also: hobo)
loose or promiscuous woman;
prostitute *
transit
act or instance of passing
see astronomical transit,
navigational transit, transit
(surveying)
means of public transportation
(q.v.) (esp. of people) ("mass
transit", "rapid transit", "public
transit") – see transit
(transportation)
transport
the system or the business of
transporting goods or passengers
or the vehicles used in such a
system ("public transport") *
the act of transporting
an emotion ("transports of
delight")
transportation
the act of transporting
penal transportation
the system or the business of
transporting goods or passengers
or the vehicles used in such a
system *
trapezium
a quadrilateral with one pair of
parallel sides
a quadrilateral with no parallel
sides
trapezoid
(obsolete) a quadrilateral with no
parallel sides
in anatomy, the trapezoid bone
and trapezoid ligament
a quadrilateral with one pair of
parallel sides *
trick
(n.) an action intended to deceive
an effective way of doing
something
(n.) what a prostitute does for a
client
(adj.) unstable (of a joint of the
body) *
trillion
(traditionally) million million
million (10
18
) (US & modern
UK: quintillion)
million million (10
12
) (traditional
UK: billion, now rare)
trim (n.)
good condition ("in trim")
clothing, decoration
a finishing haircut
adjustment (as of sails on a vessel
or airfoils on an aircraft)
an automobile interior
ornamentation or upholstery
(orig. US)
woodwork, frameworks etc. in a
house
storefront or shopfront display
(slang, somewhat offensive)
Female genitalia (usu. as "Get
some trim")
triplex
composed of three parts, as a type
of cardboard, a cinema, etc.
a 3-storey apartment or 3-
apartment dwelling (see duplex)
a large steam locomotive with
three sets of driving wheels
trolley
cart or wheeled stand used for
conveying something (as food or
books) ("a supermarket trolley";
"a tea trolley") (US: see s.v. cart,
wagon)
(off one's trolley) insane
(trolleyed) very drunk
a mechanism that rolls along a
suspended rail or track
(or trolley car) a streetcar (UK:
tram) electrically powered by
means of a trolley; hence trolley
line, trolley road, and trackless
trolley (a trolleybus)
troop
to carry (the flag or colors) in a
ceremonial way before troops
a group of persons, particularly in
a military or scouting context.
Generally, a group of two or more
platoons and headquarters staff.
an individual member of the
military (neologism)
Page 48
U
rank held by a private in the
Household Cavalry, Royal
Armoured Corps or SAS
trooper")
(slang) a heroic person that
prevails against the odds or takes
on a difficult labor without
complaint
truck
railway vehicle for carrying
goods; can be open ("a coal
truck") or covered ("a cattle
truck") – cf. s.v. wagon
any of various vehicles for
carrying esp. things or animals, as
a forklift truck or a pickup truck
motor vehicle for carrying heavy
cargo * (UK usu. lorry); see also
garbage truck (UK: dustcart),
truck stop (UK: transport cafe)
produce grown for the market;
hence truck farm (UK: market
garden)
a hand-truck (UK: trolley)
in a railroad car, the
undercarriage assembly
incorporating wheels, suspension,
and brakes (UK: bogie)
(v.) to transport by or drive a
truck; to move around carelessly
trunk
primary road (trunk road)
(trunk call) long-distance
telephone call (dated)
the human torso
the main stem of a tree
large (person-sized) container
(also travelling chest)
proboscis, particularly that of an
elephant
storage compartment of a car
(UK: boot)
(trunk line) a main railway line
(as from Chicago to New York
City) (UK: main line)
tube
(often cap.) the London
subterranean railway system ("the
London Underground") (very
strictly, only the deep lines of the
London Underground, not the
sub-surface ("cut and cover")
lines); (sometimes incorrectly
applied to that of other cities, e.g.
"the Berlin tube")
a cylindrical structure or device
television
turnout
strike, walkout
number of people taking part in
an event ("voter turnout")
a railroad switch or point
equipment
output
a place along a highway for
slower cars to pull over, in order
to let others pass, or for brief
parking (UK: layby)
twat
someone who is being stupid
(offensive; considered vulgar by
some)
to hit someone or something hard
("say that again and I'll twat
you!"
(pronounced /ɑtwæt/)
vulva (vulgar)
(pronounced /ɑtwǡət/)
twister
something that twists; see also
Twister (game)
a tornado
tyke
someone from Yorkshire
(informal, sometimes
disparaging)
term of endearment for a child,
like "little rascal"
a young animal
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
underground (often cap.) subterranean railway
system, esp. the ones in London &
Glasgow (US: subway or metro) --
see also tube
subterranean
illicit
a subterranean space or channel
grapevine (in the sense of an
informal communication network)
(Underground Railroad or
Railway) (before 1863) the
network of clandestine routes by
which slaves were helped to
escape to free states and Canada
Page 49
trooper
cavalry horse troopship (obs.)
state police officer ("state
V
W
us
objective case of I (i.e. alternative
to "me") (informal), esp. in the
North of England ("lend us a
tenner")
objective case of we ("he saw us")
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
vacation
(UK also: vac)
period between university terms
(n.) time off from work or school
recreational trip away from home
(UK: holiday for both senses) (v.)
to take a vacation
valve
Vacuum tube, as in pre-1960
electronics
a device to control the flow of
liquids or gases
vanity
pride in one's appearance
a sink-unit in a bathroom
vest
garment, usu. 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 *)
vet
(n) veterinarian
(v) to appraise or verify for
accuracy or validity
war veteran or a person who has
served honorably in the military
visit (v.)
