The Index – The Prodigal Tongue

In The Prodigal Tongue I was unable to mark all of the Americanisms and Britishism that came up in passing as I wrote. The index in the book includes only those words and phrases that are substantially discussed. This is a supplementary index of British/American expressions that aren’t in the book index.

As discussed in the book, it’s difficult to say which words are “Americanisms” or “Britishisms”. Are we talking about current usage? Or where the word started? I’ve got a mixture of both here—if you see an expression that you say in the other country’s column, then it’s more than likely that I’m just pointing out that it didn’t originally come from your country. Most words here will be familiar to most readers.

To build this index, I looked in particular at words or meanings that were likely to have arisen after 1750 (when the English-speaking population of the future US was sizable). Not all of those expressions are here; in some cases, the evidence of who said it first is just too tenuous to call. For example the OED’s first citation for dentistry is in 1838 Edinburgh. But the word took off faster in the US than in the UK, according to Google Books Ngrams, and that OED entry has not been updated since 1895. So I’ve just left it out, rather than picking a side. Transatlantic was similar; slightly different uses of the word seem to have sprung up in different places around the same time. It’s interesting, but requires too many caveats to fit in this table. So in such cases, I’ve tended to err on the side of non-inclusion.

The list includes:

expressions I’ve used in passing as part of the “LynneMurphyish” that the book is written in. These are in bold.
expressions that are raised (briefly) as examples, but not included in the book’s index. These are in italics. (If it’s in the book’s index, it’s probably not here.)
only spellings that are not part of a general pattern. That is, artefact/artifact is here, but not centre/center, theatre/theater
only expressions originating in the UK or US. There are, of course, phrases in the book that originated in Australia, Canada and Ireland. Sorry, Commonwealth words; you’re not what my book is about.
no pronunciation differences (you’ll just have to read the book to find out about them!)
few grammatical differences (because they’re hard to describe and put into an alphabetical table)

For many items, I’ve given a short explanation or first citation date (usually from the OED, sometimes from Green’s Dictionary of Slang or Merriam-Webster).

Where a clear US/UK equivalent exists for a bold or italic word in the list, but that equivalent is not mentioned in the book, it’s given in plain roman.

This was a rather overwhelming task, so I have probably missed things. If you spot something in the book that you think should be on this list, please get in touch.

page	UK	US	comment
0		American English	possibly coined by Noah Webster
0		British English	mid-1800s
1	talking heads		first used in UK in 1960s; almost immediately taken up in US too
1	university	college
1		chutzpah	from Yiddish
1		wrecking ball	general English now, but first used in US
2	management-speak		1980s
2	superhero		first OED citation = UK 1899
2		fast food	1950s
2		gobbledygook	1940s
2		ground zero	1940s
2		hip-hop	late 1970s
2		kidult	1940s
2		sign up for (something)	early 20th c
2		teenager	1940s
2		tween	1940s
3	grumpy		late 1700s
3	psychologize		first OED citation = Coleridge in 1810
3	technologize		this word has probably been re-invented many times, but the 1st OED cite is UK 1900 (with -ise)
3		Americanism	coined by Rev. John Witherspoon, 1781
3		globalize	this word has probably been re-invented many times, but the 1st OED cite is US 1937
3		go-getting	1920s or earlier
3		leverage (v.)	in the financial sense, 1970s
3		microwave (v.)	orig. tech jargon 1960s
3		personal computer	orig. tech jargon 1950s, though it came to be used more in UK than US (see ch. 3)
3		pop (adj.)	meaning ‘popularized’ (frequently implying ‘dumbed down’)
3		reach out	‘to contact’
3		suit	meaning ‘business executive’, 1970s
3		unfriend	online culture early 2000s
3		unlike	in its modern, online sense, 2000s
3		upload	The OED’s first citaton for this noun is from a NATO document, following ones US in origin
4	Chicken Licken	Chicken Little
4	mum	mom
4	tut (v.)		in the ‘to express disapproval’ sense, 1970s
4		Public Enemy Number 1	circa 1930: the first person on a list of wanted criminals
6		co-author (v.)	first OED citation by Groucho Marx, 1948
6		stew (over)	fret’ first OED citations are US, from early 20th c
7		uppity	self-important’; mid-/late-1800s
8	déclassé		turn of 20th c
8	working class		mid-1700s
8		immigrant	late 1700s (also discussed in ch. 7)
8		kick in	‘take effect’ (as of drugs); 1980s (after other US senses)
8		nitwit	early 20th c
9	towards	toward	both are used in both countries—click link to read more; These occur in passing on several other pages, but I won’t repeat it here.
9		belittle	possibly coined by Thomas Jefferson
9		moose	from an Algonquian word
9		player	meaning ‘influential person’, 1930s
10	fairy cake	cupcake	the US term is now used in UK, sometimes to refer to a more American-style one
10	knob-shrivelling		in the quoted context, it means something like ‘horrifying’ (knob=’penis’)
10		political correctness	1800s
10		t-shirt	1920s
11	cabby/cabbie		mid-19th c
11		Brit	for a person, first OED citation is from Texas
11		expatriation	in the sense of ’emigration’ (rather than exile), first known use by Thomas Jefferson
12	aubergine	eggplant
12	boardroom		seems to be orig. UK, mid-1800s
12	film	movie	Film is used in US too, but tends to be reserved for more “serious” or “arty” ones.
12	lift	elevator
12	news, the		for a radio or tv broadcast, seems to be UK first
12	television programme	television show	Though show has been used in this way in UK since the 1930s, it’s used about twice as much in US.
12	wireless	radio	The US term has completely overshadowed the UK one now.
12		blah blah blah	early 20th c
13	rubbish	garbage	garbage was used in Britain since the 1400s, but now sounds “American”
14	anorak		1980s ‘obsessive or uncool type of person’ (from a UK term for a parka)
14	biscuits	cookies
14	boffin		‘expert’: originally Royal Air Force scientists
14	pavement	sidewalk	sidewalk originated in London
14	poo	poop	see the link for the tricky story of these two
14	swot		mid-1800s ‘person who studies (BrE revises) a lot’
14		nerd	1950s
15	brilliant		as a general positive evaluation, popularized in UK in 1970s
15	Special Relationship, the		Winston Churchill is credited with coining this, though references to UK & US having a special relationship predate him by 45 years.
