British > American Glossary | P
Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
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P Q R S T U V W X Y Z | Americanisms |
 British
term or expression |
 American
equivalent, or explanation |
|---|---|
| pack of cards | deck of cards |
| packed lunch | sack lunch |
| packet (of cereal, peanuts, cigarettes, etc.) | pack |
| packet of crisps | bag of potato chips |
| paddle | wade barefoot in shallow water |
| paddling pool | wading pool |
| paddy [colloq.] | fit of rage or bad temper |
| Paddy [colloq.] | Irishman |
| Page Three Girl | model featured on page 3 of U.K. tabloid The Sun |
| panda car | police patrol car |
| pantechnicon | moving truck, moving van |
| panther | cougar, puma |
| pantomime, panto [colloq.] | fairy-tale-based musical comedy for the whole family staged at theaters across the U.K. in the Christmas and New Year holidays |
| pants | underpants, shorts, jockey shorts, briefs |
| paper handkerchief | Kleenex™ |
| paper round | paper route |
| paracetamol (common analgesic) | acetaminophen |
| paraffin | kerosene |
| parcel | package |
| parish | area and residents
served by a Church of England church and its priest; in England, the smallest unit of local government |
| parky [colloq] | chilly |
| parting (in hair) | part |
| passenger liner, liner | ocean liner |
| pastry case | pie crust |
| pasty | individual pie with meat or savory filling |
| patience (card game for one) | solitaire |
| patterned (clothing material) | |
| pavement | sidewalk |
| pawpaw, papaw | papaya |
| pay packet | pay envelope |
| pay rise | pay raise, raise |
| paying-in slip | deposit slip |
| pease pudding | peas, onions and carrots boiled and mashed |
| peckish [colloq.] | feeling hungry |
| pedestrian crossing, zebra crossing | crosswalk |
| pedestrian precinct | vehicle-free zone in town or city |
| pedlar | peddler |
| pee down [slang] | rain heavily |
| peeler [archaic slang] | police officer |
| peg out [slang] (die) | check out, conk out, kick in, kick off, pop off [slang] |
| pelican crossing | pedestrian light controlled crosswalk |
| pelmet | valance |
| pen torch | penlight |
| penknife | pocketknife |
| people carrier | minivan, passenger van |
| pepper (vegetable) | bell pepper, sweet pepper |
| perish (of fresh food items) | decay, deteriorate, rot |
| perished [colloq.] (as in 'I'm perished!') | suffering from cold |
| perishing [colloq.] (as in 'It's perishing in here!') | freezing cold |
| pernickety (overly fussy or fastidious) | persnickety |
| personal ad | personal |
| personal call (operator-connected private call) | person-to-person |
| personal stereo | a Walkman™ |
| Perspex™ (tough clear plastic substitute for glass) | Plexiglas™ |
| petrol | gasoline, gas [colloq.] |
| petrol guage | gas guage |
| petrol pump | gas pump |
| petrol station | gas station |
| petrol tanker | fuel truck |
| petty officer (Royal Navy) | petty officer 1st class or 2nd class (U.S. Navy) |
| phone box | phone booth |
| photocopier, photocopy machine | Xerox™ machine |
| photocopy (n.) (v.) | xerox |
| physiotherapy | physical therapy |
| pickle [colloq.] | a mischievous young child |
| pictures, the [colloq.] | movies, the |
| pigsty | pigpen |
| pilchard | fish similar to sardine but slightly larger |
| pillar box | red, round, pillar-shaped mailbox for outgoing mail |
| pillock [slang] (foolish or stupid person) | jackass |
| pilot officer (Royal Air Force) | second
lieutenant >
chief warrant officer (U.S. Air Force) |
| pinafore, pinny [colloq.] | large apron or sleeveless smock for adult female |
| pinafore dress | jumper dress |
| pincer (on lobster or crab) | claw |
| pinch [colloq.] (steal or take without permission) | glom [colloq.] |
| pint (1 imperial pint = 0.565 litres) | pint (1 U.S. pint = 0.473 liters) |
| pip (fruit seed) | smaller size pit (compare British English stone) |
| piped music (also referred to as 'muzak') | elevator music |
| pips, the [colloq.] | time signal on the radio on the hour |
| piss artist [slang] | drunkard; person who fools around |
| piss down [slang] | rain heavily |
| Piss off! [slang] (Go away!) | Get lost! Beat it! [slang] |
| pissed [slang] (drunk) | blasted,
blotto, canned, sloshed, smashed, stoned [all slang] |
| pissed off [slang] (annoyed or depressed) | pissed [slang] |
| pisshead [slang] | drunkard |
| pitch | playing field for soccer, rugby or cricket |
| plain chocolate | dark chocolate |
| plain flour | all-purpose flour |
| plain pattern (on textiles and clothing) | solid pattern |
| plait | braid |
| plaster, sticking plaster | Band-Aid™ |
| plaster cast | cast |
| platform 1 (of railway station) | track 1 (at railroad station) |
| play truant | play hooky (or hookey) [colloq.] |
| playground | schoolyard |
| plimsolls | sneakers, deck shoes |
| plonk [colloq.] | cheap or low-quality wine |
| plonker [colloq.] | foolish or stupid person |
| plot (piece of land) | lot |
| plough | plow |
| Plough, the (group of seven stars in northern sky) | Big Dipper, the |
| plug [colloq. for 'plug socket'] | electrical outlet |
| plug (in washbasin, kitchen sink or bath) | stopper (in sink or bathtub) |
| plus fours | baggy knickerbockers |
