WORDS WITH DIFFERENT MEANINGS IN OTHER COUNTRIES.

Part 1
Since setting up this site I have become more aware of the differences in language between the U.K. and the U.S.A.
whether it be different meanings for the same word or different words for the same thing, so thought it may be fun to start
a page listing some of these differences.
This page has now been online for several years and I had no idea how much interest it would provoke. I now have a file
full of comments, views and definitions. My big problem is how to present all this information in a way which is useful,
informative and entertaining. This is still a work in progress.
Another thing which has become apparent is the fact that there are no definitive answers; not only do different
counties/states use different terminology but there appears to be differences between generations as well. All this makes
it very difficult to produce information with which everyone agrees.
What has become very evident over the years is just how much language is merging between all the various countries.
Here in the UK we have adopted many, many "Americanisms" into everyday language and, I believe, some British terms
are now used in the USA. This is probably due to travel and the wide exchange of TV programmes etc.
I think this exchange of TV programmes may also be the cause of a lot of misconceptions. Many people contacting me
see to think we still use the type of language which they hear on programmes such as Upstairs, Downstairs, Pride and
Prejudice etc., which, of course, is not the case. Then, of course, there are programmes like Eastenders which is set in the
East End of London and the language used is from that area (minus all the swearing of course) but people from other
parts of the UK not only sound very different but use completely phrases and terms.
In short this is a very complex subject.
At the foot of this page you will find examples of reaction received from visitors who sometimes differ and sometimes
agree with the original offerings and those given by others.

CV (curriculum vitae)

Resume
Melissa Archuleta
In the US we do say "CV"/"curriculum vitae" as well as "resume,"
but it has a different meaning.
In American usage, resume condenses all one's
accomplishments into one page, whereas a CV is a complete
account that can be many pages long.
Alex

Biscuits
Cookies.
Linda Rice kindly points out that "biscuits" in America are
unsweetened dinner or breakfast pastries.

Bun (a sweet individual cake, sometimes with

dried fruit)
Muffin (nearest example I think!!!)
Wouldn't it be a cupcake rather than a muffin?
Rachy
Muffin is correct. A cupcake is like a miniature cake often with
frosting. I believe the same cooking mold can be used.
Simon Slade

Roll or Bap

Bun
Courtesy of LInda Rice

Bottom/Bum/ (slang)/Posterior/Backside

Glutes

Linda also sent in this one.

Apparently usually used in 'gyms'

Butt, Backside or Derriere

Submitted by Michelle McLane

Headmaster/Headmistress

Principal
Submitted by Maxine Dorot

Flagpole
Flagstaff *
Both Linda Rice and "Rob" have contacted me saying they had
never heard this expression in the U.S.A. - sorry.
I have now been informed that both words are used in
America. Apparently Flagstaff, AZ gets its name from a rather
prominent flagpole/flagstaff that was erected there years ago.
Thanks to William Hitch for this information.

Silencer (on motor vehicle)

Muffler*

*Both suggested by John Stevens

Spanner

Wrench

Shoelace

Shoestring
Apparently another debatable one!! !

Cinema

Movie-house
Here again both Linda and Rob pointed out this is usually known
as a movie theater not movie-house

Film

Movie
William Hitch has made the comment that the word "movie" is
still used generally, but critics favour (favor) "film". He makes the
observation that this may be so they are not laughed at in
Cannes!
"Movie" and "film" are definitely both used in the US. In my mind
"movie" suggests Hollywood and "film" suggests art-house, but
it's not hard-and-fast, and I like to use the two words
interchangeably to combat snobbery.
Alex

Postman/Postwoman

Mailman/Mailwoman

Ladysfinger

Okra

Courgette

Zucchini

Swede (or yellow turnip)

Rutabaga
Jack

Wardrobe

Closet
To be technical, wardrobes are stand alone and not built into the
room, whereas a closet is built into the room. At least in the US.
David Walker
This made me think and actually here in the UK a free standing
piece of furniture in a bedroom is called a "wardrobe" but we tend
to say "built-in wardrobe" or even "cupboard" when it is built into
the room.

