List of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom

This is a list of American words
American English
American English is a set of dialects of the English language used mostly in the United States. Approximately two-thirds of the world's native speakers of English live in the United States....

not widely used in the United Kingdom
British English
British English, or English , is the broad term used to distinguish the forms of the English language used in the United Kingdom from forms used elsewhere...

. In Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, some of the American terms listed are widespread, however in some cases another usage is preferred.

Words with specific American meanings that have different meanings in British English and/or additional meanings common to both dialects (e.g., pants, crib) are to be found at List of words having different meanings in British and American English. When such words are herein used or referenced, they are marked with the flag [DM].

Asterisks (*) denote words and meanings having appreciable (that is, not occasional) currency in British English, but nonetheless distinctive of American English for their relatively greater frequency in American speech and writing. Americanisms are increasingly common in British English, and many that were not widely used some decades ago, are now so (e.g., regular in the sense of "regular coffee").

American spelling is consistently used throughout the article, except when explicitly referencing British terms.

0–9

401(k)

A 401 is a type of retirement savings account in the United States, which takes its name from subsection of the Internal Revenue Code . A contributor can begin to withdraw funds after reaching the age of 59 1/2 years...

: an employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States.
411: information about something (from 4-1-1

4-1-1

4-1-1 is the telephone number for local directory assistance in the United States and Canada. One exception is the Pacific Northwest, which used 1-1-3 until the mid-1980s. Until the early 1980s, 4-1-1 calls were free in most states....

, directory assistance

Directory assistance

In telecommunications, directory assistance or directory enquiries is a phone service used to find out a specific telephone number and/or address of a residence, business, or government entity.-Technology:...

number) (UK: 118xxx or 192)
5-0: the police (from Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O

Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for twelve seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. The show featured a fictional state police unit run by Detective Steve McGarrett,...

, an American television series)
86

86 (term)

"86","86'd", "86ed", or eighty-sixed when used as a verb in American English, is a slang term for refusing service or getting rid of something. The etymology of the term is uncertain...

: to abandon or reject something; e.g., "Let's eighty six the whole thing." Similar to "Deep Six".
9-1-1

9-1-1

9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...

: the US emergency telephone number

Emergency telephone number

Many countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...

(UK: 999

999 (emergency telephone number)

999 is an official emergency telephone number in a number of countries which allows the caller to contact emergency services for urgent assistance....

)

A

acclimate: (verb) (UK usually: acclimatise)
acetaminophen (or Tylenol

Tylenol

Tylenol is a North American brand of drugs advertised for reducing pain, reducing fever, and relieving the symptoms of allergies, cold, cough, and flu. The active ingredient of its original, flagship product, paracetamol , is marketed as an analgesic and antipyretic...

) : (UK: paracetamol)
addicting: (UK and US: addictive)
affirmative action

Affirmative action

Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...

: providing opportunities in education or work based on (e.g.) race or gender (UK: positive discrimination)
airplane: fixed-wing aircraft

Fixed-wing aircraft

A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of flight using wings that generate lift due to the vehicle's forward airspeed. Fixed-wing aircraft are distinct from rotary-wing aircraft in which wings rotate about a fixed mast and ornithopters in which lift is generated by flapping wings.A powered...

. Alteration of UK aeroplane, probably influenced by aircraft
alphabetize: (verb) (UK and US: sort alphabetically)
aluminum: (UK: aluminium)
amtrac: Landing Vehicle Tracked

Landing Vehicle Tracked

The Landing Vehicle Tracked was a class of amphibious vehicles introduced by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. Originally intended solely as cargo carriers for ship to shore operations, they rapidly evolved into assault troop and fire support vehicles as well...

, military vehicle used in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

(not to be confused with Amtrak

Amtrak

The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...

, the passenger railroad corporation)
arroyo

Arroyo (creek)

An arroyo , a Spanish word translated as brook, and also called a wash is usually a dry creek or stream bed—gulch that temporarily or seasonally fills and flows after sufficient rain. Wadi is a similar term in Africa. In Spain, a rambla has a similar meaning to arroyo.-Types and processes:Arroyos...

: a usually dry creek

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

. Spanish in origin.
arugula

Arugula

Eruca sativa , is an edible annual plant, commonly known as rocket, roquette, rucola or arugula, not to be confused with Wild rocket. It is a species of Eruca native to the Mediterranean region, from Morocco and Portugal east to Lebanon and Turkey...

, rugola: the herb also known as rocket or garden rocket. Borrowed from southern Italian dialect in the early 1960s ("Ask Italian greengrocers for arugula, rucola or ruccoli; ask other markets for rouquette, rocket salad or, simply, rocket." — The New York Times, May 24, 1960, in OED).

B

baby carriage: pushable vehicle for transporting babies, also called stroller, buggy or regionally baby coach (UK: perambulator (very old-fashioned or formal), pram, or, for the type that an older baby sits rather than lies in, pushchair or buggy)
backhoe

Backhoe

A backhoe, also called a rear actor or back actor, is a piece of excavating equipment or digger consisting of a digging bucket on the end of a two-part articulated arm. They are typically mounted on the back of a tractor or front loader...

: a piece of excavating equipment (UK usually digger, mechanical digger, excavator, or JCB

J. C. Bamford

JCB is a global construction, demolition and agricultural equipment company headquartered in Rocester, United Kingdom. It is the world's third-largest construction equipment manufacturer. It produces over 300 types of machines, including diggers , excavators, tractors and diesel engines...

, genericized trademark

Genericized trademark

A genericized trademark is a trademark or brand name that has become the colloquial or generic description for, or synonymous with, a general class of product or service, rather than as an indicator of source or affiliation as intended by the trademark's holder...

)
ballpark

Baseball park

A baseball park, also known as a baseball stadium, ball park, or ballpark is a venue where baseball is played. It consists of the playing field and the surrounding spectator seating...

: a baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

stadium

Stadium

A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...

; although used as well to mean range of approximation or accuracy ("in the ballpark"; "a ballpark figure") *
Band-Aid

Band-Aid

Band-Aid is a brand name for Johnson & Johnson's line of adhesive bandages and related products. It has also become a genericized trademark for any adhesive bandage in Australia, Brazil, Canada, India and the United States....

*: (trademark) bandage for minor wounds, (UK: Elastoplast (trademark), plaster [DM]); also, a makeshift solution
bangs: front part of the hair cut to hang over the forehead (UK: a fringe

Fringe (hair)

Fringe are a shaped cutting of the front part of the hair so that it is combed forward and hangs or curls over the forehead. A classic fringe is cut fairly straight at or above the eyebrows, but fringes can also be ragged or ruffled, spiked up with hair gel, swept to one side or the other, and...

)
barrette: hair slide
baseboard: skirting board
bayou

Bayou

A bayou is an American term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying areas, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river , or to a marshy lake or wetland. The name "bayou" can also refer to creeks that see level changes due to tides and hold brackish water which...

: (from Louisiana French) an often marshy slow-moving minor watercourse, usually located in a low-lying area (as in the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

delta region of the southern United States

Southern United States

The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...

)
bedroom community : a commuter town or suburb (UK: dormitory town [DM])
Bear claw : A kind of sweet pastry served throughout the United States, named for its large, clawlike shape.
bell pepper

Bell pepper

Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper and capsicum , is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum . Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange and green. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as...

: a mild (not spicy) red or green pepper or capsicum

Capsicum

Capsicum is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family, Solanaceae. Its species are native to the Americas where they have been cultivated for thousands of years, but they are now also cultivated worldwide, used as spices, vegetables, and medicines - and have become are a key element in...

in Australian English and Indian English
bellhop

Bellhop

A bellhop, also bellboy or bellman, is a hotel porter, who helps patrons with their luggage while checking in or out. Bellhops often wear a uniform , like certain other page boys or doormen...

: a hotel porter
beltway : a ring road, or orbital motorway found around or within many cities.
blacktop

Asphalt concrete

Asphalt concrete is a composite material commonly used in construction projects such as road surfaces, airports and parking lots. It consists of asphalt and mineral aggregate mixed together, then laid down in layers and compacted...