15	standfirst	subhead	journalism jargon
15		Anglo-American	First OED citation of this word is by Benjamin Franklin
15		groovy	jazz slang from 1930s
16	chest of drawers/draws	dresser
16	fortnight		from fourteen nights
16	pal		late 1700s
16	wardrobe	armoire
16		ok	early 1800s, probably from a jokey ‘orl korrect’
16		peanut butter
17	have a look	take a look
17	July the fifth	July fifth
17		ahead of	meaning ‘before’; this is used more in American, but there are plenty of old UK examples of it
17		fess up	‘confess’; mid 19th c
18	one-off		1930s
18	presenter		for a television/radio announcer, orig. & chiefly UK
18	scare quotes		appears to have first been used in UK in 1950s
18		folks	orig. British, but more US in usage since early 19th c
19	half an hour	half-hour, a	US says both, UK prefers one
19	towards	toward	both are used in both countries—click link to read more; These occur in passing on several other pages, but I won’t repeat it here.
20	grey	gray	both spellings go way, way back
20	nappy	diaper
20	programme	program	the computer sense is program in both countries
20	whilst	while
20		baby-talk	late 1700s
20		Britishism	meaning ‘a British word’, first cited in Texas 1879
20		Britishness	this word has probably been re-invented many times, but the 1st OED cite is US 1857
20		public television	non-commercial television, funded through government grants and donations
21		cute	the ‘adorable’ meaning is 19th-century US (orig. meant ‘acute’); now common in UK
21		parking ticket	1920s
21		singles bar	1960s
22	league table		‘ranking’
22		sexy	turn of 20th c
24	standard (English, etc.)		for a variety of language; early 19th c
26	car boot	car trunk
26	motorway	highway
26	tyre	tire	for the round, rubber thing
26		go-to (adj.)	1980s
27	hotch-potch	hodge-podge
27	not be having any of that
29	bookstall		for a place to buy books, 1700s
29	bum bag	fanny pack
29	earplug		mid/late 1800s
29	holiday	vacation
29	knock me up in the morning		to mean ‘wake me with a knock’—as discussed in the book, I’ve never heard anyone say it seriously
29		kooky	Green’s Dictionary of Slang has this as orig. US, but the OED has UK examples pretty soon after coining
29		PIN (number)	Personal Identification Number’; 1970s
29		stump orator	possibly coined by Thomas Jefferson
30	chilli	chili
30	pepper (or sweet pepper)	bell pepper
30	pub		short for ‘public house’
30		quiz (n. & v.)	well-used in the UK now, the ‘test’ sense is 19th century US
30		second-guess	1940s
31	council estate	projects
31	eaterie	eatery	the word is more American, but the French-like spelling is more British
31	estate	development, subdivision	an area of uniform housing, including grouped apartment buildings or what might be called ‘a subdivision’ in the US
32	off-licence	liquor store	(there are also regional US terms)
32	shop	store	It’s not that the two words aren’t used in both countries, but shop is used far more in UK
13	rubbish at (something), be	stink at (something)	to be bad at’ (doing something)
36	afterwards	afterward	The story is more complicated—see the link!
36	trendy		1960s
37	couldn’t care less*		The claim (in the first printing of this book) that this is originally US is an error. It is originally 1940s UK. My apologies!
37	dead good	real good	That is, adverbial usages of adverbs.
37	proper (adv.)		as in proper drunk
37	toodle-pip		Also mentioned on this page, cheerio.
37		could care less	Couldn’t care less is still more common in American English.
38	car park	parking lot
38	me (possessive)		The more ancient pronunciation of my
38		kind of (adv.)	as in they kind of did that; late 1700s
38		right back at ya
39	cartoonist		UK 1880s; US soon followed
39	laddish		refers to a stereotyped kind of young men’s behavio(u)r
39	Morris-dancing		the kind of folk-dancing that Dick van Dyke did in the fair scene in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
39	telly	TV
39		one-man (adj.)	this word has probably been re-invented many times, but the 1st OED cite is US 1842
40	brolly	bumbershoot	slang terms for umbrellas
40	school tie		This is quoted from an American source, where they’re probably using <i>school tie</I> to mean <i>old school tie</I>: a signal of having gone to an elite ‘public’ school
41	bag of tripe		doesn’t seem to make sense in Powers’ sentence, but it has been a British put-down for an unpleasant person
41	chuffed as nuts		‘extremely pleased’
41	J. Arthur		Rhyming slang: J. Arthur Rank = ‘wank’ (masturbation). Green’s Dictionary of Slang’s first citation is from Australia, but it quickly spread to UK
41	nudge, nudge, wink, wink		a catchphrase from Monty Python’s Flying Circus
41	pork pies		meaning ‘lies’, rhyming slang
41	rumpy-pumpy		‘casual sexual relations’
41	todger		‘penis’
41		comic	to mean ‘comic strip’, early 20th c.
42	argie-bargie		‘argument, row’; also argy-bargy
42	bonkers		‘crazy’, 1940s
42	gobsmacked		‘shocked’–that is, smacked (‘slapped’) on the gob (‘mouth’), 1950s
42	kerfuffle		‘commotion, to-do’, started as curfuffle in 19th c Scotland
42	wanker	jerk	wanker, like jerk, is a word for a contemptible person that literally refers to masturbation—but wanker is applied to more types of contemptible
42		bullshit	20th c
42		cross-dressing	first found in US academic works, early 20th c.
42		eat ’em up	eat meaning ‘devour a performance’ is orig. UK Americans seem to have added the up.
42		poppycock	from Dutch for ‘doll’s farts’ or ‘doll’s poo(p)’
42		scouring pad	early 20th c.
43	bookshop	bookstore	bookshop is also used in US, but tends to be for smaller places
43	codswallop		‘nonsense’ (1950s)
43	dogsbody	gofer	‘person who’s low on the pecking order and does menial tasks’
43	gobby		‘mouthy’
43	How’s your father?		‘sexual relations’ (very dated)
43	impulse (purchase)		Use of impulse to describe a type of shopping seems to have originated in 1950s Britain
43	sprog		‘offspring’
43	toff		‘upper-class person’ (disparaging)
43	tosh		‘nonsense’ (1890s)
43		chain	as in chain store; as a noun mid-1800s, as an adj. early 20th c.
