British and North American Equivalents

British North American
aerofoil airfoil
aeroplane airplane
agony aunt advice columnist
anticlockwise counterclockwise
articulated lorry tractor-trailer
asymmetric bars uneven bars
aubergine eggplant
B  
black economy underground economy
blanket bath sponge bath
bonnet (of car) hood
boob tube (garment) tube top
boot (of a car) trunk
bowls lawn bowling
brawn (the food) headcheese
breeze block cinder block
brent goose brant goose
bridging loan bridge loan
bumbag fanny pack
C  
candy floss cotton candy
car park parking lot/garage
central reservation median strip
chips French fries
cling film plastic wrap
common seal harbor seal
consumer durables durable goods
cornflour cornstarch
cot crib
cot death crib death
cotton bud cotton swab
cotton wool absorbent cotton
courgette zucchini
crash barrier guardrail
crisps (= potato crisps) chips or potato chips
cross-ply bias-ply
current account checking account
cut-throat razor straight razor
D  
dialling tone dial tone
double cream heavy cream
double-declutch double-clutch
draughts checkers
drawing pin thumbtack
drink-driving drunk driving
driving licence driver’s license
dual carriageway divided highway
dummy pacifier
dustbin trash/garbage can
E  
eat in (of restaurant food) for here
engaged (of a telephone) busy
estate agent realtor (trademark) or real estate agent
estate car station wagon
ex-directory unlisted
eyebath eyecup
F  
financial year fiscal year
fire brigade/service fire company/department
firelighter fire starter
fringe bangs
full board American plan
G  
gear lever gearshift
gearstick gearshift
green fingers green thumb
groundsman groundskeeper
H  
holidaymaker vacationer
hundreds and thousands sprinkles
I  
icing sugar confectioner’s/powdered sugar
indicator (on car) turn signal
J  
Joe Bloggs Joe Blow
Joe Public John Q. Public
jump lead jumper cable
L  
ladybird ladybug
level crossing grade crossing
lift (in building) elevator
lolly (= lollipop) Popsicle (trademark)
loo john
M  
maize corn
mangetout snow peas
maths math
monkey tricks monkeyshines
motorway expressway/freeway
mum mom
N  
nappy diaper
noughts and crosses tic-tac-toe
number plate license plate
O  
off-licence liquor store
opencast open-pit
P  
paddling pool wading pool
paracetamol Tylenol (trademark) or acetaminophen
pay packet pay envelope
pedestrian crossing crosswalk
petrol gasoline/gas
physiotherapy physical therapy
plain chocolate dark chocolate
plain flour all-purpose flour
plaster or sticking plaster Band-Aid (trademark)
post code zip code
postal vote absentee ballot
poste restante general delivery
press-up pushup
punchbag punching bag
pushchair stroller
Q  
queue line
R  
razor shell razor clam
real tennis court tennis
recorded delivery certified mail
registration plate license plate
reverse the charges call collect
reversing light backup light
ringing (of birds) banding
room only European plan
roundabout (in road) traffic circle
rowing boat rowboat
S  
sailing boat sailboat
self-raising flour self-rising flour
Sellotape (trademark) Scotch tape (trademark)
shopping trolley shopping cart
show house/home model home
skirting board baseboard
sleeping partner silent partner
splashback backsplash
spring onion green onion
storm in a teacup tempest in a teapot
surtitle supertitle
swede rutabaga
T  
takeaway takeout or carry out or to go
terraced house row house
tick (the symbol) check or check mark
toffee apple candy apple
trainers sneakers
tram streetcar or trolley car
transport cafe truck stop
twelve-bore twelve-gauge
V  
vest undershirt
W  
waistcoat vest
white spirit mineral spirits
windscreen windshield
worktop countertop
Z  
zebra crossing crosswalk
zed zee