American > British Glossary | G
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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 |