list of differing terms in dialect:

[hope]

edited 5th august
new or edited entries in italics

american first, australian second:

jelly = jam
candy = lollies (brit: sweets)
pop = soft drink
soda = soft drink
pepper = capsicum
hot pepper = chilli
jumper = pinafore
sweater = jumper
subway = train (brit: generally 'underground'? tube)
sneakers, tennis shoes = runners, trainers
cell phone = mobile phone
diapers = nappies
binder = folder
purse = hand bag
cookies = biscuits
convenience store = milk bar
store = shop
mall = shopping centre
CENTER = CENTRE
mom = mum
pop = grandpa, sometimes 'poppa'
college = university
grades = marks
math = maths
sharpie = permanent marker
american = yankee, yank
pumps = high heels
aluminum = aluminium
drug store = chemist (or pharmacy)
diner = cafe
stockings = socks
cool! = grouse
grousing = whinging
antsy = pissed off
drunk = pissed
vulva = fanny
fanny = arse
ass = arse
ass = bum
fanny pack = bum bag
(um, that was us brainstorming around the room and degenerating into giggles)
prom = formal
sofa = couch
bathroom = toilet
going steady = going out
trailer = caravan
gas = petrol
trunks, swimsuit = bathers, swimmers, togs
parking lot = car park
thong = g-string
flip-flops = thongs
wife-beater = singlet
tank = singlet top
undershirt = vest
thermals = long johns, thermal underwear
cops = police
cop = policeman
panties = knickers, undies
kleenex = tissue
jeans jacket = denim jacket
nightstand = bedside table
pinafore = apron
tunic = pinafore
trunk = boot [car]
fall = autumn
trousers = pants
faucet = tap
wrench = spanner
duvet = doona
comforter = doona
jello = jelly
bangs = fringe [FRODO DOES NOT HAVE 'BANGS'!!1]
lemonade = home-made lemonade
sprite = lemonade (the generic name - "sprite" is a brand of lemonade) note: in Australia, sprite isn't lemon-lime flavoured, it's clear and is essentially heavily sugared carbonated water. Do you have an alternative in the US?
report card = report
coke = soft drink
popsicle = icy pole
pacifier/binkie = dummy
retainer = plate
gas station = service station
biscuit = scone
eraser = rubber


i must go to bed now, but add more in the comments if i've left them out and i'll edit them into the entry when i can :)

Comments

[katiger.livejournal.com]

car trunk = boot
trunks = swimmers

Thats all I can come up with off the top of my head but I'm sure there are more.

[katiger.livejournal.com]

fall = autumn

[trianne.livejournal.com]

Underground would be right but too formal - we'd say tube.
I didn't realise Australians called flipflops thongs: here a thong is only an item of underwear (or more unusually a fastening) but we wear flipflops on our feet. At least here up north, no accounting for what the southerners call things...

An American friend took exception to me having Elijah wear a jumper, cos he thought it meant he was in kiddies clothes (pinafore). And this is the problem, cos I had never heard of jumper used like that, so why would I bother to check it (though of course, now I know I use the word "sweater", instead)? I mean, yes, pants for trousers and trunk for boot and faucet for tap... but some words are just under the radar, really. Like flipflops :)

[anneheart.livejournal.com]

I'm always partial to the spanner, but only because of that drunken conversation I mentioned a few posts back. :-)

[mirorelle.livejournal.com]

Correct me if I'm wrong [which I probably am ...] but aren't jelly and jam two different things? Jam usually has fruit in it [i.e. random strawberries, blueberries, etc.] while jelly is more gooey and contains no fruit at all?

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Southerners say Flip Flops! Here in the mid-west they're also called rubber sandals. (Gah.)

Southerners also say coke=soft drink. Coca Cola is a major industry and a cultural icon in the South (where I was born and raised) so 'coke' has become the generic name for all things sweet and carbonated.

"What kind of coke do ya'll want?"

"A Pepsi, please."

[sheldrake.livejournal.com]

Dunno about anywhere else, but here in England we have to call it all jam, because jelly is the wobbly dessert elsewhere known as jello. This, therefore, giving us the 'jam doughnut (or donut) ', the goo inside of which has probably never seen a strawberry in its life.

[trianne.livejournal.com]

Course, I meant southerner as in south of England, lol. And they are a weird breed ;)
But yes, I go into a pub and ask for a diet coke and all they serve is Pepsi but it's just automatic to ask for a coke.

[mcee.livejournal.com]

ooh, ooh, what do you call a duvet again? a doona? i love that.

i find that my own vocabulary is a nice concoction of american/british/australian, but that might be mostly from learning my english from people from around the world.

