List of words mainly used in American English

From Free net encyclopedia

If a word appears to be missing from this list, it is advisable to check the list of words having different meanings in British and American English, as it is possible that the word is used in both dialects.

Contents 1 See also 2 0-9 3 A 4 B 5 C 6 D 7 E 8 F 9 G 10 H 11 I 12 J 13 K 14 L 15 M 16 N 17 O 18 P 19 R 20 S 21 T 22 U 23 V 24 W 25 X 26 Y 27 Z

See also

• American and British English differences
• list of words mainly used in British English
• list of words having different meanings in British and American English

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0-9

101 

(pronounced "one-oh-one") label for introductory college courses ("English 101"), figuratively denoting something intended for beginners ("real estate 101")
U.S. Highway 101 (used with "the" in Southern California)

40 (forty) 

a 40-acre parcel of land, specifically one sixteenth of a section, constituting the smallest unit of agricultural land commonly surveyed ("back 40," "front 40"); "back 40" also refers to an undeveloped plot of land (as on a farm, ranch, etc.) of unspecified size

49er (forty-niner) 

a person who went to California to seek a fortune in the 1849 California Gold Rush; (also niner) a member of the San Francisco 49ers football team

A

acclimate 

(verb) (UK usually: acclimatise, acclimatize)

affirmative action 

(see article)

ahold 

(orig. dialectal) hold, grip; used in phrases such as "get ahold of," "take ahold of," "grab ahold of," etc.

airplane 

fixed-wing aircraft. Alteration of UK aeroplane, probably influenced by aircraft.

AMBER alert 

a missing person alert (stands for "America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response")

ambulance chaser 

(see article)

amtrac 

Landing Vehicle Tracked (not to be confused with Amtrak, the railroad passenger corporation)

anchorman/anchorwoman 

news broadcaster, news presenter (US also anchor, news anchor; UK: newsreader)

arugula, rugola 

the herb also known as rocket or garden rocket

aside from 

apart from (both phrases are common in US usage)

automobile 

(UK prefers motorcar)

B

baby carriage 

pushable vehicle for transporting babies, also called buggy or regionally baby coach (UK: perambulator, pram, pushchair: for the type that an older baby sits rather than lies in)

in back of 

behind ("She was standing there in back of my chair" -- Bob Dylan)

backhoe 

a piece of excavating equipment (UK usually JCB, genericized trademark)

backpack 

originally, the load of a knapsack; later, the knapsack itself; UK usage traditionally prefers earlier terms such as rucksack; the word has become particularly popular outside of North America as a verb (see backpacking (wilderness) and backpacking (travel))

backyard 

yard behind the house (UK: back garden)

baggage 

luggage. Both terms are used in both British and American English.

ballpark 

a baseball stadium; a range of approximation or accuracy ("in the ballpark"; "a ballpark figure")

Band-Aid 

(trademark) bandage for minor wounds, (UK: plaster); also, a makeshift solution

barnyard 

a farmyard

bayou 

(from Louisiana French) an often marshy slow-moving minor watercourse, usually located in a low-lying area (as in the Mississippi River delta region of the southern United States)

bedroom community 

a dormitory or commuter town

in behalf of 

on behalf of; the two phrases are often used interchangeably, although traditionally on behalf of means "in support of" and in behalf of means "in the interest of." In behalf of is obsolescent in UK usage (where behalf of, without a preposition, is also found), but still current in US, although not as common as on behalf of

blacktop 

noun and verb (see article) (UK: compare tarmac)

blinders 

(on a horse) (UK: blinkers)

booger 

(slang) a piece of nasal mucus (UK: bogie)

boondocks 

(also the boonies) rough country; a very rural location or town; backwoods

boondoggle 

(see article)

breadbox 

(UK usually bread bin)

broil 

to cook food with high heat with the heat applied directly to the food (UK: grill)

brownstone 

a type of residential building found in New York and other large cities

bubbler 

a drinking fountain (used especially, but not exclusively, in Wisconsin and some parts of New England); originally, the term referred to the freshwater drum

buddy, bud 

a friend; also used as a term of address (UK similar: mate)

bullhorn 

a megaphone (UK: loud hailer)

burglarize  

to carry out a burglary (UK: burgle; burgle is very rare in US, and burglarize nonexistent in UK)

busboy  

junior restaurant worker assisting waiting staff, table clearer, water pourer etc.

butte 

an isolated hill with steep sides and a small flat top

buzz off 

(also bug off) to go away; usually used as a command (UK similar: bugger off)

C

canola 

a trademarked variety of rapeseed

carhop 

someone serving food at a drive-in, often on rollerskates

catercorner 

(or catercornered, catacorner, kitty-corner, catty-corner, etc.) (adverb) diagonally, diagonally opposite ("The house looks catercorner to mine")

