US Terminology

By James | Last updated August 18, 2023

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As the playright George Bernard Shaw once said:-

“England and America are two countries divided by a common language.”

One of the best examples of this was whilst riding on the Disney Monorail. The announcer said we would be stopping ‘momentarily’ which we took to mean we would stop FOR a short while, but what she meant was we would be stopping IN a short while.

AmericanEnglish
antennaaerial (car)
apartmentflat
ATMcashpoint machine
attorneylawyer
automobilecar
back upreverse (a car)
band aidplaster, Elastoplast
bathbathroom
bathroomtoilet
billnote (currency)
bleacherbench seat (in a stadium)
broilgrill (food)
buckdollar bill
cabtaxi
candysweets
candy barchocolate bar
car (train)coach
car rentalcar hire
cartshopping trolley
cell, cell phonemobile phone
charge cardcredit card
checkcheque (travellers)
bill (restaurant)
chipscrisps (potato)
closetcupboard, wardrobe
coach class (travel)economy class
condominiumapartment
crosswalkpedestrian crossing
dime10 cents
dinerrestaurant (from railway dining car)
divided highwaydual carriageway
downtowncity centre, business district
drugstorechemist’s, pharmacy
duplexsemi-detached property
eggplantaubergine
elevatorlift
entreemain course (in a restaurant)
exitmotorway junction
fallAutumn
fanny packbum bag
faucetbathroom tap
first floorground floor
flashlighttorch
freewaymotorway
French frieschips
garbagerubbish
gaspetrol or fuel
gearshiftgear stick (car)
grade crossingrailway level crossing
greenbackdollar bill
hoodbonnet (of a car)
hostess (restaurant)person who directs you to your seat
iceboxfridge
intersectionjunction, crossroads
interstatemotorway
jellojelly
jellyjam
ladies roomfemale toilets
lemonadelemon squash
liquor storeoff licence
median (road)central reservation
men’s roommale toilets
momentarilyin a moment, soon
mufflerexhaust (of a car)
nickel5 cents
off rampslip road off motorway
on rampslip road onto motorway
outletelectrical socket
rest roomtoilet
sedansaloon (car)
sidewalkpavement
signaltraffic light
stick shiftmanual gear change (of a car)
to gotakeaway (food)
toll-free numberfreephone number
trunkboot (of a car)
vacationholiday