19 November 2009

Translating the British English

Following an earlier post "Things Americans shouldn't say in Britain" I thought I would write one on the things we say in Britain that might confuse visitors to our country.

I often receive emails from people asking me the definitions of words they find in books they are reading. Below is one example:

"I am reading a mystery called Death in the Garden by Elizabeth Ironside set in the English countryside circa 1925 -- and have come across some words I do not understand. If someone is referred to a 'Bluestocking' what is that? What is a 'ha-ha' and a 'spinney'?"
Here are the definitions for the words mentioned above. I have also added some more I'm often asked too.

  • Bluestocking - a literary or intellectual woman
  • Ha-ha - a ditch, used to keep animals from getting into the garden.
  • Spinney - a little copse of trees
  • Fags - slang for cigarettes
  • Faggots - 1. meatballs 2. a bundle of sticks or branches
  • Spotted Dick - suet pudding
  • Taking the piss - making fun of someone

Glossary of English and British Words

Differences between British English and American words (vocabulary)

Have you heard or read a word you are not sure the meaning of? Or maybe you find something we say amusing. Please leave a comment.

Follow us on twitter http://twitter.com/ProjectBritain

Posted by at 21:00
Labels: , ,

100 comments:

  1. Your homepage is fantastic. I use it every time I teach British culture to teenagers in Denmark in our public school.
    ReplyDelete
  2. I have been watching the TV series The Vicar of Dibley. They keep taking about people having problems with their “piles”. What is that?

    Thanks ever so much,

    Nancy
    Atlanta, GA usa
    ReplyDelete
  3. Piles are another name for haemorrhoids.
    One of the side effects is that it is often painful to sit down when you are suffering from piles. This is what the characters in The Vicar of Dibley are referring to.
    ReplyDelete
  4. any one know what a hopnocker is?
    ReplyDelete
  5. Depends where you heard the word and the exact spelling, it is a name of a beer.
    ReplyDelete
  6. I teach English at an upper secondary school in Sweden and found your site only today when we got a bit unsure about the use of the word label/tag. We work with the difference between British and American English and my question is if one word is used in Britain and one in the USA when we talk about labelling things to know who it belongs to or to know what's inside a jar to give you a few examples.
    ReplyDelete
  7. In Britain we tend to label most things. The only thing I can think of that is tagged is an animal. Dogs have a dog tag.
    ReplyDelete
  8. What does mobile mean please?
    ReplyDelete
  9. Mobile means able to move around. In Britain we call our cell phones mobile phones or mobiles for short. So if someone asks you if you have a mobile number or if you have a mobile, they are refering to a phone that is handsfree and can be moved around.

    Mobile is short for mobile phone = cell phone
    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank you for the response regarding mobile.
    ReplyDelete
  11. what s the term uesed in british english for den.In usa people refer den as a part of a house
    ReplyDelete
  12. what is the word used in england for den as a part of the house.
    ReplyDelete
  13. what does the word hopnocker mean??? i heard it on ICarly they said it was something that was gross and ilegal!
    ReplyDelete
  14. What is the difference between a coat and a jacket for a man?
    ReplyDelete
  15. a jacket is short, such as a 'suit jacket', a coat is long, such as a 'rain coat'.
    ReplyDelete
  16. hopnocker does not appear in the english language as far as I can tell, you may have mistaken it for 'hob-nobber' which refers to someone who seeks to be in the company of rich or famous people.
    ReplyDelete
  17. generally british houses do not have dens. larger houses may have a study, which is normally claimed by the man as his 'bolt hole' away from distractions!
    ReplyDelete
  18. I congratulate you on your glossary! As an American who's done quite a lot of research on this topic, I found it to be very accurate; however, I would like to make a few comments. The word "cupboard" is used or at least understood by some Americans (at least in the southeast where I lived most of my 45 years). However, the word is generally only associated with the kitchen (some Americans also say "cabinet" or "kitchen cabinet" to refer to the same thing). We also occasionally use the sofa instead of couch (sofa is especially used by furniture sales people) although I have never used Davenport (maybe it's used in some parts of the U.S.; I had the idea the it was used in Canada or perhaps it's a word used by the older generations). Also, while it's true that most Americans refer to cinemas as movie theaters or simply "the movies", the word Cinema is often used in the official name of the place (for example, the last city where I lived was rather small and only had one movie theater that was called "Carmike Cinemas" or at least, that was name of the company that owned it. A similar thing happens when we talk about the chemist. Many Americans commonly call the chemist the drugstore, but the word pharmacy is often found in the actual name of the place. For example, in the last city where I lived (I currently live in Spain) my drugstore of choice was called Eckerd Pharmacy. I hope you find my input to be helpful. And congrats again (or "kudos" as we say) on your great accomplishment!!!

