British > American Glossary | S
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 |
|---|---|
| sack (dismiss an employee) | fire [colloq.] |
| saddle (on bicycle) | seat |
| sailing boat | sailboat |
| salad cream | Popular British salad dressing slightly yellower and less viscous than mayonnaise, with more vinegar and less oil and egg yollk |
| sales assistant | sales clerk, salesperson |
| sales turnover | sales revenue |
| saloon bar | bar in a public house better furnished and slightly more expensive than the adjoining public bar |
| saloon, saloon car | sedan |
| sandpit | sandbox |
| sandwich cake | layer cake |
| sanitary towel | sanitary napkin |
| sawn-off shotgun | sawed-off shotgun |
| scales (weighing implement) | scale |
| scarper [slang] (run away) | split, beat it [both slang] |
| school report | report card |
| scoop the pool [colloq.] | win every single prize avaialble |
| scourer | scouring pad |
| scrap paper (used paper for writing notes on) | scratch paper |
| screw (n.) [prisoner slang] (prison warder) | prison guard |
| scribbling block, scribbling pad. jotter, jotting block | scratch pad |
| scrub round
[colloq.] |
avoid, circumvent |
| scrubber [derogatory slang] | sexually promiscuous
female; prostitute |
| scrubbing brush | scrub brush |
| scrum [colloq.] | undisciplined or disorderly crowd |
| scrumple | crumple, wrinkle |
| scrumpy [colloq.] | a rough cider made in the west of England |
| scrunchy | decorative fabric-covered elastic band to fasten hair |
| scrutineer (UK election official) | person who ensures votes are counted correctly |
| seaside, the | beach, the |
| seaside resort | beach resort |
| season ticket | commuter pass |
| secateurs | a pair of hand-held pruning clippers |
| 2nd lieutenant (British Army & Royal Marines) | 2nd
lieutenant > chief warrant officer (U.S. Army & U.S. Marine Corps) |
| second floor (UK) | third floor (U.S.) |
| second name, surname | last name, family name |
| secondary school | high school |
| self-raising flour | self-rising flour |
| Sellotape™, sticky tape | Scotch tape™ |
| semibreve (in music) | whole note |
| semi-detached house | duplex house, two-family house |
| semiquaver (in music) | sixteenth note |
| semitone | half step |
| semolina
(pudding) |
cream of wheat |
| send down (e.g. 'a thief was sent down for 2 years') | sentence
to imprisonment; suspend or expel from a college or university |
| senior citizen, pensioner | senior, retiree |
| senior nursing officer | person in charge of all nursing at a British hospital |
| sergeant (British Army) | 1st
sergeant > master sergeant
> specialist 8 > sergeant first class > specialist 7 > staff sergeant > specialist 6 > sergeant > specialist 5 (U.S. Army) |
| sergeant (Royal Air Force) | staff sergeant (U.S. Air Force) |
| sergeant (Royal Marines) | first
sergeant > master sergeant > gunnery sergeant > staff sergeant > sergeant (U.S. Marine Corps) |
| service flats | apartment hotel |
| service station | gas station, garage (on regular road); service area (on freeway) |
| serviette | napkin, table napkin |
| set square (drawing instrument) | triangle |
| settee | couch |
| sewage farm, sewage works | sewage treatment plant |
| shag [slang] (have sex) | ball, hump, screw [all slang] |
| shagged out [slang] | tired out, exhausted |
| shambolic [colloq.] | disorganized, in a state of confusion, chaotic |
| shandy | drink of beer and lemonade |
| shank's pony (one's own two legs to get around) | shank's mare |
| share (in a company) | stock |
| share option | stock option |
| shareholder | stockholder, shareholder |
| shareholders' funds | shareholders' equity, shareowners' equity |
| sheath | condom, rubber [slang] |
| shelve (put on a back burner) | table |
| shepherd's pie | ground meat topped with mashed potato |
| shirty [colloq.] | irritated, annoyed, peckish |
| shoe polish | shoeshine |
| shoelace | shoestring |
| shoot (n.) | hunting party, hunting expedition |
| shooting (sport) | small-game hunting |
| shooting brake (car) | sleek, coupé-style station wagon |
| shooting stick | pointed walking stick with a double handle that opens out to serve as a seat at outdoor events |
| shop | store |
| shop assistant | sales clerk |
| shop floor, the (in factory, etc.) | non-management workers and their working area |
| shopkeeper | store owner |
| shopper | (U.K.) large shopping bag or basket on wheels with long handle to bring home supermarket purchases |
| shopping centre | shopping mall |
| shopping precinct | traffic-free
shopping area in town or city; indoor shopping mall |
| shopping trolley | shopping cart |
| shop-soiled | shopworn |
| shopwalker
(person in large store who directs customers and supervises sales staff) |
floorwalker |
| shortsighted | nearsighted |
| show home, show house | model house |
| shower [slang] (bunch of undesirable people) | riff-raff, rabble |
| shufti [colloq.] (as in 'I took a quick shufti at it') | look, glance, glimpse, peep |
| sick (as in 'I feel sick') | nauseous |