44	bare		‘very’, ‘a lot of’ (recent slang)
44	bladdered		‘drunk’
44	china (plate)		‘friend’, from Cockney rhyming slang
44	cotch		‘relax’ (or a place to relax)
44	dodgy geezer		‘untrustworthy man’
44	hairdresser		orig. 2 words, seems to be from late 18th c Britain
44	half-cut		‘drunk’
44	knackered		‘tired, exhausted’
44	risqué		used earlier in UK than US, mid-1800s (from French)
44	secret service	secret service	mentioning this one because the OED notes that the ‘specifically national security’-oriented meaning is US; the original British meaning just had to do with anything the government didn’t disclose.
44	shag		‘sexual intercourse’
44	squiffy		‘mildly intoxicated’
44	trollied		‘drunk’
44	well-oiled		‘drunk’
44	willy		‘penis’ (childish)
44		inner-city	1960s
44		network	meaning a ‘nationally broadcasting television company’ (orig. British television usage referred to a network of transmitters)
44		party animal	1970s
44		skatepark	1970s; quickly picked up in UK
44		soap	meaning ‘soap opera’, 1940s (soap opera also US, slightly earlier)
45	bollocks		in the meaning ‘insulting nonsense’
45	bum	butt
45	camp (adj.)		early 20th c.; my US editor wanted to change this to campy (which also seems to be orig. UK)
45	cheeky		‘impudent, often in a charming kind of way’; 1830s
45	cheeky monkey		late 1800s
45	hygienic		seems to be from UK medical literature, early 1800s
45	lovely jubbly		1980s
45	mad as a box of frogs	crazy as a loon
45	pillock		‘penis’ (16th c Scotland) ‘idiot’ (1960s UK)
45		billboard	1850s
45		bloviate	‘talk at length, emptily’
45		catchphrase	It’s likely this is orig. US 1840s (Merriam-Webster), but it quickly caught on in UK.
45		discombobulate	‘put out of sorts’
45		gonzo	‘a subjective style of journalism’
45		hootenanny	‘improvised folk concert’
45		lickety-split	‘quickly’
45		mugwump	‘independent politician’
45		plug (v.)	meaning ‘promote’, early 1900s
45		recombobulation	‘put back into order’
48		at full blast	early 1800s
49	P.E.	gym class
50	have a bath	take a bath
50	toilet (i.e. public toilet)	restroom
50	toilet, loo	powder room	but note that toilet in the current UK sense is originally US
50		go to the bathroom	‘urinate or defecate’
50		shitloads	1950s (or earlier)
51	ladies’, the	women’s room
51	lavatory		This is used some in US, but note that usual southern English pronunciation differs markedly from US: LAVatrY versus LAVaTORy
51	loo	bathroom
52	back passage		‘rectum’
52	make-up		‘cosmetics’; from UK theatre mid-1800s
52	privy	outhouse
52	spend a penny		‘urinate’
52	water closet/W.C.
52	waterworks	plumbing	in the sense ‘urinary tract’
52		pee	though in the book it’s quoted in a UK context, first citations are US (GDoS) & it’s often thought of as the ‘American’ alternative to UK wee.
53	arse	ass
53	cock	rooster	rooster probably came to US from an English dialect
53	cockerel		increasingly used as a synonym of cock (bird) though it technically means ‘young cock’
53		roach	shortening of cockroach
54	arse over tit	ass over elbow/tea kettle	The US phrases here are also used in arse form in UK and probably came from there.
54	bowdlerize		after Englishman John Bowdler
54	Gordon Bennett	doggone it; gosh darn it
54	ladybird	ladybug	ladybug came to the US from Britain
54	tit (bird)	chickadee	some species are called tit in the US
54	titbit	tidbit
55	action (v.)		‘to take action on’; first OED citation = 1960 UK
55	bleedin’ heck		euphemistic for bloody Hell
55	by George, by Jove		euphemistic for by God
55	cor blimey		euphemistic for God blind me
55	crikey		euphemistic for Christ
55	incentivise (incentivize)		First OED citation = 1968 UK
55	my goodness		British origin; used in US too; euphemistic for ‘my god’
55		business school, business (as a subject of study)	mid-1800s
55		cussing	‘cursing, swearing’
55		gee whiz, Judas priest, jeepers creepers	euphemistic for Jesus Christ
55		gosh, golly	euphemistic for God
56		boss (n.)	from Dutch baas
56		can-do attitude	early 1900s
56		flip side, the	metaphorical usage, after the sides of a grammophone record
56		get into bed with	meaning ‘do business with’, late 1800s
56		go-getter	turn of the 20th century
57		A-lister	1970s
57		action-packed	1920s
57		doom-sayer	1950s
57		fixer-upper	1930s
57		fund-raise	1950s—now usually hyphenless
57		high stakes	1920s, from gambling
57		hit pay dirt	mid-1800s, from gold-mining
57		maverick
57		pan out (=succeed)	mid-1800s, from gold-mining
57		saloon	a drinking bar, esp. in the old west
57		stiff upper lip	1815
57		strike it rich	mid-1800s, from mining
57		table-hop (v.)	1940s
57		time-share (v.)	1950s
57		win big	post-verb use of adverb big seems to start in early 1900s
58	American football	football
58	close of play		a sport idiom, used in business-speak
58	cowboy (builder)		1970s; for someone who unscrupulously does shoddy work
58	demonize		‘portray as wicked’ meaning: early 1800s
58	goodies	good guys
58	hospital pass		a sport idiom, used in business-speak
58	it’s a game of two halves		a sport idiom, used in business-speak
58	knocked for six		a sport idiom, used in business-speak
58	sport	sports	sport activities collectively
58		blue jeans	mid-1800s
58		drink the Kool-Aid	meaning ‘follow blindly’; 1980s, alluding to the Jonestown massacre
58		frontierspeople	after frontiersman
58		groundbreaker	1940s
58		group-think	1950s or earlier; often groupthink
58		passel	‘group, lot’. Orig. UK (a variant of parcel), it is now more associated with US.
