EFL teacher David Appleyard
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Smoothing and improving transatlantic communication
Index of Briticisms
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Americanisms

 

AmericanBritish term or expression BritishAmerican equivalent, or explanation
racecourse racetrack
racing car race car
racing driver race car driver
radio cassette recorder AM/FM cassette recorder
rag (UK college event) row of charity fund-raising activities and entertainments annually organized by students
rag [colloq.] (as in 'I read it in the local rag') humorous term for newspaper of lower quality
rag-and-bone man ragman
railway railroad
railway carriage, coach or wagon (also 'waggon') railroad car, passenger car
railway crossing, level crossing grade crossing, railroad crossing
railway line railroad track
railway station railroad station, train station, depot
rallying (motor sport) rally racing
randy [slang] (lustful) horny [slang]
range (of products) line, product line
range (old style cooker) stove (solid fuel-fired type kept hot all day long)
rasher of bacon bacon slice
rat run [colloq.] back road used by many to avoid rush-hour traffic
ratty [colloq.] irritable, touchy
Rawplug™ plastic wall anchor to give screws grip on walls;
U.S. equivalents include the molly bolt & toggle bolt
reafforestation reforestation
real tennis (the ancient game from which
                   modern-day tennis is derived)
court tennis
rear light (on vehicle) taillight
reception (hotel, etc.) front desk
receptionist front desk clerk
recess temporary cessation of work, esp. in Parliament, government organizations, and law courts
reckon [colloq.] (think, guess) figure [colloq.]
recorded delivery certified mail
recreation ground playground
Red Indian [dated and politically incorrect] American Indian, Native American
redundant out of work, unemployed
reel (of film, tape, cotton, etc.) roll, spool
refuse collector [formal], dustman garbage man, trash man [both colloq.]
registered post certified mail
registration number, registration plate (on vehicle) license plate
registry office, register office marriage clerk's office
Remembrance Day, Remembrance Sunday British equivalent of Veterans' Day
remould a tyre retread a tire
removal or removals firm, service or company movers
removal or removals lorry or van moving van
repeat prescription (medical) additional prescription allowing more of a previously prescribed medicine, and usually without the patient having to see the doctor all over again
research director (top executive) vice president (VP) research
resident overnight hotel guest
residential area or district residential section, uptown
rest room relaxation room
restaurant bill check
restaurant car (on train) dining car
return ticket round trip ticket
reverse charge call collect call
reverse the charges call collect
reversing lights (on vehicle) reverse lights, backup lights
revise (re-read study notes or textbooks for exam) review
riding (equestrian) horseback riding
right cock-up, a screw-up resulting from total incompetence
right-angled triangle (triangle with one 90° angle) right triangle
Righto! Right-oh! Righty-ho! Sure thing!
ring off (end a phone call) hang up
ring road (bypass encircling city or town) beltway
ring someone up phone someone
ring pull (on drink can) pull tab  
rise, pay rise raise, pay raise
rising damp ground-moisture penetration in wall
road metal small or crushed stones used in road-making
roadworks road work
rock hard, cylindrical stick of peppermint candy
roger [slang] (have sex with) ball, hump, screw [all slang]
roll neck, roll-necked jumper turtleneck sweater
Roller [colloq.] Rolls Royce car
roller blind  shade, window shade
rollmop a rolled-up pickled herring fillet
room only (at hotel, etc.) European plan
ropy, ropey [colloq.] in poor condition or of low quality
ro-ro [colloq.] roll-on, roll-off ferry (vehicles driven on at one
                                end and off at the other)
rot [slang] baloney [colloq.], nonsense
rota roster, duty roster
rotter   cad; objectionable, unpleasant person
round (adv., prep.) around
round brackets   (    ) parentheses
round the bend [colloq.] crazy; extremely agitated or worked up
roundabout (merry-go-round) carousel
roundabout (circular road junction) rotary, traffic circle
rowing boat rowboat
rubber pencil eraser
rubber dinghy, inflatable dinghy rubber raft, rubber life raft
rubber johnny, johnny  [both slang] rubber [slang], condom, sheath
rubbish (n.) garbage, trash;
nonsense, baloney [colloq.]
rubbish (v.) [colloq.] criticize severely; reject as worthless
rubbish tip garbage dump
rucksack backpack
ruddy [colloq.] damned, darned [colloq.]
rug thick wool coverlet or blanket
rugger [colloq.] rugby football
rum, rummy (adj.) [colloq.] strange, odd, queer
rumble someone [colloq.] dredge up or dig up dirt on someone [colloq.]
rump steak sirloin steak
run a new car in break in a new car's engine by not driving too fast for the first 1,000 miles or so
run away to Gretna Green  [colloq.] elope
runner bean string bean
rusticate (a student) suspend from college or university