In the Southern part of the US, the word "chiffarobe" or

"chifforobe" is still often used instead of wardrobe.
It was used in "To Kill a Mockingbird" and in Flannery O'Conner
novels. My grandmother always referred to her standing wardrobe
furniture as a chiffarobe. The closet was a built-in space.
Valencia Scott Colombo

Class

Grade (pre-college schools)

Class (high schools (sometimes); colleges (freshman,
sophomore, junior, senior)
Thanks again to William Hitch

Parcel
Package
Lorry
Truck
Most of the above were contributed by Swami Narasimhan for which we are most grateful.

Toilet or Lavatory
Loo or Bog (slang)*

Restroom (or John I believe)

* The English often call the toilet the LOO or, an even Apparently "Bathroom" is more commonly used
more "slangy" term is the BOG.
(thanks to Dr. Bren Ewen for this.)
Both of these are used, loo being the most common. I
came across a lot of trouble in America when asking
directions to the loo.

William Hitch advises all the following can be heard in

the USA "toilet, lavatory, john, restroom, washroom,
latrine (army), head (navy), bathroom, mens'/ladies'
Pav room, outhouse (old country) and crapper (slang) Sorry!

On the subject of the toilet/rest-room debate on your

UK/US differences page, it occurred to me that the
word toilet refers to the furniture itself rather than the
room it's housed in, but perhaps the reason why we
refer to the room specifically as a toilet is that until
about 40 years ago the majority of UK homes had
separate rooms for the toilet and the bath (my parents
live in a bungalow built in 1961, which still has a
separate loo). In fact in pre-war Britain, a great many
working class homes had the toilet housed outside.
I would also suggest that 'bog' is probably considered
slightly more vulgar than 'loo' as most people in the UK
will happily say 'I need the loo' but not so many will say
'I want the bog'.
Adrian Hodges

We Brits find this very strange "why disguise what the room is
used for?

You certainly wouldn't want to "Rest" in British

toilets!!!!

Flat

Apartment
If you say you live in a flat to an American, they are likely to ask
"a flat what?"
In the US: an apartment can mean either a complex with areas of
living for rent or the rented area of living itself. But as far as I
know, almost everyone would say "Want to go up to my flat?" or "I
have a flat two blocks from here."
It's possible that rural Americans haven't heard the term, though I
think it's pretty widespread.
To be more specific, a flat would imply a standard apartment. A
studio is a very specific way of saying a tiny apartment and a
penthouse is one on the top floor and is of better quality (usually
luxurious [at least in comparison]).
Kim
I have to correct that and say that "flat" doesn't mean apartment
in the U.S., ever, and we wouldn't say that. We might say come
up to my "place" or "apartment" or even "pad" (this usage is from
the 70s and would be sort of retro). "Flat" is definitely a British
term (even in Canada, which is where I'm living now, and
Canada/US/UK English is a whole other thing...).
Karin Carlson

Garage / Petrol Station/Service Station

Gas Station.

A garage is where you get your car repaired/fixed. We A "garage" in America is where you park your car at night.
get fuel from a petrol station.
Joe Woodhead
A garage is also where cars are housed.

Trousers
Pants
Now this one is really confusing! in the U.K. the word 'pants' is
only used for "underpants" hence, when an American says he is
going to put on a fresh pair of pants before going out, it cracks us
up.

"Pants" is now being used by our younger generation

as a word to describe something they don't like. e.g.
The film was 'pants'!.

Braces

Suspenders

Another confusing one. In the U.K. braces

are two pieces of wide elastic which fix to the
top of trousers, over the shoulder and then
Suspenders are what ladies' use to hold up stockings,
back onto the top of the trousers, thus holding although this term was also used for the contraptions
them up.
men used to use to hold up their socks (so I am told!).
As a Yorkshireman if you can borrow his 'suspenders' and see
what happens!

