British and North American equivalents

British — North American:

aerofoil — airfoil
aeroplane — airplane
agony aunt — advice columnist
anticlockwise — counter-clockwise
articulated lorry — tractor-trailer
asymmetric bars — uneven bars
aubergine — eggplant
blanket bath — sponge bath
bonnet (of car) — hood
boot (of a car) — trunk
bowls — lawn bowling
brawn (the food) — headcheese
breeze block — cinder block
brent goose — brant goose
bridging loan — bridge loan
bumbag — fanny pack
candy floss — cotton candy
car park — parking lot/garage
central reservation — median strip
chips — French fries
cling film — plastic wrap
common seal — harbor seal
consumer durables — durable goods
cornflour — cornstarch
cot — crib
cotton bud — cotton swab
cotton wool — absorbent cotton
courgette — zucchini
crash barrier — guardrail
crisps — chips or potato chips
cross-ply — bias-ply
current account — checking account
cut-throat razor — straight razor
dialling tone — dial tone
double cream — heavy cream
double-declutch — double-clutch
draughts — checkers
drawing pin — thumb tack
drink-driving — drunk driving
driving licence — driver’s license
dummy — pacifier
dustbin — trash/garbage can
eat in (of restaurant) — for here
engaged (of a telephone) — busy
estate car — station wagon
ex-directory — unlisted
eyebath — eyecup
financial year — fiscal year
fire brigade — fire department
firelighter — fire starter
fringe — bangs
full board — American plan
gear lever — gearshift
green fingers — green thumb
groundsman — groundskeeper
holidaymaker — vacationer
hundreds and thousands — sprinkles
indicator (on car) — turn signal
Joe Bloggs — Joe Blow
Joe Public — John Q. Public
jump lead — jumper cable
ladybird — ladybug
level crossing — grade crossing
lift (in building) — elevator
lolly (lollipop) — Popsicle (trademark)
loo — john
maize — corn
mangetout — snow peas
maths — math
monkey tricks — monkeyshines
motorway — expressway/freeway
mum — mom
nappy — diaper
noughts and crosses — tic-tac-toe number plate — license plate
off-licence — liquor store
opencast — open-pit
paddling pool — wading pool
pay packet — pay envelop
pedestrian crossing — crosswalk
petrol — gasoline/gas
physiotherapy — physical therapy
plain chocolate — dark chocolate
plain flour — all-purpose flour
post code — zip code
postal vote — absentee ballot
poste restante — general delivery
press-up — pushup
punchbag — punching bag
pushchair — stroller
queue — line
razor shell — razor clam
real tennis — court tennis
recorded delivery — certified mail
reverse the charges — call collect
reversing light — backup light
room only — European plan
roundabout (in road) — traffic circle
rowing boat — rowboat
sailing boat — sailboat
self-raising flour — self-rising flour shopping trolley — shopping cart skirting board — baseboard
sleeping partner — silent partner
splashback — backsplash
storm in a teacup — tempest in a teapot
surtitle — supertitle
terraced house — row house
toffee apple — candy apple
trainers — sneakers
tram — streetcar or trolley car
transport café — truck stop
twelve-bore — twelve-gauge
vest — undershirt
waistcoat — vest
white spirit — mineral spirits
windscreen — windshield
worktop — countertop
zebra crossing — crosswalk
zed — zee

© Oxford University Press 2007

Extracted from the Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (ed Maurice Waite). Buy it for £25.50 (RRP £30), including p&p, from BooksFirst on 0870 1608080, or visit timesonline.co.uk/booksfirst

My favourite word: Mastication

I don’t know if it’s my favourite word, but it’s definitely my favourite activity. I can’t think of any synonyms for it, either. “He thoughtfully masticated a cheese sandwich” says so much more than “He ate a cheese sandwich”. The dictionary defines it as chewing merely, but I always feel, with mastication, that you also get the full act of breaking down the food for subsequent digestion.

— Lynne Truss, punctuation guru

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