APPROPRIATE LIST

Specialty Definition: List of words having different meanings in British and American English

(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)

An incomplete list of words having different primary meanings in British English and American English. Note: Many of the definitions are recognized by the other as "Britishisms" (sic) or Americanisms respectively.
Many Amercian phrases (and their meanings) are now increasingly used in the UK, thanks to the ubiquity of US-made movies and television programes.
''See also:
Main article: American and British English differences
list of British English words not used in American English
list of American English words not used in British English''
Word most common British meaning most common American meaning
alternately every other one as an alternative
ass donkey or burro arse (buttocks)
also donkey
Asian coming from India, Pakistan etc.; South Asian East Asian, continental Southeast Asian
see also "oriental"
band a strap a jewelry ring for the finger
less commonly used in the context of a strap
bird slang term for a female almost always an avian
biscuit cracker (or cookie) similar to a scone or Welsh cake, except without any fruits or nuts
bugger someone who engages in buggery, or in non-polite company as a form of address (e.g. ..he's a generous bugger anyway) Term of endearment, often used for children. Appears to have no vulgar or insulting connotation.
bum butt (buttocks) hobo, homeless person.
sometimes buttocks (understood as Britishism)
brew (noun) a cup of tea a beer, or coffee drink
café diner coffee shop
chemist pharmacist, pharmacy
also a practitioner of chemistry a person whose profession is chemistry
chips french fries crisps
chippy carpenter or fish and chip shop loose woman (rare)
chum buddy (usually ironic) waste products from fish processing (heads, tails, blood etc.) often used for shark fishing.
also a friend
dead beat, deadbeat exhausted a welsher, someone who does not pay their debts
dummy pacifier
fool mannequin, esp. for automobile crash tests
fool
entrée starter (first course) of a meal main course of a meal
fag cigarette short for faggot, an insulting term for a male homosexual (also British)

fanny vagina buttocks (not obscene)
first floor (of a building) the floor above ground level the floor at ground level
garage parking lot mechanic shop
parking space at home
ground floor (of a building) the floor at ground level sometimes used, but American English prefers 'first floor'
flashlight Device that emits a flashing light Device that emits a continuous light
homely (Of a house) Comfortable, cozy, rustic.
(Of a person) Home-loving, domesticated, house-proud. (Only used of a person) Plain, Ugly.
indicator turn signal in a car a gauge or measure
jock Slang term for a Scotsman or a Scots dog. Slang term for an athlete
knock up manufacture hastily
practise before tennis
wake up by knocking
make pregnant make pregnant
let allow
rent (an apartment) allow
rent (rarely)
line a line a queue
lounge living room noun: a bar (pub);
verb: to laze about, to relax (also British)
lush (of a person) attractive (usually used by women in reference to men) an alcoholic
mad insane angry
occasionally used to mean insane
mate friend spouse
mean stingy, miserly, selfish angry, cruel, vicious
momentarily for a moment in a moment; very soon
muffler scarf silencer on automobile/car/gramophone
on the telephone (on the phone) to be talking on the telephone or (rare) to possess a working telephone to be talking on the telephone
oriental East Asian, continental Southeast Asian East Asian. increasingly considered slightly condescending or politically incorrect.
