UK Terminology Cheat Sheet

US English and UK English are the same language…right? Well, sort of. Although both countries speak English, we don’t always use the same words to mean exactly the same thing.

I’ve compiled a list of terms and phrases in a couple of different categories that I have encountered during my time abroad. You probably know some of them already, but there are a few you may not have heard of.

Remember, this is not a complete list, and there may be variations depending on where you are in the UK. If you aren’t sure about the meaning of a word, don’t be afraid to ask! People are really friendly and love chatting about language differences!

Academics

UK	US
College	Pre-University, Post-High School Study
Course	Program you are enrolled in
Lecture	Face-to-face class time
Post-Graduate	Graduate Student
School	Primary/Secondary/High School
Tutorial	Similar to recitation
University	College (undergrad and graduate years)

Around the House

UK	US
Accommodation	House/Housing
Bin	Trash Can/Recycling Bin
Cutlery	Silverware
Flat	Apartment
Hob	Kitchen Stove
Hoover	Vacuum
Rubbish	Trash
Taps	Water Faucet
Toilet/Loo	Bathroom
Washing Up	Dirty Dishes

Clothing

UK	US
Football Boots	Cleats
Jumper	Sweatshirt/Sweater
Trainers	Sneakers
Trousers	Pants

Food

UK	US
Aubergine	Eggplant
Biscuit	Undefinable; a little cracker/cookie-like snack generally had with tea
Candy Floss	Cotton Candy
Chips	Thicker-cut fries
Courgette	Zucchini
Cream	Whipped Cream
Crisps	Chips
Fries	French Fries; sometimes ‘chips’
Haggis	Traditional Scottish meal; savory; made with lamb but there are vegan versions
Juice/Fizzy Juice	Soda
Pub	Bar
Rocket	Arugula
Scone	Very similar to US biscuit, but usually eaten with clotted cream and/or jam (highly recommend trying)
Squash/Juice	A strong, fruit-flavored syrup-like drink that is often diluted with water
Sweeties	Candy
Tea	Hot tea/dinner
Toastie	Grilled-cheese-style sandwich often ordered to-go
Tomato Sauce	Ketchup (this is not as widespread, but I have come across it a few times)

Phrases

UK	US
‘Drop You/Me a Line’	Send you/me an email
‘Faff About’	Lollygag; waste time
‘Get it Sorted’	Figure it out; deal with it
Lie-in	Sleeping in
Sit-in/Have-in	For here (as with a food order)
Takeaway	To-go (as with a food order)

General Terms

UK	US
American Football	NFL
Booking	Reservation (as with a restaurant)
Car Park	Parking Lot
Fire Brigade	Firemen
Film	Movie
Football	Soccer
Full Stop	Period (punctuation)
Holiday	Vacation/Trip
Knackered	Exhausted
Mates	Friends
Pavement	Sidewalk
Petrol Station	Gas Station
Queue	Line
Rota	Schedule (as in for work)
A&E	Urgent Care
Windscreen	Windshield

If you think terms you’d like me to add, drop a comment below! And if you have questions about a term you’ve heard but you don’t see it on the list, feel free ask about it in the comment section as well 🙂

An American Abroad