: a road surface [DM] composed of asphalt concrete

Asphalt concrete

; also a verb ("to blacktop a parking lot") (UK: compare tarmac

Tarmac

Tarmac is a type of road surface. Tarmac refers to a material patented by Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1901...

)
blinders : (on a horse) (UK: blinkers)
blood sausage : black pudding
boardwalk

Boardwalk

A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....

: a walkway usually made of planking, typically along a beach (as that of Atlantic City) (UK: promenade)
bobby pin : hair grip, Kirby grip
bodega : a Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

term for a winery

Winery

A winery is a building or property that produces wine, or a business involved in the production of wine, such as a wine company. Some wine companies own many wineries. Besides wine making equipment, larger wineries may also feature warehouses, bottling lines, laboratories, and large expanses of...

, used in some American cities such as Boston and New York as a term for a convenience store

Convenience store

A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

.
booger : (slang) a piece of nasal mucus (UK: bogey)
bookmobile

Bookmobile

A bookmobile or mobile library is a large vehicle designed for use as a library. It is designed to hold books on shelves so that when the vehicle is parked the books can be accessed by readers. It usually has enough space for people to sit and read books inside. Mobile libraries are often used to...

: a large vehicle housing a mobile lending library (UK: mobile library)
boombox

Boombox

Boombox is a colloquial expression for a portable cassette or CD player. Other terms known are ghetto blaster, jambox, or radio-cassette. It is a device capable of receiving radio stations and playing recorded music , usually at relatively high volume...

: a large portable stereo, syn. with ghettoblaster, which is also American in origin but is common in the UK.
boondocks : (also the boonies) rough country; a very rural location or town; backwoods; the "sticks". Sometimes refers to rough, poor neighborhoods in a city. From Tagalog

Tagalog language

Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...

.
boondoggle

Boondoggle (project)

A boondoggle is a project that is considered to waste time and money, yet is often continued due to extraneous policy motivations.- Etymology :...

: slang term for a scheme that wastes time and money; also scoubidou

Scoubidou

Scoubidou is a plaiting and knotting craft, originally aimed at children. It originated in France, where it became a fad in the late 1950s and has remained popular...

, a knotting and plaiting craft
Botts' dot : see raised pavement marker

Raised pavement marker

A raised pavement marker is a safety device used on roads. These devices are usually made with plastic, ceramic, or occasionally metal, and come in a variety of shapes and colors. Many varieties include a lens or sheeting that enhance their visibility by reflecting automotive headlights...

(UK & US: cat's eye

Cat's eye (road)

The cat's eye is a retroreflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers. It originated in the UK in 1933 and is today used all over the world....

)
brah : from brother or 'bro' (considered in poor taste to use in civil company.)
breadbox

Breadbox

A breadbox or a bread bin is a container for storing bread and other baked goods to keep them fresh. They were a more common household kitchen item until bread started being made commercially with food preservatives and wrapped in plastic...

: a box for keeping bread (UK: usually bread bin)
broil : to cook food with high heat with the heat applied directly to the food from above (UK: grill) [DM]. Apparently first used by Chaucer.
brownstone

Brownstone

Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...

: a type of residential building found in New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

and other large cities
buddy, bud : a friend; also used as a term of address (UK similar: mate)
bullhorn : a megaphone

Megaphone

A megaphone, speaking-trumpet, bullhorn, blowhorn, or loud hailer is a portable, usually hand-held, cone-shaped horn used to amplify a person’s voice or other sounds towards a targeted direction. This is accomplished by channelling the sound through the megaphone, which also serves to match the...

burglarize : to carry out a burglary

Burglary

Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...

(UK: burgle; burgle is very rare in US, and burglarize virtually nonexistent in UK)
busboy

Busboy

Busser, busboy and busgirl are terms used in the United States for someone who works in the restaurant and catering industry clearing tables, taking dirty dishes to the dishwasher, setting tables and otherwise assisting the waiting staff....

: junior restaurant worker assisting waiting staff, table clearer, water pourer etc. (UK: busser; runner)
busyness : hustle and bustle
butte

Butte

A butte is a conspicuous isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; it is smaller than mesas, plateaus, and table landform tables. In some regions, such as the north central and northwestern United States, the word is used for any hill...

: an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top

C

caboose

Caboose

A caboose is a manned North American rail transport vehicle coupled at the end of a freight train. Although cabooses were once used on nearly every freight train, their use has declined and they are seldom seen on trains, except on locals and smaller railroads.-Function:The caboose provided the...

: a train car attached usually to the rear mainly for the crew's use (UK: guard's van' or brake van'); also (colloquial) the buttocks
Canadian bacon : Ham, usually pressed and sliced back bacon.
candy apple*, candied apple : toffee apple
candy :[UK: sweets]
canola

Canola

Canola refers to a cultivar of either Rapeseed or Field Mustard . Its seeds are used to produce edible oil suitable for consumption by humans and livestock. The oil is also suitable for use as biodiesel.Originally, Canola was bred naturally from rapeseed in Canada by Keith Downey and Baldur R...

: a trademarked variety of rapeseed

Rapeseed

Rapeseed , also known as rape, oilseed rape, rapa, rappi, rapaseed is a bright yellow flowering member of the family Brassicaceae...

careen : (of a vehicle) to travel fast and out of control, usually swerving or cornering (UK: career)
carhop

Carhop

A carhop is a waiter or waitress who brings food to people in their cars at drive-in restaurants. Usually car hops work on foot but sometimes use rollerskates. The popularity of movies such as American Graffiti and shows like Happy Days created a misconception of carhops as exclusively roller...

: someone serving food at a drive-in

Drive-in

A drive-in is a facility such as a bank, restaurant, or movie theater where one can literally drive in with an automobile for service. It is usually distinguished from a drive-through. At a drive-in restaurant, for example, customers park their vehicles and are usually served by staff who walk out...

, often on rollerskates
cart : a four wheeled wire frame used to carry shopping (UK: trolley)
catercorner : (or catercornered, catacorner, kitty-corner, catty-corner, etc.) (adverb) diagonally, diagonally opposite ("The house looks catercorner to mine"). Cater corner is the original form (from the French quatre and English corner = four + corner), but the forms kitty corner and catty corner (folk etymology) are usual in speech, the latter especially in the North and West, while the former in the Midland and South. Sometimes (dialectal, regional) also kitty/catty wampus/wumpus (unclearly derived), which can also mean "awry".
catsup : alternative spelling of ketchup that rarely sees use in the UK.
cell phone *: (short for cellular telephone) a portable telephone; UK: mobile phone, often abbreviated to mobile
central air : central air conditioning
certified mail : recorded delivery
ChapStick

ChapStick

ChapStick is a brand name for lip balm manufactured by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and used in Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Colombia, Italy, Chile, Pakistan, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Argentina, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is intended to help treat and prevent chapped...

*: (trademark

Trademark

A trademark, trade mark, or trade-mark is a distinctive sign or indicator used by an individual, business organization, or other legal entity to identify that the products or services to consumers with which the trademark appears originate from a unique source, and to distinguish its products or...

, sometimes used generically) a lip balm - trademark Lypsyl

Lypsyl

Lypsyl is a brand of moisturising lip balm owned by Lornamead. It is packaged in a small, cylindrical, twist action tube and is applied like a lipstick....

is common (UK: Lip Balm

Lip balm

Lip balm or lip salve is a wax-like substance applied topically to the lips of the mouth to relieve chapped or dry lips, angular cheilitis, stomatitis, or cold sores. Lip balm often contains beeswax or carnauba wax, camphor, cetyl alcohol, lanolin, paraffin, and petrolatum, among other ingredients...

*)
checkers : a popular board game

Board game

A board game is a game which involves counters or pieces being moved on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Games may be based on pure strategy, chance or a mixture of the two, and usually have a goal which a player aims to achieve...

(UK: draughts

Draughts

Draughts is a group of abstract strategy board games between two players which involve diagonal moves of uniform pieces and mandatory captures by jumping over the enemy's pieces. Draughts developed from alquerque...

