This is a list of American words not widely used in the United Kingdom. In Canada and Australia, some of the American terms listed are widespread; however, in some cases, another usage is preferred.
Words with specific American meanings that have different meanings in British English and/or additional meanings common to both dialects (e.g., pants, crib) are to be found at List of words having different meanings in British and American English. When such words are herein used or referenced, they are marked with the flag [DM] (different meaning).
Asterisks (*) denote words and meanings having appreciable (that is, not occasional) currency in British English, but nonetheless distinctive of American English for their relatively greater frequency in American speech and writing. Americanisms are increasingly common in British English, and many that were not widely used some decades ago, are now so (e.g., regular in the sense of "regular coffee").
American spelling is consistently used throughout this article, except when explicitly referencing British terms.
(pronounced 'one o one') used to indicate basic knowledge; e.g., "Didn't you learn to sweep the floor in housework 101?" (from the numbering scheme of educational courses where 101 would be the first course in a sequence on the subject).[1][2]
(pronounced 'four o one kay') an employer-sponsored retirement plan in the United States. Derived from the section of the United States Internal Revenue Code authorizing such plans.[3]
40
(pronounced 'forty') a 40-ounce (1.183L) bottle of malt liquor,[4] commonly drunk by American youths.
411
(pronounced 'four one one') colloquial, information about something (from 4-1-1, directory assistance number) (UK: 118xxx or 192)[5]
5-0
(pronounced 'five o') colloquial, the police (from Hawaii Five-O, an American television series)[6]
(pronounced 'five o one cee') a legally recognized non-profit organization in the United States, roughly equivalent to a Company Limited by Guarantee recognized by the Charity Commission as having charitable status in the United Kingdom. Derived from the relevant section of the Internal Revenue Code.
(pronounced 'five twenty-nine') a tax-advantaged savings plan in the United States, similar to a 401(k), but instead used to fund the higher education expenses of the plan's beneficiary (usually the donors' child or grandchild). Derived from the relevant section of the Internal Revenue Code.
(pronounced 'eighty six') colloquial, to abandon, reject, or kill something or someone; e.g., "Let's eighty-six the whole thing." Similar to "Deep Six", although unlikely to have been derived from nautical terms as is "Deep Six". "86ing" someone can also mean ordering them to leave, as a bartender or bouncer to a rowdy or intoxicated patron.[7][8][9]
the herb also known as rocket or garden rocket. Borrowed from southern Italian dialect in the early 1960s ("Ask Italian greengrocers for arugula, rucola or ruccoli; ask other markets for rouquette, rocket salad or, simply, rocket." — The New York Times, May 24, 1960, in OED).[27]
pushable vehicle for transporting babies, also called stroller, buggy or regionally baby coach (UK: perambulator (very old-fashioned or formal), pram, or, for the type that an older baby sits rather than lies in, pushchair)[30][31]
(also the boonies) rough country; a very rural location or town; backwoods; the "sticks". Sometimes refers to rough, poor neighborhoods in a city. From Tagalog.[102][106][107][108]
(or catercornered, catacorner, kitty-corner, catty-corner, etc.) (adverb) diagonally, diagonally opposite ("The house looks catercorner to mine").[161]Cater corner is the original form (from the French quatre and English corner = four + corner), but the forms kitty corner and catty corner (folk etymology) are usual in speech, catty corner especially in the North and West, while the former in the Midland[clarification needed] and South. Sometimes (dialectal, regional) also kitty/catty wampus/wumpus (unclearly derived), which can also mean "awry", or "skew-whiff".
