British > American Glossary | H
Smoothing transatlantic communication
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P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms |
 British
term or expression |
 American
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| haberdasher | sewing accessory shop |
| haberdashery | notions |
| hack (n.) | kick on the shin in violation of soccer rules (a foul) |
| hackney cab [formal] | taxi, cab |
| hair lacquer | hair spray |
| hairdressing salon | beauty parlor, beauty salon, beauty shop |
| hairclip, hairgrip (flat hairpin with ends close together) | bobby pin |
| hairslide | barrette |
| half
board (hotel room price includes breakfast and either lunch or dinner) |
modified American plan |
| half-cut [colloq.] | drunk |
| half-mast (as in 'the flag flew at half-mast') | half-staff |
| half moon | first quarter, last quarter |
| half-term (holiday) | a mid-semester school break in the U.K. |
| hall (area in home between front door and other rooms) | foyer |
| hall of residence (at university) | dorm [colloq.], dormitory |
| ham-fisted (awkward, clumsy) | ham-handed |
| hamper | basket of food for a picnic, Christmas, etc. |
| handbag | purse, pocketbook |
| handbrake (on a vehicle) | emergency brake, parking brake |
| Hard cheese! [colloq.] | Tough luck! [colloq.] |
| hard core (construction material) | broken-up stones or bricks used as road foundation |
| hard shoulder (on a motorway) | shoulder (on a freeway) |
| harvestman (arachnid a.k.a. the harvest spider) | daddy longlegs [colloq.] |
| hash
sign, hash mark; hash key ( # ) |
pound
sign, number sign; pound key ( # ) |
| hatstand | hat rack |
| haulier (lorry or truck driver; haulage company) | hauler (trucker; trucking company) |
| have a bash at something [colloq.] | have a go at something or give it a try |
| have a bath | take a bath |
| have a bun in the oven [slang] | be in the family way [colloq.], be expecting (a baby) |
| have a go at someone [colloq.] | scold or physically attack someone |
| have a pee [colloq.] (pass urine) | take a pee [colloq.] |
| have a shower | take a shower |
| have a slash [slang] (pass urine) | take a pee [colloq.], |
| have a whack at something [colloq.] | have a go at something or give it a try |
| have another (or one more) string to one's bow | have another skill to fall back on |
| have got (as in 'Have you got a piano?') | have (as in 'Do you have a piano?') |
| have it away, have it off [slang] | have sexual intercourse |
| haver (take a long time to decide something) | hem and haw |
| head porter (hotel) | bell captain |
| headlamp, headlight | headlight |
| headmaster, headmistress, headteacher, head | principal |
| helter-skelter (n.) | amusement park slide spiraling down around a tower |
| hen party, hen night | bachelorette party |
| Here you are! (said when handing over something) | There you go! |
| hi-fi, hi-fi system | sound system |
| high street (principal shopping street in any town) | main street, main drag [colloq.] |
| high tea | early supper in late afternoon with tea |
| highly
geared (of a company with high
borrowing in relation to its share capital) |
highly
leveraged |
| Highway Code, the | the official guide to the rules of the road in the U.K. |
| hipsters (trousers not reaching as high as the waist) | hip-huggers |
| hire car | rental car |
| hire purchase (or HP) | payment according to an installment plan |
| hoarding | billboard |
| hob | top part of stove with hotplates or burners |
| hockey | field hockey |
| holdall
(long cloth or leather travel bag with two tough handles) |
carryall |
| hole in the wall [slang] (cash dispenser) | ATM |
| holiday (leave of absence) | vacation |
| holidaymaker | vacationer |
| homely (familiar, simple and comfortable, like home) | homey |
| hooker (rugby) | front-row player in scrum trying to hook ball |
| hooter | vehicle horn;
colloquial for 'nose' |
| Hoover™ (n.) | vacuum cleaner |
| hoover (v.) | vacuum |
| horsebox | horse trailer |
| horse-riding | horseback riding |
| horses for courses [colloq.] | different people have different skills |
| hosepipe | hose, garden hose |
| hot flush (sensation felt by menopausal women) | hot flash |
| hotplate (on an electric cooker) | round flat metal plate for heating or cooking food |
| hotpot | casserole, usually with layer of potato on top |
| household goods | housewares |
| houseman (in a hospital) | resident (qualified doctor training as a specialist); intern |
| housemate (also flatmate) | roommate |
| housewife | homemaker |
| housing estate | housing development, subdivision |
| hum and haw (take a long time deciding something) | hem and haw |
| human resources director (top executive) | vice president (VP) human resources |
| hundreds and thousands (cake/ice cream topping) | sprinkles |