)
charge account : in a store or shop (UK: credit account)
checking account : the type of bank account

Bank account

A Bank account is a financial account recording the financial transactions between the customer and the bank and the resulting financial position of the customer with the bank .-Account types:...

used for drawing checks; distinguished from savings account. (UK: current account or cheque account)
cilantro : coriander

Coriander

Coriander is an annual herb in the family Apiaceae. Coriander is native to southern Europe and North Africa to southwestern Asia. It is a soft, hairless plant growing to tall. The leaves are variable in shape, broadly lobed at the base of the plant, and slender and feathery higher on the...

leaf, while in the US, coriander refers only to the seed.
conniption (fit) : (slang) temper tantrum.
cookout : informal meal cooked and eaten outdoors, a cross between a picnic and a barbecue or a cooking competition taking place outdoors
co-ed, coed : female student at a coeducational college (e.g., "He saw the party as an opportunity to meet co-eds."); any group of people with members from both genders (e.g. "My soccer team is co-ed.")
condo : Condominium

Condominium

A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...

copacetic : fine and dandy; good; well; A-OK; cool. Creole, perhaps from the French "Comme c'est sympathique".
cooties

Cooties

Cooties is in American childlore, a kind of STD usually found on the male penis infectious disease found only in boys. The term may have originated with references to lice, fleas, and other parasites. A child is said to "catch" cooties through any form of bodily contact, proximity, or touching of...

: fictional disease, a term used by children (UK: germs

Microorganism

A microorganism or microbe is a microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters, or no cell at all...

, lurgy); also a term for lice

Louse

Lice is the common name for over 3,000 species of wingless insects of the order Phthiraptera; three of which are classified as human disease agents...

costume party : party where costumes are worn (UK: fancy-dress party)
cotton candy

Cotton candy

Cotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...

: spun sugar often sold at fairs (UK: candy floss)
counterclockwise : (UK: anti-clockwise)
coveralls : a one-piece outer protective garment (UK: overall

Overall

An overall, coverall, over all, or dungarees, is a type of garment which is usually used as protective clothing when working...

, boiler suit)
cremains : the remains of a dead body after cremation (UK: remains, ashes)
critter : (informal) a creature; an animal (as a horse in the South or a bull in the North); often used jocularly (as in "congresscritter", a congressperson

Congressperson

A Member of Congress is a term used for a politician who has become qualified, appointed or elected, and inducted into some official body , typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature...

); sometimes a term of endearment
crapshoot : risky and uncertain venture; from craps

Craps

Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other or a bank...

, a dice game

D

deplane : meaning disembark from an aeroplane
diaper

Diaper

A nappy or a diaper is a kind of pant that allows one to defecate or urinate on oneself discreetly. When diapers become soiled, they require changing; this process is often performed by a second person such as a parent or caregiver...

: An absorbent undergarment (UK: nappy)
dime

Dime (United States coin)

The dime is a coin 10 cents, one tenth of a United States dollar, labeled formally as "one dime". The denomination was first authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. The dime is the smallest in diameter and is the thinnest of all U.S...

: a 10-cent coin. Derived from the French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

word disme (the original spelling), meaning a tenth part or tithe

Tithe

A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...

, and ultimately from the Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

decima. Five-and-dime, dime store, a store selling cheap merchandise; a dime a dozen, so abundant as to be worth little; on a dime, (slang) ten dollars, in a small space ("turn on a dime") or immediately ("stop on a dime"); nickel-and-dime, originally an adjective meaning "involving small amounts of money" and then "insignificant", also a verb meaning "to rip-off by many seemingly insignificant charges". (The nickel [DM] is the 5-cent coin.) In Britain, the old sixpence, a small coin of a comparable size and value, was formerly used in similar expressions before a decimal currency

Decimalisation

Decimal currency is the term used to describe any currency that is based on one basic unit of currency and a sub-unit which is a power of 10, most commonly 100....

was introduced in the 1971.
direct deposit : a method of payment by bank transfer, similar to European giro

Giro

A Giro or giro transfer is a payment transfer from one bank account to another bank account and instigated by the payer, not the payee...

, almost exclusively used for deposits of pay checks or government benefits
discombobulated: to confuse or disconcert; upset; frustrate (UK and US: discompose)
dishrag : a cloth for washing dishes (UK and US: dishcloth)
dish towel : a towel

Towel

A towel is a piece of absorbent fabric or paper used for drying or wiping. It draws moisture through direct contact, often using a blotting or a rubbing motion. Common household textile towels are made from cotton, rayon, bamboo, nonwoven fibers or a few other materials.-Types of towels:* A bath...

for drying dishes (UK: tea towel)
divided highway

Divided Highway

Divided Highway is a compilation album by American rock band The Doobie Brothers, released in 2003. . All tracks are taken from the albums Cycles and Brotherhood .-Track listing:...

: a road with a highway median (UK: dual carriageway)
docent

Docent

Docent is a title at some European universities to denote a specific academic appointment within a set structure of academic ranks below professor . Docent is also used at some universities generically for a person who has the right to teach...

: a university lecturer; also a volunteer guide in a museum or similar institution
doohickey : word used for an unknown item

Placeholder name

Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...

. Also a slang term for a penis

Penis

The penis is a biological feature of male animals including both vertebrates and invertebrates...

. (a thingamajig, thingamabob, or just a thingy) (UK: wotsit)
douche

Douche

A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself.Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity. A douche bag is a piece of...

: device for rinsing the vagina or anus; also douchebag* is used as an insult
downspout : pipe for carrying rainwater from a gutter to the ground (UK & US: drainpipe)
downtown* : (noun, adv., adj.) (in, to, toward, or related to) either the lower section or the business center of a city or town—(used in UK but more common expression would be city centre) uptown, see article

Downtown

Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....

for New York City usage; (noun) in basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

, far from the basket (as outside the three-point line)—used of a shot; (adj., adv., noun) a euphemism to describe oral sex

Oral sex

Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...

, the act of performing oral sex, or to refer to genitalia
drape : (UK: curtain

Curtain

A curtain is a piece of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or drafts, or water in the case of a shower curtain. Curtains hung over a doorway are known as portières...

)
driver license, driver's license

Driver's license

A driver's license/licence , or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a motorized vehicle, such as a motorcycle, car, truck or a bus, on a public roadway. Most U.S...

: (UK: driving licence)
drugstore

Pharmacy

Pharmacy is the health profession that links the health sciences with the chemical sciences and it is charged with ensuring the safe and effective use of pharmaceutical drugs...

: a pharmacy, or a store selling candy, magazines, etc. along with medicines (UK approx.: chemist or "corner shop" [DM])
druthers : preference of one thing over another derived from a contraction of "I would rather" or "I'd rather" (e.g., "if I had my druthers, I'd...")
drywall

Drywall

Drywall, also known as plasterboard, wallboard or gypsum board is a panel made of gypsum plaster pressed between two thick sheets of paper...

: gypsum board, plasterboard, or any process that builds interior walls without the use of water (UK: plasterboard)
dude

Dude

A dude is an individual, typically male. The female equivalent, which is used less often, is "dudette" or "dudess". However, "dude" has evolved to become more unisex to encompass all genders, and this was true even in the 1950s....

: A male or a farm hand at a horse ranch. Americans often use this as the combined equivalent of the British usage of "mate" and "bloke", or, even closer, as the equivalent of Caribbean "man/mon". Dude has become more understood in the UK due to television, films, music, etc.
Dumpster : (trademark: might be becoming genericized

Genericized trademark

) large trash receptacle (UK approx.: skip [DM]); to dumpster-dive

Dumpster diving

Dumpster diving is the practice of sifting through commercial or residential trash to find items that have been discarded by their owners, but that may be useful to the dumpster diver.-Etymology and alternate names:...

, to rummage through a Dumpster
dweeb : a boring, studious or socially inept person (a nerd, a geek or a "drip" an old-fashioned mild pejorative for someone exceptionally eccentric or lacking in social skills)

E

eggplant : the plant Solanum melongena (UK: aubergine); "eggplant" is common in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom.
Elephant ear : Deep fried dough covered with cinnamon-sugar. Commonly found at fairs and carnivals. : (UK: "Beaver Tail")
Elevator

Elevator

An elevator is a type of vertical transport equipment that efficiently moves people or goods between floors of a building, vessel or other structures...

: (UK: lift)
Emergency brake : brake in motor vehicle operated by a lever used to keep it stationary. Also referred to as an "E-brake". (UK: handbrake)
eminent domain

Eminent domain

Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...

