American > British Glossary | G
Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
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O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Briticisms |
 American
term or expression |
 British
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| gadfly | breeze |
| gallon (1 U.S. gallon = 3.79 liters) | gallon (1 imperial gallon = 4.55 litres) |
| game (sports event) | match (soccer, rugby, cricket, tennis, etc.) |
| garbage | rubbish, refuse |
| garbage can, garbage barrel | dustbin, rubbish bin, waste bin |
| garbage dump | rubbish tip |
| garbage man | dustman, rubbish collector, refuse collector [formal] |
| garbage truck | dustcart |
| garter belt | suspender belt |
| garters (support for women's stockings) | suspenders |
| gasoline, gas | petrol |
| gas gauge | petrol gauge, fuel gauge |
| gas pedal | accelerator |
| gas pump | petrol pump |
| gas station | petrol station, filling station, service station, garage |
| gas stove | gas cooker |
| gasoline, gas [colloq.] | petrol |
| gate, turnstile (at train or subway station) | barrier, ticket barrier |
| gawk [colloq.] (stare in a rude or stupid manner) | gawp [colloq.] |
| gear changer (on bicycle) | gear lever |
| gearshift (in vehicle) | gear lever, gearstick |
| general (U.S. Air Force) | Air Chief Marshal (Royal Air Force) |
| general delivery (mail to pick up at a post office) | poste restante |
| General of the Air Force (U.S. Air Force) | Marshal of the Royal Air Force (RAF) |
| General of the Army (U.S. Army) | Field Marshal (British Army) |
| German shepherd dog | Alsatian dog |
| get
your panties in a knot [colloq.] (get agitated over something) |
get your knickers in a twist [colloq.] |
| G.I. Joe™ (military-themed doll) | Action Man™ (UK equivalent) |
| give someone a call (telephone) | give someone a ring |
| give someone a ride | give someone a lift |
| glasshouse | greenhouse |
| glom [colloq.] (steal or take without permission) | pinch [colloq.] |
| glom on to [colloq.] | begin to show keen interest in something |
| go (n.) (try, attempt) (as in 'I had a go at fixing it') | bash, crack, whack [all colloq.], go |
| go to a movie theater, go to the movies | go to the cinema; go to the flicks / pictures [colloq.] |
| gob [slang] | sailor |
| gofer [colloq.] (person assigned only boring tasks) | dogsbody [colloq.] |
| golden raisin | sultana |
| gondola (railroad freight car) | goods wag(g)on (open, flat-bottomed type) |
| goof, goofball [colloq.] (inept, annoying, foolish male) | prat, jerk [both slang] |
| goof, goof-up [colloq.] (blunder) | cock-up [colloq.] |
| goof around [colloq.] | fool around wasting time |
| goof up (v.) [colloq.] | bungle or spoil through clumsiness |
| goon (thug or criminal) | man hired to threaten, intimidate or hurt opponents |
| goose bumps | goose pimples |
| GOP ('Grand Old Party') | US Repubican Party |
| grab bag | lucky dip |
| grade (school students in same year of study) | form (as in 'from September he's in the 2nd form') |
| grade crossing, railroad crossing | level crossing, railway crossing |
| graduate (n.) | US student who has successfully completed high school or been awarded a first degree at college or university |
| graduate (v.) | successfully complete US high school, college or university |
| graduate school (division of college or university) | postgraduate school |
| graduate studies | postgraduate studies |
| graduated beaker (in science lab) | measuring beaker |
| graduated cylinder (in science lab) | measuring cylinder |
| green bean | French bean |
| green onion | spring onion |
| green
thumb (as in 'she has a green thumb', i.e. she is good at growing plants) |
green fingers (as in 'she's got green fingers') |
| greeting card | greetings card |
| gridiron | playing field marked with lines for American football |
| grind (v.) (for an exam, etc.) | swot, cram |
| ground (electrical); grounded | earth; earthed |
| ground meat | mince, minced meat |
| ground wire | earth wire |
| groundhog | woodchuck |
| groundskeeper (looks after sports field, park, etc.) | groundsman |
| guardrail | crash barrier |
| gumshoe [old-fashioned slang] | detective (who moves stealthily in rubber shoes) |
| gurney | light bed on wheels for moving hospital patients |
| guy (male person, fellow) | bloke, geezer, mush [all slang], chap |