58		pathfinder	mid-1800s
58		trailblazer	It’s possible this one was Canadian first–referring to Europeans’ westward expansion.
59	rugby (football)		mid-1800s
59	touchdown		originally from rugby, mid-1800s
59	wash up	do the dishes
59	wash-up meeting		business meeting in which a project is finished up and reflected upon
59		ballpark figure	baseball idiom, used metaphorically
59		basketball	1892
59		contact (v.)	‘get in touch with’, 1920s
59		gridiron (football)	late 1800s
59		hail-Mary (pass)	US football idiom, used metaphorically
59		hall pass	a note or token that gives a school student permission to be outside the classroom
59		hit a home run	baseball idiom, used metaphorically
59		home plate	the place where the batter stands in baseball
59		inside baseball	‘having expert knowledge’
59		it’s a game of inches	US football idiom, used metaphorically
59		knock it out of the park	baseball idiom, used metaphorically
59		lay-up	basketball idiom, used metaphorically
59		slam-dunk	basketball idiom, used metaphorically
59		spiking the ball	US football idiom, used metaphorically
59		step up to the plate	baseball idiom, used metaphorically
59		touch base	baseball idiom, used metaphorically
59		wash up	‘wash one’s hands (and maybe face)’
60	360° thinking		business cliché with UK origins
60	across the piece		business cliché with UK origins; ‘affecting everything/everyone’ (e.g. in an organization)
60	at the end of the day		business cliché with UK origins
60	at this moment in time		business cliché with UK origins
60	borough council	municipal government
60	buffling		originally meant ‘to puzzle’, but seems to have been revived or reinvented to refer to bamboozling business-speak
60	cradle-to-grave		business cliché with UK origins
60	flag it up		business cliché with UK origins
60	looking under the bonnet		business cliché with UK origins
60	not letting the grass grow		business cliché with UK origins
60	singing from the same hymn sheet		business cliché with UK origins
60	thought shower	brainstorm	the US-origin term is used more in both countries
60		blue-sky thinking	US origin, now used more in UK
60		pro-active	US origin, now seems to be used more in UK
60		thinking outside the box	US origin, now seems to be used more in UK
61	expatriate (n., adj.)		early 1800s; seems to be UK origin
61	junction	intersection	on roads
62	half a dozen	half dozen, a	both are possible in both countries, but prefered forms differ
62	know your onions	know your stuff	UK phrase is from US, but now mostly unknown there
62	peak (v. ‘reach its maximum’)		seems to originate UK 1950s
62	pen pusher	pencil pusher	both come from US, but pen pusher is now used more in UK than US
62	secondary school	high school	UK secondary school starts earlier (around age 11) than US high school
62	shambles		the metaphorical usage ‘chaos’ seems to originate in US, but it’s now a UK phrase
62	skive	play hooky	the US one is usually specific to skipping school
62		dated	in the sense ‘outmoded’, early 20th c.
64		hype (v.)	‘promote’; from hypodermic, i.e. to stimulate, as if with drugs
65		never mind (conjunction)	meaning ‘let alone…; not to speak of…’, OED’s first use of this meaning is US from 1907.
65		uh-oh	early 20th c
66	shifty		early 1800s
66	suffice to say	suffice it to say
68	on show		‘on display’
68	turn out		meaning ‘to turn over to empty out’
69	artefact	artifact
70	bicarbonate of soda	baking soda
70	tin	pan	both countries have both words, but apply them to somewhat different ranges of things
70		bakeware	see this link for related terms
71	cocktail stick	toothpick	the things called cocktail stick in the UK would almost always be called toothpick in the US, toothpick has more restricted use in UK
71	tongue-in-cheek		1930s
71		measuring cup	mid-1800s
72	American-style muffins	muffins
72	cake mixture	batter	batter is used much more broadly in US than UK
72	cookery book	cookbook	cookbook is far more common in the UK nowadays
72	courgette	zucchini
72	How long is a piece of string?		i.e. ‘Who can count that?’
72	pancake (English type)	crêpe	What Americans call pancakes are often called American pancakes in the UK.
72	Yorkshire pudding		another British culinary triumph
72		quick bread	a category of baked good that’s not used in the UK; many, but not all, would be called cake in the UK
73	in a street	on a street	for example, you might live in/on a certain street
73	road	street	Both exist in both places, used a bit differently. Click on link for more.
