BritSpeak
Welcome to Metrogirl's BritSpeak Dictionary! Many of the words you will find here are slang, dialect or colloquialisms, the colourful language of daily living. You might not want to use some of these words in polite company but you may well hear them and wonder what the speaker is talking about. Note that a lot of the words have alternative and more conventional meanings which are readily understood from the context. To keep the length manageable, only differences in usage are noted. Some dated terms have been included as they may yet be encountered, particularly when mixing with older people.
In general the British are more direct than Americans and don't employ euphemisms or dysphemisms as much. Words relating to bodily functions are often used without embarassment which can make some Americans uncomfortable. Perhaps the British are just more realistic; everyone needs to use the toilet, women menstruate, men like to look at pornography - these are all facts of life and the pragmatic British accept them for what they are. One thing of which a foreigner must be aware is the contextual difference of some words. It's fine to call a good friend a "wanker"or an "old bugger" in an affectionate context, but you would be likely to get punched on the nose if you try it with a stranger...
Special note on spelling. Words like "licence" and "license": If it's a noun (driving licence) it's a "c". If it's a verb, it's an "s". Think of it like Advice - something I give you, or Advise, something I do. The British tend to prefer "ise" to "ize", although "ize" is nowadays accepted as the more correct form. Words like "theatre", "metre" (distance) and "centre" are always spelled with the r before the e. However, a meter which measures is spelled "er" and I would never "Advize" you - that would be completely wrong!
The thing I find curious is that in my travels across the US I've found communities which use and understand some of these "British English" words and phrases, yet in other parts of the US you get blank looks if you say them. "Fortnight" is the one word that really gets me, it's so commonly used in England yet it hardly made it over to the US except for certain small parts of Illinois, Georgia, Arkansas and Texas - there may be more, but I haven't found them yet! To my British readers - some of these words may be dialect from another part of the country and they might be new to you too. Enjoy! **Note - Newly Revised April 2007 - over 50 more definitions added **
British - American Dictionary
British Word Americans SayA
Accumulator Car battery (dated)
Aeroplane Airplane (although it's similar it sounds quite different)
After (named) For. (Brits say "Named after John Smith" not " Named for John Smith")
Afters Dessert
Aggro Deliberate troublemaking
Air screw Propeller
All-in Inclusive
Alsatian German shepherd (dog)
Aluminium Aluminum
Anaesthetist Anesthesiologist
Anorak Parka
Antenatal Prenatal
Anticlockwise Counterclockwise
Argentine, The Argentina
Argentine Argentinian
Argy-bargy Heated argument
Artic Tractor-trailer
Aubergine Eggplant
Autumn Fall
B
Back of beyond Middle of nowhere
Bairn Child (northern dialect, orig. Swedish)
Ball Prom or formal dance Balls Nonsense (lit. testicles) "That's a load of balls!"
Banger Sausage, firecracker or old car; in some dialects "overtime work"
Bank holiday National or public holiday
Bap Bread bun similar to a seedless hamburger bun
Bargepole Ten foot pole ("I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole")
Barrister Trial lawyer (qualified to the highest level)
Beer-off Liquor store (Yorks, Lancs, from "Beer sold for off-the-premises consumption")
Belisha Beacon Orange light signifying pedestrian crossing
Belisha Crossing Pedestrian crossing (named after person proposing it)
Bender Drinking spree, Homosexual person, Lavish break from work
Berk Person behaving like a moron - can also be spelled Burke
Bill (restaurant) Check
Bin Garbage can
Bin liner Garbage bag
Biscuit Cookie
Biscuit, savoury Cracker
Black Maria Paddywagon
Blancmange A pudding made from corn starch, milk, sugar and vanilla, often coloured
Blighty England (dated)
Blob, On the Menstruating
Block of flats Apartment house
Bloke Guy (Interestingly some former English colonies shorten "Bloke" to "Oke")
Bloody Mild expletive or Very ("This is bloody heavy!" or "Things are bloody at the moment.")
Blotto Drunk (adjective meaning inebriate) Bob Shilling (no longer currency, but still used as in "a couple of bob" = cheap Nine Bob Note expression for something counterfeit, or a homosexual "Queer as a nine bob note"
Bobby Policeman
Bobby's Job Easy task
Boddles A large quantity, e.g. "boddles of dosh" = "a lot of money".
Bog Restroom, toilet
Bogroll Bathroom tissue (toilet paper)
Bollock (v) To reprimand. A Bollocking = a severe reprimand
Bollocks Balls (testicles), nonsense
Bolshy Aggressive, difficult (from Bolshevik) Bonk verb - Have sex with, noun - the sex act ("We had a bonk") Bonkers crazy - "He's quite bonkers, you know..."
Bonnet Hood (of car)
Book Reserve (meaning to order, tickets etc., in advance)
Boot Trunk (of car)
Bottoms Up! Toast before drinking (meaning turn the bottoms of the glasses up - i.e. drink)
Bounder Cad
Braces Suspenders
Brock Badger (dated)
Brolly Umbrella
Brooch Pin
Bubble and squeak Mashed potatoes mixed with Cabbage or Brussels Sprouts and fried in meat juices
Bugger all Nothing
Bum Buttocks
Bun in the oven Pregnant
Bung (noun) Stopper
Bung (verb) Toss
Busker Street performer
Butty Sandwich (from "Buttered Bread")
C
Cabinet maker Skilled carpenter (compare with Joiner)
Cadge Beg or scrounge, borrow something from reluctant lender
Calabrese Broccoli rabe
Canteen Staff restaurant
Caravan Towed motor home, RV, Trailer
Car park Parking lot
Carpet (verb) Reprimand
Carriageway Highway
Carrier bag Shopping bag
Casualty (department) Emergency Room
Chat show Talk show
Chat up Chat flirtatiously or proposition for sex
Cheerio Goodbye
Cheers Ubiquitous term meaning Thank you, Goodbye, Hello (rarely), or a salutation before drinking
Chemist Pharmacist
Cheque Check
Chips French fries
Chuffed Pleased (from the French for "warmed")
Cinema Movie theater (also "the pictures", as in "I'm going to the pictures")
Clingfilm Plastic wrap (brand name)
Clippie Bus conductor (Scotland and some parts of England)
Close Dead end (road name - as in Acacia Close, which would be a dead end)
Clothes Peg Clothes pin Cobblers Testicles, or nonsense - "What a load of cobblers!"
Coney Rabbit (technically a Rabbit is the young of a Coney)
Conker Horse chestnut (the game of "Conkers" is played with horse-chestnuts)
Cooker Stove or oven
Coppice See copse. Also used as a verb - to cut upper branches off trees, sim. to "pollard"
Copse Thicket
Cornflour Corn starch
Cotton wool Cotton
Courgette Zucchini
Coriander Cilantro
Cracker Party favor
Crapper Toilet
Creche Day care center
Crisps Potato chips
Crumpet Attractive woman ... or an English muffin
Cul de sac Dead end (another French derivative)
Cuppa Cup of tea
Current account Checking account
Cutting Clipping (eg from a newspaper)
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