catsup
alternative spelling of ketchup that rarely sees use in the UK.[162][163][164][165]
cell phone, cellphone, cell
(short for cellular telephone) a portable telephone; UK: mobile phone, often abbreviated to mobile[166][167][168][169][170] Used in the UK in the early years of mobile telephony.[171]
the type of bank account used for drawing checks; distinguished from savings account. (UK: current account or cheque account; use of cheques is now much less common in the UK)[184][185][186][187]
a motion in legislative or parliamentary procedure that brings debate to a quick end; especially used by and in the United States Senate[196] (UK: closure)
female student at a coeducational college (e.g., "He saw the party as an opportunity to meet co-eds.");[200][201][202][203] any group of people with members from both genders (e.g., "My soccer team is co-ed.")[204]
risky and uncertain venture; from craps, a dice game[239][240]
cremains
the remains of a dead body after cremation (UK: remains, ashes)[241][242]
criminy, crimony
a mild oath or to express surprise; perhaps alteration of jiminy, gemini; probably euphemism for Late LatinJesu domine ("Jesus Lord!") (UK: crumbs, etc.),[243] of Christ or from Italiancrimine (crime)[244]
a 10-cent coin.[262][263][264][265][266] Derived from the Old French word disme (the original spelling), meaning a tenth part or tithe, and ultimately from the Latindecima.[263][264][266] Can also mean a ten dollar quantity of an illegal drug (or dime bag).[267]Five-and-dime, dime store, a store selling cheap merchandise; a dime a dozen, so abundant as to be worth little (UK: ten a penny); on a dime, in a small space ("turn on a dime", UK: turn on a sixpence) or immediately ("stop on a dime", UK: stop on a sixpence); nickel-and-dime, originally an adjective meaning "involving small amounts of money" and then "insignificant", also a verb meaning "to rip-off by many seemingly insignificant charges" (the nickel [DM] is the 5-cent coin). In Britain, the old sixpence, a small coin of a comparable size and value (2+1⁄2 new pence), is still used in similar expressions despite being replaced when a decimal currency was introduced in 1971.
direct deposit
a method of payment by bank transfer, similar to European giro, almost exclusively used for deposits of pay checks or government benefits [268]
discombobulated
to be confused or disconcerted;[269][270][271][272] (UK and US: discomposed) Sometimes now used with conscious, self-mocking irony by generally more formal British speakers.
pipe for carrying rainwater from a gutter to the ground (UK & US: drainpipe)[299][300][301][302]
downtown*
(noun, adv., adj.) (in, to, toward, or related to) either the lower section or the business center of a city or town[303][304][305]—(used in UK but more common expression would be city centre or CBD)
a boring, studious or socially inept person (a nerd, a geek or a "drip" an old-fashioned mild pejorative for someone exceptionally eccentric or lacking in social skills)[315][333][334][335][336][337]
pouch-like bag that ties or snaps around the wearer's waist (UK: bum bag).[370][371][372][373] In the UK 'fanny' is a vulgar slang term for the vulva and thus this word could cause offence.
(rhymes with "Micah") payroll tax used to fund Social Security and Medicare (similar to UK National Insurance). Derived from the law authorizing such taxation, the Federal Insurance Contributions Act.
flack
a publicist or press agent; sometimes also an alternate spelling of flak "negative commentary", which is used in the UK. Although flack "press agent" was first recorded just one year after flak "anti-aircraft fire" (from German Fliegerabwehrkanone "aircraft defence cannon"), the two are likely unrelated.[380][381][382][383]
pieces of potato that have been deep-fried. (UK: chips [DM]; "French fries" is known via American fast food chains, due to which it usually refers to the thin, crispy variety of chips served there)[410][411][412][413]
as an interjection, an old-fashioned expression of admiration, surprise or enthusiasm[441][442][443][444][445] (a euphemism for "Jesus");[446] as an adjective, denotes something characterized by or meant to cause excitement or sensation ("gee-whiz technology"; "a gee-whiz attitude")[445]
(UK: Residual-current device (RCD), or colloquially, breaker or circuit breaker) A safety device attached to consumer mains power supplies to prevent accidental electrocution and/or damage to connected equipment.
a con artist, transient swindler, or professional gambler (US and UK: con man); also grift can mean an act of thievery or trickery[457][458][459]
gotten
Past participle of "get" (got in most of the UK); "gotten" is however of British origin,[460] still retained in some older dialects, and is sometimes now used again under US influence.[13][461][462] In American English there is a distinction in usage: "gotten" is used to refer to the process of acquisition, obtainment or to having entered a state over a matter of time, whereas "got" signifies possession.[463][460]
a room for personal hygiene that lacks a shower or bathtub (i.e. a bathroom [DM], in the American sense of the term, which lacks a place to actually bathe). Equivalent to a British W.C..[472][473]
an alcoholic drink made with a spirit, particularly whisky, and water, soda water or any carbonated beverage, served in a tall glass with ice[485][486][487][488][489][490]
tramp; homeless, unskilled, itinerant worker;[495][496][497][498][499][500] subculture of wandering homeless people, particularly those who make a habit of hopping freight trains.