outside lane the lane closest to the median or central reservation. the lane furthest from the median or central reservation. In both cases this will be the rightmost lane.
pants underpants (usu y-fronts) trousers
paraffin kerosene a waxy fraction of petroleum commonly used to make candles (British "paraffin wax")
pavement sidewalk asphalt; the road surface
period menstruation full stop
menstruation
pint, quart, gallon Approx. 1.2 times US measure (mnemonic: "a pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter") Approx. 5/6 British (imperial) measure (mnemonic: "a pint's a pound the world around", which it plainly isn't)
pissed (of a person) drunk angry (British used pissed off for this)
public school fee-paying private school state-supported school
pud short for pudding, as in "Christmas Pud" (rhymes with good) penis (rhymes with mud) (rare slang)
quite good mediocre, acceptable, good, well done (ironic, according to subtle voice intonation) excellent
(to) ring to call (someone) by telephone to make a bell-like sound; you cannot ring people unless they are wearing a bell. (Note: "To give someone a ring" is to call someone in British English, while in American English it's to give an ornamental band to someone). Also understood as "to call on the telephone" when said as "here's my number, give me a ring when you can" or similarly.
a rubber a pencil eraser a condom
rubbish garbage; trash understood by Americans as a Britishism unless referring to arguments, where bad arguments are called rubbish
shag to copulate, or copulate with a type of carpet
a kind of a dance
to copulate (rare and understood as Britishism)
shop store (retail) workshop
also store
silencer silences car/automobile (muffler)
silences a gun(rare) silences a firearm
skillet (regional dialect) a frying pan
a type of stir-fried food item a frying pan, often cast iron
a long-handled stewing pan or saucepan, often having short legs or feet
(to) slate to disparage to schedule, such as "slated for demolition"
solicitor lawyer door-to-door salesman
(rarely) a government court prosecutor
spunk semen (though also sometimes used for courage, sauciness) courage, sauciness (though also sometimes used for semen)
squash fruit cordial drink (squash (drink))
a sport (squash (sport))
(rarely) (squash (vegetable)) vegetable
to crush, as a bug
(rarely) the sport
subway pedestrian underpass underground rail system
suspenders elasticated support for stockings elasticated support for trousers (i.e. braces)
(to) table
(parliamentary procedure) to raise for consideration (i.e. to bring to or put on the table) to suspend from consideration (to shelve) (i.e. to leave on the table)
tap faucet device for dispensing beer from a keg
lesser use as faucet (except in "tap water")
tea A beverage, usually taken hot with milk
variously an afternoon snack or an evening meal a beverage, hot or in some regions taken cold with lemon and/or sugar
torch flashlight or burning stick burning stick, such as a tiki torch
tramp a homeless person a loose woman
sometimes a homeless person, as in the movie Lady and the Tramp
valve tube or vacuum tube device to start, stop or regulate flow
vest equivalent of an undershirt in US equivalent of waistcoat in the UK
wash up wash the dishes (more generally, to clean after eating food) wash your hands (more generally, to clean before eating food)
way out exit (on a sign) extreme (as in "way out there")
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "List of words having different meanings in British and American English."

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INDEX

1. Bibliography

Word	most common British meaning	most common American meaning
alternately	every other one	as an alternative
ass	donkey or burro	arse (buttocks) also donkey
Asian	coming from India, Pakistan etc.; South Asian	East Asian, continental Southeast Asian see also "oriental"
band	a strap	a jewelry ring for the finger less commonly used in the context of a strap
bird	slang term for a female	almost always an avian
biscuit	cracker (or cookie)	similar to a scone or Welsh cake, except without any fruits or nuts
bugger	someone who engages in buggery, or in non-polite company as a form of address (e.g. ..he's a generous bugger anyway)	Term of endearment, often used for children. Appears to have no vulgar or insulting connotation.
bum	butt (buttocks)	hobo, homeless person. sometimes buttocks (understood as Britishism)
brew (noun)	a cup of tea	a beer, or coffee drink
café	diner	coffee shop
chemist	pharmacist, pharmacy also a practitioner of chemistry	a person whose profession is chemistry
chips	french fries	crisps
chippy	carpenter or fish and chip shop	loose woman (rare)
chum	buddy (usually ironic)	waste products from fish processing (heads, tails, blood etc.) often used for shark fishing. also a friend
dead beat, deadbeat	exhausted	a welsher, someone who does not pay their debts
dummy	pacifier fool	mannequin, esp. for automobile crash tests fool
entrée	starter (first course) of a meal	main course of a meal
fag	cigarette	short for faggot, an insulting term for a male homosexual (also British)
fanny	vagina	buttocks (not obscene)
first floor (of a building)	the floor above ground level	the floor at ground level
garage	parking lot	mechanic shop parking space at home
ground floor (of a building)	the floor at ground level	sometimes used, but American English prefers 'first floor'
flashlight	Device that emits a flashing light	Device that emits a continuous light
homely	(Of a house) Comfortable, cozy, rustic. (Of a person) Home-loving, domesticated, house-proud.	(Only used of a person) Plain, Ugly.
indicator	turn signal in a car	a gauge or measure
jock	Slang term for a Scotsman or a Scots dog.	Slang term for an athlete
knock up	manufacture hastily practise before tennis wake up by knocking make pregnant	make pregnant
let	allow rent (an apartment)	allow rent (rarely)
line	a line	a queue
lounge	living room	noun: a bar (pub); verb: to laze about, to relax (also British)
lush (of a person)	attractive (usually used by women in reference to men)	an alcoholic
mad	insane	angry occasionally used to mean insane
mate	friend	spouse
mean	stingy, miserly, selfish	angry, cruel, vicious
momentarily	for a moment	in a moment; very soon
muffler	scarf	silencer on automobile/car/gramophone
on the telephone (on the phone)	to be talking on the telephone or (rare) to possess a working telephone	to be talking on the telephone
oriental	East Asian, continental Southeast Asian	East Asian. increasingly considered slightly condescending or politically incorrect.
outside lane	the lane closest to the median or central reservation.	the lane furthest from the median or central reservation. In both cases this will be the rightmost lane.
pants	underpants (usu y-fronts)	trousers
paraffin	kerosene	a waxy fraction of petroleum commonly used to make candles (British "paraffin wax")
pavement	sidewalk	asphalt; the road surface
period	menstruation	full stop menstruation
pint, quart, gallon	Approx. 1.2 times US measure (mnemonic: "a pint of water weighs a pound and a quarter")	Approx. 5/6 British (imperial) measure (mnemonic: "a pint's a pound the world around", which it plainly isn't)
pissed (of a person)	drunk	angry (British used pissed off for this)
public school	fee-paying private school	state-supported school
pud	short for pudding, as in "Christmas Pud" (rhymes with good)	penis (rhymes with mud) (rare slang)
quite good	mediocre, acceptable, good, well done (ironic, according to subtle voice intonation)	excellent
(to) ring	to call (someone) by telephone	to make a bell-like sound; you cannot ring people unless they are wearing a bell. (Note: "To give someone a ring" is to call someone in British English, while in American English it's to give an ornamental band to someone). Also understood as "to call on the telephone" when said as "here's my number, give me a ring when you can" or similarly.
a rubber	a pencil eraser	a condom
rubbish	garbage; trash	understood by Americans as a Britishism unless referring to arguments, where bad arguments are called rubbish
shag	to copulate, or copulate with	a type of carpet a kind of a dance to copulate (rare and understood as Britishism)
shop	store (retail)	workshop also store
silencer	silences car/automobile (muffler) silences a gun(rare)	silences a firearm
skillet	(regional dialect) a frying pan a type of stir-fried food item	a frying pan, often cast iron a long-handled stewing pan or saucepan, often having short legs or feet
(to) slate	to disparage	to schedule, such as "slated for demolition"
solicitor	lawyer	door-to-door salesman (rarely) a government court prosecutor
spunk	semen (though also sometimes used for courage, sauciness)	courage, sauciness (though also sometimes used for semen)
squash	fruit cordial drink (squash (drink)) a sport (squash (sport)) (rarely) (squash (vegetable))	vegetable to crush, as a bug (rarely) the sport
subway	pedestrian underpass	underground rail system
suspenders	elasticated support for stockings	elasticated support for trousers (i.e. braces)
(to) table (parliamentary procedure)	to raise for consideration (i.e. to bring to or put on the table)	to suspend from consideration (to shelve) (i.e. to leave on the table)
tap	faucet	device for dispensing beer from a keg lesser use as faucet (except in "tap water")
tea	A beverage, usually taken hot with milk variously an afternoon snack or an evening meal	a beverage, hot or in some regions taken cold with lemon and/or sugar
torch	flashlight or burning stick	burning stick, such as a tiki torch
tramp	a homeless person	a loose woman sometimes a homeless person, as in the movie Lady and the Tramp
valve	tube or vacuum tube	device to start, stop or regulate flow
vest	equivalent of an undershirt in US	equivalent of waistcoat in the UK
wash up	wash the dishes (more generally, to clean after eating food)	wash your hands (more generally, to clean before eating food)
way out	exit (on a sign)	extreme (as in "way out there")