Translating British English to US English
"England and America are two countries divided by a common language." - George Bernard Shaw
We put our bags in the the car trunk, Brits put them in the boot. We go on vacation, Brits go on holiday. We spell it "color", Brits and Canadians write "colour". We all speak English, but over the years England and America have developed different vocabulary, spellings and pronunciation. Luckily, I grew up in Canada, but now live in the US, so I am fluent in both versions of English. :) On this page I am collecting some of the translations Americans need when traveling in England.
Why do several town names start with "Chipping"?
In medieval English a long market square was called a "Chepynge" which turned into "Chipping" for market towns such as Chipping Campden, Chipping Norton and Chipping Sodbury. Another old English word, "ceapen", probably derived from "chepynge", means "market".
Driving
Translations (UK - US)
- saloon = sedan (car)
- estate = station wagon (car)
- motorway = main highway (interstate)
- dual carriageway = divided highway
- roundabout = traffic circle
- petrol = gas
- boot = trunk
Accommodations
Translations (UK - US)
- hob = stovetop
- holiday = vacation
- holiday cottage = vacation rental
- lettings = rentals
- self catering = vacation rental
- mobile = cell phone
More definitions still to come!
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