Guide to American English -- for Brits

Harry J. Chong
Introduction
While American English and British English are incredibly similar they are not quite the same. There
are a few differences, you will find, which may hinder communication with your war mongering
friends. The following is a mini dictionary of sorts that will help you tell the differences between such
fanciful words as "fag" and a "cigarette."
This paper begins with common British slang that are often not understood by Americans. It is for
Brits, trying to find the American equivalent for their words.
British

American

999

911 - In the USA their emergency number is 911. When

Americans say nine-eleven (9/11) they are talking about the
terrorists attacks that happened on September the 11th 2001.

----About

About, Around - Americans say the word about,

but in places where might Brits say about, they might
say around. Example, Americans will say, "Stop messing
around" rather than "Stop messing about."

Aluminium

Aluminum

Anti-Clockwise

Counter-Clockwise

Arse

Ass - Americans say ass rather than arse.

Asians

Indians, Pakistanis, Brown People - When Americans say

Asian they are talking about "orientals." Japanese, Chinese
etc. If you want to talk about Asians in the British
sense then you will have to be specific by saying Indian or
Pakistani, or even brown.

Aubergine

Eggplant

----Bangers and Mash

Sausages and Mashed Potatoes - Note, sausage in America can

also refer to a patty made from pork.

Bank Holiday

Holiday, Public Holiday, Statutory Holiday

Bastard

Bastard - This is considered mild profanity in America. It does

not have the weight it does in the UK. You can casually call
a good friend a bastard in the USA and he will likely not be
offended.

Bender

Homosexual, Fag, Gay - Americans call benders homosexuals,

fags, or gays. The word fag is considered very offensive.

Billiards, Snooker

Pool - Americans have billiards and snooker too, but the game you
will find in pubs is most likely pool.

Bin (Rubbish)

Trashcan, Garbage Can

Biscuit

Cookie - Some Americans use the term biscuit, but they mostly
say cookie. Sometimes they use it for sarcasm, like, "What?
Do you want a cookie?" This phrase is often said when someone
wants a reward or recognition for something they should have
done in the first place.

Bits and Bobs

Bits and Pieces

Blimey

Wow! - Nobody in America will say blimey. They

might say wow, or if in adult company, damn, shit, or Christ.
E.G. "Shit, that's good!"

Bloke

Guy - Example: "Who gave this to you?" "I dunno. Some guy."

Bloody, Bloody Hell

Damn, Damn it, Goddamn, Goddamn it - Americans almost

never say bloody hell, but some do use bloody as an adjective.
More common is damn or goddamn it. While damn can be used
in both a negative and positive light, goddamn is mostly used
negatively.

Bob (Money)

Bucks - In North America they might say "bucks" to describe

their money (one buck being one dollar), but they will never say
"bob."

Bobby

Cop, Pig, Police Officer - The term pig in America is an insult

to "police officers/cops."

Bollocks

Balls, Testicles - Although balls is equivalent to bollocks,

Americans do not use it to mean that something is shitty or
stupid. They will likely say, "Bullshit!"

Boot

Trunk - 'Mericans don't say "boot" to describe the storage area at

the back of their car. They say trunk.

Brilliant

Genius, Amazing, Great- Americans use the word brilliant just

like Brits, but it is used less often. They prefer the words genius,
amazing, or great. Example: "This is great!"

Brolly

Umbrella - This slang does not exist in Canada or the USA. Stick
to umbrella.

Bugger, Buggered,
Bugger Off

Fuck, Fucked, Fuck Off - Fuck means sex, so Americans might

use it in the manner of, "Fuck off!" But remember that this is
considered very rude. Fuck is a naughty word in the USA. It's
often censored/removed on television.

Bum Bag

Fanny Pack - Fanny means butt or arse in America.

----Car Park

Parking Lot

Celsius

Fahrenheit - Americans don't use measurements similar to

the UK's. For temperatures they use "F" and not "C."

Chav, Ned

Wigger - Wigger is portmanteau (a combination of words) of

white and nigger. Despite that, the term wigger is only offensive
in more stuffy settings, like at school or work.

Cheers

Thanks, See You Later, Take Care - There is no direct equivalent

to the term cheers in American English, since it has a variety of
meanings. Americans will generallyonly say cheers when banging
their beer glasses together. Where a Brit might say cheers an
American might say thanks and/or see you later, or take care,
which is short for "take care of yourself."