    Dave
    ReplyDelete
  19. Here's a follow-up comment to what I said yesterday regarding the use of the word "davenport" as another way of saying sofa or couch in the U.S. After having done some research, I now I understand that the reason why I was unfamiliar with the term is because I'm from the southeastern part of the U.S.
    Apparently Davenport was a brand name of a sofa, and this term was often used instead of couch or sofa in the Midwest and parts of New York state. Apparently, this practice is dying out with the younger generations. I was also wrong in associating this word with Cananda, as the Canadian equivalent is apparently "chesterfield" (I assume also a brand name). According to what I read, that term is also mainly used by older generation Canadians.

    Dave
    ReplyDelete
  20. what does diamond mean n britishi
    ReplyDelete
  21. hi which is British keyring or keychain?
    Thank you
    ReplyDelete
  22. Here in the US we say Geezer to refer to someone who is old,elderly or "over the hill". But I understand that it has another meaning in the UK. Can you explain what that might be?
    ReplyDelete
  23. Old person in the UK is a Golden Oldie, one of my favourite sayings and yes, there is a u in the word favourite, just like colour, humour and mum. (As in mother incase you didn't know).
    ReplyDelete
  24. See if I can help, in Britian it is a keyring...diamond (when not refering to a gemstone) means trustworthy, good, excellent etc, i.e. 'he's a diamond geezer' meaning a good, trustworthy, reliable man. Geezer is slang for a man, older than a child but of no particular age i.e. 'that geezer over there has just thrown a stone'.
    ReplyDelete
  25. what is the word for napkins and hamburgers? all i know is that a napkin there is a diaper here.
    ReplyDelete
  26. a label is stuck/glued/sewn on, a tag is a label attached by a string to an object eg. a price tag on an item for sale.
    ReplyDelete
  27. I am writing a book for an American audience and when someone in England may use the term 'snotty' in regards to their nose being runny because they have been crying, is there am American equivalent? Also what are window sills called in America? Thanks for your help an aspiring author.
    ReplyDelete
  28. could somebody please tell me what does "Bluestocking" mean? Thanks..
    ReplyDelete
  29. Just want to thank you for a great and informative site that I will be using with my students! I am going to be using The Borrowers as a novel study to start off my Grade 6 ELA this year and was wondering if you could add meanings for draughts, motorway and windscreen to your glossary. Thank you very much
    ReplyDelete
  30. I'm English and, as far as my knowledge of the language goes, I understand that a napkin is a paper towel you would hold a burger or something similar in, I've never heard it used to mean diaper. An English nappy is an American diaper.

    And I think we call hamburgers: hamburgers!
    ReplyDelete
  31. Answers:
    US diaper = UK nappy (plural nappies)
    UK napkin = a small square piece of cloth that you put on your knees when eating
    A paper napkin is a serviette

    We use hamburger too, but more commonly just burger

    Question:
    I know that shorts in the US means what we call in the UK pants, underpants, briefs or boxer shorts. But what do the Americans call what we refer to as shorts - for example, the outer garment that male tennis players wear on their lower half?
    ReplyDelete
  32. A napkin is the same here in Britain,
    you are thinking of a "Nappy" in British is a Daiper in US English.