: the power of the government to take private property for public use (similar to UK compulsory purchase)
English muffin

English muffin

A muffin or English muffin is a small, round, flat type of yeast-leavened bread almost always dusted with cornmeal, which is commonly served split horizontally, toasted, and buttered. Muffins are eaten either as a snack alone or as part of a meal.- History :An old English nursery rhyme, "The...

: (UK: "muffin", "hot muffin") (for more, see article)
envision : to Envisage
eraser : (UK: rubber [DM])
expiration

Shelf life

Shelf life is the length of time that food, drink, medicine, chemicals, and many other perishable items are given before they are considered unsuitable for sale, use, or consumption...

: As in expiration date (UK: expiry)
expressway : A type of limited-access road

Limited-access road

A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...

(UK "motorway")
exurb : The ring of prosperous rural communities beyond the suburbs, see Commuter town

Commuter town

A commuter town is an urban community that is primarily residential, from which most of the workforce commutes out to earn their livelihood. Many commuter towns act as suburbs of a nearby metropolis that workers travel to daily, and many suburbs are commuter towns...

F

fanny pack : pouch-like bag that ties or snaps around the wearer's waist (UK: bum bag). In the UK as 'fanny' is a term for vagina and thus this word could cause offence.
faucet : water outlet (UK and US: tap [DM])
feedlot

Feedlot

A feedlot or feedyard is a type of animal feeding operation which is used in factory farming for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations . They...

*: animal feeding operation used for finishing livestock, notably beef cattle, prior to slaughter
fire : to be released from work; also: let go (UK: sack)
flack : a publicist or press agent; sometimes also an alternate spelling of flak "negative commentary", which is used in the UK. Although flack "press agent" was first recorded just one year after flak "Flugabwehrkanone", the two are likely unrelated.
flashlight

Flashlight

A flashlight is a hand-held electric-powered light source. Usually the light source is a small incandescent lightbulb or light-emitting diode...

: portable battery-powered electric lamp (UK: torch)
flatware : knives, spoons, and forks (as opposed to holloware

Holloware

Holloware is a term that refers to table service items such as sugar bowls, creamers, coffee pots, teapots, soup tureens, hot food covers, water pitchers, platters, butter pat plates and other metal items that went with the china on a table. It does not include flatware. Holloware was constructed...

); (UK usually cutlery

Cutlery

Cutlery refers to any hand implement used in preparing, serving, and especially eating food in the Western world. It is more usually known as silverware or flatware in the United States, where cutlery can have the more specific meaning of knives and other cutting instruments. This is probably the...

[DM], although flatware is used in the UK antiques trade as a specialist word)
freeway : (see article) (UK motorway)
French press

French press

A French press, also known as a press pot, coffee press, coffee plunger, cafetiere or сafetière à piston, is a simple coffee brewing device that was first patented by Italian designer Attilio Calimani in 1929....

: Device for making coffee (UK: cafetière)
freshman : a first-year student in college or high school (fresher in UK)
French fries

French fries

French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...

(or fries) : pieces of potato that have been deep-fried. Originates from Belgian style of cooking potatoes (UK chips: e.g., fish and chips or pie and chips)
frosting : A confection applied to cakes (US and UK: icing

Icing (food)

Icing, also called frosting in the United States, is a sweet often creamy glaze made of sugar with a liquid such as water or milk, that is often enriched with ingredients such as butter, egg whites, cream cheese, or flavorings and is used to cover or decorate baked goods, such as cakes or cookies...

)

G

garbage

Waste

Waste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...

: (UK: rubbish)
gasoline

Gasoline

Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...

: (esp. in the past also spelled gasolene; abbreviated gas) (UK: petrol)
gee-whiz : as an interjection, a euphemism for "Jesus"; as an adjective, denotes something characterized by or meant to cause excitement or sensation ("gee-whiz technology"; "a gee-whiz attitude")
general delivery : (UK: poste restante)
get-go (git-go) : (UK: very beginning)
green thumb : (UK: green fingers)
grifter

Confidence trick

A confidence trick is an attempt to defraud a person or group by gaining their confidence. A confidence artist is an individual working alone or in concert with others who exploits characteristics of the human psyche such as dishonesty and honesty, vanity, compassion, credulity, irresponsibility,...

*: a con artist, transient swindler, or professional gambler (UK: con man); also grift can mean an act of thievery or trickery
gotten : Archaic in most of the UK except Yorkshire where it is widely used.
grits

Grits

Grits are a food of American Indian origin common in the Southern United States and mainly eaten at breakfast. They consist of coarsely ground corn, or sometimes alkali-treated corn . They are also sometimes called sofkee or sofkey from the Muskogee language word...

: A maize

Maize

Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...

(sweetcorn) porridge common in the southern U.S. and relatively unknown in the UK
grunt : Slang for infantryman : (UK: squaddie)

H

half bath : a bathroom

Bathroom

A bathroom is a room for bathing in containing a bathtub and/or a shower and optionally a toilet, a sink/hand basin/wash basin and possibly also a bidet....

[DM] that lacks a shower

Shower

A shower is an area in which one bathes underneath a spray of water.- History :...

or bathtub

Bathtub

A bath , bathtub , or tub is a large container for holding water in which a person may bathe . Most modern bathtubs are made of acrylic or fiberglass, but alternatives are available in enamel over steel or cast iron, and occasionally waterproof finished wood...

(i.e., a bathroom which lacks a place to actually bathe.) Equivalent to a British W.C. or Cloakroom

Cloakroom

A cloakroom, or sometimes coatroom, is a room for people to hang their cloaks. They are typically found inside large buildings, such as gymnasiums, schools, churches or meeting halls....

heavy cream : double cream (UK)
hickey : a bruise on one's skin resulting from kissing or sucking; (UK: love bite * )
highball

Highball

Highball is a type of alcoholic drinkHighball may also refer to:* Highball glass, a drinking vessel* Highball Wilson , professional baseball pitcher* the British Highball bouncing bomb project from World War 2...

: (see article)
ho : The word "whore", synonymous with tramp

Tramp

A tramp is a long term homeless person who travels from place to place as a vagrant, traditionally walking or hiking all year round. In British English meanwhile a tramp simply refers to a homeless person, usually not a travelling one....

(harlot) or slut

Slut

Slut or slattern is a pejorative term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous...

and often used as an insult. The spelling is associated with African-American English

African American Vernacular English

African American Vernacular English —also called African American English; less precisely Black English, Black Vernacular, Black English Vernacular , or Black Vernacular English —is an African American variety of American English...

, though it does no more than reflect a non-Rhotic pronunciation of the standard word, similar to what can be heard in Boston ("haw" or "ho-wuh") or Australia.
hobo

Hobo

A hobo is a term which is often applied to a migratory worker or homeless vagabond, often penniless. The term originated in the Western—probably Northwestern—United States during the last decade of the 19th century. Unlike 'tramps', who work only when they are forced to, and 'bums', who do not...

: tramp (BrE); subculture of wandering homeless people,[1] particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains. Becoming more popular in the UK
hominy

Hominy

Hominy or nixtamal is dried maize kernels which have been treated with an alkali in a process called nixtamalization.The English term hominy is derived from the Powhatan language word for maize. Many other Native American cultures also made hominy and integrated it into their diet...

: processed maize, see also grits

Grits

hood : engine compartment cover of front-engine automobile (UK: bonnet)
play hooky : to play truant from school; to cut class (UK also: skive, bunk off or playing wag or wagging off or mooching)
horseback riding : simply "riding" or horse riding in the UK
howdy : (short for how do you do) casual greeting that originated in the Southern States. (UK How do?)
hush puppy

Hushpuppy

A hushpuppy or cornbread ball is a savory, starch-based food made from cornmeal batter that is deep fried or baked in small ball or sphere shapes, or occasionally oblong or ring shapes...

: a deep-fried pellet of cornmeal mush commonly eaten in southern America. (Non-existent in the UK. Hushpuppy is a brand of children's shoes * .)
HVAC

HVAC

HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...

