Same Word: British & American!

Same Word: British & American English!

Section B2  —  same word — different definitions

word  — Brit = British — Ame = American

 

administration:

Brit = the managing of public or private business affairs; a period of government by a particular political party

Ame = a period of government by a particular president

agency:

Brit = an office or organisation providing a particular service

Ame = a government department or office providing a particular service

annex:

Brit = to take control and possession of land by occupation or by force; to take something without permission

Ame = the alternative spelling of “annexe” which means ‘anything that has been added to’, e.g. ‘adding an extra room to a building’, ‘a clause to a document’, etc.

armoury:

Brit = a place where a government’s or a group’s weapons (guns, ammunition, etc.) are kept; a collection of firearms

Ame = [spelling variation – ‘armory’] a place where government’s weapons are manufactured; the National Guard or Army Reserve unit building

astrodome:

Brit = a transparent covering over the fuselage of an aeroplane for astronomical observations (studying stars and space)

Ame = a sports centre that has a transparent dome-shaped roof

backyard:

Brit = an open, usually covered with a hard surface and surrounded by a wall

Ame = the whole area covered with grass behind a house; the lawn and/or the (back) garden

ball game:

Brit = any game played with a ball

Ame = a baseball game

ball park:

Brit = a range of approximate numbers, prices, etc.; an area

Ame = a baseball field

bank holiday:

Brit = an official holiday, except Saturday and Sunday, when banks and other business are closed

Ame = a period of time when banks are closed by the government to prevent money difficulties, not necessarily a public holiday for other businesses

to bathe:

Brit = to go swimming in a pond, lake, river or a sea for pleasure; to wash a part of the body, e.g. sore feet or wounds, or the whole body for medical cure

Ame = to wash the body of somebody for cleanliness (to give a bath to somebody)

bathroom:

Brit = a room with a bathtub (to have a bath), a wash=basin, and (these days) a toilet

Ame = a toilet; a room with a lavatory

blackjack:

Brit = a kind of card game (also called ‘pontoon’)

Ame = a short heavy metal pipe covered with leather, used for hitting people (also called ‘cosh’)

blinkers:

Brit = the two flat pieces of leather on a horse’s bridle to prevent it from seeing things on either side

Ame = the orange lights on either side of a motor vehicle which blink (flash) to who that the vehicle will move in that direction – either left or fright

blotter:

Brit = a sheet of paper that absorbs ink (blotting paper)

Ame = a book in which recorded information is written every day – a police charge-sheet

Board of Trade:

Brit = a department of Trade and Industry in the Ministry of Commerce

Ame = a local chamber of commerce (usually with small letters)

to bobble (verb):

Brit = to move up and down quickly and continuously

Ame = to do some thing carelessly; to fumble

a bomb (noun):

{apart from other meanings}

Brit = a lot of money

Ame = a complete failure of a plan, venture, programme, etc.

to bomb (verb):

Brit = (to go like a bomb) (of a programme, show, film, plan) to be a flop, a failure, to fall

Ame = (of a programme, show, film, plan) to be a great success

boob:

Brit = a silly mistake

Ame = a silly person

boob tube:

Brit = a piece of woman’s clothing

Ame = a television set

brainstorm:

Brit = a mental disturbance; a moment of confusion

Ame = a sudden, usually a clever, idea

burlesque:

Brit = a piece of speech, writing or acting that is intended to make a serous or important matter or issue look silly

Ame = a kind of entertainment (a variety show) often including striptease (taking off clothes piece by piece to amuse others)

bushel:

Brit = a measurement equal to 36.4 litres

Ame = a large amount or number

buzzard (a kind of bird):

Brit = a large hawk that looks like an eagle

Ame = a vulture (a bird known as ‘scavenger of plains’, also called ‘Turkey vulture’)

calico:

Brit = a kind of tough cotton cloth, usually plain white cloth, used in book binding

Ame = coarse cotton cloth, usually with a coloured pattern (design) printed on one side

car:

Brit = a motor car

Ame = a railway carriage or van; a section of a train carrying passengers, e.g. a dining car

casket:

Brit = a small decorated box for holding valuables such as ornaments, important personal letters, etc.

Ame = a coffin (a large wooden box for keeping dead bodes (of people) to be buried

caucus:

Brit = a small group within a large organisation, and the secret meeting of this group

Ame = the leaders of a political party that decide polices, choose candidates, and a meeting of these leaders

chancellor:

Brit = the honorary head of a university

Ame = the president of a college or a university

chandler:

Brit = (a ship’s chandler) a person who sells canvas, ropes and other things for ships

Ame = a person who makes and sells candles

chaps:

Brit = men; fellows

Ame = leggings (a piece of clothing)

checker:

Brit = a person who checks/corrects/verifies, something like a piece of work, a list, etc.

Ame = an employee who works at a checkout counter at a supermarket

Chief executive:

Brit = the chief director of a government or private business establishment, a large company, etc.

Ame = [usually with a capital ‘c’ of “chief”, and the first ‘e’ of “executive”] the president of the USA

chimney stack:

Brit = a group of chimneys (the tall structures coming out of the roof of a house to let out smoke and hear)

Ame = a very tall chimney on the roof of a factory

clerk:

Brit = (A) an employee in a shop, office, etc., who keeps records, accounts, etc. (B) an official who is in charge of the records of a court of law, council, a government office, etc.

