Copy of `Divided by a Common language - Afro-English terms`

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Divided by a Common language - Afro-English terms Category: General technical and industrial > American to British english Date & country: 16/01/2011, UK Words: 103

Antenna
aerial

Apartment
flat

Attorney
lawyer, solicitor

Baby carriage
pram

Baby crib
cot

Baby stroller
pushchair/buggy

Back-up lights
reversing lights

Baggage
luggage

Band Aid
plaster

Bangs (hair)
fringe

Bar
pub (short for public house)

Baseboard
skirting board

Bathrobe
dressing gown

Bill
bank note

Billboard
hoarding

Billfold
wallet

Broiled
grilled

Call collect
reverse charges

Candy
sweets

Check (bank)
cheque (pronounced the same, though)

Check (restaurant)
bill

Chocolate sprinkles
chocolate vermicelli

Closet
cupboard

Cookie
biscuit

Corn syrup
golden syrup (the closest thing to corn syrup)

Cotton candy
candyfloss

Delivery truck
van

Dessert
pudding (also called dessert here so people would know what you mean)

Diaper
nappy

Downtown
town centre

Drapes
curtains

Drugstore
chemist

Eggplant
aubergine (pronouced oh-ber-jeen)

Elevator
lift

Emergency room
casualty

First floor
ground floor (American 2nd floor = 1st floor and so on upwards)

Flashlight
torch

French fries
chips

Garbage
rubbish

Gas
petrol

Hamburger meat
minced meat

Hard candy
boiled sweet

Heavy cream
double cream

Hood (on car)
bonnet

Jello
jelly

Jelly
jam

Jelly roll
Swiss roll

Kerosene
paraffin

Light cream
single cream

Lima bean
broad bean

Liquor store
off licence

Mailbox
postbox

Mezzanine
dress circle

Molasses
black treacle (at least this is the closest to molasses)

Movie
film

Movie theatre
cinema

News stand
newsagents

Oatmeal
porridge

One way ticket
single ticket (on trains, buses, etc)

Panties
knickers

Pants
trousers

Panty hose
tights

Parking lot
carpark

Pie
sometimes pie, sometimes tart. In the UK a pie is always covered with pastry. A tart doesn't have pastry on top.

Pit
stone (in fruit)

Pole bean
runner bean

Popsicle
ice lolly

Potato chips
crisps

Principal (of school)
headmaster or headmistress

Pull-off
layby

Purse
handbag

Railroad
railway

Raisin
sultana

Rest room
toilet, loo, lavatory, also public conveniences when they are open to everybody as in shopping centres, etc.

Round trip ticket
return ticket

Rubbing alcohol
surgical spirit

Scallions
spring onions

Scotch tape
Sellotape (brand name)

Sedan car
saloon car

Shorts (men's underwear)
pants

Sidewalk
pavement

Skillet
frying pan

Sneakers
trainers

Station wagon
estate car

Suspenders
braces

Thumbtack
drawing pin

To go (buying a meal)
takeaway

Trailer
caravan (towed by a car)

Trash
rubbish

Truck
lorry (also called a truck here, the words are interchangeable)

Trunk (of a car)
boot

Tuxedo
dinner jacket

Underdrapes
net curtains

Undershirt
vest

Unlisted (of the telephone)
ex-directory

Vacation
holiday

Vacuum
Hoover (again the word vacuum is also used)

Valence
pelmet

Vest
waistcoat

Washcloth
flannel