: Heating + Ventilating (or Ventilation) + Air Conditioning (used in technical circles in the UK)

J

jack off, jerk off * : (slang) to masturbate; UK usage would be "to wank". If used as a disparaging noun, as in "that guy is such a jackoff [or jerkoff]", the UK equivalent would be "that bloke is such a wanker (or a "tosser")". In this sense, sometimes written "jagoff". (It is generally not considered as vulgar or insulting as "wanker" is, however.) Can also mean to delay, stymie, thwart, or cause confusion, sometimes with the intent to defraud ("I've waited an hour to be served; they're jerking me off,"; "They say I never returned the car- I left it in the lot. I'm getting jerked off here.") In the latter sense, may also be "jerked around".
jackhammer: (UK: pneumatic drill)
Jane Doe : See John Doe.
jeez : minced oath

Minced oath

A minced oath is an expression based on a profanity or a taboo term that has been altered to reduce the objectionable characteristics.Many languages have such expressions...

for "Jesus", sometimes spelled geez
Jell-o

Jell-O

Jell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....

: (trademark) gelatin dessert (UK: jelly [DM])
john : (slang) a toilet; also, the client of a prostitute
johnson

Johnson

Johnson is an English, Scottish, and Irish name of Norman origin. The name itself is a patronym of the given name John, literally meaning "son of John." The name John derives from Latin Johannes, which is derived through Greek Ἰωάννης Iōannēs, from Hebrew יוחנן Yohanan meaning "Yahweh has favoured"...

: (slang) penis ( UK : "willy" )
John Doe

John Doe

The name "John Doe" is used as a placeholder name in a legal action, case or discussion for a male party, whose true identity is unknown or must be withheld for legal reasons. The name is also used to refer to a male corpse or hospital patient whose identity is unknown...

: unnamed defendant or victim (as in a lawsuit

Lawsuit

A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...

), or a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous; also, an average man ; compare John Q. Public (UK equivalent is Joe Bloggs, or John Smith). The female equivalent is Jane Doe, or less frequently "Jane Roe" as in Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade

Roe v. Wade, , was a controversial landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court on the issue of abortion. The Court decided that a right to privacy under the due process clause in the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution extends to a woman's decision to have an abortion,...

. Also Baby Doe.
John Hancock

John Hancock

John Hancock was a merchant, statesman, and prominent Patriot of the American Revolution. He served as president of the Second Continental Congress and was the first and third Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts...

: a signature (from the name of the President of the Second Continental Congress

Second Continental Congress

The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...

, who was the first signer of the United States Declaration of Independence

United States Declaration of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was a statement adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, which announced that the thirteen American colonies then at war with Great Britain regarded themselves as independent states, and no longer a part of the British Empire. John Adams put forth a...

and who also wrote his signature the largest) -- "put your John Hancock here" (UK "put your moniker here"). "John Henry" is also seen, using Hancock as a perceived homophone

Homophone

A homophone is a word that is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning. The words may be spelled the same, such as rose and rose , or differently, such as carat, caret, and carrot, or to, two, and too. Homophones that are spelled the same are also both homographs and homonyms...

of "Hank", a common nickname of Henry.
John Q. Public

John Q. Public

John Q. Public is a generic name in the United States to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a "common man." He is presumed to represent the randomly selected "man on the street."...

: the common man

Common People

"Common People" is a song by English alternative rock band Pulp. It was released as a single in 1995, reaching number two on the UK singles chart. It also appears on the band's 1995 album Different Class. The song is about those who were perceived by the songwriter as wanting to be "like common...

, typical member of the general public. Also stated as Joe Public, Joe Blow, Joe Schmoe, Joe Six-Pack, Eddie Punchclock, or Joe Lunchbucket. (UK: Joe Bloggs)

L

ladybug

Coccinellidae

Coccinellidae is a family of beetles, known variously as ladybirds , or ladybugs . Scientists increasingly prefer the names ladybird beetles or lady beetles as these insects are not true bugs...

: a red, black-spotted beetle (UK: ladybird)
laundromat: a public place to wash laundry (UK: laundrette)
learner's permit

Learner's permit

A driver's permit, learner's permit or learner's license, is a restricted license that is given to a person who is learning to drive, but has not yet satisfied the requirements to obtain a driver's license...

: a restricted license for a person learning to drive, who has not yet passed the necessary driver's test (rules vary from state to state); also called driver's permit (UK: provisional driving licence)
left field *: a source of unexpected or illogical questions, ideas, etc. ("that proposal came out of left field"); for the baseball sense see left fielder

Left fielder

In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...

; see English language idioms derived from baseball

English language idioms derived from baseball

American English has been enriched by expressions derived from the game of baseball. Sometimes referred to as "America's pastime," baseball has especially affected the language of other competitive activities such as politics and business....

(now becoming more common in the UK)
license plate, license tag : vehicle registration plate

Vehicle registration plate

A vehicle registration plate is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing region's database...

(UK: number plate)
lunch meat : thinly sliced meat meant for sandwiches
lye : caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) or potassium hydroxide (archaic in UK)

M

mail carrier

Mail carrier

A mail carrier, mailman, postal carrier, postman, postwoman , postman/postwoman , letter carrier or postie is an employee of the post office or postal service, who delivers mail and parcel post to residences and businesses...

: a person who delivers mail to residences and businesses; also letter carrier (UK & US: postman, postwoman, although some encourage the use of postal worker so as to remain gender-neutral.)
mailman : see mail carrier
mailbox : (UK: post box, letter box, pillar box)
mass transit : (UK: public transport)
math : mathematics (UK: maths).
maven : expert, guru; from the Yiddish. In use, typically refers to a female.
midsize : medium size
Miranda : (Miranda warning

Miranda warning

The Miranda warning is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. In Miranda v...

) the warning (usually "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." etc.) given to criminal suspects when arrested; (Miranda rights) the right of a criminal suspect when arrested, as established in the United States Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda v. Arizona

Miranda v. Arizona, , was a landmark 5–4 decision of the United States Supreme Court. The Court held that both inculpatory and exculpatory statements made in response to interrogation by a defendant in police custody will be admissible at trial only if the prosecution can show that the defendant...

; hence mirandize, to recite the Miranda warning to (a criminal suspect). In the UK this is referred to as "reading rights" or "cautioned as to his rights" (not to be confused with a police caution

Police caution

A police caution is a formal alternative to prosecution in minor cases, administered by the police and other law enforcement agencies in England and Wales, and in Hong Kong...

).
mohawk : a type of haircut (UK: mohican)
mama, mamma, momma : mother (UK often: mum[my], mam, ma)
mom-and-pop : single-family operated small business

Small business

A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...

("a mom-and-pop store") (UK: family business)
mono / mononucleosis : (UK: Glandular fever)
mortician : (UK & US: undertaker, funeral director

Funeral director

A funeral director , also known as a mortician or undertaker, is a professional involved in the business of funeral rites. These tasks often entail the embalming and burial or cremation of the dead, as well as the planning and arrangement of the actual funeral ceremony...

)
moxie : courage, daring, and energy as in "This guy's got moxie

Moxie

Moxie is a carbonated beverage that was one of the first mass-produced soft drinks in the United States. It continues to be regionally popular today....

!" (from an advertisement for an American soft drink)

N

narc : law enforcement narcotics agent; but 'to narc on' someone is to inform on them to an authority figure, used also as a noun labeling a person who does such (UK: Grass) (This term is also used in New Zealand)
New York minute : (colloquial) quickly
nightstand

Nightstand

A nightstand, alternatively night table or bedside table, is a small table or cabinet designed to stand beside a bed or elsewhere in a bedroom. It serves the role of a coffee table during nighttime hours, at a persons bedside....

: encompassed by bedside table
normalcy : normality. Used, although not coined, by President Warren G. Harding

Warren G. Harding

Warren Gamaliel Harding was the 29th President of the United States . A Republican from Ohio, Harding was an influential self-made newspaper publisher. He served in the Ohio Senate , as the 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ohio and as a U.S. Senator...

