EFL teacher David Appleyard
CUP free search box

American > British Glossary | O

Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
Index of Americanisms
Intro  |   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    |  
Briticisms

 

AmericanAmerican term or expression BritishBritish equivalent, or explanation
oatmeal porridge
ocean, the sea, the
ocean liner liner, passenger liner
odometer mileometer, milometer
off-ramp (to exit highway or freeway) slip road
off-the-rack (ready-to-wear items in clothes store) off-the-peg
off the wall [colloq.] unconventional
oftentimes often
on-ramp (to access a highway or freeway) slip road
on sale for sale at reduced price
on the weekend, on New Year's, on Christmas, etc. at the weekend, at New Year, at Christmas, etc.
on vacation on holiday
one-family house detached house
one-way ticket single, single ticket
open-pit mining, open-cut mining opencast mining
operating room (in hospital) operating theatre
optometrist optician
orchestra seats (in theater) stalls
orient [v.] orientate [v.]
out of whack [colloq.]   not looking right or working as it should
out the (door, window, etc.) [colloq.] out of the
out to lunch [colloq.] (crazy) off one's rocker, crackers [both colloq.]
outbox out tray
outhouse outdoor lavatory, carsy [slang]
outlet (electrical) wall socket, mains socket, plug socket, plug [colloq.], power point
oven mitt oven glove
overalls (jeans or tough denim pants with cloth
              covering chest and straps over shoulders)
dungarees
overhead [U] or [C] overheads
overpass (bridge carrying one road over another) flyover