American > British Glossary | T
Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
| Index of Americanisms |
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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 |
|---|---|
|
tab
[colloq.] (as in 'pick up the tab' or pay for all; can also mean drink can 'pull tab') |
bill
(in restaurant, bar, etc.); ring pull (on drink can) |
| table (v.) (put on back burner) | shelve |
| table napkin | serviette |
| tacky [slang] (shabby, tasteless, lacking in style) | naff [slang] |
| tailgate (n.) (on truck) | tailboard (on lorry) |
| tailgate (v.), tailgating (n.) | drive too close to vehicle in front |
| taillight (on vehicle) | rear light |
| tailpipe (on vehicle) | exhaust pipe |
| take a bath, take a shower | have a bath, have a shower |
| Take a hike! | Get lost! Go away! |
| take a pee [colloq.] (urinate) | have a pee, have a slash [men's slang] |
| take a rain check on something | postpone accepting a kindness or invitation |
| take something with a grain of salt | take something with a pinch of salt |
| takeout (fast food) | takeaway |
| talk show (TV) | chat show |
| tank top | vest |
| tarp (heavy waterproof sheet used as covering) | tarpaulin |
| tavern | pub, public house; tavern [old fashioned] |
| taxi stand | taxi rank |
| tea cart, tea wagon | tea trolley |
| teakettle | kettle |
| technical sergeant (U.S. Air Force) | chief technician (Royal Air Force) |
| teddy (one-piece undergarment for woman) | camiknickers (i.e. camisole + knickers) |
| telephone booth | phone box, telephone box, telephone kiosk |
| telephone pole | telegraph pole |
| teller (bank) | cashier, bank cashier |
| tempest in a teapot, a (big fuss about nothing) | storm in a teacup, a |
| Texas gate (vehicle pass) | cattle
grid (grid over a ditch to allow vehicles but not sheep or cattle to pass) |
| that figures | that's likely or reasonable |
| There you go! (when handing over something) | Here you are! |
| Thermos™ bottle | Thermos™ flask, vacuum flask |
| third floor, third story | second floor, second storey |
| thread (a spool of thread) | cotton (a reel of cotton) |
| through, thru (as in 'Monday thru Friday') | up to and including |
| throw someone a curveball | present someone with an unexpected difficulty |
| thumbtack | drawing pin |
| ticker | tape machine (for receiving telegraphic messages) |
| ticket counter | ticket office |
| ticket sales clerk | booking clerk |
| ticket scalper | ticket tout |
| ticket taker | ticket collector |
| tic-tac-toe, tick-tack-toe (game) | noughts and crosses |
| tidbit | titbit |
| time out | time off, time to spare |
| toggle bolt | Rawplug™
(plastic anchor that gives screws a proper grip on walls) |
| toilet kit | sponge bag, toilet bag |
| toll free (or 800) number in U.S. | freephone (or 0800) number in UK |
| tow truck | breakdown truck, breakdown van |
| toward | towards |
| towel rack | towel rail |
| town house | terraced house |
| traffic circle, rotary (type of road junction) | roundabout |
| traffic light, traffic signal | traffic lights |
| track (railroad track) | line (railway line) |
| track 1 (of railroad station) | platform 1 (of railway station) |
| track and field | athletics |
| tractor-trailer | articulated lorry, juggernaut |
| trailer (mobile home) | caravan |
| trailer camping | caravanning |
| trailer park, trailer camp, trailer court | caravan site |
| train station | railway station |
| tramp [slang] (loose woman or prostitute) | scrubber, tart [both slang] |
| transmission tower (supporting high-voltage cables) | pylon, electricity pylon |
| trash | rubbish, refuse [formal] |
| trash can, trash barrel | dustbin, waste bin |
| trashman | dustman, rubbish collector, refuse collector [formal] |
| traveling salesman | commercial traveller |
| triangle (drawing instrument) | set square |
| trolley (means of transportation) | tram; cable car |
| truck | lorry |
| truck driver | lorry driver |
| truck
farm (small farm growing fruit and vegetables for direct sale to public) |
market garden |
| truck stop | transport café |
| trunk (of automobile) | boot |
| tube (old-fashioned radio component) | valve, radio valve |
| tube, the [colloq.] (television, TV) | the telly, the box [both colloq.] |
| tube top (woman's tight, low-cut, strapless top) | boob tube |
| turfman | horse racing devotee or punter |
| turn signal (on vehicle) | indicator, blinker |
| turnpike | tollroad |
| turnstile (railroad or subway station ticket gate) | barrier, ticket barrier |
| turtleneck (sweater) | polo neck, roll neck (jumper) |
| tuxedo | dinner jacket |
| TV antenna | TV aerial |
| twelve-gauge shotgun | twelve-bore shotgun |
| two weeks | fortnight, a (from Old English for 'fourteen nights') |
| two-family house | semi-detached house |