ChapStick 

(genericized trademark) a lip balm

checkers 

(also Canada & Australia) a popular board game (UK & New Zealand: draughts)

charge account 

in a store or shop (UK: credit account)

checking account 

the type of bank account used for drawing checks; distinguished from savings account. Spelled chequing account in Canada. (UK: current accountor cheque account)

cilantro 

the herb coriander

cookout 

informal meal cooked and eaten outdoors, a cross between a picnic and a barbecue

cotton candy 

spun sugar often sold at fairs (UK: candy floss; Australia: fairy floss)

counterclockwise 

(UK: anti-clockwise)

coveralls 

a one-piece outer protective garment (UK: overall, boiler suit)

crapshoot 

risky and uncertain venture; from a dice game

cuss 

(from "curse") to swear

D

diaper 

(UK: nappy)

dime 

a 10-cent coin; five-and-dime, dime store, a store selling cheap merchandise; nickel-and-dime, insignificant; a dime a dozen, so abundant as to be worth little; on a dime, in a small space ("turn on a dime") or immediately ("stop on a dime")

direct deposit 

a method of payment by bank transfer, similar to European giro

downtown 

(noun, adv., adj.) (in, to, toward, or related to) either the lower section or the business center of a city or town; e.g., in New York City the term refers to the southern regions of Manhattan -- compare uptown; (noun) in basketball, far from the basket (as outside the three-point line) -- used of a shot

drugstore 

a pharmacy, or a store selling candy, magazines, etc. along with medicines (UK approx.: chemist)

drywall 

gypsum board, plasterboard, or any process that builds interior walls without the use of water

Dumpster 

(trademark in danger of becoming genericized) large trash receptacle (UK approx.: skip); to dumpster-dive, to rummage through a Dumpster

E

eggplant 

the plant Solanum melongena (UK: aubergine; "eggplant" is common in the Commonwealth outside the United Kingdom, however, due to the fact that a 19th century fad for using French culinary terms never caught on in the colonies)

English muffin 

(see article)

envision 

to envisage

every which way 

in or toward all directions; also, in a disordered or irregular way ("Documents scattered every which way")

exurb 

(see article)

F

fanny pack 

pouch-like bag that ties or snaps around the wearer's waist (UK: bum bag. Note: while a light-hearted term meaning "bottom" in the U.S., fanny is vulgar slang for vagina in the UK, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand)

faucet 

water outlet, tap; see also spigot

flack

a publicist or press agent

flatware 

knives, spoons, and forks (as opposed to holloware); (UK usually cutlery, although "flatware" is used in the UK antiques trade as a specialist word)

freshman 

a first-year student in college or high school

(French) fries 

pieces of potato that have been deep-fried (UK distinguishes between thick chips and thin fries)

G

gasoline 

(abbreviated gas) (UK: petrol)

general delivery 

(UK: poste restante)

green thumb 

(UK: green fingers)

gridiron 

field of play for American football

grifter 

a con artist, transient swindler, or professional gambler

gum band 

(regional) rubber band

H

hickey 

temporary mark or bruise on one's skin resulting from kissing or sucking; love bite

highball 

(see article)

hobo 

a vagrant, a tramp

(hominy) grits 

coarsely ground corn boiled for breakfast, especially in the Southern U.S.

play hooky 

to play truant from school; to cut class (UK also: bunk off)

howdy 

(short for "how do you do") casual greeting that originated in the Southern States, but understood everywhere else, although considered outdated

I

intimate apparel 

underwear

J

Jell-o 

(trademark) gelatin dessert (UK: jelly)

john 

(slang) a toilet; also, the client of a prostitute

John Doe 

defendant or victim (as in a lawsuit), or a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous; also, an average man; compare John Q. Public. The female equivalent is Jane Doe.

John Hancock 

a signature (from the name of the President of the Second Continental Congress, who signed first the United States Declaration of Independence) ("put your John Hancock here")

John Q. Public 

the common man, typical member of the general public

K

L

ladybug 

lady beetle, ladybird

left field 

a source of unexpected or illogical questions, ideas, etc. ("that proposal came out of left field"); for the baseball sense see left fielder

M

math 

mathematics (UK: maths)

maven 

(from Yiddish) an expert

midsize 

medium size; when applied to a car, it means (what most British drivers would consider) large

Miranda 

(Miranda warning) the warning (usually "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law." etc.) given to criminal suspects when arrested; (Miranda rights) the right of a criminal suspect when arrested; hence mirandize, to recite the Miranda warning to (a criminal suspect)

mom, mommy, mama, mamma, momma 

mother (UK often: mum[my])

mom-and-pop 

single-family operated small business ("a mom-and-pop store")

N

narc 

law enforcement narcotics agent

New York minute 

see New York minute (time)

normalcy 

normality

O

off of 

(preposition) off (very common in speech, although objected to by some; substandard, chiefly dialectal in UK)

oftentimes 

often (archaic in Britain but colloquial in America, especially clause-initially)

ornery 

irritable, crotchety, cranky (from ordinary)

ouster 

ousting, overthrow ("the ouster of a regime"; "the ouster of the CEO")

outage 

temporary suspension of operation ("a power outage"); the amount of something lost in storage or transportation

