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Index of Briticisms

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Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms

British term or expression	American equivalent, or explanation
OAP (old-age pensioner)	retiree, senior
oblique stroke /	forward slash /
off [colloq.] (as in: 'Sorry dear, it's off!')	any unavailable U.K. restaurant menu item is 'off'
off-licence	liquor store, package store
off one's rocker [slang] (bonkers, crazy)	out to lunch [colloq.]
off-the-peg (ready-to-wear items in clothes shop)	off-the-rack
Oi! (exclamation to call attention)	Hey!
old moon	last quarter
on holiday	on vacation
on sale	for sale, available for purchase
on the cards [colloq.] (likely or probable)	in the cards [colloq.]
on the dole [colloq.]	living on welfare for the unemployed
on the game [slang]	involved in prostitution or thieving
on the wagon, on the water wagon	teetotal, abstaining from alcohol
on tick [colloq.]	on credit
opencast mining	open-pit mining, open-cut mining
operating theatre	operating room
opposite	across from
optician	optometrist
orbital bypass or motorway	road encircling city or town
Ordinance Survey, the	UK government mapping agency
ordinary seaman (Royal Navy)	seaman apprentice (U.S. Navy)
ordinary share (investment)	common stock
orientate [v.]	orient [v.]
out tray	outbox
outdoor lavatory	outhouse
outhouse	shed or smaller building in house grounds
outside lane, fast lane (of motorway)	passing lane, fast lane, left lane (of freeway, highway)
oven glove	oven mitt, potholder
overall	loose-fitting protective smock over other clothes
overleaf (referring to next page)	P.T.O. (please turn over)
overtake, overtaking (in traffic)	pass, passing
own-brand product, own-label product	private brand, store brand
Oxbridge [portmanteau word]	Oxford and Cambridge universities, England's oldest and most prestigious (compare Ivy League)
Oxo™ cube, stock cube	bouillon cube
Oxonian	relating either to Oxford or its university