100 British English Words Every American Should Know

No.	Item	Definition
1.	A&E	A hospital’s emergency department.
2.	aubergine	An eggplant.
3.	banger	An informal word for a sausage.
4.	beetroot	A beet.
5.	bin	A container for trash.
6.	biro	A ballpoint pen.
7.	biscuit	A cookie or small crisp cracker.
8.	bonnet	The hood of a car.
9.	boot	The trunk of a car.
10.	braces	Suspenders that hold up trousers.
11.	candyfloss	Cotton candy.
12.	chips	French fries, often thickly cut.
13.	clingfilm	Plastic wrap for covering food.
14.	coriander	The herb Americans call cilantro.
15.	courgette	A zucchini.
16.	crisps	Potato chips.
17.	crumpet	A griddle cake with a hole-filled top.
18.	cuppa	An informal word for a cup of tea.
19.	daft	Silly or foolish.
20.	diversion	A detour.
21.	dodgy	Suspicious, unreliable, or potentially unsafe.
22.	dustman	A garbage collector.
23.	flannel	A washcloth.
24.	flapjack	A baked bar of oats and syrup.
25.	flat	An apartment.
26.	flyover	A road overpass.
27.	fresher	A first-year university student.
28.	full stop	The punctuation mark Americans call a period.
29.	garden	The yard around a house, especially planted areas.
30.	gobsmacked	Extremely surprised.
31.	grill	A broiler; to cook under direct heat.
32.	gutted	Extremely disappointed or upset.
33.	headteacher	A school principal.
34.	high street	A town’s main shopping street.
35.	hob	The cooking surface of a stove.
36.	holiday	A vacation.
37.	hoover	A vacuum cleaner; to vacuum.
38.	ice lolly	A frozen flavored treat on a stick.
39.	indicators	A vehicle’s turn signals.
40.	invigilator	An exam proctor.
41.	jab	An injection, especially a vaccination.
42.	jumper	A sweater.
43.	knackered	Very tired or worn out; informal.
44.	knickers	Women’s underpants.
45.	lemonade	Usually a clear, fizzy, lemon-flavored soft drink.
46.	lift	An elevator.
47.	loo	An informal word for a toilet.
48.	lorry	A truck.
49.	mate	A friend; an informal way to address someone.
50.	mince	Ground meat, especially beef.
51.	mobile	A cell phone.
52.	motorway	A freeway or interstate-style highway.
53.	naff	Tacky, unfashionable, or poor-quality.
54.	natter	To chat casually.
55.	newsagent	A shop or seller of newspapers and magazines.
56.	note	A piece of paper money; a bill.
57.	nought	Zero.
58.	number plate	A vehicle’s license plate.
59.	off-licence	A store selling alcohol to consume elsewhere.
60.	pants	Underwear.
61.	paracetamol	The medicine Americans call acetaminophen.
62.	pavement	A sidewalk.
63.	petrol	Gasoline.
64.	plaster	An adhesive bandage for a minor injury.
65.	plughole	The drain opening in a sink or bathtub.
66.	public school	A traditionally prestigious, fee-paying private school.
67.	pudding	Dessert, or a particular sweet dish.
68.	queue	A line of people waiting.
69.	quid	An informal word for a pound sterling.
70.	redundancy	Job loss because a position is no longer needed.
71.	return	A round-trip ticket.
72.	revision	Studying material again before an exam.
73.	rocket	Arugula.
74.	roundabout	A circular intersection with traffic flowing around it.
75.	rubber	A pencil eraser.
76.	rubbish	Trash, garbage, or nonsense.
77.	saloon	A sedan car.
78.	Sellotape	A brand name commonly meaning clear adhesive tape.
79.	shop	A store.
80.	silencer	A vehicle’s muffler.
81.	single	A one-way ticket.
82.	squash	Concentrated fruit drink diluted with water.
83.	state school	A government-funded school.
84.	surgery	A doctor’s office or consulting hours.
85.	takeaway	Food bought to eat elsewhere; takeout.
86.	tap	A faucet.
87.	till	A cash register.
88.	torch	A flashlight.
89.	trainers	Sneakers or athletic shoes.
90.	trolley	A shopping cart or wheeled carrier.
91.	trousers	Pants worn as outer clothing.
92.	tyre	British spelling of tire.
93.	vest	An undershirt.
94.	waistcoat	A vest worn over a shirt.
95.	washing-up	The task of washing dishes.
96.	wellies	Waterproof rubber boots.
97.	whinge	To complain persistently and annoyingly.
98.	windscreen	A windshield.
99.	wonky	Crooked, unstable, or not working properly.
100.	zebra crossing	A pedestrian crossing marked with broad stripes.