P

pacifier 

(UK: dummy, comforter)

pantyhose 

close fitting coverings of the body from the waist to the feet, most frequently worn by women (UK: tights)

parking lot 

a usually outside area for the parking of automotive vehicles (UK: car park)

penny-ante 

(adj.) petty, insignificant -- from penny ante, poker played for a very low ante

Popsicle 

(trademark in danger of becoming genericized) (UK: ice lolly)

plastic wrap 

polymer material for sealing food items (UK: cling-film, Australia: Glad-Wrap (trademark in danger of becoming genericized))

pre-authorized payment/withdrawal 

(UK: direct debit (variable amount)/standing order (fixed amount))

public holiday 

(UK: bank holiday). See Federal holiday

R

raincheck 

(see article)

raised pavement marker 

commonly called reflector (UK: cat's eye (road))

rappel 

to descend on a rope (UK: abseil)

Realtor

(trademark) a real estate agent (UK: estate agent), member of the National Association of Realtors. See also real estate broker

roil 

to render muddy by stirring up the dregs of; as, to roil wine, cider, etc., in casks or bottles; to roil a spring; also, to disquiet or disturb

roustabout 

an unskilled laborer, especially at an oil field, at a circus, or on a ship

row house 

(UK: terraced house)

rutabaga 

the turnip Brassica napus napobrassica (UK: swede)

S

Saran wrap 

(Saran is a trademark) see plastic wrap

sawbuck 

(see article)

savings account 

bank account on which interest is paid; distinguished from checking account. (UK: deposit account)

scallion 

spring onion

shill 

(see article). Recently popularized by eBay ("shill bidding")

shuck 

the husk of an ear of Indian corn, an oyster shell, etc.; used in plural to mean something worthless or as an interjection ("shucks!"); (verb) to remove the shuck; also, to discard, get rid of ("I shucked my coat")

sidewalk 

usually paved path for pedestrian traffic, often constructed of concrete (UK: pavement; footpath). A sidewalk superintendent is someone spectating a construction or demolition job

sneaker 

(usually pl.) a form of footwear (UK: trainers; plimsoll)

soda fountain 

(see article)

sophomore 

a second-year college or high school student; (adj.) the second in a series; hence sophomoric, conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature

spyglass 

a telescope or set of lenses used to observe subjects at distance

station wagon 

(also Australia) automobile with extended rear cargo area (UK: estate (car))

steam shovel 

a large mechanical excavator

stickshift, stick 

(car with) manual transmission, as opposed to an automatic (UK: gear stick)

stool pigeon, stoolie 

police informer

stoplight 

a traffic signal, or a vehicle brake light

streetcar 

vehicle on rails for passenger transportation usually within a city (UK: tram)

stroller 

vehicle for baby transportation featuring the child in a sitting position, usually facing forward (UK: pushchair, buggy)

T

taffy 

a type of chewy candy; see taffy (candy)

teeter(-totter), teeterboard 

a seesaw

telecast 

to broadcast by television

teleprompter 

(see article) (UK: compare autocue)

thumbtack 

short nail or pin with a large, rounded metal head (UK: drawing pin)

trackless trolley 

a trolleybus

trash can 

(UK: dustbin, rubbish bin)

turn signal 

direction-indicator lights (US also directionals; UK usually indicators; US & UK also blinkers)

two-bit 

literally, worth 25 cents (a bit is an eighth of a dollar); figuratively, worth very little, insignificant (informal)

two cents, two cents' worth

an opinion, a piece of one's mind (as in, "I'm gonna go down there and give him my two cents") - (UK similar: two pence, two penneth, or tu'pence worth)

U

undershirt 

an upper undergarment with no collar, and with short or no sleeves, worn next to the skin under a shirt (UK: singlet, vest)

upscale 

relating to goods targeted at high-income consumers; upmarket

uptown 

(noun, adj., adv.) (in, to, toward, or related to) either the upper section or the residential district of a city; e.g. in Manhattan, New York City the term refers to the northern end of Manhattan, generally speaking, north of 59th Street; see also Uptown, Chicago; Uptown New Orleans; compare downtown

V

vacationer 

someone taking a vacation (UK: holidaymaker)

W

wetback

(offensive) an illegal immigrant from Mexico or Latin America. So called as they are presumed to have swum the Rio Grande river to have entered the USA

windshield

the front window of an automobile (UK: windscreen)

woodsy 

abundant in trees, suggestive of woods; woody

workday 

a day, or the period in a day, in which work is performed; working day

X

Y

yellow light 

as in the color at a stop light (UK traffic lights). In the UK, this is refered to as an amber light. In the UK, the red and amber light together immediately in advance of the green (giving a light sequence of 1.red, 2.red and amber (together), 3.green, 4.amber (alone), 5.red).

Z

zee 

pronunciation of the last letter of the alphabet (UK & Canada: zed)

zinger 

a witty, often caustic remark; something supposed to cause surprise or shock

ZIP code 

(for Zone Improvement Plan) the postal code used by the United States Postal Service (UK & Australia equivalent: postcode; Canada has postal code)

zucchini 

(also Canada & Australia) the plant Cucurbita pepo (UK & New Zealand: courgette)