BritSpeak

British - American Dictionary (Cont'd)

British Word         Americans Say

D    

Daft                   Stupid

Daps                   Sneakers

Dear                   Expensive

Diary                  Appointment book

Diddle                 Cheat out of

Din                    Loud or constant noise

Din into               Hammer (an idea) into someone's head

Diversion              Detour

Doctor                 (verb) Spay, neuter an animal or adulterate something

Doddle                 Easy task

Dodgy                  Iffy, suspect

Donkey's years         A long time

Dosh                   Money

Dotty                  Scatter-brained

Downmarket             Seedy

Draughts               Checkers

Drawing pin            Thumbtack

Dummy                  Pacifier

Durex                  Condom (brand name but eponymous now)

Dustbin                Garbage can

Dustcart               Garbage truck

Dustman                Garbageman

Duvet                  Comforter (usually in a slip-on cover and used without a top sheet)

E    

Elastoplast            Bandaid (both brand names for bandages)

Electric fire          Heater (electric)

Emulsion (paint)       Latex

Estate Agent           Realtor

Expanded Polystyrene   Styrofoam

F    

FA Cup                 Superbowl of Soccer

Fancy (verb)           Like

Fanny                  Woman's genitals (NOT her buttocks, as in the US)

Film                   Movie

First Floor            Second floor

Fishmongers'           Fish Store

Flat                   Apartment

Flog                   Sell

Flyover                Overpass (for vehicles)

Fogey                  Old person

Football               Soccer

Form                   Grade  (wrt. school)

Fortnight              Two weeks

Frig                   Masturbate (usu. applied to female), or to waste time, mess around

Frigging               Messing (around) or a slightly more polite alternative to saying f***ing

Fringe                 Bangs (girl's hair)

Fruiterers'            Fruit store

Full stop              Period (the punctuation mark) 

G    

Gab, gabbing           Gossiping

Gaffer                 Boss

Gaffer Tape            Duct Tape

Gammon                 Ham

Gaol                   Jail

Garden                 Yard, or as a verb - to do yard-work

Gas (verb)             Gossip

Gas fire               Gas heater

Gay                    Happy, bright, colourful.  A lot of Brits fiercely resist the "new" meaning.

Gazunder               Chamber pot ("Goes under .. the bed")

Gents                  Men's room

Geordie                Newcastle (person from)

Gimmer                 Old person, usually a woman, "An old gimmer" (dim. of Grandma)

Ginger                 adj. Homosexual, from rhyming slang "Ginger Beer" = queer

Ginnel                 Alleyway between houses

Gone Out               Amazed, vacant.  As in "She looked Gone Out"

Goolies                Testicles

Gormless               Stupid

Got                    Gotten (the word 'gotten' does not exist in modern British English)

Grot                   An unpleasant or dirty item or general mess

Grotty                 Seedy, poor quality, distasteful (from Grotesque)

Guard                  Conductor (of train, bus etc.)

Guard's van            Caboose

H    

Hair Grip              Bobby pin

Hair Pin               Bobby pin, also tight bend in road "Hairpin bend"

Hedgerow               Hedge

High street            Main street

High tea               Cooked light evening meal

Hire                   Rent an object, as in car, tools, etc.  "This is a Hire Car"

Hire purchase          Credit

Holiday                Vacation or holiday (no distinction between the two in the UK)

Homely                 Pleasant or comfortable

Hood                   Vinyl Top (of convertible)

Hoover                 (verb) - to clean with vacuum cleaner, also hoovering, hoover up etc. Eponymous.

Housing estate         Tenement

I    

Ice lolly              Popsicle

Identity parade        Lineup

Indicator(s)           Turn signal(s)

Interval               Intermission

Ironmongers'           Hardware store

J    

Jacket potato          Baked potato

Jam                    Jelly

Jam rag                Feminine Hygiene product (coarse slang)

Jelly                  Jello or Gelatin dessert

Jerry                  Chamber pot

Jock                   Person from Scotland (not used as a sports/college term in Britian)

Johnny                 Condom

Joiner                 Carpenter who makes doors, windows and house construction

Joint                  Roast (of meat)

Jumble sale            Yard sale

Jumper                 Sweater

K    

Keep Fit               Exercise class

Keeper                 Curator

Kerb                   Curb

Kip                    Sleep

Knackered              Exhausted

Knickers               Panties

Knicker elastic        Any thin sewing elastic

Kudos                  Same meaning, pronounced 'Cue-Doss' in Britain

BritSpeak Dictionary page locator:

British-American A - C | D - K | L - P | Q - Z |

American-British A - E | F - L | M - R | S - Z |

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