Chinky

Chinese Restaurant - Chink is considered very racist in the USA,

and thus the term Chinky is not at all accceptable.

Chips

Fries, French Fries

Chuffed

Pleased

Cinema

Theater, Movie Theater - Americans use the word theater dually.

It can mean the cinema or the theatre. To clear up confusion
they might say movie theater over theater.

Class (es)

"Class" describing status and wealth is different in North America.

They normally have three classes: Lower class, middle class,
and upper class. In this order that describes: Poor, not-poor-butnot-rich, and then rich. In the UK you often hear the term
"working class." What you call working class is middle class
in the USA or Canada, and middle class might be upper middle
class for Americans.

County

States - The USA has counties as well, but the equivalent here
is states.

Crisps

Chips, Potato Chips

Cunt

Cunt - They use the word cunt too, but it is considered to be

extremely offensive, and is often censored in the media. You
can't jokingly call anyone a cunt without them getting offended.
This especially applies to females. Men not so much.

Custard

Pudding - What you call "custard" is "pudding" in most parts of

North America.

----Daft

Dumb, Idiotic, Stupid

Doing My Head In

Giving Me a Headache - As in, "You're giving me a headache!"

Dosh (Money)

Buck - The main slang for Americans is buck. One buck is one
dollar, generally.

----Faff

Waste of Time - E.G. "That's a waste of time!"

Faffing

Muck, Mucking - E.G. "Don't muck about!"

"Stop mucking around; you have more important things to do!"

Fag

Cigarette, Cig - Since fag in America means homosexual,

Americans don't call cigarettes fags. They won't say, "Can I
bum a fag?" They will say, "Can I bum a cigarette?"

Fanny

Cunt, Pussy, Vagina - Fanny in America means your ass/arse.

So if you want to talk about a fanny in the USA you will have to
use the words cunt, pussy, or vagina. There are actually plenty
more words, but I can't list them all here.

Fancy

Like, Have a Thing For - Americans won't say they fancy

someone or something. They will say that they like it or they
have a thing for it. For example, "I have a thing for Posh Spice."

Fart

Fart - American says fart, but it is not considered profanity

at all. You can say "I farted" and no one will get insulted,
smells aside.

Faucet

Tap - Some Americans use the term faucet, but more likely
they will say tap.

Flat (Residence)

Apartment

Fuck

Fuck - Americans say fuck, but it is considered to be rude, if

you aren't amidst friends. You cannot say, "Fuck off." That
is very insulting.

Fuck All

Nothing, Worthless - They won't ever say, "This is worth fuck

all." Rather they will say "This is worthless" or "This is worth
nothing."

Full On

Didn't Hold Back - To describe enthusiasm, or maybe obsession,

American would say that someone did not hold back. For
example, "Don't hold back. Give it all you got."

----Gap Year

Year Off - Americans don't really take a year off before going
for their "higher education." Taking a year off best describes
a gap year for Americans.

Garden

Backyard - For Americans the term backyard describes the grassy

area behind their home. (Yard or front yard being the opposite.)
For them a garden is a place where you exclusively cultivate
plants, or grow fruit and vegetables.

Ginger

Redhead - Americans know what ginger means, but they tend

to say redhead, and gingers are not usually disliked as much as
they are in the UK.

Git

Fool

Got On (Great)

Got Along - When you are compatible with someone, in whatever

way, you might say, "We got on great." In the USA the equivalent
is getting along. For example, in America you'd say, "We got
along great."

-----

Hard, Well Hard

Bad, Badass, Tough - In America calling someone hard means

that they have an erection. They will never say "This guy's
hard" because there it refers to the stiffness of one's penis.
Rather they will say, "This guy's tough."

Have/Has

Have/Has - In American English when speaking of a group,

or an organization, you use the singular and not the plural. A
group or organization or company is considered as one.
For example, in British English you can say, "Microsoft have
many employees." Whereas in American English you would
say, "Microsoft has many employees."

Having A Go

Trying to Start a Fight - There is no concise phrase like "having

a go" for Americans. They won't say, "Are you having a go?"
They might say "Are you trying to start a fight? or "Are you
trying to piss me off (annoy me)?"

Ice Lolly

Popsicle - Popsicle is a brand of ice lolly in the USA, but it is so

popular that the term has become generic.

