LEARNING THE LANGUAGE
(a British-American dictionary)
As an American going to England, I thought I knew the language. We all speak English, right? Well, not exactly. A British friend said, "When the Pilgrims headed out on the Mayflower, they dropped the dictionary overboard. So Americans have been making up words ever since." I will be sharing words that I am learning as I go along.
British - American
- bangers-
- sausages
- bap-
- hamburger bun
- beck-
- brook or stream
- bespoke-
- custom made
- biscuit-
- cookie
- bonnet-
- hood of a car
- boot-
- trunk of a car
- British bacon-
- thinly sliced boneless pork chops
- bun-
- cupcake
- car park-
- parking lot
- chips-
- french fries
- cleaner-
- maid
- coffee whitener-
- powdered coffee creamer
- crisps-
- chips
- custard-
- sweet sauce
- cuttings-
- clips (writer�s published articles)
- dale-
- valley
- dust bin-
- trash can
- en suite-
- bathroom opening into a bedroom
- energy-
- calories
- faith dinner-
- pot luck
- fell-
- stretch of hills
- flannel-
- wash cloth
- gammon-
- ham served hot
- glass cloths-
- cup towels
- jumper-
- slip over sweater
- keep clear-
- no parking
- knickers-
- women�s panties
- loo-
- bathroom
- lump sugar-
- cubed sugar
- mind-
- watch (as in watch your step)
- mash-
- mashed potatoes
- mince-
- ground meat
- moor-
- uncultivated upland or mountain
- pay and display-
- self serve parking lot
- pie-
- meat and veg. in a covered pastry shell
- pinafore-
- jumper
- pop over-
- to go to (as: pop over to the dentist)
- return-
- roundtrip (ticket)
- sachet-
- packet
- salad cream-
- salad dressing
- sale rail-
- sale rack
- scone-
- biscuit
- sponge-
- layer cake
- spring onions-
- green onions
- steak-
- roast
- stewing steak-
- stew meat
- streaky bacon-
- American style bacon
- swede-
- Swedish turnip or rutabagas
- tap-
- faucet
- tart-
- pie
- teacake-
- bun, usually sweet with raisins
- tights-
- pantyhose
- tin-
- can
- tinned-
- canned
- toilet-
- restroom
- train service alterations-
- schedule changes
- trousers-
- women�s long pants
- voucher-
- coupon
- washing up liquid-
- dish soap
- water closet- (WC)
- bathroom
- way out-
- exit
- wholemeal-
- whole wheat