| sickie [colloq.] (as in 'I threw a sickie') | falsely claiming you're sick to get a day off work |
| sideboard (piece of furniture) | buffet |
| sideboard (hair on the side of man's face) | sideburn, side-whiskers |
| siding | railroad siding |
| sieve | strainer |
| signal box (alongside railway) | signal tower |
| silencer (on motor vehicle) | muffler |
| silly billy | foolish person |
| silver foil, silver paper | aluminum foil, tin foil |
|
silver
top (silver-coloured foil cap on pint bottle of milk; see also gold top) |
standard
milk of the kind delivered to British homes |
| silverside | cut of beef taken from the area adjacent to the tail |
| single, single ticket | one-way ticket |
| sirloin steak | porterhouse steak |
| sister (hospital nurse) | senior female nurse in charge of a ward |
| sitting room | living room |
| skeleton
in the cupboard, a (embarrassing detail about one's past) |
skeleton in the closet, a |
| skimmed milk | skim milk |
| skint [colloq., from 'skinned'] | broke, without a dime |
| skip (container for large-scale refuse disposal) | Dumpster™ |
| skipping rope | jump rope |
| skirt [slang] (as in 'She's a nice bit of skirt!') | disrespectful objectification of an attractive woman |
| skirting board | baseboard, mopboard |
| skive [colloq.] | play
hooky, play hookey; shirk or evade one's duties, especially by avoiding being seen by others who are hard at work |
| skiver
[colloq.] |
shirker;
truant; one who is absent from work or school without permission |
| skivvy [derog., colloq.] | female domestic servant |
| slag [derog., slang] |
promiscuous female; prostitute |
| slanging match | prolonged heated exchange of insults or abuse |
| slap and tickle [colloq.] | fun and games of a sexual nature |
| slap-up [colloq.] (as in 'Jack ate a slap-up meal') | excellent, lavish |
| slash (n.) [slang] (act of urinating) | pee [colloq.] |
| slate (v.) | scold or severely criticize |
| sleep rough | sleep outdoors for lack of home or money |
| sledge | sled |
| sleeper (on railway line) | railroad tie |
| sleeping carriage | sleeping car, sleeper |
| sleeping
partner (person investing money in a business but not given any managerial role) |
silent partner |
| sling one's hook [colloq.] (leave in a hurry) | be gone, buzz off [colloq.]; back off |
| slip road (on motorway) | entrance
ramp, on-ramp; exit ramp, off-ramp (on highway or freeway) |
| Sloane Ranger [colloq.] | stereotypical rich young upper-class socialite, who might well have come from Sloane Square between London's upscale districts of Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Belgravia |
| slosh [slang] (hit with force) | sock, wallop |
| slowcoach [colloq.] (one who works or acts slowly) | slowpoke [colloq.] |
| smallest room [euphemism] | restroom, bathroom |
| smallholding | agricultural holding smaller than a small farm |
| smalls [colloq.] | underwear |
| smarmy [colloq.] | overly flattering or obsequious |
| smasher [colloq.] (great-looking girl) |
peach,
lulu, stunner, knockout [all colloq.] |
| smashing [colloq.] | fabulous, marvelous |
| smooch [colloq.] | in U.K. can mean dance slowly and close together |
| snack, light meal | nosh |
| snakes and ladders (children's board game) | chutes and ladders |
| snap | card game in which you shout 'Snap!' as soon as you see two cards with the same value |
| snigger | snicker |
| snip
[colloq.]; snip, the [humorous] |
bargain; vasectomy |
| snog [slang] | kiss and caress amorously; neck, smooch |
| snout [slang] | nose; informer; tobacco or cigarette |
| snuff it [slang] (pass away) | kick in, kick off, check out, peg out [all slang] |
| socket, mains socket | outlet |
| sodding [slang] | blasted |
| Sod off! [slang] | Beat it! Get lost! Go to hell! |
| sofa | couch |
| sofa bed | fold-out couch |
| soft drink (effervescent type) | soda |
| sole trader | sole owner, sole proprietor |
| solicitor | attorney, general lawyer |
| sonny Jim [colloq.] (condescending form of address) | bud, buddy |
| soppy [colloq.] | silly; foolishly sentimental |
| sorbet | sherbet ice cream |
| soya soya bean soya sauce |
soy soybean soy sauce |
| spanner | wrench |
| spanner in the works, a | obstacle, impediment |
| spate (as in 'the river is in full spate') | freshet, river flood |
| special delivery | express mail |
| speciality | specialty |
| spectacles, glasses | eyeglasses |
| spend a
penny (one penny was once the cost
of using a public convenience) |
go to the bathroom or restroom |
| spiffing [colloq.] | swell [colloq.] |
| spirit level | level |
| spirits (distilled alcohol) | liquor |
| splashback tiles (to protect kitchen wall) | backsplash tiles |
| sponge bag (travel accessory) | toiletry kit, toiletry bag |
| sponge bath | blanket bath |
| sponge finger (long soft sweet cake) | ladyfinger |
| sponge pudding (such as treacle pudding) | steamed or baked sponge dessert |
| sponge sandwich | layer cake |
| sports centre | health club, fitness club |