    Hamburgers are simply Burgers, however, when referring to the chill cabinet meat, in the USA you call it hamburger, in british english it is called "Minced" meat, (beef, lamb etc)
    ReplyDelete
  33. A diaper is known here as a baby's nappy, i.e. terry towelling nappies or disposable, but we also use the word napkin to mean a serviette which could be of paper or cloth.
    A hamburger would just be a burger, or even hamburger itself - McDonalds has probably influenced us on that one~
    ReplyDelete
  34. if odors are odours, what is malodor, British?
    ReplyDelete
  35. Response to Justin (as I can't see that these terms are in the glossary)

    Draughts: either (1) those nasty little winds that you get creeping round the edges of a closed door or (2) a game played on a 64 square black and white board with circular pieces, 12 white and 12 black (I believe in the US it is called checkers, although I am not sure if the moves are the same)

    Motorway: a major road (highway) across the country, with usually three (sometimes 4)lanes going in each direction, on which the speed limit is 70 miles an hour. In the US I think you would call it a freeway. Named with M followed by a number (for example, the London orbital motorway is the M25).

    Windscreen = the pane of glass across the front of a car (I think windshield in the US).
    ReplyDelete
  36. Re. August 26, 2009...the American word for shorts...is shorts. We usually say underwear or boxers for 'pants' and sometimes use 'shorts' to mean underwear; but that is rare. Mostly we just use 'shorts' to mean short sportswear!!!...we do say 'cut-offs' if they are trousers/jeans that have been cut and frayed purposely on the end.
    ReplyDelete
  37. You should add "a brew" (that cup of solve-all tea!) to the list - "I'm just brewing up, d'y want one?", "make us a brew love?" etc etc....
    ReplyDelete
  38. THANK GOD FOR PROJECTBRITAIN.COM!!
    I love this website for the American words.
    It has helped me so much in the project I'm currently doing!
    You have successfully helped me in the process of my book im writing.
    check out www.RebeccHallBooks.weebly.com to check out a little snippet of my book :D thanks again!! x
    ReplyDelete
  39. Hello, I've enjoyed reading the comments and couldn't help laughing at some responses. I'm Welsh speaking, and one mistake in the glossary is the statement that 'a pannad' is a packed lunch in north Wales. 'Pannad' is from Welsh 'panaid o de', a shortening of 'cwpanaid o de' and means a 'cup of tea' or just a 'cupper' - a cup of tea or coffee if the word tea is omited
    ReplyDelete
  40. Thank you for highlighting a mistake in our glossary. I have updated the page.
    ReplyDelete
  41. I was reading a book by D. E. Stevenson, and a girl was described as having taken an awful "scunner" at her fiance. I know it isn't a bad word, as this author doesn't write that way. what does that mean?
    ReplyDelete
  42. Here in the Pacific Northwest of USA, a "brew" can mean a beer.

    I think it 's important that in many parts of the US, just as in Britain, slang or dialect varies by region. Of course television has had a large effect, so that some terms have caught on beyond their original regions -- so, for example, we hear Yiddish slang in parts of the US with few Jewish people.

    A "den" is a retreat -- like a bear's den. It's the masculine part of the home.

    Men's underwear is boxers or briefs, and traditional briefs can be (humorously) "tightie-whities."

    A T-shirt can be either under or outer-wear. I've heard my son call a sleeveless undershirt a "wife-beater."
    ReplyDelete
  43. Since I am a teacher, I'll comment that in the US the caretaker in a school is usually called a "custodian" rather than a janitor, at least in the western states.
    ReplyDelete
  44. This is a nice site!

    In the western U.S., a "bungalow" is a specific type of home architectural style -- 1.5 stories; that is, it has a finished attic rather than a second floor plus an attic. A bungalow usually has a covered porch on the front and some have a breakfast nook or family eating area connected to the kitchen as well as a dining room. Many were built from 1900 to the 1950s.

    A ranch-style house is usually one floor only; it's the typical subdivision house of the 1950s--1970s, and often has a patio in the back yard for outdoor dining. Many ranch-style houses have a casual "family room" and a more formal living room for receiving guests. The family room is called a "den" by some families. Larger ranch houses often have a separate dining room.

    Of course, Americans are famous for remodeling their houses, so all the styles have become blended.

    As social life has become more casual, in contemporary homes the kitchen and family room have sometimes been combined and may be used for entertaining guests, and fewer houses have a separate dining room, which has become a luxury.