| pneumatic drill | jackhammer |
| pocket money (paid by parent to child) | weekly allowance |
| points (pl.) (mechanism for changing rail tracks) | switches |
| pointsman | switchman |
| polo neck, polo-necked jumper | turtleneck sweater |
| Polyfilla ™ | spackle compound |
| ponce [slang] | pimp; effeminate man |
| pong [colloq.] | unpleasant smell or stink |
| pony trekking | horseback riding |
| poo [colloq.] (faeces) | doo-doo [colloq.] |
| poof, poofter [slang] (gay man, disparaging) | fag, faggot [slang] |
| pop in, pop into [colloq.] (pay a quick casual visit) | drop in, drop in at |
| pop music (especially more tuneful popular music) | pop rock; rock ('rock' covers a broad spectrum in U.S.) |
| pop one's clogs [colloq.] (die) | check out, conk out, bite the dust [all colloq.] |
| pop shop [colloq.] | pawnbroker |
| POP-size (envelope) | 'Post Office Preferred' size |
| popper (press stud) | snap |
| poppet [colloq.] (said to young, dainty girl) | honey, hon' |
| porch | shelter over entrance of building |
| porkie (from
rhyming slang 'pork pie' for 'lie') (as in: 'Joe told a whopping big porkie!') |
lie or falsehood |
| porridge | oatmeal |
| porridge [slang] | imprisonment |
| porter (at hotel) | bellhop, bellboy, bellman |
| posh | fancy [colloq.], stylish, classy, smartly dressed |
| positive discrimination | reverse discrimination |
| post | |
| postal assistant | postal clerk |
| postal ballot | absentee ballot |
| postal code, postcode | zip code |
| postal order | money order |
| postal vote | absentee ballot |
| postbag | mailbag |
| postbox, pillar box | public mailbox |
| poste restante | general delivery |
| postgraduate | college or university graduate |
| postgraduate school | graduate school |
| postman | mailman, mail carrier |
| pot (of yoghurt, cream, etc.) | tub |
| pot noodles | cup noodles |
| pot plant | houseplant |
| potato chips | fries, french fries |
| potato crisps | chips, potato chips |
| pots of something [colloq.] | loads of something [colloq.] |
| potty [colloq.] | nutty, crazy |
| power cut | power outage |
| power point | outlet, electrical outlet, wall outlet |
| pram (abbreviation of outdated 'perambulator') | baby carriage, baby buggy, stroller |
| prang [slang] (minor vehicle collision) | fender bender [slang] |
| prat [slang] (inept, foolish or annoying person) | jerk, goofball, dork [all disparaging slang] |
| prawn | shrimp |
| precinct | traffic-free shopping area or indoor shopping mall |
| preference share (investment) | preferred stock |
| preggers [slang] (pregnant) | in the family way [colloq.] |
| Premium (Savings) Bond | government lottery bond that enters the holder for a monthly cash prize draw but yields no interest |
| prep school | private elementary school preparing kids for private high school (compare British public school) |
| presently | soon, in a while |
| press stud (clothes fastener) | snap |
| press-up (type of physical exercise) | push-up |
| primary school | elementary school |
| prise open (lever open) | prize or pry openComment: In early 19th century America, the verb 'pry' resulted from British English 'prise' being misconstrued as a 3rd person singular form 'pries'. |
| prison, gaol [old-fashioned] | jail, jailhouse, penitentiary |
| product range (goods produced by one company) | product line |
| professor | in U.K., university academic of highest rank only |
| profit (in accounting) | income |
| profit and loss account (in accounting) | income statement |
| promenade (path next to sea at seaside resort) | seafront |
| promenade concert, prom | concert at which part of a concert hall has been cleared of seats to allow in more people standing |
| propelling pencil | mechanical pencil |
| property (land or buildings) | real estate |
| pseud | socially pretentious person or fake intellectual |
| public bar | bar in a public house simply furnished and slightly less expensive than the adjoining saloon bar |
| public convenience [euph.] | public lavatory, public restroom |
| public house (i.e. a 'pub') | tavern; inn |
| public school | private, fee-paying school (the term 'independent school' is now preferred by the schools themselves and their representative bodies, while 'public school' is still common in everyday conversation) |
| public transport | public transportation |
| pudding | in Britain a hot or cold dessert of any kind |
| pull [colloq.] (as in 'he pulled a bird at a nightclub') | succeed in finding a female sex partner |
| pull round (recover from illness) | pull through |
| Pull the other one! [colloq.] | You're kidding! |
| punchbag | punching bag |
| puncture (in tyre) | flat, blowout (in tire) |
| punnet of strawberries | basket of strawberries |
| punter | gambler, especially one who bets on horses or against a bookmaker |
| pupil, | schoolchild, student |
| purse | in Britain, a small pocketbook or coin pouch |
| push the boat out [colloq.] | spend lavishly to celebrate something |
| pushchair (small pram) | stroller, baby buggy |
| put the boot in [colloq.] | kick brutally; act firmly against someone |
| pyjamas | pajamas |
| pylon (metal tower supporting high-voltage cables) | transmission tower, high tension tower |