| sports day (at school or college) | field day |
| sports jacket | sport jacket, sport coat |
| spot on
[colloq.] (as in 'her estimate was spot on') |
accurate,
precise, on target |
| spring-clean (n.) | spring-cleaning (not necessarily in the spring) |
| spring greens (vegetable) | leaves from young cabbage plant |
| spring onion | green onion, scallion |
| sprog [slang] | baby or young child |
| sprout (vegetable) | Brussels sprout |
| spunk (courage and determination) | moxie [colloq.] |
| spunk [vulgar slang] | semen |
| squaddie, squaddy [slang] | private
soldier; soldier of low rank; soldier who thinks he's God's gift to women |
| squadron leader (Royal Air Force) | major (U.S. Air Force) |
| squash (drink) | fruit drink concentrate |
| squire
[colloq.] (as in 'What can I do for you, squire?' [old-fashioned, working man's way of addressing another another man he thinks might be his social superior]) |
sir |
| staff sergeant (British Army) | sergeant major > specialist 9 (U.S. Army) |
| stag [colloq.] (short-term speculator) | day trader on the stock market |
| stag party, stag night | bachelor party |
| stall (in market) | stand |
| stalls (in theatre) | orchestra seats |
| stand (in politics) (as in 'she stood for re-election') | run (as in 'he ran for public office') |
| standard lamp | floor lamp |
| standing order (in banking) | automatic draft |
| Stanley knife™, craft knife | utility knife, box cutter |
| starkers [colloq.] | stark naked |
| starter (first course of a meal) | appetizer |
| state school (providing free basic education to all) | public school |
| stick
(n.) [colloq.] (as in 'the chef has taken a lot of stick for his uninspiring menu') |
flak [colloq.], criticism |
| stick (v.) [colloq.] ('I couldn't stick it one day longer!') | bear, endure |
| stick insect |
walking stick |
| sticking plaster | Band Aid™ |
| stickweed | ragweed |
| sticky end (as in 'he came to a sticky end') | an unpleasant or painful death |
| sticky tape | Scotch tape™ |
| sticky wicket | difficult or awkward situation |
| stiffy [slang] (penile erection) | boner [slang] |
| stinks [school slang] | chemistry class |
| stock cube, Oxo™ cube | bouillon cube |
| stocks (goods available for delivery) | inventories |
| stocktaking | making an inventory |
| stodgy (of food) | heavy, indigestible |
| stone (fruit seed) | larger size pit (compare British English pip) |
| stone (unit of weight) | 14 pounds in weight (= 6.35 kg) |
| stoned (olives, etc.) | pitted |
| stoppages
(sums taken out of salary or wages before payment) |
deductions |
| storey [pl. storeys] (level in building) | story [pl. stories] |
| storm in a teacup (big fuss about nothing) | tempest in a teapot |
| stream [acad.] (as in 'Sue got into the A-stream') | group of school children of similar age and ability selected to be taught at same level |
| streets ahead (of) [colloq.] | overwhelmingly superior (to) |
| strewth, struth [colloq.] (exclamation of surprise) | contraction of 'God's truth' |
| stroppy [colloq.] | bad-tempered and awkward to deal with |
| struck on [colloq.] | infatuated with |
| student | in Britain, first and foremost a college student |
| stupid | dumb |
| sub-editor, subeditor | copy editor |
| subfusc | drab, dull, dusky, gloomy |
| sub-lieutenant (Royal Navy) | lieutenant
junior grade (U.S.
Navy) |
| subordinate clause [grammar] | dependent clause |
| subway (pedestrian walkway under a busy road) | underpass |
| sultana | golden raisin |
| summer time | daylight saving time |
| Sunday supplements | additional newspapers and sometimes magazines ('color
supplements') accompanying a U.K. Sunday paper |
| sundowner | alcoholic drink taken around the time the sun sets |
| sunshine
(form of condescending, informal address by one male to another, as in 'I wouldn't do that, sunshine!') |
buddy, bud |
| surgery [C] | doctor's or dentist's office |
| surgical spirit | rubbing alcohol |
| surname, second name | last name, family name |
| surtitle | supertitle |
| suspender belt | garter belt |
| suspenders (to hold up women's stockings) | garters |
| suss out (as in 'he's gone up to London to suss out job opportunities') |
check out,
investigate |
| swear blind [colloq.] | state categorically |
| swede (vegetable) | rutabaga |
| sweep something under the carpet [idiom] | sweep something under the rug |
| sweet corn (or corn on the cob) | corn |
| sweet (last course of a meal) | dessert |
| sweet Fanny Adams, sweet FA [colloq.] | absolutely nothing at all |
| sweets | candy |
| sweetshop | candy store |
| swimming trunks | men's swimsuit or swimwear |
| swings
and
roundabouts (as in 'what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts', or vice versa) |
philosphy that everything evens itself out in the end |
| Swiss roll | jelly roll |
| swizz, swiz [colloq.] | swindle or scam; unfair or dishonest practice |
| swizzle [colloq.] | swindle |
| swot (v.) (for an exam, etc.) | cram, grind |
| swot (n.) [colloq.] | someone who studies very hard, usually a child |
