I started teaching English while living in Poznań in 1999. I only knew two other native speakers there at the time, Peter and Peter, who were both from the East Coast of the US. And sometimes, we simply didn’t understand each other. It mystified my students and our friends: “Don’t you speak the same language?” No we didn’t. Meeting a lush jock for a brew and chips and a natter about the IRA through lunch meant something very different to me and to them.
For Presidents’ Day, here’s an alphabet of false friends that muddy the waters of that pond between us. It’s far from exhaustive – you can find lots more here – but please remember, I don’t speak American fluently…
| Term | British English | American English |
| A&E | accident and emergency | arts & entertainment (TV channel) |
| Brew | tea | coffee or beer |
| Chips | fried potatoes (hot e.g. with fish) | fried potatoes (cold in a packet) |
| Duff | poor quality | vegetable matter on the forest floor |
| Entrée | starter | main meal |
| Fancy dress | character costume e.g. a witch for Halloween | formal wear |
| Graft | hard work | bribery |
| Homely | cosy | plain, ugly |
| IRA | Irish Republican Army | Individual Retirement Account |
| Jock | Scottish person (slang) | athlete (slang) |
| Keeper | person who protects something e.g. goal-keeper | someone worth keeping e.g. a good partner |
| Lush | attractive | alcoholic |
| Middle class | richer than working class but not very wealthy | ordinary, not rich but not extremely poor |
| Natter | pleasant chatter | annoying chatter |
| Outside lane | the lane furthest from the centre of the road | the lane nearest the centre of the road |
| Pavement | paved side of the road where people walk | road surface where cars drive |
| Quart | 1.1 litres – ¼ UK gallon | 0.9 liters – ¼ US gallon |
| Run-up | period preceding an event | sudden increase in price |
| Scrappy | unfinished, poor quality | argumentative, determined |
| Through (time) | during (through lunch = open at lunch time) | up until (through lunch= closed at lunch time) |
| Undercoat | first coat of paint before the top coat | rustproofing paint under a car |
| Vet | veterinary surgeon = animal doctor | veteran = soldier who served in a war |
| Wash up | wash the dishes (e.g. after a meal) | wash yourself (e.g. before a meal) |
| Xerox | — meaning not clear, name of a company which makes photocopiers | to photocopy, a photocopy |
| Yard | no grass – functional space | also garden or campus |
| Zebra | crossing for pedestrians – black-and-white striped | referee – wearing black-and-white striped uniform |
found in translation 
[…] only problem is that you have to have Facebook set in U.S. English for it to work. They’re working on the translations – which sounds like a lot of fun. So if, […]