Ame = (A) [desk clerk] a receptionist (B) [sales clerk) an assistant in a shop who attends and serves the customers

clinic:

Brit = a specialised hospital

Ame =  a group of doctors sharing a building and working together

clinker:

Brit = someone or something that is very popular

Ame = a mistake or failure; a poor quality thing

cobbler:

Brit = a person who makes and repairs old shoes

Ame = (A) a fruit pie (B) a kind of cold drink

COD {abbreviation}:

Brit = Cash On Delivery (the system of postal service in which the receiver pays the money towards the cost of the article and the postage only when he/she receives the package)

Ame = Collect On Delivery (the system of postal service in which the receiver pays the money towards the cost of the article and the postage only when he/she receives the package)

commencement:

Brit = a beginning of (some activity)

Ame = a graduation day (a ceremony at which college or university degrees are officially given to successful students

commissary:

Brit = an officer in the commissariat, a department dealing with the supplies to the army

Ame = a place where soldiers or the employees of a firm (company) can buy and eat food

country court:

Brit = a local court of law where civil (non-criminal) cases are dealt with

Ame = an administrative body (an office) in counties in some States

courthouse:

Brit = a building containing several courts of law

Ame = the administrative office of a county

cowboy:

Brit = an untrained careless worker, a dishonest businessman

Ame = a person who tends cows on a ranch (a large field)

cowman:

Brit = a man who tends or assists in tending (looking after) cattle

Ame = a cattle ranch owner

cracknel:

Brit = a simple brittle biscuit

Ame = crispy fried pork pieces (pork = pig meat)

cranky:

Brit = strange

Ame = bad=tempered

creamer:

Brit = powdered milk used in coffee

Ame = a jug for serving cream

crèche:

Brit = a place where babies and young children are looked after while their parents are at work

Ame = a model of the scene of Christ’s birth

crib:

Brit = (A) a model of the scene of Christ’s birth (B) pieces of paper giving answers to questions used dishonestly by students in tests

Ame = a small bed with movable sides used for babies and young children

diner:

Brit = a person (s) who dines (eats food)

Ame = a small restaurant by the roadside usually in the shape of a railway carriage

faggot:

Brit = (A) a bundle of small sticks (B) a ball of cut up meat (C) an unpleasant person

Ame = a homosexual (a person who likes to have sex with another person of the same sex, i.e. man to man)

fly over:

Brit = a place where roads or railway lines cross, one passes high over the other by way of a kind of bridge

Ame = the act of a group of aeroplanes flying low before a crowd on special occasions, as a sign of celebration or to show off the strength of the air force (military)

homely:

Brit = very plain or common; down to earth; (of a person’s behaviour or the food) domestic – related to home

Ame = (of people) ugly

muffler:

Brit = an item of clothing, usually woollen, worn around the neck in cold weather

Ame = a piece of apparatus fixed on the exhaust pipe of a motor vehicle to reduce noise

nervy:

Brit = feeling nervous (a feeling of fear or anxiety)

Ame = being bold, full of nerve, cheeky (rude or careless or fearless)

to raise:

Brit = to look after and grow only cattle

Ame = to look after and grow cattle and to look after and bring up children

wrangler:

Brit = (A) a person who wrangles, i.e. who argues angrily and noisily (B) a university student who is placed the highest class of maths exam

Ame = a cowboy who looks after horses

Different Expressions:

come again:

Brit = “Please, visit us again.”

Ame = “Sorry, what did you say?” / “Say it again, please.”

I’m mad about my flat!

Brit = “I am very happy about my flat.” (= apartment)

Ame = “I am very angry or annoyed about the puncture (a hole) in the tyre (tire) of my car!”

Brit = ‘to work out’  —  Ame = ‘to figure out’:

= To solve a problem or to come to know about

Brit = ‘to enlist/to join’   —   Ame = ‘to sign up’:

= to take up a course or to join a course

Brit = ‘very much’  —  Ame = ‘like crazy’:

= to like something very, very much

Brit = ‘Don’t misunderstand me.”  —  Ame = “Don’t get me wrong.”:

= {telling somebody not to misunderstand}

‘to tick off’:

Brit = ‘to scold somebody’ (to use strong words in order to make somebody think about their mistakes or wrong doings)

Ame = ‘to make somebody angry’

Brit = “It’s not important.” / “It doesn’t matter.”

Ame = “It’s no big deal.”:

= {to say that something is not very important and so not to take it seriously}

Brit = ‘to ring someone; to ring someone up; to give someone a ring’

Ame = ‘to call someone; to call someone up; to give someone a call’:

= {to use a telephone or cell phone to contact (talk to) somebody}

Brit = “The line is busy.”

Ame = “The number is busy.”:

= {to say that the telephone or cell phone number a person uses (dials) is engaged, i.e. somebody else is talking on the phone to the person you want to talk}

Brit = ‘stand’ in election’

Ame = ‘run’ for election:

= {to contest for an election}

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After having learnt all these rules, we are bound to get a couple of questions, such as…

1.  Which spelling system do I use: British English or American English?

And the answer given by many an expert in this field is:

If you are going to write to Americans or to take an examination in any American Institution, learn or use American English, and if there is anything to do with the British use British English!

2.  Which will be the most useful to me as an English language learner – American English or British English?

And the answer given by many an expert in this field is:

If you are going to speak mostly to Americans then standard American English will be more useful.  If you are going to speak to British people then standard British English will be more useful.  Certainly at present, speakers of standard British English and speakers of standard American English have no real problems communicating with each other.  The important thing to remember is that they are not two separate languages, they are one language with some differences.  If you speak one form quite well then you will not have problems understanding the other.

But the most important thing is not to mix the two varieties; use one or the other, not mixed!

Next… Section C usage differences: British & American English!

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