Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Different Words for same meaning - Others!

UK US

aerial antenna

aluminium aluminum

antenatal prenatal

anticlockwise counterclockwise

autumn fall
("autumn" is used,but only in formal
or poetic language)

baggage reclaim baggage claim
(airport)

bicentenary bicentennial

bill check (restaurant)

bin liner trash bag

bookings reservations
(verb - to book) (verb - to reserve as in restaurant, hotel)

botanic garden botanical garden

braces suspenders

cashback (noun) rebate, cash back

charity non-profit organization
not-for-profit

cheap inexpensive
(not necessarily in a negative light)

chemists pharmacy, drug store

cinema movie theater, theater

"clued up" "clued in"

coach bus

coach (railway) car (railroad)

"come to that" "for that matter"

cot crib (for a baby)

cuttings clippings (as in news clippings)

despatch shipping (as in shipping department)

DIY do it yourself

dodgy tricky, chancy

downmarket downscale

dummy pacifier

dustbin trash can

engaged busy
(as in telephone)

fee (for schooling) tuition

fit (verb) equip, fit out

fittings fixtures

fix (verb - as in set
"fix a date")

flat apartment

football soccer

freephone toll-free

freepost business reply mail
(no stamp needed)

frock dress (noun)

full stop (punctuation) period

gents men's room

headmaster principal

hide (noun) blind
(noun - as in duck blind)

hire (hire a car) rent (rent a car)

hob stove, stovetop

holiday vacation

homely homey (pleasant)
(In the U.S., "homely" describes a person as
plain or unattractive or a good friend in black
culture)

hoover (noun and verb) vacuum (noun and verb)
vacuum cleaner (noun)

ill sick

"in future" "from now on"

in hospital in the hospital

"join the train" "get on the train"

jumper sweater

licence license (noun)

license license (verb)

lie in sleep in

lift elevator

laundrette laundromat

lorry truck

marquee tent

maths math

mobile (phone) cell (phone)

momentarily for a short time
(but not "in a second")

mum mom

nappies diapers

nil nothing, zero

note bill (currency)

on stream on line

open day open house

pitch (for playing field
sports)

polo neck, roll neck turtle neck

post mail

pram stroller

queue line
(noun as in "bus queue"
verb as in "queue up")

railway railroad

read
(verb - "read a study
subject in college")

redundancy (verb - to layoff (verb - to lay off)
remove as in removal moving
van)

return round trip
(as in round trip ticket)

reverse charge call collect call

rise (noun - in salary) raise

rubber eraser
(in U.S., rubber is
slang for condom)

rucksack backpack

sack (verb - from fire
employment)

secateurs pruners or clippers

shoddy cheap

shopping trolley shopping cart

sport sports

solicitor lawyer
attorney

"sorry" "excuse me", "pardon me"

spanner wrench (noun)

stand (for election) run (for election)

starters appetizers

suspenders garter

swear word curse word

subway underpass

tap faucet

tariffs rates, prices

tarmac asphalt
(tarmac is used in U.S.
only in airport context)

tea towel dish towel
dish cloth

telephone box telephone booth

tender (noun or verb) bid
(as in bid for a building
contract)

to let for rent

to trade (as in "a by trade

toilet restroom

torch flashlight

trainers sneakers

treble triple

transport (noun) transportation

trousers pants

trolley cart

tube subway

tucked up (as in "The tucked in
baby was tucked up
for the night.")

underground subway

upmarket upscale

valve vacuum tube

vest undershirt

walking frame walker (device to assist
the elderly)

washing up doing the dishes

waistcoat vest

No comments: