British > American Glossary | A
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 |
|---|---|
| A & E (Accident and Emergency) | emergency room |
| able seaman (Royal Navy) | seaman (U.S. Navy) |
| ablutions, the [army slang] | building housing toilets and washing facilities |
| abseil
(cling on to and slide down a rope to rapidly descend a steep slope or cliff) |
rappel |
| accountancy
(the profession); accounting (the activity) |
accounting (both the profession and activity) |
| acting sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy) | ensign > chief warrant officer (U.S. Navy) |
| Action Man (military-themed doll) | G.I. Joe (U.S. equivalent) |
| action replay | instant replay |
| adjustable spanner | monkey wrench |
| Admiral of the Fleet (Royal Navy) | Fleet Admiral (U.S. Navy) |
| Admiralty | Department of the Navy |
| adopt (nominate/select someone for political office) | slate |
| aerial | antenna |
| aerofoil | airfoil |
| aeroplane | airplane |
| afters [colloq.] (final course of a meal) | dessert |
| aggro [colloq.] | threatening behavior; trouble, difficulty |
| agricultural show | the equivalent of a U.S. state or county fair |
| air chief marshal (Royal Air Force) | general (U.S. Air Force) |
| air commodore (Royal Air Force) | brigadier general (U.S. Air Force) |
| air-conditioning (especially in a car) | climate control system |
| air marshal (Royal Air Force) | lieutenant general (U.S. Air Force) |
| air vice marshal (Royal Air Force) | major general (U.S. Air Force) |
| aircraftman (Royal Air Force) | airman basic (U.S. Air Force) |
| airscrew | (aircraft) propeller |
| airy-fairy [colloq.] | impractical, not based on reality |
| alcohol (distilled type, spirits) | liquor |
| all-in | all-inclusive |
| all the go [colloq.] (the hottest fashion) | all the rage |
| Allen™ key | Allen™ wrench |
| allotment | a lot or small piece of land rented to grow vegetables on for those with no garden |
| Alsatian (dog) | German shepherd (dog) |
| aluminium | aluminum |
| American football | football (a game played mostly with the hands!) |
| American War of Independence (1775-1783) | American Revolutionary War |
| anaesthetist | anesthesiologist, anesthetist |
| ancillary | subsidiary, subordinate, in a supporting role |
| Anglepoise™ lamp | swing-arm lamp, architect's lamp |
| annexe | dependency, annex |
| annual general meeting (or AGM) | annual
meeting (at which shareholders discuss a company's annual report) |
| anorak | windbreaker, parka |
| another string to one's bow | another skill to fall back on |
| answerphone | answering machine |
| antenatal | prenatal |
| anti-clockwise | counter-clockwise |
| argie-bargie, argy-bargy [colloq.] | loud but not usually serious argument or dispute |
| arse [slang] (buttocks, posterior, derrière) | ass [slang], butt [colloq.] |
| articulated lorry (juggernaut) | semi [colloq.], semi-trailer, tractor-trailer |
| arty (pretentiously artistic or worshipping of the arts) | artsy |
| ASBO [acronym] (anti-social behavior order) | Court order prohibiting someone from going somewhere or visiting someone. Violators could face a fine or even imprisonment. |
| assistant (in office or store) | clerk |
| asymmetric bars (in women's gymnastics) | uneven bars |
| at a loose end | having nothing to do, bored |
| at Her/His Majesty's pleasure | describes a prison sentence of undetermined length |
| at sixes and sevens [colloq.] | in a state of total confusion or disarray |
| at the back (of) | in back (of), behind |
| at the weekend, at New Year | on the weekend, on New Year's |
| athletics | track and field |
| aubergine | eggplant |
| au pair, au pair girl | foreign female, usually in late teens, who lives in with and assists a family with domestic chores or child care in order to learn the local language |
| autumn | fall |
| away fixture | a sports
event not to be held on one's home ground; also Brit slang for infidelity |
| away with the fairies [colloq.] | in a daydream; out of touch with reality |
