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 Divided by a Common Language...
It was
George Bernard Shaw who is attributed with the quotation, "England
and America are two countries divided by a common language".
In an attempt to minimise the division, here are some translations
of many common words and phrases. The first word is American
and the second is its English equivalent.
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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
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Call collect
- reverse charges
Candy - sweets
Closet - cupboard
Check (restaurant) - bill
Check (bank) - cheque (pronounced the same, though)
Chocolate sprinkles - chocolate vermicelli
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
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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
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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)
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C D E F G
H I-K L M
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S T U-V W-Z
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Pants
- trousers
Panties - knickers
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
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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
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Vacation
- holiday
Vacuum - Hoover (again
the word vacuum is also used)
Valence - pelmet
Vest - waistcoat
Washcloth
- flannel
Windshield - Windscreen
Wrench - spanner
Zucchini
- courgettes
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S T U-V W-Z
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Copyright © 2002 by Carol
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