Can you name the words that have different meanings in the U.K. and the U.S.? by brdecker

British Meaning	Word	American Meaning
Pacifier		Duvet
Garter		Braces
Friend		Spouse
Diaper		Kinky
Mardi Gras		Traveling fair
Undershirt		Waistcoat
Lawyer		Salesman
Sweater		Dress worn over a blouse
Administration		State
Poorly organized		Feisty, determined
Living room		Bar
Yard		Vegetable patch
To dim headlights		To use smokeless tobacco
Large, open tent		Sign over an entrance
French fries		Crisps

British Meaning	Word	American Meaning
Eraser		Condom
Hiker		Ranch house
Picnic basket		Laundry basket
Granola bar		Pancake
Young woman		Rude gesture
Writing desk		Chest of drawers
Machinist		Train operator
To criticise		List of candidates
Excellent		To earn high marks
Cart		Tram
Daycare		Nativity scene
To ramble		To equivocate
To broil		To barbecue
Sidewalk		Road surface
Wheat or oats		Maize

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There are 11 comments for this game.
(Warning: comments may contain spoilers)

British vs. American English Quiz

by brdecker

Created Feb 27, 2010 in Language
Game Plays 1,394

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	sssnakesss:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 05:39 GMT		1 point
	Idk about engineer for train operator.. I've always called them conductors. And maybe I just live in the wrong part of the US, but a few these words/meanings I've never heard before. Like slate as list of candidates.

	shakirafan:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 14:44 GMT		4 points
	Once again proving two peoples separated by a common language. I would suspect this quiz has British origins as the British terms seems spot on, but some of the American terms seem to be British "translations" of American meanings, such as "crisps" and "Braces". Or, it could be the U.S. is so geographically large that American English itself contains mutually exclusive dialectical words depending on where you live! A better way to go might be to just give the British word and you supply the American meaning or vice versa. As in wrench=spanner, elevator=lift, trunk (of automobile)=boot, etc. A fascinating subject nonetheless!

	abanazerb:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 14:44 GMT		1 point
	Good quiz. Should have aced it but I was too scrappy.

	shakirafan:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 15:11 GMT		5 points
	One additional comment on solicitor. In the U.S., a solicitor as a "salesman" is only applied to those who approach customers either on a street or door-to-door and also includes those seeking charitable donations, religious missionaries or anyone calling upon someone who is unknown to the solicitor. In fact, the act of "solicitation" is most commonly used in the U.S. to refer to the criminal act involving the "world's oldest profession." In certain locales, solicitation by religious missionaries knocking on a door where it's posted "no solicitors" can be a misdemeanor!

	Catherine_F:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 17:40 GMT		2 points
	The way that the American term is posted under "British meaning" and vice versa really messed with my head! For example with "cart" I was thinking wagon, carriage etc, completely forgetting I was supposed to be looking for a British only word. I actually liked this quiz though, it didn't share many words with previous quizzes on the same topic. Don't do what shakirafan said and make it the same as the others.

	rockyraccoon88:	Feb 28th, 2010 at 21:01 GMT		4 points
	like it, but I've never heard anyone call a 'pacifier' a 'comforter' in Britain, I've always known it as a 'dummy'.

	Chocolatl:	Mar 1st, 2010 at 03:24 GMT		1 point
	Many of these words have more than one meaning in the States, including the alleged "British" meaning.

	Jerry_Garcia:	Mar 11th, 2010 at 18:57 GMT		2 points
	fun quiz! Although in the US, we use "Engineer" as both definitions provided. I stopped thinking of an engineer as someone that runs a train when I was around 10. Now I think of them as people that argue with architects over whether their designs are achievable within physics and/or budget.

	skandwm:	Sep 21st, 2010 at 17:28 GMT		1 point
	I thought a "pacifier" was what an American called a "dummy". I am British. The use of American terms for British meanings confused me. "Sidewalk", "yard" and "diaper" are not terms that I have heard people use here.

	LoveJBNewHairCut:	Mar 8th, 2011 at 01:44 GMT		1 point
	american french fries are british chips and american chips are british crisps. in america suspenders are something that holds up your pants and braces are either the ones on your teeth or of your feet/ankles

	mango5564:	Jun 19th, 2011 at 20:45 GMT		2 points
	Maybe I live in a different part of the US, but some of these American translations don't make sense to me. Suspenders are what holds your pants up, braces go on your teeth. Also a train operator would be a conductor. And some of the other terms I just didn't know. What's a tram?