British > American Glossary | F
Smoothing transatlantic communication
| Index of Briticisms |
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P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms |
 British
term or expression |
 American
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| face flannel, facecloth | washcloth |
| faculty (of university) | at European universities, a group of departments specializing in a particular field |
| faff [colloq.] | hassle |
| fag [slang] |
cigarette; young British public school boy forced to run errands for an older one, similar to an American private school 'gofer' |
| fag end [slang] (the stump of a smoked cigarette) | butt end;
the last or worst part of something |
| fagged out [colloq.] | tired out, exhausted |
| faggot | fried or baked pork and liver meatball |
| faggot [slang] | unpleasant woman |
| fair and square (precisely and without any doubt) | squarely |
| fair crack of the whip [colloq.] | fair chance to participate, etc. |
| fairground | piece of land on which a funfair is held |
| faith school | parochial school |
| family saloon (car) | sedan |
| fancy (v.) | feel a desire for something; have a crush on someone |
| fancy dress party | costumes party |
| fanny [slang] (female genitals) | beaver, pussy [both slang], |
| Fanny Adams (as in 'do sweet Fanny Adams') [colloq.] | nothing at all, complete idleness |
| Father Christmas | Santa Claus |
| feel sick | feel nauseous |
| fen | moor, marsh, swampland |
| fête | charity-fundraising outdoor sale of used goods, etc. |
| field marshal (British Army) | general of the army (U.S. Army) |
| filing cabinet | file cabinet |
| fill in a form | fill out a form |
| filling station | gas station |
| film (cinema) | movie |
| finance director (chief financial director) | chief financial officer (or CFO) |
| financial year | fiscal year |
| fire brigade, fire service | fire department |
| fireman | fire fighter |
| fire hydrant | fireplug, hydrant |
| fire station | firehouse |
| firework | fire cracker |
| first floor (UK) | second floor (U.S.) |
| first form (at school) | first grade |
| first-former | first grader |
| first-past-the-post (election) | winner-takes-all candidate selection |
| first-year student/undergraduate | freshman |
| fish finger (frozen food item) | fish stick |
| fish slice (kitchen utensil) | spatula, pancake turner |
| fishmonger | fish dealer |
| fitted carpet | wall-to-wall carpet |
| fixture | agreed time and date for a sports event |
| fizzy drink | soda, pop |
| flan | open pie with sweet or savory filling |
| flannel | facecloth, washcloth |
| flat (to let) | apartment (for rent) |
| flat (individually owned) | condominium |
| flatmate | roommate |
| flatware | U.K. flatware is flat earthenware, such as plates, saucers, etc. |
| fleet chief petty officer (Royal Navy) | warrant
officer > master chief petty officer > senior chief petty officer (U.S. Navy) |
| Fleet Street [colloq.] | street still synonymous with 'the London press,' although it is no longer based there |
| flex | electric cord or wire |
| flexitime (see also BrE core time) | flextime |
| flick [colloq.] ('go to the flicks') | movie ('go to the movies') |
| flick knife | switchblade |
| flight lieutenant (Royal Air Force) | captain (U.S. Air Force) |
| flight sergeant (Royal Air Force) | master sergeant (U.S. Air Force) |
| flipping [colloq.] (as in 'it's flipping hot') | darned [colloq.], exceedingly |
| flog [slang] | sell, offer for sale |
| flotation (stock market) | initial public offering (IPO) |
| fly tipping | illegal dumping |
| flyover | overpass |
| flysheet (extra sheet of canvas over tent) | fly |
| football (association football) | soccer |
| football pitch | soccer field |
| footballer | soccer
player; football player (American football) |
| footfall (business term) | the number of people who enter a store or business premises within a given period of time |
| form (school class) | grade |
| fortnight (from Old English, meaning fourteen nights) | two weeks |
| fourth-year student or undergraduate on 4-year course | senior |
|
foyer (in the UK, a large open area inside the entrance of a public building) |
lobby |
| Fred Karno's (army) [colloq.] (as in: 'This restaurant is a right Fred Karno's!') |
chaotic outfit, organization or setup where nothing works and staff are incompetent |
| free house | inn or pub not controlled by one particular brewery |
| freephone (or 0800) number in the UK | toll free (or 800) number in the U.S. |
| French bean | green bean |
| French dressing | Italian dressing |
| French letter [old-fashioned colloq.] | condom |
| French windows | French doors |
| fresher [colloq.] (first-year undergraduate) | freshman (also used at U.S. high-schools) |
| fridge | cooler, refrigerator |
| fringe (hair) | bangs |
| front (seafront) | promenade |
| fruiterer | fruit dealer |
| fruit machine | slot machine, one-armed bandit |
| fruity [colloq.] (rude or saucy) | full of scandal or sexy humor |
| frying pan | skillet, fry pan, frying pan |
| fuel gauge | gas gauge |
| fug (n.) [colloq.] | stuffy or fusty atmosphere, as in an unaired room |
| full [slang] | drunk |
| full age | having adult legal status |
| full board (hotel stay including three meals per day) | American plan (compare European plan) |
| full marks | rated A1; deserving commendation |
| the full
monty [colloq.] (all the good things avaialble or one would expect to find) |
the works [colloq.] |
| full stop (punctuation mark) | period |
| funeral parlour | funeral home, funeral parlor |
| funfair | amusement park; carnival (traveling outdoor show) |
| funnel (on a ship or steam engine/locomotive) | smokestack |
| funny bone | crazy bone |
| the fuzz [colloq.] | the cops [colloq.], police |