Ireland

Ireland - Most Americans think Ireland is one country, and are

not aware that there is a north and south. If they have have
descendants from Ireland they might say that they are part Irish,
despite being born in America and maybe having American
parents. American identify with their nationality almost as
much as their heritage.

----Jacket Potato

Baked Potato

Jelly

Jell-O - If you want jelly in the USA, you will have to ask
for Jell-O, which is a brand of American Jelly. Jelly in
America usually refers to the sweet spread you place on bread.

Jog Off

Screw Off, Leave Me Alone, Go Away

Joss Stick(s)

Incense

Jumper

Sweater

----Knackered

Tired, Exhausted

Knapsack, Rucksack

Backpack - The terms knapsack and rucksack are used in some

regions of the USA, but more likely they'll just say backpack.

Knob

Dick, Penis - Americans use knob in the literal sense and to

them it does not mean one's penis. If you want to send your
message home about someone being a total knob, then use
the word dick or penis. Example, "You dick head!"

Knots and Crosses

Tic Tac Toe

Kick Off

Make Trouble, Cause Trouble - Example, "She was making

trouble, so we kicked her off the train."

Kilo

Pound - America's measurement system is entirely different from

the UK's. They use imperial and not metric. For example, they will
use pound instead of kilo, mile instead kilometer, inch instead
of centimeter, and foot/feet instead of metre.

Lead (For Electronics)

Wire, Cable

Lift

Elevator

Lifted

Stolen, Shoplifted

Loft

Attic

Lolly

Lollipop, Sucker - Sucker is a term used less often, but on

occasion you will hear it in the USA, of course, referring
to the candy on a stick that you suck on or lick.

Loo Roll

Toilet Roll, Toilet Paper Roll, Roll of Toilet Paper

Lorry

Truck

Mad

Crazy, Nuts - In America the word mad is used to mean angry.

They seldom use mad to describe someone's sanity. If you want
to say that someone is mad, then you will say crazy or nuts.
Example, "Are you crazy?!"

Manc

There is no equivalent for this. If someone asks you what Manc

means you will have to explain to them.

Marmite, Vegemite

Marmite and Vegemite is not popular or well known in the USA.

It is a unique product that has no equivalent. There is peanut
butter, which is similar in popularity, but it isn't the same.

Mates

Friends

Mental (As An Insult)

Crazy, Nuts

Mentalist (As An Insult)

Retard - Keep in mind that "retard" can be considered incredibly

insulting in North America. It is not a light insult.

Minge

Cunt, Pussy, Vagina

Minger

Uggo, Ugly - When you want to insult someone's looks in the

USA, you can call them an uggo, or say that they are ugly, or
even fugly.

Mong

Retard, Dumbass, Idiot, Moron, Stupid

Muff

Cunt, Pussy, Vagina

Mum, Mummy

Mom, Mommy - In the USA a mummy is an ancient

Egyptian monster.

----Naff

Can translate to cliched or lame, depending on the context.

Nan

Grandmother, Grandma

Nappies

Pampers, Diapers

Nicked

Stole

Nickers, Knickers

Panties, Underwear

Nip (Off, Over)

Head Out, Visit - 'Mericans may say that they're going to

head out to a place or visit, but never nip.

Nonce

Pervert

Note (Money)

Bill

Nought, Naught

Zero

Nutter

Lunatic

----Pants

The article of clothing that directly touches one's genitalia

in Canada, or America, is called underwear.

P&P (Postage and Packaging)

S&H - Shipping & Handling

Parliament

White House - Government bullshit in America gets done

at the White House and not parliament.

Pence

Penny

Pinch (Theft)

Steal

Piss, as in, "Are you taking

the piss/the mick/mickey?"

Are you screwing around with me? Are you fucking around
with me? Are you fucking around? - In America there is no
phrase which is exactly the same as "taking the piss" or
"taking the mick." The aforementioned is probably your
best bet.

Pissed

Drunk/Tipsy - "Pissed" in North America means angry.

Piss Off

Screw Off, Fuck Off - The former of course is far more

offensive than the phrase screw off.

Plaster

Bandaid, Bandage - Bandaid is a popular brand of plasters

in the USA, which actually comes from the word bandage.