("a return to normalcy")

O

obligated : (UK: "obliged")
off-the-rack : of clothes, etc. (UK: off-the-peg)
oftentimes *: often (archaic in Britain but colloquial in America, especially clause-initially)
ornery : irritable, crotchety, cranky, troublemaking (from ordinary)
ouster : ousting, overthrow ("the ouster of a regime"; "the ouster of the CEO")
outage *: temporary suspension of operation ("a power outage

Power outage

A power outage is a short- or long-term loss of the electric power to an area.There are many causes of power failures in an electricity network...

", UK: powercut); the amount of something lost in storage or transportation [DM]
overpass *: (UK: flyover)

P

pacifier : (UK: dummy [DM], comforter [DM])
pantyhose

Pantyhose

Pantyhose are sheer, close-fitting legwear, covering the wearer's body from the waist to the feet. Mostly considered to be a woman's and girl's garment, pantyhose appeared in the 1960s, and they provided a convenient alternative to stockings...

: (UK: tights

Tights

Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....

, a term used for similar non-sheer garments in the U.S.; "pantyhose" refers only to sheer or semi-sheer nylon-based tights)
paper route : a regular series of newspaper deliveries (UK: paper round)
paper towels : a roll of absorbent perforated paper used to clean around the house (UK: kitchen roll)
parking garage : multi-storey car park
parking lot : a usually outside area for the parking of automotive vehicles (UK: car park)
penitentiary : prison; gaol/jail.
penny-ante : (adj.) petty, insignificant—from penny ante, poker played for a very low ante
period : punctuation mark at the end of a sentence

Sentence

Sentence or sentencing may refer to:* Sentence , a grammatical unit of language* Sentence , a formula with no free variables* Sentence , a particular type of musical phrase...

(UK: full-stop)
plastic wrap

Plastic wrap

Plastic wrap, cling film , cling wrap or food wrap, is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time...

: polymer material for sealing food items (UK: cling-film)
plumber's butt or plumber's crack : buttock cleavage, also called the working man's smile (UK: builder's bum, brickie's bum or builder's cleavage)
plushie, plush toy : soft toy (UK: cuddly toy)
Popsicle

Popsicle

Popsicle is the most popular brand of ice pop in the United States and Canada. The first ice pop was created by accident in 1905 when 11-year-old Frank Epperson left a cup of soda on his porch in cold weather overnight. The next morning he went to go get the soda and it was frozen, so he put two...

: A trademarked brand of frozen juice, or flavored ice on a stick. The term is widely used to describe all such confections without regard to brand. (UK: ice lolly)
powdered sugar

Powdered sugar

Powdered sugar, also known as confectioners' sugar or icing sugar, is very fine sugar. When intended for home use, it typically contains a small amount of anti-caking agent....

: (UK: icing sugar)
pre-authorized payment/withdrawal : (UK: direct debit (variable amount)/standing order (fixed amount))
public holiday : (UK: bank holiday, although public holiday is also used, more formally, when referring to New Year's Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day

Boxing Day

Boxing Day is a bank or public holiday that occurs on 26 December, or the first or second weekday after Christmas Day, depending on national or regional laws. It is observed in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth nations. In Ireland, it is recognized as...

). See Federal holiday

Federal holiday

In the United States, a federal holiday is a public holiday recognized by the United States federal government. Non-essential federal government offices are closed...

pussy:A cat A woman's genitals.(UK: twat)

R

rad : short for "radical", different or interesting, exceptional; synonym for cool
raincheck : The metaphorical raincheck is used in the US to indicate that the person "taking the raincheck" regretfully cannot accept the current invitation but would like to be invited to a future event. In the UK the person "taking the raincheck" may attend an event, but is warning the host that there is a possibility that they may not be able to make it. Both usages are becoming more common in UK English, particularly amongst office workers.
raised pavement marker

Raised pavement marker

: commonly called reflector, Botts' dot or cat's eye (UK: cat's eye

Cat's eye (road)

The cat's eye is a retroreflective safety device used in road marking and was the first of a range of raised pavement markers. It originated in the UK in 1933 and is today used all over the world....

)
rappel : to descend on a rope (UK: abseil)
Realtor (trademark): member of the National Association of Realtors

National Association of Realtors

The National Association of Realtors , whose members are known as Realtors, is North America's largest trade association. representing over 1.2 million members , including NAR's institutes, societies, and councils, involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries...

; as a genericized trademark

Genericized trademark

, any real estate broker

Real estate broker

A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...

or real estate agent (UK: estate agent

Estate agent

An estate agent is a person or business that arranges the selling, renting or management of properties, and other buildings, in the United Kingdom and Ireland. An agent that specialises in renting is often called a letting or management agent...

)
recision : a cancellation ("This bill would authorize the recision of the adult day health care license"). Now rare in the UK; a different word from rescission
restroom : a toilet, particularly a public one.
roil : to render muddy by stirring up the dregs of; as, to roil wine, cider, etc., in casks or bottles; to roil a spring; also, to disquiet or disturb (also rile in the sense of "to anger", riled up for "angry")
roustabout : an unskilled laborer, especially at an oil field, at a circus, or on a ship. Used in the oil industry in the UK.
rowhouse : (UK: terraced house)
Rube Goldberg

Rube Goldberg machine

A Rube Goldberg machine, contraption, device, or apparatus is a deliberately over-engineered or overdone machine that performs a very simple task in a very complex fashion, usually including a chain reaction...

: Absurdly complex machine (see Heath Robinson).
rutabaga

Rutabaga

The rutabaga, swede , turnip or yellow turnip is a root vegetable that originated as a cross between the cabbage and the turnip; see Triangle of U...

: the turnip

Turnip

The turnip or white turnip is a root vegetable commonly grown in temperate climates worldwide for its white, bulbous taproot. Small, tender varieties are grown for human consumption, while larger varieties are grown as feed for livestock...

Brassica napus napobrassica (UK: swede)
RV (recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle

Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...

) : see article for usage of the terms RV, motor home, and the British camper [DM] and caravan [DM]
RV park : (UK: caravan site or less usually caravan park)

S

Saran wrap : (Saran is a trademark) plastic wrap

Plastic wrap

Plastic wrap, cling film , cling wrap or food wrap, is a thin plastic film typically used for sealing food items in containers to keep them fresh over a longer period of time...

(UK: cling film)
sawbuck

Sawbuck

A sawbuck is a device for holding rough wood so that it may be sawn into pieces of length usable in a stove or fireplace. Easily made in the field from rough material, it consists of two "X" forms, one at each end, which are stabilized by a central piece...

: sawhorse; also a ten dollar bill
scads : great amounts of something
scallion

Scallion

Scallions , are the edible plants of various Allium species, all of which are "onion-like", having hollow green leaves and lacking a fully developed root bulb.-Etymology:The words...

*: also used in Ireland; also known as spring onion in Great Britain and the US
scalper : ticket tout
Scotch Tape

Scotch Tape

Scotch Tape is a brand name used for certain pressure sensitive tapes manufactured by 3M as part of the company's Scotch brand.- History :The precursor to the current tapes was developed in the 1930s in Minneapolis, Minnesota by Richard Drew to seal a then-new transparent material known as...

:(trademark) sticky tape (UK: Sellotape

Sellotape

Sellotape is a British brand of transparent, cellulose-based, pressure sensitive adhesive tape, and is the leading brand of clear, pressure sensitive tape in the United Kingdom. Sellotape is generally used for joining, sealing, attaching and mending...

[trademark])
scuttlebutt

Scuttlebutt

Scuttlebutt in slang usage means rumor or gossip, deriving from the nautical term for the cask used to serve water . Retrieved 2008-03-16...

: gossip, rumor; originally meant water fountain (UK: rumour)
sedan automobile : (UK: saloon)
self-rising flour : self-raising flour
semester : term
shill

Shill

A shill, plant or stooge is a person who helps a person or organization without disclosing that he or she has a close relationship with that person or organization...

*: A shill is a person who is supposed to appear like a member of the general public who usually attempts to lend credibility or excitement to a confidence scheme; e.g., a person who claims to have received benefit from snake oil. Recently popularized in the UK by eBay

EBay

eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...

