Some English speakers communicating with wikiHow editors from the UK will need to know just a little more

about the lingo. Note that some of these terms are also used in parts of the British Commonwealth such as Australia and New Zealand. EditSteps 1. Be aware that certain food items are called by different names:
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Chips are thick fries, and french fries are the thin fries. Crisps are potato chips. A biscuit is a cookie. A British person would only call chocolate-chip biscuits a 'cookie', They have scones, which look a bit like a cup cake but more the shape of a bread roll, slightly sweet, and often baked with currants. Jelly is a gelatinous dessert, the type given with ice cream in hospital; fruit preserves are jam.

2. Learn the different terms for parts of a building:

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The ground floor is the same as the American first floor; therefore the first floor is the floor ABOVE ground level. A lift is an elevator. A bedsit is a one-room flat (apartment) that serves as a bedroom and a living room. An electrical receptacle is called a socket or a plug. A flat is the general term for an apartment.

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3. Study these terms for when you are on the move:

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The boot is the trunk of the car. The bumper is the fender of the car. The bonnet is the hood of the car. However, a trunk call, is a long-distance phone call but the term is not associated with automobiles at all as one might be lead to believe. Trunk call is not used in modern British English. A roundabout is a traffic circle. The colours of traffic lights are called red, amber (not yellow) and green. A lorry is a truck (not necessarily a "pick-up truck"). They are, more often than not, the type that carry goods.

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The sidewalk is called the pavement or the footpath (footpath is used generally when it's on grass). Petrol is gasoline (e.g. "Can we stop at the petrol station?").

4. Avoid embarrassment by understanding these differences:

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A bum" is a derrire, not a homeless person. Spell and pronounce "ass" as "arse". DO NOT call your "bum" your Fanny. In the UK a "Fanny" is a word meaning the female reproductive organ! A "fag" is a cigarette. (The British are well aware of the American meaning.) Whilst thanks to American culture, "faggot" is sometimes used as the derogatory name for homosexuals (never in polite company), it is actually a meatball, either savoury or sweet. The "loo", "bog" or just "toilet" is the American English "bathroom" (e.g. "Where's the loo?"), also sometimes called the WC (water closet). A Bathroom is always the name for a room with a bath in it. A rubber is an eraser. It is also a slang term for a condom in some circles. "I'm stuffed" means "I'm full". The word stuffed can also be interpreted in a negative or insulting manner depending on context (e.g. "Go get stuffed." is just below to "F**k off." in terms of strength, but roughly the same meaning.

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5. Remember when throwing something away that:

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Rubbish is garbage or trash and goes in the rubbish bin if it is inside, or a dustbin if you mean the large outside receptacle. A trash bag is called a bin liner or bin bag.

6. Use these terms when talking about clothing:

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Trainers are sneakers, Wellingtons (Wellington boots, wellies, boots, gumboots) are galoshes and have nothing to do with beef. Pants in England are worn underneath your trousers, just like American panties. While the British may understand what you mean, due to the invasion of American culture, they will likely find the mental image this conjures amusing and may call you out on it.

Braces hold up trousers as well as going round teeth. If you say that all the men where you live wear suspenders, the British will have a picture of them wearing women's suspender belts holding up stockings. Pantyhose are called tights or stockings in the UK.

7. Finally, study these terms which may cause confusion:

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The phrases "taking the mickey" and "taking the piss" mean making fun of or teasing, The phrases "kneel before me" and "on your knees" mean to show respect, beg, or even plead, To ring is to call on the phone (e.g. "I'll ring you later"). A pram or buggy is a baby stroller. A trolley is a buggy used for shopping. A dummy is a pacifier. A lolly is a popsicle. A mobile is a cellphone. A bodge or botch is a poor job (or repair) that just about works. A brolly is short for an umbrella. A holiday is a vacation. A torch is a flashlight as we know it in North-America Maths is the shortened mass noun for mathematics, or "math" in American English. Washing-up liquid is dish detergent. An aerial is a TV or radio antenna. Anti-clockwise is counter-clockwise. Engaged can also mean that the phone line is busy. Punt in the UK refers to a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt. In America, especially in American Football, a punt is when you clear the ball down the field. That was the joke used on Emma Watson by David Letterman ("Here, we do that on 4th and long"). The English equivalent is a drop kick, but the mechanics are different. A punt in rugby is a kick in which the ball is hit BEFORE touching the ground.

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"Football" is soccer. The American game is called American football, and is viewed as a second-rate version of rugby. "Fit" is used as attractive/sexy, amongst the young. "Mental" is used to say something or someone is out of the blue/something different/mad, but not necessarily in a negative context. (i.e "The girl I met last night was completely "mental"). You can use almost any word to substitute drunk. I'm going to get absolutely hammered tonight. She was completely mortal. He's pretty much pyjama'd. Mullahed. Trolleyed. Rubbered. Off your face. Similarly, "pissed" or "pished" means drunk; a person who is merely annoyed would be described as "pissed off". "Piss off" is another term for "go away" "Hi" and "All right?" is used as "hello" "Mate" is used as "friend" "Search Me" is the same thing as "beats me" when both parties are confused. "F**k" is used extensively in a wide range of circles for many reasons, from "I could do with a f**k" to "F**k off!" DO NOT use it if you are trying to make a good impression unless a lot of people are saying it and it appears to be accepted. Even then, try and limit it.

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Warnings
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Some words are less acceptable in British English than American English. While wanker is used humorously in the US, it's a reference to someone who masturbates, and is generally a derogatory term. Again, don't use in polite company. A fanny is not a rear end. It's the front end, of a woman specifically and is not for polite company. A fanny pack would be better referred to as a bum bag, believe it or not. An ass is an arse in the UK and is not for polite company. Cussing is known as swearing. It's very prevalent in some communities and absent in others. The same person may cuss up a storm one place, and not say a word in another. The rules vary greatly. When in doubt, keep it clean. Nothing is more likely to offend than a misplaced swear word! Where ever you go in the UK there are different accents. Some say Geordies (people who live in the Newcastle/Northumberland area) have their own language!

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