Heating + Ventilating (or Ventilation) + Air Conditioning;[524] often pronounced "H-vack". (used in technical circles in the UK, where such systems are less common than in the US due to differences in climate)[citation needed]
(slang) to masturbate;[526][527][528][529] UK usage would be "to wank". If used as a disparaging noun, as in "that guy is such a jackoff [or jerkoff]", the UK equivalent would be "wanker" or "tosser". In this sense, sometimes written "jagoff", though this probably has a different derivation.[530][531][532]
unnamed defendant or victim (as in a lawsuit), or a person whose identity is unknown or is intended to be anonymous; also, an average man;[557][558][559][560] compare John Q. Public (UK equivalent is Joe Bloggs, or John Smith). The female equivalent is Jane Doe, or less frequently "Jane Roe" as in Roe v. Wade. Also Baby Doe.
the common man, typical member of the general public. Also stated as Joe Public, Joe Blow, Joe Schmoe, Joe Six-Pack, Eddie Punchclock, or Joe Lunchbucket. (UK: Joe Bloggs, Joe Public)[566][567][568]
a restricted license for a person learning to drive, who has not yet passed the necessary driver's test (rules vary from state to state); also called driver's permit (UK: provisional driving licence)[581][582][583]
a notional source of unexpected or illogical questions, ideas, etc. ("that proposal came out of left field")[584] Defined by the Merriam-Webster online American dictionary as having American baseball-related origins[585]
used mainly by Alaskans, this is a colloquialism for the 48 Contiguous United States. The more general term Outside may be used for any part of US territory outside Alaska,[586] such as Hawaii or Puerto Rico as well.
a person who delivers mail to residences and businesses;[598][599][600][601] also letter carrier (UK and US: postman, postwoman, although the term "postal worker" is encouraged so as to remain gender-neutral)
The principal street of a small town or city, on which most of its retail businesses are situated, or a metaphor for smaller cities and/or small businesses in general. The phrase "Wall Street vs. Main Street" (or variants thereof) is sometimes used to make the distinction between big and small business (UK: usually high street, although main street is commonly used in Scotland[602]).
(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 before interrogation;[618][619][620][621] (Miranda rights) the rights stated in the warning, as established in the United States Supreme Court case Miranda v. Arizona; hence mirandize, to recite the Miranda warning to (a criminal suspect). In the UK this is referred to as "reading rights" or "cautioned as to his rights" (not to be confused with a police caution).
law enforcement narcotics agent; but 'to narc on' someone is to inform on them to an authority figure, used also as a noun labeling a person who does such (UK and New Zealand: grass)[661][629][662][663][664][665]
New York minute
(colloquial) an instant, a very short time period[666][667]
(UK: sheertights)[707][629][708][709][710][711] In the U.S. "tights" is used for similar non-sheer garments; "pantyhose" refers only to sheer or semi-sheer nylon-based tights
Trade name for Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), a transparent thermoplastic sometimes called "acrylic glass" (UK: Perspex)[736][629][737][738][739][740]
A trademarked brand of frozen juice, or flavored ice on a stick. The term is widely used to describe all such confections without regard to brand. (UK: ice lolly)[746][747][748][749][750]
used metaphorically to indicate that the person cannot accept the current invitation but would like to be invited to a future event. Stores may give a coupon to purchase the item later at the advertised price. Originated in the US as a coupon given to a baseball ticket-holder when a game was cancelled because of rain; it would entitle the holder to attend a replacement game for no charge.[758][759][629][760][761][762][763]
abbreviation for Reduction In Force; i.e. to be honorably discharged from employment[788] (UK: redundancy, made redundant, laid off *, paid off)
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 (also rile in the sense of "to anger", riled up for "angry")[789][629][790]
(North) Americans who are identified as having descended from Scottish people who settled in Northern Ireland and Irish Protestants; also Scots-Irish[799][800][801] (UK: Ulster Scots)
a person pretending to a member of the general public to lend credibility or excitement to a confidence scheme; e.g., a person who claims to have received benefit from snake oil. Recently popularized in the UK by eBay ("shill bidding" or bidding to drum up excitement with no intention of buying). The UK equivalent to a shill would be a "plant", from having someone "planted" in an audience or amongst bystanders. The term "plant" is equally used and understood in the United States.
