1 Zebra crossing – so named because of its black and white stripes, but better known as a crosswalk here in the US.

2. Whinge – to whine or complain, usually about things seen as trivial by someone else. If someone calls you a whinger it is not a good thing.

3. Welly – as in give it some welly. A good old Brit expression that’s the equivalent of elbow grease here in the US.

4. Trainers – you might think that this is a word for people who coach other people, but no, it’s Brit-speak for sneakers. And if you’re talking about tennis shoes, then the Brits say plimsolls.

5. Subway – this is a walkway that runs under a road, not to be confused either with the sandwich chain or a mode of transport (in London, what Americans call the subway is known as the Tube (or the Underground).

6. Sarky – Brit-speak for sarcastic where Americans would say snarky.

7. Rubber – this isn’t what you think, but what Americans call an eraser. Misuse of the term can lead to confusion, obviously.

8. Recce – in this case the same word reconnoitre/reconnaissance (both of French origin) have produced two diferent abbreviations on each side of the pond. In America, we’d say recon.

9. The off-licence is where you’d go to buy an alcoholic drink. Known affectionately as the offie, we’d call it a liquor store.

10. Their motorway is our freeway.

11. Want that ice-cream with a few sprinkles? You’ll have to ask for hundreds and thousands in the UK.

12. Our billboard is their hoarding.

13. Fortnight – this means two weeks, whereas we just take it one week at a time.

14. Even on the phone there are major differences. That tone you hear when you can’t get through is called the engaged tone in the UK, where we would say busy signal.

15. Got a personal bank account in the UK? you will probably call it a current account, the equivalent of the US checking (or check) account.

16. Our cop is their bobby, and the cops in general are sometimes called the Old Bill.

17. A ballpoint pen is a biro in the UK, after the last name of the inventor.

18. If you’re watching TV (or telly), then chances are you’ll take a look at the BBC, also known as the Beeb or Auntie.

19. The presenters there will use an autocue and not a teleprompter.

20. Is your boss a great guy? You’d call him a top bloke in the UK.

Check out an even longer list of uncommon British expressions here.

Other resources:

• British Language and Customs
• BBC America’s British American dictionary
• and, for the true word nerds out there, differences in American and British grammar. Image: Taikun2007)

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Emergency Contacts

Let’s start at the beginning. Who do you call in case of emergency? Calling 911 won’t help you at all; if you’re in the UK, it’s 999 and don’t you forget it. Got a headache after your flight and need some Tylenol (officially acetaminophen)? Try asking for paracetamol – you can get it in any corner shop or chemist (which Americans know as a drugstore). That’s also a good place to get lip balm, which we’d call ChapStick. And when you stick your purchases in that case around your waist, don’t call it a fanny pack (fanny is UK slang for female genitals) but a bum bag.

Eating Out

When it comes to food, don’t bother asking for arugula unless you want puzzled stares. Try the more widely used rocket instead. And if you want cilantro, ask for coriander, which in the UK refers to the leaf and not just the seed. Replace that zucchini with a courgette and that eggplant with an aubergine, too. If you want your food to go, it won’t be wrapped in plastic wrap, but in cling film. Those with a sweet tooth can trade candy for sweets, candy apple for toffee apple and cotton candy for candy floss. And at the supermarket, you won’t find any carts – take a shopping trolley instead.

Your Rental Car

Want a stick shift as a rental? Then ask for a manual car and don’t forget to fill up with petrol (not gas). When you hit the road, Jack, you’ll be driving on the tarmac and not the blacktop and if you’re on foot, forget the boardwalk and take the promenade or leave the sidewalk behind in favor of the pavement. If you want to check out the big game, asking about football will get you news of the latest soccer scores. In England, you’ll have to swallow your pride and ask about American football.

Money Talk

Let’s talk money – in notes rather than bills, please. You can swap your dollars for pounds at the bureau de change (and not the currency exchange). Most people in Britain use the word cashpoint for ATM. Turning to the courts, where Americans have lawyers, the Brits have barristers and solicitors, which might come in handy when it’s time for business. Want to send out some business information? You will need the right postcode (not zipcode) and may have to send your packages by recorded delivery instead of certified mail. And don’t forget, if you’re going upstairs to your meeting room, you will be taking the lift and not the elevator.

There are dozens more examples of how Americans differ from the Brits. More on this here or for a quick ready reference check out this British-American translation tool on About.com. (Image: michal818)

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Key Phrases

When I’m traveling to a new country, there are a few key phrases that I try always to learn. By far the most important is being able to say “I don’t speak (insert name of language). Do you speak English?” By the way, I am not a linguaphobe. I speak French and Spanish and now a bit of German but there are some countries where even those languages won’t get me very far.

Basic Needs

The next most important thing is to make sure that I won’t starve or die of thirst. Although it’s useful to be able to ask for water, there are some places where you may not want to drink the water. I have found that Coca-Cola and Pepsi are universally recognized. When it comes to food the most important phrase for me is “I don’t eat meat”. Although I meet with incredulity in some countries, knowing that phrase (as well as “does this contain meat?”) is very helpful.

Your basic needs are not limited to food and drink, of course, so it’s helpful to be able to ask the way to the bathroom. Believe it or not, not everywhere has helpful little pictorial icons, so to avoid the embarrassment that would ensue if you misread a sign, this is one to add to your list.

Polite Phrases

It is also helpful to learn some basic verbs to help you to string together the phrases you do know. The verbs to be, to have and to go can really help you, combined with whichever nouns you have managed to learn. I also agree with Gadling that knowing how to say hello and goodbye, yes and no and please and thank you will be appreciated.

Extra Lessons

While it is unrealistic to expect to pick up enough of a foreign language to able to converse while on your trip, there are a few resources that will help you get beyond the basics. These include:

• Fodor’s Language For Travelers, which includes more than 150 keywords and phrases in several languages
• The BBC’s quick fix language learning section where you can download essential phrases in 36 languages to your MP3 player
• The Omniglot site which has commonly used phrases in more than 80 languages

These will help you start your own list of essential foreign language phrases.

(Photo: Adam UXB Smith)