    A guest bathroom is sometimes called a "powder room" and often does not have a bathtub or shower.
    ReplyDelete
  45. Window sills are called window sills in the U.S.! Since in most modern houses they are not very deep, we seldom talk about them at all!
    ReplyDelete
  46. I grew up in the southeast of the U.S. I think that the terms "custodian" and "janitor" are both generally understood to mean "caretaker" in British parlance.
    ReplyDelete
  47. In the UK we have storeys in a building, in the US they are stories, the same as a fictional tale. The storey entered closest to the ground level outside is called "ground floor". The next one up is the "first floor". In a lift (US elevator) th ground floor is numbered as 0 or G for ground. The next floor/storey is numbered as 1.
    This can cause confusion to US visitors (and vice versa) as their entrance floor is already the first so the next one up is the second!
    ReplyDelete
  48. british english word of
    garbage
    bathrobe
    ReplyDelete
  49. the British English for Garbage is Rubbish.
    For Bathrobe its Dressing Gown.
    ReplyDelete
  50. so what does blimey mean? as also rubbish?(i.e. whats this rubbish, refering to something)
    ReplyDelete
  51. Blimey has no real meaning. It is used as an exclamation of surprise. Some people may be offended as it is short for 'gorblimey' - God blind me

    "What's this rubbish?" The word rubbish used like this refrs to something that is not true, or something of very bad quality
    ReplyDelete
  53. absolutely brilliant i love seeing the difference between the uk and the usa, ace!!!;)
    ReplyDelete
  54. In America, do you call a Grandad a Grandad or is it something else?
    Thanks
    ReplyDelete
  55. Grandad works, but I hear Grandpa a ton more often (All over the country). My neighbors (from Philadelphia) call theirs pop-pop, and my family (from Seattle) would say pa pa _(name)__, to distinguish one grandfather from the other. eg: "pa pa Eric". Slang and playful if related, but possibly derogatory for an older person is 'gramps' and 'grams' (grandmother). -From Los Angeles
    ReplyDelete
  56. I think when you talk about hopnocker you should look up "hob-knocker" it is a vulgar practice and the definition can be found on the internet.
    Further scunner is not a bad word means to be fed up with or to dislike (a colloquium) as in "I am scunnered with you"-"I am fed up with you".
    ReplyDelete
  57. I'm looking for a word that means hokey. Something a Brit would say for something that is innocent but goofy, if that makes any sense. Please...
    ReplyDelete
  58. what is the birtish english word for crosswalk?
    karthikeyan.
    ReplyDelete
  59. I've been watching The Inbetweeners here in San Francisco, Comcast On Demand has it on the BBC America Channel. Anyways, the characters refer to any beautiful woman as "Fit," "Your mom is fit!" I never heard that word used when I was living in England. I do remember people giving my friend dirty looks because she was wearing a shirt that said Sod Off. Ha ha! Didn't know if she was being ironic, oblivious, or just plain indifferent.
    ReplyDelete
  60. Canada=crosswalk
    UK = zebra crosssing
    ReplyDelete
  61. The train which is mainly underground in the cities is called subway in New York and underground in London.
    Subway in London means just a passage for people under the road.
    I am not sure if story is true or just an anecdote, but I have heard once about American tourist trying to find an entry to the Underground and asking people passing by "where is the subway" and they were showing him ... a subway (i.e. tunnel under the street)
    ReplyDelete
  62. I have just read somewhere else that Canadians spell 'colour' 'odour' and so on in the British way with the 'u'. Is this so - and, if it is, are there other ways in which Canada follows UK practice rather than US?

    Keith (Cornwall)
    ReplyDelete
  63. I'm trying to write from an American's POV but I don't know many words from both British English / American English. Is there another word for 'School yeargroup' or whatever?

