
American > British Glossary | R
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Index of Americanisms |
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race car | racing car |
race car driver | racing driver |
racetrack | racecourse |
radio | wireless, radio |
ragman | rag-and-bone man |
ragweed | stickweed |
railroad | railway |
railroad car | railway carriage, coach |
railroad station | railway station |
railroad tie | sleeper |
railroad track | railway line |
railroad yard | marshalling yard, shunting yard |
rain check | postponed
sports event replacement ticket; offer to do something or request to get something at a later time than originally intended |
raise, pay raise | pay rise |
rally racing | rallying |
ranch house | bungalow |
rando [colloq.] | unknown or unexpected person, especially one acting oddly or suspiciously |
rappel
(cling on to and slide down a rope to rapidly descend a steep slope or cliff) |
abseil |
razz [colloq.] (heckle, ridicule, tease) | rib [colloq.] |
reforestation | reafforestation |
real estate | property |
real estate agent, real estate broker, Realtor™ | estate agent |
receivables (in accounting) | debtors |
recess | break
(e.g. between school classes); adjournment (e.g. in court proceedings) |
reform school, reformatory | young offender institution, borstal [outdated] |
rent | let,
rent; hire (for short period) |
rent-a-car, car rental | car hire, car rental |
rental car | hire car, rental car |
report card (school) | school report |
resident | boarder (boarding
school pupil); houseman (new hospital doctor gaining on-the-job experience but still undergoing training) |
residential section | residential area or district |
resume, résumé | CV, curriculum vitae |
restroom [euph.] | cloakroom
[euph.] (esp. in public building), toilet, public convenience |
retiree | pensioner, old-age pensioner (OAP) |
reverse discrimination | positive discrimination |
reverse lights (on vehicle) | reversing lights |
review (v.) (re-read study notes or textbooks) | revise |
review (n.) (exam preparation) | revision |
rhinestone (brightly shining artificial jewel) | diamanté |
ride (n.) (free ride in someone else's car) | lift (as in 'I'll give you a lift to the station') |
ride shotgun [colloq.] | sit next to the driver |
right triangle (triangle with one 90° angle) | right-angled triangle |
ring stand (in science lab) | clamp stand |
roach [colloq.] | cockroach |
road work | roadworks |
roast (n.) (large piece of oven-cooked meat) | joint |
Rocky Mountain oyster, mountain oyster | testicle of sheep or bull served up as delicacy |
roller coaster | big dipper |
room and board (at hotel, etc.) | board and lodging, bed and board |
roomer | lodger |
roommate | flatmate; housemate; roommate |
rooster (adult male chicken) | cock |
robe, bathrobe | dressing gown |
romaine | cos lettuce |
roster (work-sharing schedule) | rota |
rotary (circular road junction) | roundabout |
rough time (as in idiom 'go through a rough time') | bad
patch [colloq.]
(as in 'go through a bad patch') |
round trip ticket | return ticket |
row house | terraced house |
rowboat | rowing boat |
rubber [slang] (condom) | rubber johnny,
johnny [both slang], French letter [old-fashioned colloq.], sheath |
rubber band | elastic band, rubber band |
rubber boots | wellington boots, wellingtons, wellies [colloq.] |
rubbers | galoshes |
rubbing alcohol | surgical spirit |
rummage sale | jumble sale |
run (n.) (vertical hole in stockings or pantyhose) | ladder |
run (v.) (as in 'he ran for public office') | stand (as in 'she stood for re-election') |
rutabaga (vegetable) | swede |