73	trousers	pants
74		Americanize	17th c.
76	Go on, then		‘yes please, I’ll have some of what you’re offering’
76	instrumentalist (n.)		seems to originate in UK, early 1800s
76		already	sentence-final already expresses impatience
76		pop music	this phrase seems to originate in Variety magazine, early 20th c.; used a bit differently in US/UK
76		publicist	in the ‘publicity officer’ sense, seems to be early 20th c US
77	sadly died		something you don’t read in US news stories the way you read it in UK news stories…
78	plonk (v.)	plunk	plunk may have come to the US from Scotland, but it came to be considered an Americanism
78		breakfast is the most important meal of the day	1917, in a magazine edited by Mr. Kellogg
79		caribou	from Algonquian languages
79		chipmunk	from Algonquian languages
79		hominy	from Algonquian languages
79		opossum	from Algonquian languages
79		pecan	from Algonquian languages
79		persimmon	from Algonquian languages
79		powwow	from Algonquian languages
79		raccoon	from Algonquian languages
79		skunk	from Algonquian languages
79		succotash	from Algonquian languages
80	bank holiday	public holiday
80	duvet	comforter
80	embankment	levee	a dike; from French
80	knobhead		a term of disparagement (18th century)
80	lovey		a term of endearment (17th century)
80	maize, sweetcorn	corn	Originally, ‘corn’ generally meant ‘grain’
80		bluff	a kind of cliff; from Dutch
80		butte	a kind of plateau; from French
80		clapboard
80		deputize	Seems to have been first used in Britain, but then used more in America
80		dime	’10-cent piece’
80		Episcopalian
80		mesa	a plateau; from Spanish
80		moccasin	from Algonquian languages
80		prairie	from French
80		rapids
80		squatter	US origin, now seems to be used more in UK
80		wigwam	from Algonquian languages
81	head start		mid-1800s
81	standardi{s/z}ation		late 19th c
81	turn (of the century)		mid 19th c
81		twinkle in (your daddy’s) eye, a	the phrase (which I’ve changed) comes from a musical film, Dames 1934
82	American War of Independence	American revolution
82	train (on railway)		early 19th c
82		automobile	late 19th c
83		constitutionality
83		presidential
84		speller	to mean ‘spelling book’, early 19th c
85		Anglophobia	coined by Thomas Jefferson
85		electioneering	coined by Thomas Jefferson
85		indescribable	coined by Thomas Jefferson
90	you lot	you guys, y’all, youse, yinz	informal/regional second-person-plural pronouns
91	fish-and-chip shop		informally, this can be called a chippie
91		retiree	1930s
96		badmouth (v.)	mid 20th c
97	digs		meaning ‘abode’, late 19th c
98	cupboard, wardrobe	closet	closet came to US from Britain, then mostly forgotten in UK
98	tap	faucet	faucet came to US from Britain, then mostly forgotten in UK
98	Yankee (=’American’)		the word originated in the US, but the ‘American’ (rather than “New Englander’) sense was orig. a British thing
99	football	soccer	soccer came to US from Britain, then mostly forgotten in UK
99	lurgy, the	cooties	for the playground malady
102	pop over to		using pop as a motion verb is a much more British thing to do
103	riding/horse riding	horseback riding
103	way in	entrance	on signage
103	way out	exit	on signage
103		bit (comedy/performance)	1950s
104	do the trick		the ‘be what’s needed’ sense from thieves’ jargon, early 19th c
104		jazz	orig. African-American English, early 20th c
104		romance (v.)	in the sense ‘pursue romantically’, 1930s
104		sassafras	a tree
104		semester	not, strictly speaking, an Americanism, but its use in UK universities is mostly due to US-influenced reform
104		standard (n.)	in the ‘song of established popularity’ sense, 1930s
104		terminally ill	both the ‘leading to death’ use of terminally and the phrase terminally ill seem to stem from US medical usage, early 20th c
105		leaf peepers	tourists who look at the fall colo(u)rs in the US northeast
106	mature cheese, strong cheese	sharp cheese	UK uses ‘strong’ or ‘mature’ for a ‘sharp’ cheddar
106	note (bank note)	bill	bill came to US from Britain, then mostly forgotten in UK in this sense
106	trendsetter		often with a hyphen; 1960ish
106		brush (=cut-down branches)	orig. British but noted as an Americanism in early 19th c
106		hick	originated in Britain; now mainly American
106		sharp dresser	for fashion; UK smart is a possible synonym
107		smarts	for ‘natural intelligence, acumen’; US 1960s or earlier
108	smart casual
109	petrol	gas(oline)
109		Americano (coffee)	Italian & Spanish—as an English word, first cited in US 1960s
109		guy	the word is British, but using it generally to mean ‘man’ is US, mid-1800s
111	dandy (n.)		late 18th c for ‘fashion victim’
111	estate agent	real estate agent	also in AmE: realtor
112		finicky	from northern England or Scotland to US back to UK
112		jagger	W Pennsylvania dialect from Scots-Irish
112		neb	W Pennsylvania dialect from Scots-Irish
112		Old Country	referring to one’s pre-immigration land; first citation is Benjamin Franklin 1751
112		whenever (meaning when)	W Pennsylvania dialect from Scots-Irish immigrants
113	jug	pitcher	for the vessel
113	posh		early 20th c
113		buck (v. trans.)	‘to butt against; to oppose’, mid-19th c
113		hamburger	turn of 20th c (orig. hamburger steak)
113		hillbilly
114	sub-editor	copy editor	sub-editor is more used in newspaper publishing, not so much for books, etc.
114		beat the s(hit) out of	1920s
115	go about (VERBing)	go around (VERBing)
115	haitch, aitch	aitch
116	niggling		in the current ‘annoying’ sense, UK 1850s; found in US, but not as much
123	Establishment, the		early 20th c
123		fan	in the ‘keen spectator of a sport’ sense, orig US late 19th c
124	kick your arse	kick your ass	the British version is older
125	match	game	when referring, e.g. to football/soccer
125		damn (adj.)	instead of damned; late 18th c
126	expiry	expiration	British origin; now considered American
126	physicality		British origin; complained about as an Americanism
126	rail station	train station	British origin; now considered American
126	transport	transportation	British origin; now considered American
126	zed	zee	zee probably originated in Britain
126		alphabetize	British origin; now considered American
126		crush (romantic)	late 19th c
126		learn (=’teach’)	British origin, now used mostly jocularly in US
126		oftentimes	British origin; now considered American
126		troupe	as in dance troupe; earliest (19th-c) uses in OED are all US
126		turn (an age)	British origin; now considered American
126		twerk	the dance meaning is US origin, but the word originally comes from Britain, meaning ‘to jerk’
126		wait on	meaning ‘wait for’; British origin, now considered US
127		frenemy	friend + enemy; 1950s
128		gussy up	meaning ‘smarten up’ (clothing, etc.); US 1950s or earlier
129		heave-ho, the	as in give the heave-ho; mid-20th c
130	on the table	on the floor	(in meetings); discussed in more detail in chapter 7
130		egghead	‘intellectual, scientist’
131	humourist*		*this made it into the UK edition, but the usual UK spelling is humorist, according to the OED
132		granddaddy	not orig. US, but now chiefly US in usage
132		science fiction	early 20th c
134	fit-for-purpose
134	mucked up		this originally meant ‘clean up’ (now usually muck out), but now it’s mostly used to mean ‘mess up’ (literally and figuratively)
134	plough	plow
135	slap on (something)		orig. from turn-of-20th-c theatre (where make-up = slap)
135		primary education	first known usage, Virginia early 19th c; now a more common phrase in UK referring to the first 7 years of formal schooling
136	rejig(ging)		originally a mining term, the figurative ‘rearrange, refashion’ sense is from mid-20th c.
137	cheque	check	for the monetary object. Other meanings are mostly spelled check in both Englishes.
