Showing posts with label Britain. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Britain. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

British English

I did some searching for British English phrases.  Here are some of my favo(u)rites, along with their American English translations.  Some of them may be more commonly used than others.
  • agony aunt = advice column writer
  • approved school = juvenile hall
  • bedsit = studio apartment
  • boardies = swimming trunks
  • bum bag = fanny pack
  • bumf = useless paperwork
  • cagoule = parka
  • cleg = horse-fly
  • compere = emcee
  • courgette = zucchini
  • crotchet = quarter note (in music)
  • dodgems = bumper cars
  • electric fire = space heaters
  • engaged tone = busy signal
  • fairy lights = Christmas lights
  • gaffer tape = duct tape
  • gutties = tennis shoes
  • hundreds-and-thousands = sprinkles
  • ladybird = ladybug
  • minim = half note (in music)
  • OAP = senior citizen
  • off-licence = liquor store
  • pram = baby-carriage
  • sleeping policeman = speed bump
  • Tipp-Ex = Wite-Out
  • vegetable marrow = squash (vegetable)
  • Y-fronts = tighty whities
  • zebra crossing = crosswalk
Now that I'm looking over this list again, it's kind of top-heavy.  Lots of words that begin with 'a,' 'b,' and 'c.'  But looking over the Wikipedia article I got these from, that list is kind of top-heavy too.  Oh well...