shredded cheese
grated cheese
shuck
the husk of an ear of corn (maize), 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, remove ("I shucked my coat")
shyster*
A lawyer or accountant of dubious ethical standards. This phrase commonly indicates a person with no ethical restraints. (From German Scheister)
sidewalk
usually paved path for pedestriantraffic, often constructed of concrete or less usually of stone (UK: pavement [DM], footpath [DM], legally footway)
sidewalk superintendent
someone spectating a construction or demolition job (UK: bystander [DM])
(usually pl.) A camp fire treat consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a slab of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. Contraction from "some more"
used in the UK but the sport is mainly known as "football" (or fully as association football); historically most common among the middle and upper classes in the UK (i.e. outside the game's traditional core support base); more common in Ireland to avoid confusion with Gaelic football. In the US, an unqualified reference to "football" would normally be understood to mean American football.
(UK: soft/fizzy/carbonated drink [with CO2 e.g. Coca-Cola], pop)
sophomore
a second-year college or high school student (Trinity College Dublin has sophister in this sense); (adj.) the second in a series (as in, an athlete's "sophomore season", a band's "sophomore album")
specialty *
(UK: speciality, though specialty is used in law and medicine)
vehicle on rails for passenger transportation [DM] usually within a city; also called trolley [DM] or trolley car if electrically powered by means of a trolley (UK: tram)
Through. An abbreviation mostly used in the fast food industry, as in Drive Thru. Also used in traffic signs ("Thru Traffic Keep Left"; i.e., traffic that is continuing through an interchange rather than exiting should keep to the left) and occasionally road names ("New York State Thruway") and sometimes in newspaper headlines. Seen in the UK at McDonald's, Burger King etc.
thumbtack
short nail or pin with a large, rounded metal head suitable for driving in by hand (UK: drawing pin)
track and field meeting * (track meet)
(UK usually athletics meeting [DM]); see also track [DM]
direction-indicator lights (UK usually indicators; US and UK also blinkers [DM])
two-bits
literally, worth 25 cents or a quarter (a bit is an eighth of a dollar); figuratively, worth very little, insignificant (informal). (UK: two bob, but almost obsolete and more common in London and the south-east; likewise Mickey Mouse).
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, two penn'orth or tuppence worth)
U
undershirt
an upper undergarment with no collar, and with short or no sleeves, worn next to the skin under a shirt (UK: vest [DM], semmit in Scotland and Northern Ireland [814])[815][629][816][817][818][819]
upscale
relating to goods targeted at high-income consumers (UK: 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, Minneapolis; Uptown, Chicago; Uptown New Orleans; compare downtown. Often has implications of being a desirable or upscale neighborhood. However, in Butte, Montana and Charlotte, North Carolina, "Uptown" refers to what would be called "downtown" in most other cities.
V
vacationer
someone taking a vacation [DM] (UK: holidaymaker)
vacay
informal shortening of vacation (comparable to UK hols)
(regional — Southern American, African-American, and Appalachian) contraction of You all, used as second-person dual or plural pronoun. (e.g., "Hey, are y'all coming to the dance?") Also all y'all, comparable in meaning and register to north-English, Northern Irish and Scottish "youse, yous".
yellow light
as in the color at a stoplight (q.v.) or traffic lights (UK: amber)
^"£85 towards your new Jade cellphone from BT ... you'll find it has more than the average cellphone ... to order your Jade cellphone ..." in BT advertisement, London Evening Standard, 1 September 1993
^Cowell, Philip (2 March 2017). "What overusing exclamation marks says about you". BBC Culture. BBC. Retrieved 14 November 2022. In the Oval Office, exclamation points (the US term) are being issued more frequently than executive orders... It was the bibliophile Dr [Samuel] Johnson who then coined the term 'exclamation' for 'pathetical' sentences – those involving passions – from where it became the 'exclamation point' in the USA and 'exclamation mark' in Britain.