("shill bidding" or bidding to drum up excitement with no intention of buying). The UK equivalent to a shill would be a "plant", from having someone "planted" in an audience or amongst bystanders. The term "plant" is equally used and understood in the United States.
shredded cheese : grated cheese
shuck: the husk of an ear of corn (maize)

Maize

, an oyster shell, etc.; used in plural to mean something worthless or as an interjection ("shucks!"); (verb) to remove the shuck; also, to discard, get rid of, remove ("I shucked my coat")
Shyster*: A lawyer or accountant of dubious ethical standards. This phrase commonly indicates a person with no ethical restraints. (From German Scheister)
sidewalk : usually paved path for pedestrian

Pedestrian

A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In some communities, those traveling using roller skates or skateboards are also considered to be pedestrians. In modern times, the term mostly refers to someone walking on a road or footpath, but this was not the case...

traffic

Traffic

Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel...

, often constructed of concrete or less usually of stone (UK: pavement [DM], footpath [DM])
sidewalk superintendent : someone spectating a construction or demolition job (UK: bystander [DM])
skim milk : (UK: skimmed milk)
skosh : a little bit. See also List of English words of Japanese origin
s'more

S'more

A s'more is a traditional nighttime campfire treat popular in the United States and Canada consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker.-Etymology and origins:...

: (usually pl.) A camp fire treat consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a slab of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. Contraction from "some more"
sneaker : (usually pl.) a form of footwear

Footwear

Footwear consists of garments worn on the feet, for fashion, protection against the environment, and adornment. Being barefoot is commonly associated with poverty, but some cultures chose not to wear footwear at least in some situations....

, also called tennis shoe or "gym shoe"—see regional vocabularies of American English

Regional vocabularies of American English

Regional vocabularies of American English vary. Below is a list of lexical differences in vocabulary that are generally associated with a region. A term featured on a list may or may not be found throughout the region concerned, and may or may not be recognized by speakers outside that region...

(UK: trainer, plimsoll, regional dap,pump, [DM])
snuck : (Past Tense and Past Participle) form of "Sneak" ) (UK: Sneaked)
soccer : used in the UK but the sport is also known as "Football" or fully as association football
soda fountain

Soda fountain

A soda fountain is a device that dispenses carbonated drinks. They can be found in restaurants, concession stands and other locations such as convenience stores...

: (see article)
soda pop : (UK: soft drink [without CO2 e.g. orange juice], or fizzy/carbonated drink [with CO2 e.g. Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...

])
sophomore : a second-year college or high school student (Trinity College Dublin has sophister in this sense); (adj.) the second in a series (as in, an athlete's "sophomore season", a band's "sophomore album") From the Greek: Sophos - Wise; and Moros - Fool, Moron (UK: undergraduate has this extended sense)
specialty *: (UK: speciality, though specialty is used in law and medicine)
spyglass : a telescope

Telescope

A telescope is an instrument that aids in the observation of remote objects by collecting electromagnetic radiation . The first known practical telescopes were invented in the Netherlands at the beginning of the 1600s , using glass lenses...

or set of lenses used to observe subjects at distance
(Once common in UK usage, but now only in dialect.)
station wagon

Station wagon

A station wagon is a body style variant of a sedan/saloon with its roof extended rearward over a shared passenger/cargo volume with access at the back via a third or fifth door , instead of a trunk lid...

: automobile with extended rear cargo area (UK: estate (car))
steam shovel

Steam shovel

A steam shovel is a large steam-powered excavating machine designed for lifting and moving material such as rock and soil. It is the earliest type of power shovel or excavator. They played a major role in public works in the 19th and early 20th century, being key to the construction of railroads...

: a large mechanical excavator (UK:digger or JCB

J. C. Bamford

)
stickshift, stick : (car with) manual transmission

Manual transmission

A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...

, as opposed to an automatic

Automatic transmission

An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...

(UK: gear stick or gear lever for the stick; manual for the car)
strep throat : a sore throat caused by Streptococcus

Streptococcus

Streptococcus is a genus of spherical Gram-positive bacteria belonging to the phylum Firmicutes and the lactic acid bacteria group. Cellular division occurs along a single axis in these bacteria, and thus they grow in chains or pairs, hence the name — from Greek στρεπτος streptos, meaning...

stool pigeon, stoolie : police informer (UK: grass) (From the use of captive birds as hunting decoys)
stoop : A small porch, platform, or staircase leading to the entrance of a house or building. Chiefly Northeastern U.S.
stop light : (UK: traffic light

Traffic light

Traffic lights, which may also be known as stoplights, traffic lamps, traffic signals, signal lights, robots or semaphore, are signalling devices positioned at road intersections, pedestrian crossings and other locations to control competing flows of traffic...

)
streetcar : vehicle on rails for passenger transportation [DM] usually within a city; also called trolley [DM] or trolley car if electrically powered by means of a trolley (UK: tram

Tram

A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

)
stroller : vehicle for baby transport

Baby transport

Baby transport consists of devices for transporting and carrying infants. A "child carrier" or "baby carrier" is a device used to carry an infant or small child on the body of an adult...

ation featuring the child in a sitting position, usually facing forward (UK: pushchair, buggy [DM])
suck : A phrase expressing distaste or disapproval. Slowly entering British slang.
SUV * : Sport-Utility Vehicle. Often referred to as a 4×4 ("four by four") in the UK; in the US "4×4" usually refers to a four wheel drive

Four Wheel Drive

The Four Wheel Drive Auto Company, more often known as Four Wheel Drive or just FWD, was founded in 1909 in Clintonville, Wisconsin, as the Badger Four-Wheel Drive Auto Company by Otto Zachow and William Besserdich.-History:...

pickup truck

Pickup truck

A pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...

sweater : a knitted jacket or jersey (UK: jumper or wooly jumper)
sweatpants

Sweatpants

Sweatpants are a casual variety of soft trousers intended for comfort or athletic purposes.In Britain, Australia and New Zealand they are known as "jogging bottoms" or "track pants".- Design :...

: (UK: track bottoms, tracksuit bottoms. Colloqially trackie bottoms or trackies)

T

taffy : a type of chewy candy; see taffy (candy)

Taffy (candy)

Taffy is a type of chewy candy, similar to toffee. Taffy is often sold alongside bubblegum and candy. Taffy is made by stretching or pulling a sticky mass of boiled sugar, butter or vegetable oil, flavorings, and coloring until fluffy. When this process is complete, the taffy is rolled, cut into...

tailpipe : exhaust pipe
takeout : (UK: takeaway; Scotland & US also: carry-out)
teeter(-totter), teeterboard : a seesaw
telecast : to broadcast by television
teleprompter

Teleprompter

An autocue is a display device that prompts the person speaking with an electronic visual text of a speech or script. Using a teleprompter is similar to the practice of using cue cards...

: (see article) (UK: compare autocue

Autocue

Autocue is a UK based manufacturer of teleprompter systems, owned by QTV. The company was founded in 1955 and licensed its first teleprompter, based on a patent by Jess Oppenheimer, in 1962...

)
thru* : Through. An abbreviation mostly used in the fast food industry, as in Drive Thru. Also used in traffic signs ("Thru Traffic Keep Left"; i.e., traffic that is continuing through an interchange rather than exiting should keep to the left) and occasionally road names ("New York State Thruway") and sometimes in newspaper headlines. Absolutely not considered acceptable spelling in other contexts. Seen in the UK at McDonalds, Burger King etc.
thumbtack : short nail or pin with a large, rounded metal head (UK: drawing pin)
track and field meeting * (track meet): (UK usually athletics meeting [DM]); see also track [DM]
trackless trolley : a trolleybus

Trolleybus

A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

; see trolley in [DM]
trashcan : (UK: dustbin, rubbish bin)
travel trailer : caravan
trunk : storage space usually over rear wheels of an automobile (excepting some) (UK: boot)
turn signal : direction-indicator lights (UK usually indicators or flashers[DM]; US and UK also blinkers [DM])
two-bits : literally, worth 25 cents or a quarter

Quarter (United States coin)

A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth ¼ of a United States dollar, or 25 cents. The quarter has been produced since 1796. The choice of 25¢ as a denomination, as opposed to 20¢ which is more common in other parts of the world, originated with the practice of dividing...

(a bit is an eighth of a dollar); figuratively, worth very little, insignificant (informal). In UK the phrase "two bob

Shilling

The shilling is a unit of currency used in some current and former British Commonwealth countries. The word shilling comes from scilling, an accounting term that dates back to Anglo-Saxon times where it was deemed to be the value of a cow in Kent or a sheep elsewhere. The word is thought to derive...

