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Smoothing transatlantic communication
Index of Briticisms |
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wage packet | pay envelope |
wagon, waggon (on railway) | railroad car, freight car |
waistcoat | vest |
walking frame (also Zimmer frame™) | walker |
walking stick | walking cane |
wall-socket | outlet |
wallet (men's) | billfold, pocketbook |
wally [slang] | completely dumb person |
wank [slang] (masturbate) | jack off, jerk off [both slang] |
wanker [slang] (contemptible man) | asshole, jerk [both slang] |
wanted ad | want ad |
wardrobe | closet |
warrant officer (Royal Air Force) | chief
master sergeant > senior master sergeant (U.S. Air Force) |
warrant officer 1st class > warrant officer 2nd class (British Army & Royal Marines) | warrant officer (U.S. Army & U.S. Marine Corps) |
washer-up | dishwasher (the human variety!) |
wash up | do the dishes, wash the dishes |
washbasin | sink |
washing powder | laundry detergent, laundry soap |
washing-up liquid | dish liquid, dishwashing liquid |
water ice | Italian ice, water ice |
waterworks [colloq.] (as in 'Grandad's having trouble with his waterworks') |
bladder |
way out (sign in car park, railway station, etc.) | exit |
WC (water closet) | toilet |
weatherboard (to protect house from bad weather) | clapboard |
wellington boots, wellingtons, wellies [colloq.] | rubber boots |
Welsh dresser | hutch (as an item of furniture) |
wet (adj.) [colloq.] | feeble, inept |
wet (n.) [colloq.] | U.K. liberal conservative or U.S. liberal republican |
whack [slang] (as in 'I'll have a whack at it!') | go, attempt, try |
whacked (out) [colloq.] | exhausted, tired out |
wheelie bin, wheely bin [colloq.] | large plastic trash container with two wheels to help move heavy loads to garbage truck or pick-up point |
wheeze
[colloq.] (as in 'Skype has come up with the new wheeze of persuading us all to upgrade to Skype Pro') |
smart or cunning plan |
whip-round (n.) [colloq.] | internal soliciting of donations toward a gift for a retiring/marrying employee, or similar good cause |
whiskey | Irish or American whiskey |
whisky | Scotch |
white coffee (coffee with milk or cream added) | light coffee, coffee light |
White Paper | government report on a specific subject, usually outlining planned legislation |
white spirit
(light petroleum used as solvent or cleaner) |
mineral spirits, mineral turpentine |
Whitehall | London street synonymous with British Government |
wholemeal (bread, flour, spaghetti, etc.) | whole wheat |
willie, willy (schoolboy slang for 'penis') | pecker [slang] |
windcheater | windbreaker |
windscreen | windshield |
wing (of a car) | fender |
Wing Commander (Royal Air Force) | Lieutenant Colonel (U.S. Air Force) |
wing mirror (on vehicle) | side mirror |
winkle-picker [slang] | man's shoe with long pointed toe |
wireless | radio |
witness box | witness stand |
wodge [colloq.] | a wad, thick piece or chunk of something |
women's hairdressing salon/hairdresser's | beauty parlor, beauty salon, beauty shop |
wonga [colloq.] | money, loot, bread [colloq.] |
wonky [colloq.] | wobbly, unsteady, likely to collapse or fall over |
woollen [adj.] | woolen, wool |
woolly [colloq.] | knitted sweater |
work a treat | function or turn out well |
work double tides | work twice as long or hard as usual |
work in progress | work in process |
working day | workday |
working week | workweek |
worktop (work surface) | counter; kitchen counter |
world record | world's record, world record |
Wrap up! [slang] | Shut up! |
write to somebody (but 'write somebody a letter') | write somebody (often no preposition 'to' in AmE) |
write-off [colloq.] (as in 'the car was a total write-off') | something damaged beyond repair |