Since we all have British cars (or maybe German), I thought it was time to learn to speak British. I enjoy watching BBC America, and find the British words vs. the American interesting. Some I don't know what it means.

But I can't think of a better forum (MINI Talk) to post this thread. Let's compare British to American. I'll start with the two obvious ones. British first followed by American. If there happens to be a British word that has no American translation, please provide.


Bonnet - Hood
Boot - Trunk

 

"Brilliant!" - a British response to anything pleasing

 

I was in London last month, and the phrase that I really like was:

"It's all gone pear shaped"

meaning, it's all messed up

BTW RedRider, where in GSO are you? I went to UNCG and lived up on Pisgah Church and Church St behind the Food Lion for a few years. I try to get down there every few years to visit, loved that town.

 

What colour is your MINI?

 

They use Petrol rather than Gas.

 

spanner = cresent wrench
panda = police car (black and white)
sleeping police man = speed bump

pram = baby stroller
fortnight = two weeks
farthing = 0.25% of a penny
quid or bob = slang for a british pound like a 'buck' is to a dollar


let's go Cockney..... (London East End - Slang)

Mince Pie in the Eye = an object in the eye

 

Wind Screen - Windshield

 

It is all out of sorts

 

Here's a few more:

Accumulator - Battery
Aerial - Antenna
Damper - Shock Absorber
Lorry - Truck
Nave Plate - Hubcap
Silencer - Muffler
Wing - Fender
Estate Car - Station Wagon
Saloon - Sedan

Okay, I admit I cheated. I have a relative whose wife is British.

Oh, yeah, what about "MOTORING!!!!!"

 

I'll say the American version you give the British: Cigarette.

 

The larrie drivers watch for bobbies on the motor way.
=
The truckers watch for pigs on the interstate.

Nothing like the Queens English when you speak AMERIKANZ!
That is why MINIs have to go through VDC so they don't get tempramental when they hear the new language!

 

That’s a fair cop- a good scam.

I first heard this in the Holy Grail when they are weighing the girl they said was a witch because she weighed the same as a duck therefore she is a witch.

Sticky wicket- In Cricket it would mean a partly wet and dry field that would make the ball bounce unpredictably. Outside the cricket pitch it could mean a tight spot or a situation which is full of hazardous uncertainty.

Another cricket term- A silly mid off- meaning hitting the ball like a bunt in baseball so it spins off the bat softly but with spin on it so it goes between the players on the off side (non leg) side of the batter.

A term my British colleagues use to mean the system had crashed is – It’s fallen over.

 

zebra for crosswalk...
roundabout for traffic circle... (I miss New Jersey!)
queue up for line up...
shooting brake for station wagon... (I think that's right)

Anyone ever hear of Flanders and Swan?

 

Also "Grand!" or "Smashing!"

 

Loo - toilet
flat - apartment
lift - elevator
knickers - underwear
football - soccer

 

There's a good guide to automotive-related words here.

The whole dictionary is here.

And a few words from it:

hood n. The bit of a convertible car that, well, converts. Americans call it the "convertible top", and unfortunately this discrepancy only serves to complicate the bonnet/boot confusion.

number plate n. This is what Americans call a "licence plate".

Pelican crossing n. The stripes on the road with the flashing beacons at the side of them, which signify that pedestrians have the right to cross the road at these particular points.

Pants n. What Americans call underpants. Outerwear pants are called Trousers.

 

"What is it, Sebastian? I'm arranging matches."

 

I have noticed we Americans go to the dealership to "pick up" our new cars, while the British "collect" theirs !

 

Sorry, have to correct these two.
A fair cop means "you got me". Kind of, Ii was trying to pull a fast one, but you saw through me and called me on it.

Silly mid off is a fielding position in cricket. Any of the positions REALLY close to the bat are termed silly whatever. The "Off" side is on the right side of the field for a right-handed batsman, left side for a leftie. The opposite is the "On" side. "Mid" means the fielder is standing somewhere reasonably around the middle of the field, relative to the batsmen. Your alternatives are "fine", "square" and "forward". Tony Grieg, former captain of England used to sometimes field in a position he called "silly silly", where he was in serious danger of getting a bat or ball straight to the head.

 

Interesting, thanks for the correction, looks like I was told some incorrect info from by Brit mates.

Oh theres another one:

Mates- Friends

 

jumper = sweater
trousers = pants
loo = toilet


H

 

I had a British client once that was getting a retirement payment from the UK. They called it a "Scheme". Can you imagine a bank in the US asking people to invest in their "retirement scheme", I guess that is what Enron had.

 

chemist = pharmacy

dustbin = trash can

A coworker of mine lived in Britain for 5 years or so, many years ago, but still insists on using both of these and loo as well.

 

pants = underpants

You need to be careful when discussing your "pants" versus your "trousers". I once mentioned that I have difficulty finding pants that aren't too long, which gave my British mates a good chuckle.

Another favorite of mine, which fans of The Office will recognize:
made redundant = fire

 

these are the two that stuck with me...

grocery = generic term for grocery store (same applies for hospital, you to to hospital, not to A hospital....)

take away - to go