British > American Glossary | D
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P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms |
 British
term or expression |
 American
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| dab hand [colloq.] (person very good at something) | ace |
| daddy longlegs [colloq.] | crane fly |
| daft | foolish, crazy |
| dame | lady who has been knighted |
| damn all | nothing at all |
| damp squib, a | something unimpressive or underwhelming |
| danger money | hazard pay, hazardous duty pay |
| Darby and Joan | your average, happily married elderly couple |
| Darby and Joan's club | social club for the elderly |
| Dash it (all)! | Damn it (all)! |
| Davenport | type of ornamental writing-desk |
| dawn chorus, the | many birds singing just before the sun comes up |
| day return (train or bus ticket) | heavily discounted round-trip ticket valid one day only, often with restrictions on rush-hour usage |
| a dead cert [colloq.] | a sure thing, sure-fire |
| dead on (as in 'dead on 6 o'clock') | exactly, precisely |
| debtors (in accounting) | accounts receivable, receivables |
| decider (in game or sport) | final game to let one team or individual claim victory |
| dekko [slang] (as in 'let's have a dekko at it') | look, peep, glance |
| demerara | kind of rough, light-brown cane sugar |
| demister (on car windscreen or rear window) | defogger, defroster |
| demon drink, the [humorous] | demon alcohol, the |
| dental nurse | dental assistant |
| dental surgery | dentist's office |
| depot | bus or truck parking; storehouse for goods |
| DERV (acronym for 'diesel-engined road vehicle') | category of diesel fuel for on-road use taxed at a higher rate than diesel fuel for other purposes |
| des res [colloq.] | desirable residence, plush pad [colloq.] |
| dessert trolley | dessert cart |
| detached house | one-family house |
| dialling code | area code |
| dialling tone | dial tone |
| diamanté (brightly shining artificial jewel) | rhinestone |
| diary (for planning purposes) | appointment book, datebook, calendar |
| dibs [slang] | money, dough [slang] |
| dice (both singular and plural) | die (plural 'dice' or 'dies') |
| dick (see also clever dick) | stupid man |
| different to, different from | different than, different from |
| digs [colloq.] | temporary lodgings other than hotel |
| dinky [colloq.] | small and charming or cute |
| dinner jacket | tuxedo |
| dinner service, dinner set | set of matching plates, dishes, bowls, cups and saucers for serving meals to a number of people |
| dip (v.) | to lower a vehicle's headlight beam |
| direct debit (banking) | automatic draft |
| directory enquiries (telephone) | directory assistance |
| dishy [colloq.] | sexually attractive, sexy-looking |
| dispatch rider | messenger on motorcycle or bicycle |
| district (in a town) | section |
| diversion (on road) | detour |
| do a bunk, do a runner [slang] | slip away in a hurry to avoid something unpleasant |
| do porridge [slang] (go to prison) | serve time |
| docker, dockworker | longshoreman |
| doddle [colloq.] (as in 'It's a doddle!') | cinch, breeze, a piece of cake |
| dodgem, dodgem car (at a fairground) | bumper car |
| dodgy [colloq.] (as in 'dodgy practices') | dishonest, artful, cunning |
| dog's breakfast [colloq.] | total mess or something very badly done |
| dogsbody
[colloq.] (person given all the boring or unpleasant tasks) |
drudge, gofer [colloq.] |
| dole, the (as in 'he's on the dole') | welfare payments to the unemployed |
| do the washing up | do the dishes, wash the dishes |
| doctor's surgery | doctor's office |
| dog end [slang] | smoked cigarette end or butt |
| donkey's years | ages; many, many years |
| doolally [colloq.] (out of one's mind) | bananas [colloq.] |
| dormitory | multiple-bed room at boarding school |
| dormitory town | bedroom community |
| dosh [slang] | jack [slang], money |
| doss (v.) [slang] | sleep rough or in cheap lodgings |
| dosser [slang] | hobo, or one who sleeps rough |
| dosshouse [slang] (extremely cheap lodging house) | flophouse [slang] |
| dotty [colloq.] | feebleminded, absurd, eccentric |
| double cream | heavy cream |
| double Dutch | incomprehensible speech or writing |
| double yellow lines | UK roadside marking for no waiting and no parking |
| double-glazed windows, double glazing | double-pane windows |
| doughnut | donut |
| downmarket | common and cheap |
| draining board (dish-drying surface next to sink) | drainboard |
| drainpipe | downspout |
| drapery, draper's (shop) | dry goods store |
| draught excluder | weather strip, weather stripping |
| draughts (board game) | checkers |
| drawing pin | thumbtack |
| drawing room [formal] (originally 'withdrawing room') | living room |
| dress circle (in theatre) | first balcony, mezzanine |
| dresser | tall piece of (usually kitchen) furniture with drawers or closets in bottom half and shelves on top |
| dressing gown | robe, bathrobe |
| dressing table (chest of drawers with mirror on top) | dresser |
| drink-driver | drunk driver, drunken driver |
| drink-driving | drunk driving, drunken driving |
| drinks cupboard | liquor cabinet |
| drinks party | cocktail party |
| drip [medical] (as in 'he was put on a drip') | drip feed |
| drip-mat (placed under a glass) | coaster |
| drive (n.) | driveway |
| driving licence | driver's license |
| driving test | driver's test |
| dry up | dry washed dishes with a dish towel |
| drop a clanger [slang] | make a mistake or blunder |
| dual carriageway | divided highway |
| duff [colloq.] | bad, inferior, no good |
| duff up somebody [slang] | beat up, thrash |
| dummy (baby's comforter) | pacifier |
| dumper (type of lorry) | dump truck |
| dungarees (jeans or tough denim trousers with
cloth covering for the chest and straps over the shoulders to hold them up) |
overalls |
| dust sheet | drop cloth |
| dustbin | trash can, trash barrel, garbage can, garbage barrel |
| dustcart | garbage truck |
| duster | dust cloth |
| dustman | trashman, trash collector, garbage collector |
| duvet (thick, soft quilt with detachable cover) | comforter |
| dynamo | mechanical generator (e.g. on a bicycle) |
