EFL teacher David Appleyard
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Smoothing transatlantic communication
Index of Americanisms
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 Briticisms

 

AmericanAmerican term or expression BritishBritish equivalent, or explanation
oatmeal porridge
ocean, the  ('I can see the ocean from my hotel.') sea, the  ('I can see the sea from my hotel.')
ocean liner liner, cruise liner
odometer mileometer, milometer
off-ramp (to exit a highway or freeway) slip road
off-the-rack (clothes ready-made, ready-to-wear) 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, in a (bargain) sale
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 (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 to lunch [colloq.] (crazy) off one's rocker [slang]
outbox (on desk) 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 trousers with cloth
              covering chest and straps over shoulders)
dungarees
overhead [U] or [C] overheads (plural noun)
overpass (bridge carrying one road over another) flyover