137	sceptic	skeptic
137	take decisions	make decisions
140	aeroplane	airplane
140		airport	originally aeroport in UK, but now airport there too
141	sulphur	sulfur
143		douchebag	as an insult, 1960s
147		learning disability	1930s; it’s come to mean somewhat different things in US & UK (see link)
148		spellchecker	whether to spell it with a hyphen or not is another matter…
151	do the rounds	make the rounds
151	spoof		coined by a British comedian in the late 19th c
154	coriander	cilantro
154	rocket/roquette	arugula
155	centre stage	center stage	late 19th c, seems to be orig. US
155	haricot bean	kidney bean, navy bean	which bean haricot refers to has changed in the UK
155	mange-tout	sugar pea, now mostly snow pea
155		get one’s goat	early 20th c
157	pet (adj.)		as in pet project; early 19th c.
158		get medieval on your (ass)	from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction
159		hangover	early 20th c
162		hassle (n.)	1940s or earlier
163	Beeb, the		the BBC
163	caff		short for café, usually referring to the type of place where workers would have their breakfasts
163	cardie		short for cardigan (1960s)
163	dust sheet		for protecting floors or furniture from paint (Americans might just call it a sheet)
163	spag bol		short for spaghetti bolognese, which would usually be ‘spaghetti with meat sauce’ in US
163		tarp	short for tarpaulin
164	patch	turf	‘the area one has rights to/responsibility for’; the first citation for the British variant here is Australian
165		rapper	in the ‘performer of rap songs’ sense, 1970s
165		super	as an adverb meaning ‘extra, very’, it’s more American. As an adjective and interjection, it’s more British
166	out of the window	out the window	British is more apt to use the ‘of’
168	flies	fly	on trousers/pants
168	scales	scale
168	zip (n.)	zipper
169	Lego	Legos
169	mashed potato	mashed potatoes
169	scrambled egg	scrambled eggs
170	a McDonalds, a Burger King		a meal from’ one of these establishments
170	Biro	ballpoint (pen)	the US generic term is also used in UK
170	Hoover	vacuum (cleaner)	the US generic term is also used in UK
170	Lego: a piece of Lego/a Lego brick	Lego: a Lego
170	murder a Chinese		for ‘devour an order of Chinese food’
170	own-brand	store-brand
170	plaster (i.e. sticking plaster)	Band-Aid	if avoiding the brand name, Americans would say (adhesive) bandage
170	polystyrene	Styrofoam
170	ring (v.)	call (v.)	meaning ‘to telephone’
170	scream blue murder	scream bloody murder (p.171)
170	Tannoy	public address system
170	tissue	Kleenex	the UK generic term is also used in US
170		watch out	to mean ‘look out, be cautious’, mid-1800s
171	a coffee	a cup of coffee	the UK form is increasingly heard in US
171	flat	apartment
171	runner beans	string beans
171	tin (of dog food)	can (of dog food)
171	trademark		orig. trade mark 1830s
171	two pints of milk	quart of milk	the words exist in both countries, but how we talk about milk measures differs
171		genericide	1970s
175	acclimati{s/z}e	acclimate, acclimatize	the two forms have slightly different meanings in US; UK uses same word for both
175	obliged	obligated	in US ‘be obliged’ is used to mean ‘be grateful’—e.g. I’d be obliged if you’d read this
175	orientate/to orient	orient
175	pressuri{s/z}e (someone)	pressure (someone)
175	soya	soy
175	speciality	specialty	in general usage; in medicine, it’s specialty in both
175		normalcy	mid-1800s; normality is used in both countries
177		television set
178	menopause, the	menopause	for other cases of present/absent the, see the in the book’s index
179	pupil, student	student	US uses ‘student’ for a learner of any age/level
179		summer camp	as a place to send children, US late 1800s
180		medal (v.)	medal was already a verb when US added the particular sense ‘win a medal’
180		podium (v.)	to win a medal at the Olympics’
183	range (of goods)	line, collection
184		head up (a committee)	the ‘up’ is noted as American
184		visit with	meaning ‘to go and spend some time chatting with’
185	appeal against (a verdict)	appeal (a verdict)
185	protest at	protest (something)	see link for more details
185		run into (someone)	meaning ‘encounter’; late 19th c
186		write (someone)	meaning ‘write to someone’
187	take-away	to-go
187		coffee shop	in the sense ‘a place where coffee and snacks are served’, 1940s US
187		copy machine	1950s
187		sitcom	1960s
188	octogenarian		I’m calling this one for the Brits, since the first 80 years of 19th-c citations are from the UK
189	stymie		golfing term originating in 19th c Scotland
190		bat an eye at	bat was a regional British word for ‘blink’ or ‘wink’; the figurative expression is 19th c US
191	hoodie		‘hooded sweatshirt’
191		bro	originally Caribbean; used widely in US
191		chillax
191		hip	meaning ‘cool, with-it’, early 20th c
191		white-bread (adj.)	meaning ’embodying the values of the white middle-class’
192	moustache	mustache
193	sadface	frown/frowny face	emoji names
196	crumpet		both a British thing and a British word. The best thing to put in a toaster.