"' exists although this far more common in London and the south-east. Likewise mickey mouse.
two cents, two cents' worth: an opinion, a piece of one's mind (as in, "I'm gonna go down there and give him my two cents") - (UK similar: two pence, two penneth, two penn'orth or tuppence worth)

U

undershirt : an upper undergarment with no collar, and with short or no sleeves, worn next to the skin under a shirt (UK: singlet, vest [DM], semmit in Scotland and Northern Ireland )
upscale : relating to goods targeted at high-income consumers (UK: upmarket)
uptown : (noun, adj., adv.) (in, to, toward, or related to) either the upper section or the residential district of a city; e.g., in Manhattan

Manhattan

Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...

, New York City the term refers to the northern end of Manhattan, generally speaking, north of 59th Street; see also Uptown, Minneapolis

Uptown, Minneapolis

Uptown is a popular commercial district in southwestern Minneapolis, Minnesota, centered at the Uptown Theater at the intersection of Hennepin Avenue and Lagoon Avenue. It has traditionally spanned the corners of four neighborhoods, Lowry Hill East, ECCO, CARAG and East Isles neighborhoods, within...

; Uptown, Chicago

Uptown, Chicago

Uptown is one of Chicago’s 77 community areas. Uptown has well defined boundaries. They are: Foster on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose , and Irving Park on the south; Ravenswood , and Clark on the west. Uptown borders three community areas and Lake Michigan...

; Uptown New Orleans

Uptown New Orleans

Uptown is a section of New Orleans, Louisiana on the East Bank of the Mississippi River encompassing a number of neighborhoods between the French Quarter and the Jefferson Parish line. It remains an area of mixed residential and small commercial properties, with a wealth of 19th century architecture...

; compare downtown. Often has implications of being a desirable or upscale neighborhood. However, in Butte, Montana

Butte, Montana

Butte is a city in Montana and the county seat of Silver Bow County, United States. In 1977, the city and county governments consolidated to form the sole entity of Butte-Silver Bow. As of the 2010 census, Butte's population was 34,200...

and Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte, North Carolina

Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...

, "Uptown"

Charlotte center city

Charlotte center city is the central area of Charlotte, North Carolina. The headquarters for the Fortune 500 companies Bank of America and Duke Energy are located here, as well as the headquarters for East Coast operations for Wells Fargo.Museums, sporting venues, shops, hotels, restaurants, and...

refers to what would be called "downtown" in most other cities.

V

vacation* : an individual's earned time off from work: usually 1 to 4 weeks (UK: holiday)
vacationer : someone taking a vacation [DM] (UK: holidaymaker)

vacay : informal shortening of vacation (comparable to UK hols)
variety meats: offal (UK: sweetbreads)
varmint

Vermin

Vermin is a term applied to various animal species regarded by some as pests or nuisances and especially to those associated with the carrying of disease. Since the term is defined in relation to human activities, which species are included will vary from area to area and even person to person...

or varmit : (from vermin) pest which raids farms, rather than infesting them

W

washcloth : (UK: flannel, UK often & US less frequently facecloth; US less frequently also washrag)
washrag : See washcloth.
wastebasket : synonym for trash can, especially one intended for light waste (UK: dustbin; wastepaper basket is an interior object for waste from each room.)
weatherization

Weatherization

Weatherization or weatherproofing is the practice of protecting a building and its interior from the elements, particularly from sunlight, precipitation, and wind, and of modifying a building to reduce energy consumption and optimize energy efficiency.Weatherization is distinct from building...

* : weatherproofing of buildings, occasionally used in the UK but would be spelled weatherisation
windshield

Windshield

The windshield or windscreen of an aircraft, car, bus, motorbike or tram is the front window. Modern windshields are generally made of laminated safety glass, a type of treated glass, which consists of two curved sheets of glass with a plastic layer laminated between them for safety, and are glued...

: the front window of an automobile (UK: windscreen)
wiseguy: a mobster; also smartass (e.g., "hey, wiseguy…") (UK: a "know-it-all")
woodsy : abundant in trees, suggestive of woods

Woodland

Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...

; woody, wooded

Y

Y'all

Y'all is a contraction of the words "you" and "all". It is used as a plural second-person pronoun. Commonly believed to have originated in the Southern United States, it is primarily associated with Southern American English, African-American Vernacular English, and some dialects of the Western...

: (regional — Southern American

Southern American English

Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...

, African-American, and Appalachian

Appalachian English

Appalachian English is a common name for the Southern Midland dialect of American English. This dialect is spoken primarily in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountain region of the Eastern United States, namely in North Georgia, Northwestern South Carolina, Southern West Virginia,...

) contraction of You all, used as second-person dual or plural pronoun. (e.g., "Hey, are y'all coming to the dance?") Also all y'all, comparable in meaning and register to north-English, Northern Irish and Scottish "youse, yous".
yellow light : as in the color at a stoplight (q.v.) or traffic lights. In the UK, this is referred to as an amber

Amber (color)

Amber is an orange-yellow color that got its name from the material known as amber. Due to this, amber can refer not to one but to a series of shades of orange, since the natural material varies from nearly yellow when newer to orange or reddish-orange when older.-Amber:Amber is a pure chroma color...

light (though railway signals are a different shade, and are referred to as yellow, not amber). In the UK, the red and amber light together immediately in advance of the green (giving a light sequence of 1. red, 2. red and amber (together), 3. green, 4. amber (alone), 5. red). In some places in the USA, pressing the walk button

Walk button

A crossing button, or intersection crossing button , is a device typically integrated into modern traffic light configurations, the purpose of which is to allow pedestrians to safely cross a designated portion of a road...

activates a combination of red and yellow lights for stopped traffic, especially when no "walk signal" specifically for a pedestrian's viewing is present as part of the traffic signals.
Yinz

Yinz

Yinz is a second-person plural pronoun used mainly in southwest Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh, but it is also found throughout the Appalachians....

, yunz, you'uns : (Western Pennsylvania, especially Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh English

Pittsburgh English, popularly known by outsiders as Pittsburghese, is the dialect of American English spoken by many especially older residents of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding Western Pennsylvania in the United States, a group referred to by locals and others as Yinzers.-Overview:Many of the...

) plural you; derived from you ones. Likewise youse in New York City.

Z

zinger : a witty, often caustic remark; something supposed to cause surprise or shock
ZIP code

ZIP Code

ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...

: (for Zone Improvement Plan) the postal code

Postal code

A postal code is a series of letters and/or digits appended to a postal address for the purpose of sorting mail. Once postal codes were introduced, other applications became possible.In February 2005, 117 of the 190 member countries of the Universal Postal Union had postal code systems...

used by the United States Postal Service

United States Postal Service

The United States Postal Service is an independent agency of the United States government responsible for providing postal service in the United States...

composed of 5 digits as in 90210

Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills is an affluent city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 34,109 at the 2010 census, up from 33,784 as of the 2000 census, it is home to numerous Hollywood celebrities. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood are together...

, sometimes a suffix

Suffix

In linguistics, a suffix is an affix which is placed after the stem of a word. Common examples are case endings, which indicate the grammatical case of nouns or adjectives, and verb endings, which form the conjugation of verbs...

of 4 digits after a hyphen

Hyphen

The hyphen is a punctuation mark used to join words and to separate syllables of a single word. The use of hyphens is called hyphenation. The hyphen should not be confused with dashes , which are longer and have different uses, or with the minus sign which is also longer...

is used. (UK equivalent: postcode or post code or rarely postal code

Postal code

)
zipper

Zipper

A zipper is a commonly used device for temporarily joining two edges of fabric...

* : (UK usually zip [DM])
zucchini

Zucchini

The zucchini is a summer squash which often grows to nearly a meter in length, but which is usually harvested at half that size or less. It is a hybrid of the cucumber. Along with certain other squashes, it belongs to the species Cucurbita pepo. Zucchini can be dark or light green...

: the plant Cucurbita pepo, also zucchini squash. (UK: courgette)

External links

Common American English words used in Daily life vs British English words

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.