It is also a term used in order to straighten

teeth (in both countries I believe).
Simon
Slade

Suspenders in the US can mean what is already listed

as well as the meaning in England, to hold up pants.
Suzanne

The word suspenders in the US almost always refers to those

stretch bands that hook from back to front used to hold up men's
trousers. A woman's stockings (before pantyhose) were held up
by elastic garters or a garter belt.
Valencia Scott Colombo

All the above 'quips' (in red) were kindly contributed by Nik Shearer - there is more of his humour
(humor) at the bottom of this page.
Queue

Line

Lift

Elevator

Pavement

Sidewalk

Clothes Peg

Clothes Pin

Bicarbonate of Soda

Baking Soda
Superfine sugar, Deluxe sugar or Baker's Sugar

Castor Sugar
Ann O'Donnell

Rubber

Eraser

Minced beef

Ground beef

Mohican (as in hairstyle)

Mohawk
AndyPandy

Mobile

cellphone
AndyPandy

Ghetto Blaster

Boombox
AndyPandy

Video Recorder

VCR
AndyPandy

New Wave (in Britain means guitar music

which wasn't quite punk made from about
1977-but never used to describe any music
made post 1979)

New Wave in America seems to mean any

contemporary popular music from about 1976 to at
least the turn of the millennium.
AndyPandy

Electro - in Britain the name for hiphop type

music from about 1981-mid-80s

American's seem to call a lot of this music freestyle.

AndyPandy

Rotary *
I think that's only used in New England (where I grew up); most of
the US says "traffic circle.
Alex
I'm pretty sure the part about roundabouts/rotaries/traffic circles is
wrong. I live in Indiana, and I have never, ever heard anything
other than roundabout.
Kimberly

Roundabout

Roundabouts: I live in NJ and I am 44 years old. There were

many of these and they are almost universally referred to as
"traffic circles" or just "circles" in NJ.
I have been a professional driver for over half of my life and have
intimate knowledge with nearly every one that still exists in NJ. As
the population and congestion grows they are being reengineered to alleviate the problems they cause.
Most people do not know how to properly navigate a traffic circle.
The percentage of people calling them roundabouts in NJ is
extremely low. Even the street signs will say "circle ahead".
Micheal

Perambulator (or Pram)

Carriage*
Stroller
Daniel Ausema

Chips
Fries*

If you say CHIPS in Britain people think of quite large

bits of cooked potato in the US they are STEAK FRIES
(as you get large ones with meat), whereas the type of
fries you get in McDonalds are called fries OR chips.
Being a Scotsman i would dare call those nonsense
little bits of potato 'chips'.
Nik Shearer point this one out.

Crisps

Potato Chips
Another from Nik

Holiday

Vacation*

Boot (car)

Trunk

Bonnet (car)

Hood

Petrol

Gas **

* All sent in by Debbie - thanks.

It has been pointed out by J. Bunce, that this is an

abbreviation of the word "gasoline" - a word previously
used for fuel.
Gas in the U.K. and apparently Australia is an air like
substance which fills any available space. Some
gases can be bottled and used for such things as
cooking.
Gas can also be used to mean idle chatter.
I am told "gas" means "funny" in Ireland
Thanks to Effie Makris for these observations.

I've also heard the word "gas" used to mean "funny."

It's not unique to Ireland. I do remember watching old
movies using the term - usually as a noun. "That story

was a gas." It's not in common use now. However,

some people think passing gas is funny.
Simon Slade
Definitely does refer to the third state of matter as well as to
gasoline in the US.
Alex

Moulting (e.g. animal losing hair)

Shedding

Sent in by Tamara Davis

For other examples Part 2 ,Part 3 and Part 4 and here!

Kristina Hackenburg has written as follows

Wow where are you getting your info?