196	first floor	second floor
196	ground floor	first floor
196		noodle	see the link for the different meanings in US and UK
197	liquidize	blend (in a blender)
197	refectory	dining hall
197		chunky	1700s
197		matzo ball	from Yiddish
198	bits		UK uses this much more than US to mean ‘small pieces’
198	starter	appetizer	‘first course’
199	crisps	potato chips
199	savoury	savory	UK uses this much more than US does as an opposite to ‘sweet’
199		chowder	1700s
199		English muffin	bears only a superficial resemblance to the traditional ‘muffin’ in UK
199		open-face(d) sandwich	early 20th c
200	bap	bun (as for a hamburger)	a type of soft roll; regional usage
200	beef mince	ground beef, hamburger
200	brown sauce	steak sauce	these aren’t really the same thing, but they’re as close as one country has to the other’s sauce
200	butty		meaning ‘sandwich’
200	sauce	condiment	condiment is used in US and UK, but with different coverage—see link
200		hot dog
200		in my book	‘in my opinion’; early 20th c
200		patty	‘a cake of ground food’, US turn of 20th c
201		frankfurter	from German
202	illegal immigrant		first referred to Jews entering Palestine without permission during the British mandate
204	BME, BAME		Black, (Asian), and Minority Ethnic’
204		people of color	first use in OED is by Thomas Jefferson
205	benefits	welfare (checks)
205	degree	college degree
205		burger-flipping	after the US use of ‘flip’ for ‘turn over in a pan/on a grill’
206	food shopping	grocery shopping
206		barbecue	American colonies, 1600s
206		consumerism	early 20th c
206		put-down	‘insult’, mid-20th c
208		catch-22	coined by Joseph Heller
209	jacket potato	baked potato	baked potato is perfectly understandable in UK, but tends not to be the term used
209		boss (someone) around
209		bossy	late 1800s
209		server	certainly not orig. US but as a way to avoid saying the gendered terms waiter/waitress, much more common in US
210	shop assistant	store clerk
212	charity shop	thrift store
212	cheers		to mean ‘thanks’
212	hang about	hang around
212	ta		‘thanks’
212		customer service	early-mid 20th c
213	bus conductor		in the US, conductors are on trains; in the UK the train kind are traditionally called guards
214	strike (n.)		meaning ‘success’, unlike a baseball strike
214		department store	US late 19th c, but the British took easily to this idea and have some great ones
214		get a strike	meaning ‘fail’
214		starter	the sense ‘something which is good to start with’ is orig. US (mid-19th c), but it’s used very much in the UK, esp. in the sense of a starter question in a quiz game
215	armed forces	military
215	go down a bomb		a bomb meaning ‘a success’ is originally US, but now mostly displaced by the ‘failure’ meaning’; the go down a phrasing is very British
215	homely	homey
215	moot		meaning ‘up for debate’
215	nervy		‘nervous’
215		bomb (v.)	meaning ‘fail’; US 1960s
215		homely	‘plain looking’
215		moot	meaning ‘not worth debating’
215		nervy	‘over-confident’
216	letterbox	mailbox
216	post (v.)	mail (v.)
216	slutty		meaning ‘slovenly’ (be careful—the newer meaning has taken over)
219	bumf		‘toilet paper; unimportant papers’ from bumfodder; late 1800s
219	naff		‘unfashionably vulgar’; 1960s
219	plonk (n.)		‘inferior wine’ 1920s
219		kitty-corner/cater-corner/catty-corner	‘diagonally across from’
219		nickel-and-dimed	‘overcome by tiny expenses’
219		snit	‘fit of temper/bad mood’
220	jobsworth		someone who’ll only do ‘as much as their job’s worth’
220	moreish
220		make nice with (someone)
220		push it	meaning ‘to go too far’ seems to be US from 1960s; the one UK example before that is from 1840s—doesn’t seem to have developed there
221	dodgy	sketchy	meanings similar, but not the same
221	grill	broil
221	marmite		of something people either love or hate; after a yeast-based spread
221	tizz	tizzy	UK borrowed US tizzy and shortened it.
221		101	‘the basics of a subject’ (after US college course numbering system)
221		bus tables (v.)
221		family style	‘with dishes in the middle of the table for sharing’
221		on the side	meaning ‘not as part of the dish’; late 19th c
221		over easy/medium/hard	ways of preparing fried eggs
221		sunny-side up	way of preparing fried eggs
222	gap year
222	gutted
222	holiday (v.)	vacation (v.)
222	vet (a candidate)
222		bake-off	see link for more of the story
222		staycation
222		wonk
223	lie-in
224	rained off	rained out
224		frazzled	late 19th c
224		hit on	‘to make romantic/sexual advances on’ 1950s
224		policymaker	earliest (19th & 20th c) examples in OED are American
224		who’s who (n.)	I’m calling this one for US: the original book is British, but all the 19th c. figurative uses in the OED are from the US
225	hobnob		a type of sweet oat biscuit (US cookie)
225	Jaffa cake		a baked good with no US equivalent
225	jelly	jello, gelatin
225		cakewalk	orig. a contest in graceful walking, then a dance, in African-American communities
225		snickerdoodle	a type of cinnamon-and-sugar-coated cookie
226	dressing gown	bathrobe
226	terry (towelling)	terrycloth
228	broad church, a		for something that’s inclusive
228		divvy up	‘to divide up, portion out’
230	grammar school	Latin school, classical school
230	independent/public school	private school
230	primary school	grammar/elementary school
231	stone	rock	the range of things called rocks is larger in US
231		cookie-cutter [adj.]	‘standard, from the same mo(u)ld as others’
232	top hat		probably originally UK, mid 19th c
232		business suit	mid-19th c
233	post (n.)	mail (n.)
234	alternative comedy/comedian		1980s
234	furore	furor
234	River Thames, the		see link for discussion
235	daft		far, far more common in UK
235	John Lewis		a ‘middle class’ department store
235	National Trust		charity that looks after historically important properties
235	teaching staff	faculty members
235		take a back seat to	figurative use, late 19th c
237	vox pop	man-on-the-street interview
237	with hindsight	in hindsight	UK also uses in
237		down-home (adj.)	‘unpretentious’; 1930s
237		serial killer	1970s
237		talking out of one’s hat	‘talk nonsense’, orig. talking through one’s hat; late 19th c
240	pay rise	pay raise
240		monster truck	1970s
240		spelling bee
242	half a dozen	half dozen, a	both are possible, but prefered forms differ
243		graduation	applied to school years, this is US; in the UK you only graduate if you’re getting a university degree
243		term paper	UK uses the general term ‘essay’
244		pocketbook	here used metaphorically to mean ‘financial means’
245	mark (n.)	grade (n.)	what’s given to schoolwork
246		basics, the	mid 20th c
247	first-year student, fresher	freshman
247	mark (v.)	grade (v.)	what teachers do to students’ work
247		liberal arts	not orig. US, but OED lists as ‘now chiefly N. Amer.’
247		no picnic	‘not easy’; late 1800s
253		bestseller	OED says: “The particular association of the word with books follows its widespread adoption in U.S. bookselling contexts from the late 19th cent.”
255		irregardless	considered to be a non-standard usage
257		sell (n.)	a hard sell is orig. US, 1950s. An easy sell comes later.