(trans.) to go and see (a person or
place)
(intrans.) to pay a visit, stay as a
guest, or be engaged in informal
conversation ("visiting together",
"visit with a friend")
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
waffle
(v.) to speak to no purpose; ramble A type of pancake with a pattern
of square dents in it, made in a
waffle iron.
(v.) to equivocate, waver, speak
evasively
wagon
railway vehicle for transporting
goods (US: freight car)
4-wheeled orig. animal-drawn
vehicle (UK also spelled waggon
esp. in the past);
state of abstaining from alcohol
(orig. US slang)
a delivery van ("the milk wagon")
small wheeled food service table
(UK: trolley); see also paddy
wagon (used in the UK, but non
PC), station wagon, chuck wagon,
wagon train
walk out,
walkout
(v.) "walk out with", to be
romantically involved with
(archaic)
(v.) to leave a meeting in protest
to strike (orig. US)
to abandon someone, or to drop
out ("she walked out on me")
(orig. US)
(n.) a kind of strike action (orig.
US)
the act of leaving a meeting in
protest
(adj.) (of a room in a building)
featuring outdoor access; (n.) such
an access ("full walkout
basement", "walkout to the deck")
(n.) one who goes out of a store or
shop without buying anything
warden
any of various officials (a "traffic
warden")
an official in certain universities
gener., one in charge of something official in charge of a prison *
(UK usu. governor)
in compounds: fire warden
wash up
to wash the dishes; to clean after
eating food, hence washing-up
liquid (US dish soap)
to wash one's hands and face; to
clean before eating food
watershed (orig. sense, now nontech.) a ridge
of hills (which "sheds water")
(fig.) a turning point
a drainage basin/water catchment
area (shift from orig. sense) *
Page 50
X
separating two river drainage
basins; water parting * (old-
fashioned or nontechnical in US;
US usu. divide)
the time of day before which
programme content of a specified
or implied kind may not be
screened and after which it is
permissible
well
really (colloquial, used for
emphasis) ("that was well funny")
adverb of good
healthy, in good form
pit sunk to obtain water or oil
wicked
(interjection) used for something
very good, astounding or
interesting ("Wicked!")
(adj.) evil; fierce; roguish; vile
(adverb) very (esp. New England)
("Wicked good")
wifebeater,
wife-
beater
(slang) the beer Stella Artois
(perh. also related to "A Streetcar
Named Desire")
(wife beater) one who beats up his
wife
a sleeveless undershirt (such as
that worn by Marlon Brando in "A
Streetcar Named Desire") * (also
Scotland)
wing
(vehicles)
panel of a car that encloses the
wheel area (US: fender)
apparatus used to create lift in
aeronautics
a type of spoiler (on racecars)
the act of carrying out an activity
with little or no planning, To wing
something, "Let's wing it!" (slang)
wingnut
(n.) derogatory term for a person
with prominent, sticking out, ears
(n.) a nut with projections to allow
application of greater torque with
the fingers
a type of tree
(n.) (mild) a crazy or strange
person
Wingnut (politics), an
uncomplimentary term for
someone of right-wing or
conservative views
wink
(n.) "winker", slang term for a turn
indicator (US: see blinker)
(n. & v.) the closing of one eye
wrangle
(v.)
to bicker or quarrel angrily and
noisily
(esp. West) to herd horses or other
livestock; back-formation from
wrangler
to achieve through contrivance; to
wangle
wreck (n.)
shipwreck
that which remains of something
wrecked
someone who is unwell or out of
sorts (e.g. "nervous wreck")
a usu. major road, rail, or air
accident or collision
wrench
a sudden pull or twist
emotional distress
a tool used for tightening nuts and
bolts * (used in UK chiefly in
combination, e.g. torque wrench)
something disrupting (often
monkey wrench) ("that will throw
a monkey wrench into my plans")
(UK usu. spanner for both senses)
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
xerox
the Xerox Corporation
(n.) A photocopied document *
(v.) To photocopy *
Page 51
Y
Z
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
yankee,
yank
(sometimes disparaging, esp. when
shortened to yank)
someone from the U.S.
(n.)a New Englander or patriot
from the American Revolution, in
the South, someone from the
Northern US (often disparaging).
A Minnesotan would not consider
himself a Yankee or use the word
regularly, but would consider
someone from Connecticut to be a
yankee, a Texan would consider
both yankees, but not himself, and
would be much more likely to use
the word;
a player for the New York
Yankees baseball team
yard
a courtyard
an enclosed space used for a
particular activity (as a railway
service area, a lumberyard or
timber yard, a junkyard, etc.)
a unit of length
enclosed area of land surrounding
a dwelling, usu. comprising lawn
and play area (UK usu.: garden)
(yard sale) see garage sale
a campus (e.g. Harvard Yard)
a place (as in a forest) where deer
gather in winter
100 dollars (slang)
a billion (slang, finance)
go yard, to hit a home run
Word
British English meanings
Meanings common to British
and American English
American English meanings
z
(pronounced /ɑzǫd/)
the last letter of the alphabet
(pronounced /ɑziə/)
a nap ("to catch some z's")
zero or no ("I have z cash right
now.")
zebra
(zebra crossing) a type of
pedestrian crossing
(pronounced /ɑzǫbrǩ/) *
an African equine mammal
a referee (as in American football)
(from their striped uniforms)
(pronounced /ɑziəbrǩ/)
zip
(short for zip fastener) a fastening
device (US: zipper)
a sharp, hissing sound
impetus
file format for compressed files
("archive.zip")
zero (often in scores, similar to the
UK's nil)
(often all cap.) the ZIP Code (from
Zone Improvement Plan), the
postal code used by the USPS
Page 52
Copyright © 2009 by Mr. Doody. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be
reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the
written permission from Mr. Doody.
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