Plonker

Idiot, Moron

PMT

PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome)

Poncey

Pretentious

Posh

Luxurious, Deluxe, Fancy - Posh is a unique word that hasn't got

an equivalent in the USA. Where posh might be used in many
situations, Americans have to choose from a collection of
words specific for each situation.
For example, you may say, "That girl is posh" or "This house is
posh." In America you'd have to use different words for each to
not sound stilted. You might say, "That girl is high maintenance"
or"This house is very luxurious." You will have to have an ear
for the language and see how Americans describe posh.

Pound

Dollar, Buck - America's money is measured in dollars, or,

informally, bucks. They don't have the pound. For Americans
pound is a measurement similar to kilo.

Poxy

Crappy, Shitty

Pram

Stroller, Baby Stroller

Prat

Dumbass

Prime Minister

President - The leader of the USA is the president. They have

no queen or prime ministers.

Propelling Pencil

Mechanical Pencil

Proper

Real - Brits might say something like "I'm a proper nerd"

while Americans would say "I'm a real nerd."

Pub

Bar - Most Americans go to bars and not pubs. A pub is

often a specialty in the USA.

Public School

In North America public schools are the common, less

expensive schools, education provided by the government
to everyone. The term "state school" is generally not used.

Private School

In North America private schools are the expensive schools,

with a smaller body, that costs more money to attend, and
can be considered a luxury.

Pudding

British Pudding - When Americans talk about pudding they

are thinking about a sweet, thick, liquid substance that you eat
like soup. If you want the equivalent of pudding in the USA you
will have to ask for British pudding, which Americans might
describe as cake.

Puff, Puffta, Pufta

The slang of puffta/pufta does not exist in the USA, and puff there
does not mean a homosexual man. Puff more describes a shape as
in a puff of smoke.

Punter

Customer - Almost no one in America says punter. They say

customer, or more rarely patron.

----Queue

Line - Americans don't get in queue. They get in line or in

a line.

(The) Queen

The Queen is in Canada, but not in the USA. If you

call someone a Queen in North America, specifically a man,
that is almost equivalent to calling someone a bender.

Quid

Buck - In the UK quid is slang for pound. In the USA buck

is slang for dollar.

Quite

Very - American usually use very as an intensifier and not

quite. Where an Brit might say "This is quite good" an
American will say "This is very good."

----Racialist, Racialism

Racist, Racism

Reckon

Believe, Think - Reckon is a cowboy word for Americans,

and is mostly used in jest. They won't say, "I reckon."
They will say "I believe" or "I think."

Ring (Phone Someone)

Call - Americans don't say "ring me" or "s/he rang me." They
are inclined to say call as in "call me later" or someone
"called me." The other term would be simply phoning.
Example: "My boss phoned me today."

Row

Fight, Argument - In America "row" rhymes with "no" and

it is used to move a boat forward. If you want to say
to an American that you got in a row, say you got into a
fight or an argument.
Eraser - Rubber is slang for condom in the USA.
If you want a rubber, for your pencil markings, then you must
say eraser.

Rubber

Rubbish

Garbage, Trash

-----Sacked

Fired - Example, "Bob was fired from his job today."

Series

Season - When talking about television, Brits say series while

Americans say season. Example, "Season 1, Episode 3."

School

School - Yes, Americans call it school too. But the education

system is slightly different. In the USA when you're younger,
between the ages of 4 and 5, you go to Kindergarten. From 6 to
about 13 or 14, you go to grade school, or elementary school
(same thing). Then when you are a teen, from 14 or 15 until
you're about 18, you attend high school. After that it's off to
college/university.

Shag

Fuck, Do, Have Sex With

Sherbet

Sherbet or Sherbert - In North America, sherbet is a type of

frozen dessert, similar to sorbet.

Skive Off

Skip - E.G. "I skipped work today." or "I'm skipping school."

Slag

Whore, Slut, Skank, Ho

Slag (Someone) Off

Talking Shit - E.G. She was talking shit about me.

Slapper

Whore, Slut, Skank, Ho

Smashed

Hammered - After drinking an excess of alcohol, Americans

will be hammered.

Snog, Snogging

Kissing, Making out, Necking

Sod

Fuck, Fucker (E.G. Sod it! = Fuck it! You sod! = You Fucker!)

