UK-US Conversion Dictionary to Accompany Stories
 

In the stories on here there is often confusion between UK and US terminology. I often alternate between the two in my stories. So I thought about a conversion dictionary to help people decipher stories.

I'll start it off.

UK Lift
US Elevator

UK Torch
US Flashlight

UK Arse
US Ass

UK Fanny
US Vagina

UK Arse
US Fanny

UK Chips
US French Fries

UK Jam
US Jelly

UK Jelly
US Jello

UK Crisps
US Potato chips

UK Ground floor
US First floor

Any more contributions are welcome. :)

This is a good idea. Oh, and with fries/chips, to make it extra fun we do have fries too, as in the thin, crispy ones, that can also be called chips; though 'chip' chips are usually larger and more substantially cut. Ya dig?

Also:

U.S = pants
U.K = trousers

U.S = shorts
U.K = underpants, or pants

U.S = panties
U.K = knickers (old word, more polite, or used as mild insult, panties is modern, though may be seen as less polite)

U.S = candy (covers both sugar sweets and chocolate?)
U.K = sweets, though sugary/sour/gummy ones distinct from chocolate

U.S = cookies
U.K = biscuits (cookies are a type of biscuit)

U.S = sidewalk
U.K = pavement

U.S = apartments, an apartment
U.K = flats, a flat

U.S = pictures (building)
U.K = cinema

Some of these may need confirmation and/or correcting. My knowledge of US terminology is limited to TV and film.


UK: Bum
US: Ass

UK: Tramp
US: Bum

UK Tights
US: Pantyhose

UK: Petrol
US: Gasoline (gas)

UK: Trolley (shopping)
US: Cart

UK: Wank or wank off
US: Jerk or jerk off

UK: Braces
US: Suspenders

UK: Suspenders
US: Garter belt (is this right? Confirmation needed on this one!)

UK: Purse
US: Pocket book

UK: Wallet
US: Billfold

UK: Hospital trolley
US: Gurney

UK: Rubbish
US: Garbage, trash

UK: To blow someone off means to give a blow job
US: To blow someone off means to ignore them or end relationship with them

I think I prefer the UK version myself :)

More conversions
 

UK: Spunk
US: Semen

UK: Wank off
US: Jerk off

UK: Pissed
US: Drunk

UK: Wasted
US: Drunk

UK: Well-oiled
US: Drunk

UK: Pickled
US: Drunk

UK Wrecked
US: Drunk

UK Stoned
US: Drunk

Stoned can also mean 'high on drugs' in both languages. It's the one thing we agree on :)

UK: Nappy
US Diaper

UK: Angry
US: Pissed

My personal favorite come in a pair.

US - Eraser
UK - Rubber

Then. ..

US - Rubber
UK - Condom

My friend told me about an embarrassing mix-up because of those differences in a words meaning.

Yeah I know, I was in a store in the US once and asked for a rubber.

The store assistant said, "Just one? Don't you want a pack of them?"

I replied "No, I don't make that many mistakes!" :D

UK: Trainers
US: Sneakers

Just thought I'd sneak that one in :D

I believe "wallet" is also very customary where I live. I've never heard billfold used by anyone here: writing or speaking.

Usually I call condoms "condoms", and most people I know also call them "condoms". Rubber is slang, albeit rarely used in my area of the US. People usually think "condom" when you say "rubber", though.

I'll be sure that the next time I want to end a relationship with or ignore someone from the UK, I'll blow 'em off. ;D

I'll contribute my own. Hopefully it's not been said!
UK: Knackered
US: Tired or Exhausted

If you see any mistakes, then by all means correct them. I don't have all the answers. I want contributions from as many people as possible.

If there are mistakes, corect them, so that we can build a definitive list :)

The US is big, so there are definitely variations from one part to the other. As for your last point though, I've never heard someone in the US refer to a cinema as pictures. It's always cinema or movie theater. Theater itself is used interchangeably between movies and stages (think ballet, musicals, opera, etc.).

In the UK, it was always a big event to 'go to the pictures' in the 60s and 70s. Now, with the advent of, first, VHS videos, and then DVDs, and now YouTube and downloads, it has become much less of an event. Many cinemas have closed down and become Bingo halls or become completely abandoned or demolished. I have no idea if this is the case in the US.

Try a really big IMAX (London/Manchester), size really does matter, lol