    Jenny.
    ReplyDelete
  64. If two child born in a same time they are called twins. What people call in English if three child born at once?
    Sushil
    ReplyDelete
  65. if three childern are born in one birth they are called Triplets. Four are called quadruplets
    ReplyDelete
  66. In the UK you will see lots of "Chav's" about our streets - this is a derogatory term used to describe youths in tracksuit/shell suits and baseball caps that hang around usually in gangs and have no respect for anybody

    Actually an acronym of "Council Housed and violent" also known as a "NED" in Scotland and Ireland

    I believe you in the US would call them white trash

    heres a pic http://www.penguinsix.com/images/chav.jpg
    ReplyDelete
  67. What does it mean when ones is having a potter?
    ReplyDelete
  68. Having a 'potter' means to do something without a set out plan. Eg: pottering around in the garden, doing a bit weeding or pruning or whatever takes the fancy! Often pottering is just a means of relaxing while pretending(?) to do something actively useful - but fooling nobody, especially yourself!Perhaps it originated from the Potting Shed which is a small building where a gardner would keep his tools and could work inside in bad weather - a common British experience . . . A good bolthole when domestic upsets may be in the wind!
    ReplyDelete
  69. verb: potter 1. do random, unplanned work or activities or spend time idly; "The old lady is usually mucking about in her little house" [syn: putter, mess around, tinker, monkey, monkey around, muck about, muck around] 2. work lightly; "The old lady is pottering around in the garden" [syn: putter] 3. move around aimlessly
    ReplyDelete
  70. I'm reading a book by an author from London. Maybe you've heard of her, Deborah Wright? In the book she mentions a uni, sod, rogue, and the phrase 'in his boot'. Can someone please tell me what these mean in the American language?
    -Caitlyn
    ReplyDelete
  71. 1. uni is short for university
    2. sod could be either a clump fo earth or an unpraisworthy word for someone who has upset you as in " miseable sod he didn't even say goodbye"
    3.rogue is someone who isn't so much a criminal more of a taker of chances for the benefit of himself.
    4. in his boot would translate to in his trunk -car
    ReplyDelete
  72. I noticed that you are missing the phrase "fly tipping" from the list of British phrases. This is one that is not used in the US.
    ReplyDelete
  73. What is a check called in british?

    ~7th grade student. (:
    ReplyDelete
  74. sandra FaríasMay 5, 2010 06:34 AM
    I read that the word "knock" may have different meanings in Am and Br English, and that misunderstanding them can be embarassing. I couldn`t find those meanings, apart from the usual.
    Thanks a lot. I love this blog.
    Sandra . Argentina
    ReplyDelete
  75. Could someone tell me what a blouse would be in American-English? I'm writing a story that is based on an American tv show and I don't know what it would be. Help?
    ReplyDelete
  76. I think the words would be

    Uni- University
    Sod- a... jerk?
    not sure about rogue
    "in his boot" may refer to in the trunk of his car, I'm not sure, I havent read the book in question and I'm actually british... so I'm guessing with these.
    ReplyDelete
  77. In response to the comment regarding the word "blouse", we also use the same word in the U.S. (if refers to a shirt or top that is specifically for females). There's no difference in the spelling; however, the pronunciation is a little different. Here, it rhymes with the word "mouse" /blaus/ whereas I've heard some British people pronounce is /blauz/. I just confirmed this in my Oxford dictionary and they verified what I already believed to be the case regarding the pronunciation of this word (they always point out differences in American and British pronunciation).
    ReplyDelete
  78. Regarding differences in American and British meanings of the word "knock". The only thing that I can say (I'm American) is that "to knock up" in the U.S. means "to get pregnant" (e.g. "He knocked her up."). This expression is considered to be vulgar. Apparently, the same expression in the U.K. means knocking on someone's door or waking them up or something similar. I also heard that the British also use that expression when two people practice tennis shots before a match (we would say "warm up" for this in the U.S.). I hope this helps, and I welcome any input from my British friends regarding this issue because I KNOW what it means in America, but I'm not completely sure when it comes to the U.K.
    ReplyDelete
  79. A check as in restaurant is the bill.
    ReplyDelete
  80. Hamburgers are referred to as beefburgers in the UK. Assuming they're made of beef, that is! Although, hamburgers, particularly those made by certain famous US originated fast food outlets, can also be called hamburgers in the UK, too.

    A check is called a cheque in British English. It's pronounced the same as the American English equivalent, though.
    ReplyDelete
  81. Settee, Sofa and Couch are references to the same thing. In the UK, there's an urban myth that how you describe this piece of furniture depends on your class. Sofa is supposedly more upper-middle class than settee. Whereas, calling it a couch is seen to be rather common! I doubt there's any real truth in this, though.

    To, 'bunk off', means to play truant.

