Between celebrating the Fourth of July this weekend, and listening to the Hamilton soundtrack quite a bit lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how the United States achieved independence from the United Kingdom. The two countries are similar and yet very different from one another, and our language is the perfect example.
Both countries speak English. When I was in London for six weeks in college, however, I was rather shocked that the language spoken there sounded very different from my Midwestern vernacular. I was reminded of that when the good folks at Dictionary.com released a list of some of the most popular variations between American and British English in honor of Independence Day.
Different Words with the Same Meaning (American vs. British English, respectively)
Summer/Travel/Holiday:
- vacation vs. holiday
- GPS vs. sat nav
- gas vs. petrol
- truck vs. lorry
- trunk vs. boot
Food/Drink:
- eggplant vs. aubergine
- French fries vs. chips
- soda pop vs. fizzy drink
- French toast vs. eggy bread
- pulp vs. juicy bits
Places:
- apartment vs. flat
- elevator vs. lift
- yard vs. garden
- bathroom vs. loo
- field vs. pitch
Clothing/Style:
- bangs vs. fringe
- suspenders vs. braces
- tank top vs. vest
- rain boots vs. wellies
- uniform vs. kit
School:
- eraser vs. rubber
- grades vs. marks
- principal vs. headmaster
- friend vs. mate
- cursive vs. joined-up writing
Same Word; Different Meaning (American vs. British, respectively)
- pants: jeans vs. underwear
- trainers: fitness experts vs. sneakers
- pissed: angry vs. drunk
- shag: carpeting vs. sex
- football: football vs. soccer
Hope you have a fantastic Fourth of July celebration with your family!
You May Also Like: 11 fun facts about the 4th of July
Prior Post: July Stitch Fix Review
Don’t miss a post! Please subscribe to Between Us Parents’ completely safe, spam-free email list in the box in the top right corner of the page!
Please like Between Us Parents on Facebook. You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram.