Soother

Pacifier

Spunk

Jizz, Cum - Spunk for Americans means energetic and lively,

and does not mean the sticky stuff from your penis. So, in
American, you can with a straight face say, "Wow. She's got a lot
of spunk." If you want to describe sexual fluids, then say jizz
or cum.

Star Jumps

Jumping Jacks

Starter (Food)

Appetizer

State School

Public School - The government funded schools in America

are called public schools.

STI (Sexually Transmitted

Infection)

STD, VD - 'Mericans say STD as in "Sexually Transmitted

Disease." Or sometimes VD, which means "Venereal Disease."

Stone (Weight)

Pounds - Americans don't use the term stone to describe weight.

They use pounds or, less commonly, kilos.

Stroppy

Irritable

Suck Off

Blow Job - Americans don't suck people off. They give

blow jobs or bee-jays.

Sweets

Candy - Americans will likely understand what you mean

when you say sweets. However, the word they use most
is candy.

Swiz, Swizz, Swizzle

Swindle, Cheat

Swot

Brain, Brainer, Nerd, Geek, Smart - In American, if you want

to let someone know that they are smart, or studious, in a
teasing way, you might call them a brain or brainer. Or nerd
or geek. Or you just plain might say they're smart.

----Take Away

Take Out - In the USA take out describes food that you take away,
but it also means killing or destroying someone. For example,
"Take him out." Oh! And it can also means going out on a date.
Example, "I took her out to see a movie."

Tannoy

PA System - The brand Tannoy is not ubiquitous in the USA.

Generally people there use the generic term "P.A. System" or
simply "P.A."

Tart (Insult)

Skank - The term tart is not considered an insult in America or

Canada. It is only considered to be a dessert. If you want to
suggest that someone is promiscuous then you may call them
a skank.

Tat

In North America the term "tat" is usually short for "tattoo." It

seldom means cheap trinkets or junk.

Tele

TV, television

Tickbox

Checkbox

Till

Cash Register

Tippex

White Out - Tippex is a brand of correction fluid in the UK.

In America they have White Out brand.

Totes

Totally, Completely

Tosser

Jerk Off - I.E. "You're a jerk off!"

Toss Off

Jerk Off - Toss(ing) Off, for Americans, does not mean

masturbating or sexually stimulating someone. It literally means
to toss off or throw off. For example, a mum might say to her
child, "Don't just toss off your wet jacket onto the floor like that!"
To describe masturbation, or masturbating someone, most
Americans use jerk off or jerking off. Or they might use the
term hand job. For example, "That prostitute gave me a hand
job."

Townie

Americans don't really have townies. There is no exact version

of this. The closest match is the term "wigger," which can be
considered offensive as it is a combination of white + nigger.

Tramp

In the US and A the word "tramp" means a

whore/slut/promiscuous woman.

Trolley

Shopping Cart

Trousers

Pants

(The) Tubes

Subway - Subway is not just a form of transportation, it is

also a famous sandwich restaurant.

Tuition

School Fees

Twonk

Fool

Twat

Cunt, Pussy - Calling someone a cunt or pussy in the USA

is very insulting!

----Uni

University, College - Americans don't say uni. When speaking

of their adult education they either go to university or college.
College is, in America, for adults.

----WAG

The USA doesn't use this term ever! You will have to
explain it.

Wank

Masturbate, Jack Off, Jerk Off, Get Off, Got Off Americans don't have a wank. They do not, in the word sense,
have a masturbatory experience. They masturbate, jack off, or
jerk off, which is active. For example an American might say, "I
jacked/jerked off last night." Or they might say, "I masturbated l
last night." Note that jack off and jerk off is for men only. Women
seldom talk about pleasuring themselves, and if they do they will
say they masturbated or "got off."

Washroom

Bathroom

Well

Really - An example of this in use. While Brits might describe

something and say "It was well good," Americans will say
"It was really good" or "It was very good."

Whinge
Wind-Up

Whine, Complain
Pissing Off, Annoying - In America you don't wind someone
up. You piss them off or you annoy them. Brits might ask,
"Are you winding me up?" The American equivalent is,
"Are you trying to piss me off?" or "Are you trying to
annoy me?" Note that you cannot drop the "trying" part
of the question. An American wouldn't say, "Are you
pissing me off?" To them it sounds silly. However, as
a statement it is different, and the "trying" part is not
always required.

Fin.