    'Yonks', means an unmeasured, but seemingly long time. 'I've been sat here waiting for yonks!' I did notice that the Cockney rhyming slang, 'Donkey's ears', is similar to another UK colloquial term for the same thing, 'Donkey's', as in, 'This all happened Donkey's years ago.'
    ReplyDelete
  82. A 'tunnel under the road' or a passage for people to walk under small streets in Australia (mostly UK English) is an "underpass".
    Keith - Canada generally follows British practice regarding language as they are (like Australia and an awful lot of other English speaking countries) theoretically part of the Commonwealth, headed by the British Queen. Even if they're physically attached to another country :P
    ReplyDelete
  83. Two words not mentioned, but very common in the Midlands and Northern England: 'Mash' means brew - as in make tea. 'Ayup' is a formal greeting meaning hello.
    ReplyDelete
  84. American parents may be interested to note the difference in what they call a Stroller. In the UK this item has always been called a Pushchair or Pram but over time this has been changed to Buggy. In the North of England however it is usually known as a Trolley.

    Jayne/URL Uk
    ReplyDelete
  85. In response to the person who mentioned the formal greeting "Ayup" which is used in the Midlands and parts of Northern England. I'm from the U.S. and I had previously read about that greeting in a book written about British English which is intended for Americans. I've ever since had the idea that that is the word which can be heard (spoken) at the beginning of The Beatles song "As My Guitar Gently Weeps". I assume that the same expression would also be used in Liverpool? Sometimes it can't be heard at the beginning of the song but rather at the end of the preceding song on the White Album(The Continuing Story of Bungalo Bill). I just listened to it and I'm almost sure that someone says "Ayup!", but I can't be sure who (the song is sung by George Harrison).I welcome any feedback from anyone who's heard this and agrees or disagrees!
    ReplyDelete
  86. Oops! The Beatles song is called"While My Guitar Gentle Weeps"!
    ReplyDelete
  87. You forgot trainers! In America, sneakers, in England, trainers!
    ReplyDelete
  88. If you "knock someone up" - it can mean getting someone pregnant but I think this may be American influence here. You are correct when you say "knock someone up" can also mean knocking on their door, but not necessarily waking them up. "Calling for someone" means the same thing.
    ReplyDelete
  89. P. L. O'RourkeJul 20, 2010 12:31 PM
    My favorite while visiting England was "fresh chippings." It took me days to figure out that they had just laid "fresh gravel."
    ReplyDelete
  90. I know "sod off" is something like "go away", "take a hike", "f*** off", et cetera, but does it actually have a meaning? Isn't sod like dirt or something?
    ReplyDelete
  91. Yes a sod is a piece of turf ie earth with the grass still on it
    ReplyDelete
  92. My American/English dictionary has solved most of my problems, but I still don't know what offside/nearside mean to a driver. Near to the curb? Near to the driver? By the way, I found this website very useful in planning for a month-long trip to England two years ago.
    ReplyDelete
  93. How about marquee? It's a tent in the US but sounds much nicer in the UK.
    ReplyDelete
  94. People: I need to know this for my english course.
    "Why do people in England drive slowly over sleeping policemen?". Thank you.
    ReplyDelete
  95. For all those who want to know what "hob-knocker" is, it means a person that performs sexual acts with an animal. Though, they said it is mostly females, and the most common used animal would be a horse or a cow. Eww, I know. But yeah, I also heard that's what some British people call Americans.
    ReplyDelete
  96. The word 'sod' as in 'sod-off' has nothing to do with the word sod meaning a piece of turf. It's an abbreviation of the word 'sodomite' or 'sodomise' meaning anal intercourse. Hence it's very closely related to the phrase 'f*** off' and equally vulgar.
    ReplyDelete
  97. UK- Indicator
    US- Turn Signal
    ReplyDelete
  98. Your pages really helps me A LOT!
    Thank you so very very much for this!!
    With this page I could gain a lot of information about UK and it helps me do my task at school:D
    I really thank u for this and I'm loving The Brits even more:p
    ReplyDelete
  99. What's 'Scrummy'?
    Melani
    ReplyDelete

Please select COMMENT AS: Name/URL
You don't need to type in an URL but please leave a name :)

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)