257		wannabe	1970s
258		jaywalking	1910s
259		maven	‘expert’; early 20th c, from Yiddish
262	chat show	talk show
262		host (of a television show)	now used widely in UK, but orig. US
262		reality television	orig. US, now huge in UK
263	mush		‘a pulpy or formless mass’ meaning from early 19th c, based on other regional meanings
264	stuffy		in the ‘conceited’ sense, looks to be orig. UK late 19th c
264		hang out	‘spend unstructured time in a particular place’; mid-1800s
264		School of Hard Knocks	early 20th c.
265	actorly
265		pollster	1930s
266	pinch of salt, take with a	grain of salt, take with a	translation from Latin; the now-US translation is the older one
266	superpower		seems to appear a few decades earlier in UK (20th c)
267	over-the-top		1930s
267		phoney	late 19th c
269		hate on (v.)	orig. African-American usage; 1990s or earlier
269		zombie rules	coined by US linguist Arnold Zwicky
270	different to	different than	both are considered non-standard
270		eye-roll (n.)	1920s
271		let your [freak flag] fly
272		Go team!	using go to encourage is not orig. AmE, but this phrase has a definite mid-20th c. US feel.
274	compere	emcee
274	ironmonger	hardware store	ironmonger is a bit old-fashioned (but still common on signs)
274	plasterboard	sheetrock	also US: drywall
274	skirting board	baseboard
274		earthie-crunchies	vaguely ‘hippies’
274		wet noodle	ineffectual, uninteresting person’
275	babygro	onesie	Babygro was orig. an American trademark (1959)
275	coach	bus (Greyhound type)
275	gazump
275	gazunder
275	health visitor		a public health nurse who visits people at home
275	lay-by	rest area/pull-out/turn-out	the terms are regional in US
275	muslin	burpcloth	not the same thing, but the same purpose
275	platform 8	track 8	where a train arrives
275	pushchair	stroller
275	return (ticket)	round trip (ticket)
275	snag (v.), snag list
275	tinned	canned
275		hospitalize	AmE origin, used in both
275		mileage	AmE origin, used in both
275		monobrow	AmE origin, used in both
275		out (someone) (v.)	AmE origin, used in both
276	alcopop	flavored malt beverage	The US term doesn’t have the currency that the UK one does.
276	awayday	work retreat
276	bestie	BFF	both now have currency in the other country
276	BOGOF	BOGO	‘buy one get one (free)’
276	boyf		short for boyfriend
276	bruv	bro
276	chips	fries, french fries
276	chugger		from charity + mugger
276	chunky chips	steak fries
276	detectorist		‘someone who does metal detecting’
276	fnarr fnarr		onomatopoeic for lecherous laughter
276	gobsmack (v.)
276	hot-desk (v.)
276	house-share (v.)
276	ladette
276	longlist (v.)
276	mini-break
276	mis-selling
276	mobile phone	cell phone	the UK version is US in origin, but not used much there
276	moobs	man boobs
276	overspend (n.)
276	pap		short for paparazzo
276	phwoar
276	quango
276	stitch-up	frame-up
276	subway	pedestrian underpass
276	trustafarian
277	banging [adj.]		meaning ‘exciting, happening’
277	banoffee pie
277	breaking up (from school)
277	chav
277	crep check		youth slang: check out someone’s shoes
277	dead-leg (v.)
277	dogging
277	E-fit	police composite (sketch)	the E-fit uses a computer program(me)
277	fit		meaning ‘attractive’
277	gastropub
277	half-term	mid-term break
277	happy-slap (v.)
277	joined-up writing	cursive
277	minger		‘ugly person’
277	pull (v.)		meaning ‘get lucky with (a potential sexual partner)’
277	slap-head
277	wazzock
278	baby bump
278	bespoke	custom-made	Bespoke has been gaining currency in the US in recent years.
278	credit to…		business/sports cliché
278	flummox
278	joy ,to get no
278	knock-on effect
278	liaise
278	long game, the
278	on the back foot
278	peckish
278	punch above one’s weight
278	run-up (to an event)
278	sack (v.)		‘to fire (a person)’
278	second (v.)		accent on the 2nd syllable, meaning ‘to temporarily reassign’
278	short-listing
278	spoilt for choice
278	stockist
278	trainers	sneakers, tennis shoes, etc.
278	year-on-year
278		Anglocreep
278		calling card	literal calling card (=visiting card) is orig. UK (1800s), but use as a metaphor for ‘a definitive characteristic’ seems to be orig. US (1930s)
279	boots, football	cleats
279	Boxing Day sales
279	kit	uniform	(in sports)
279	nippy
279	panto		short for pantomime; a traditional type of comedic play (not mime)
279	pitch	field	for some sports
280	talk to	talk with	US makes a distinction between to & with in this context
280	television programme	TV show
280		publicity stunt	early 20th c
281	wot		a spelling of ‘what’ indended to show ‘non-standardness’
281		post-truth
281		talkie	i.e. ‘talking picture’
282	round	around
282		park (v.)
285	grime (music)
285		het up	‘heated; excited’ orig. Britishdialect, now US
287	school year	grade
288		strut [one’s] stuff	1920s
290		come late to the party	1940s
294		ace (v.)	‘win, achieve high marks/grade’; 1950s
294		cool	as a term of approval, orig. African-American usage early 20th c
294		too close to call	ca. 1930
296		have got it made	1940s or earlier
296		sideline (v.)	particularly in the figurative sense ‘to remove from the cent{er/re) of action’
297	up-and-comer		1940s
298	brunch (v.)
298	nil		‘zero’; used in sports scores
298	road-tripper		1st known use 1930
298	sell-by date; best-before date	expiration date
298		race	of a heart, ‘beat fast’ sense is US 19th c
298		speeding ticket
301	clunk		orig. Scotland
302	sod		meaning ‘sodomist’
302	Sod’s Law	Murphy’s Law
304	blag(ger)
304	guv’nor		mid 19th c
305	hen party	bachelorette party
305	porn	porno	porn is used in both places now.
305	star		in the ‘popular actor’ sense, late 18th c
305		cocktail	in the ‘drink’ sense, orig. US early 1800s
305		gawker	US gawk is late 18th c; gawker doesn’t show up till 20th c.
305		gay	to mean ‘homosexual’; 20th c
307	building work	construction work
307	doctor’s surgery	doctor’s office
307	property	real estate
313		drive-thru	1940s
314	vice	vise (tool), vice (sin)
315		PSA	‘public service announcement’