Bun- in the US we have cinnamon buns and sticky buns that are sweet too.
Bottom/bum- we most def don't use the word glutes unless we are working out or at a doctors office its a technical term.
we say ass, butt, backside, rear end, and we do say bum- its not a word we say alot but its an english word that came
here but one of the most common words that people say in music and songs in america is BOOTY.
Ive never heard the word flagstaff, just flagpole.
we DEFINITELY don't use the word shoestring- we ALWAYS say laces, or shoelaces, and we have heard of the word
shoestring, its not odd, but no one says it.
I HAVE never heard of the word movie-house. its movie theater why do you think all american commericals end or begin
with the phrase - coming soon to a theatre near you. now if we said we went to the theatre, we would mean like,
broadway, not a movie.. and another very common use is just movies.. we went to the movies. we were at the movies.
As for movie and film. in school i would say film, to a friend i would say movie. do you want to watch this movie- is much
more common then do you want to watch this film.. but say, an award for best new film- would not sound odd at all.

class/grade- we say class of 2001, highschool class of 1994, or kindergarden class of 2000. we say what class do you
have next referring to a specific subject (like biology).. and we say get to class, (if you are late for school), pick your
classes (When in college) and also always, senior class, junior class, sophmore class and the whole freshman class.. now
we always say 1st grade- 12th grade too for school before college. and when you get to high school you are a freshman in
high school,. sophmore in highschool, junior, senior etc. but we use those terms for college too.
also, when saying toilet- sometimes because we teach children to say "little girls room, or little boys room- sometimes in
joking, teenagers or adults might say "ive just got to hit the little boys room real fast"
oh and we park in the driveway, and we drive on the parkway.
trousers/pants- okay, we say pants as in anything that is a full length bottom.. but most commonly americans where
denim, and we just call them jeans, and if they aren't jeans, we call them by what they are- khakis, sweat pants, and if they
are anything else we will say dress pants, work pants, depending on what we use them for.. dress pants are worn to
church, or somewhere nice, work pants (if you are a painter) refer to pants you already ruined, but if you are a lawyer
(work pants are dress pants). we dont say trousers.. if we did, i would assume they are khakis. oh and a side note: to
pants someone (verb) is to pull there pants down in public.
braces/suspenders.. suspenders in the us are not for socks, or stockings, women use garter belts for that with little
straps that attach.. but suspenders attach at the belt loop on the outside of slacks/pants/trousers and are held up by your
shoulders then attach on the back of your trousers on the belt loops. Braces are for teeth.
side walk/pavement - in the US we use either. my mother has yelled plenty at me when i was a child saying "get on the
pavement, get out of the street"
chips/ chips are hard and packaged in bags they aren't served fresh those are fries. the bigger fries are called steak fries,
then we have french fries (which is a common term for any) that are regular sized and then curly fries that come in curly
cues.
ground floor/first floor- we always say ground floor for the one that is the lowest (usually underground)(but not to be
mistaken with the basement) the term ground floor is only used in big buildings, like hospitals that have floors underground
that are used not for storage. and first floor for the floor that is the first floor above ground.
dummy/pacifier.. we would never say dummy, unless we were referring to someone dumb, and we would never never be
allowed to say dummy tit, because its offensive in america to say tit. pacifier is used, and binky, or bink. binky more
commonly to other adults, but adults will say to children "wheres your bink?"
we say angry just as much as we say mad
tights/ panty hose.. ahh this is complicated.. okay tights are thicker that pantyhose, pantyhose are see through,
pantyhose are also known as stockings, and tights are also known as stretch pants (but the word stretch pants is frowned
apon because its like an old lady thing to say), all are also known as leggings, now if they go to the knee and no higher
they are known as knee highs, and if they go to the thigh, they are thigh highs, and if they go above the stomach they are
called control tops.
we say taxi just as much as we say cab
we say shops as in smaller stores
time tables are what we call multipication "do you know your timetables
estate agent- is called a realator or real estate agent
we say jam just as much as we say jelly

we will never call jello jelly

a garden grows vegetables or flowers, a yard is just grass
we say plug for outlet too. and socket. we never say power point.
pub isnt uncommon in the names of bars here. but we dont say we are going to the pub
solicitors in the us are people who come door to door to sell things. and there are tons of people with stores that say "no
solicitors" on the fronts
surgery is what you get when they cut you open. not where you go to get it done
a tap is what you put in a keg of beer
gravy is a brown sauce used on turkey, but many italian americans still refer to gravy as tomato sauce, and all the
generations after them still use it