US Terminology
By James | Last updated August 18, 2023
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As the playright George Bernard Shaw once said:-
“England and America are two countries divided by a common language.”
One of the best examples of this was whilst riding on the Disney Monorail. The announcer said we would be stopping ‘momentarily’ which we took to mean we would stop FOR a short while, but what she meant was we would be stopping IN a short while.
| American | English |
|---|---|
| antenna | aerial (car) |
| apartment | flat |
| ATM | cashpoint machine |
| attorney | lawyer |
| automobile | car |
| back up | reverse (a car) |
| band aid | plaster, Elastoplast |
| bath | bathroom |
| bathroom | toilet |
| bill | note (currency) |
| bleacher | bench seat (in a stadium) |
| broil | grill (food) |
| buck | dollar bill |
| cab | taxi |
| candy | sweets |
| candy bar | chocolate bar |
| car (train) | coach |
| car rental | car hire |
| cart | shopping trolley |
| cell, cell phone | mobile phone |
| charge card | credit card |
| check | cheque (travellers) bill (restaurant) |
| chips | crisps (potato) |
| closet | cupboard, wardrobe |
| coach class (travel) | economy class |
| condominium | apartment |
| crosswalk | pedestrian crossing |
| dime | 10 cents |
| diner | restaurant (from railway dining car) |
| divided highway | dual carriageway |
| downtown | city centre, business district |
| drugstore | chemist’s, pharmacy |
| duplex | semi-detached property |
| eggplant | aubergine |
| elevator | lift |
| entree | main course (in a restaurant) |
| exit | motorway junction |
| fall | Autumn |
| fanny pack | bum bag |
| faucet | bathroom tap |
| first floor | ground floor |
| flashlight | torch |
| freeway | motorway |
| French fries | chips |
| garbage | rubbish |
| gas | petrol or fuel |
| gearshift | gear stick (car) |
| grade crossing | railway level crossing |
| greenback | dollar bill |
| hood | bonnet (of a car) |
| hostess (restaurant) | person who directs you to your seat |
| icebox | fridge |
| intersection | junction, crossroads |
| interstate | motorway |
| jello | jelly |
| jelly | jam |
| ladies room | female toilets |
| lemonade | lemon squash |
| liquor store | off licence |
| median (road) | central reservation |
| men’s room | male toilets |
| momentarily | in a moment, soon |
| muffler | exhaust (of a car) |
| nickel | 5 cents |
| off ramp | slip road off motorway |
| on ramp | slip road onto motorway |
| outlet | electrical socket |
| rest room | toilet |
| sedan | saloon (car) |
| sidewalk | pavement |
| signal | traffic light |
| stick shift | manual gear change (of a car) |
| to go | takeaway (food) |
| toll-free number | freephone number |
| trunk | boot (of a car) |
| vacation | holiday |
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