[novanumbernine.livejournal.com]

ooh! let me add the english versions!!

jelly = jam - jam
candy = lollies (brit: sweets) - sweets, as you say!
pop = soft drink - soft drink, fizzy drink (and, confusingly, "pop" in northern england)
sprite = lemonade (the generic name - "sprite" is a brand of lemonade) - lemonade or sprite specifically
soda = soft drink - soft drink, fizzy drink, pop
pepper = capsicum - pepper
hot pepper = chilli - chilli pepper
jumper = pinafore - ?? a pinafore (like a "pinafore dress") is a kind of tunic thing in england
sweater = jumper - jumper
subway = train (brit: generally 'underground'?) - tube/underground (but peeps in cities other than london may refer to their "metro" system. the "tube" is the london underground specifically).
sneakers = runners, trainers - trainers, trainees (northern england)
cell phone = mobile phone - mobile phone, moby
diapers = nappies - nappies
binder = folder - folder
purse = hand bag - handbag
cookies = biscuits - biscuits
convenience store = milk bar - corner shop
store = shop - shop
mall = shopping centre - shopping centre
CENTER = CENTRE - haha! centre
mom = mum - mum, or mam in northern england
pop = grandpa, sometimes 'poppa' - grandpa, pops, grandad
college = university - university
grades = marks - marks
math = maths - maths
sharpie = permanent marker - marker pen
american = yankee - hahaha. usually, "stupid yank". sorry, US peeps.
pumps = high heels - high heels. court shoes, if they're not actually, er, high.
aluminum = aluminium - aluminium
drug store = chemist (or pharmacy) - chemist, pharmacy
diner = cafe - cafe
stockings = socks - socks
cool! = grouse - "cool" as in "good"? we would say "cool" also
grousing = whinging - we whinge *and* grouse!
antsy = pissed off - pissed off, mardy/got a cob on (northern england)
drunk = pissed - pissed
vulva = fanny - fanny
fanny = arse - arse
ass = arse - arse. or donkey. hee.
ass = bum - arse
fanny pack = bum bag - bum bag. NEVER a fanny pack, lordy no
(um, that was us brainstorming around the room and degenerating into giggles)
prom = formal - formal. the only "proms" english peeps know are a summer season of classical concerts ("last night of the proms") or a seafront walkway (promenade).
sofa = couch - settee, sofa, couch occasionally
bathroom = toilet - toilet, loo, lavatory, WC, powder room, smallest room, khazi - oh god there have been books written on this
going steady = going out - going out
trailer = caravan - caravan
gas = petrol - petrol
trunks = bathers - swimming trunks
parking lot = car park - car park
thong = g-string - thong is now more usual
flip-flops = thongs - flip-flops
wife-beater = singlet - vest top
tank = singlet top - tank top(?)
thermal tank = vest - vest
thermals = long johns, thermal underwear - long johns, thermals
cops = police - police, bizzies (northern england), er, pigs is also extremely common and is often said with no real malice
cop = policeman - policeman, bizzy, pig
panties = knickers, undies - knickers, panties, undies, smalls (we also used to call them "skanks")
kleenex = tissue - tissue
jeans jacket = denim jacket - denim jacket

n.x :)

[undone27.livejournal.com]

G-strings here are a very abbreviated form of a thong- they don't cover much more than the fanny, where a thong has more of a normal-looking front and a narrow strip in the back.

In the US, jelly is a clear fruit spread, jam has fruit bits and chunks in it. Jello is also just called gelatin.

Sprite is a carbonated lemon-lime drink, and doesn't taste anything like lemonade, which is lemon juice, sugar, and plain water (I don't know if what you call lemonade there is the same as ours, obviously)

Thermals are long johns here if they are a one piece.

[marythefan.livejournal.com]

They are two different things in the US - jelly has had the fruit strained out of it. (Or whatever goes into making it, as I've seen things like ginger and ... was it garlic? ... jelly. Some kind of pepper jelly, too, although I don't remember what type of peppers were used.) Jam ... hmmm. It's like it's got the fruit in there, but more like fruit pulp, making it thicker, though not whole fruit. Preserves have the whole fruit in there (or the cut-up bits, in the cases of things like peach and pear preserves).

[undone27.livejournal.com]

A jumper is a dress to Americans, and when I think jumper I think either Catholic schoolgirl or Mommy (Or, even both at the same time (http://www.my-littleblessings.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/navyplaidmotherdaughter.jpg)!) I suppose you could write Elijah wearing a dress if you like...

[elenlilta.livejournal.com]

Oh, now I'm all nostalgic! I just spent the last two and a half months with four Kiwis and a Brit, so looking through the list was really fun.

Do Australians call Brits "poms" (or pommes, however it's spelled)? Cause our Kiwis were calling the Brit that all summer.

Also, swimsuit = togs (in NZ, at least).

[undone27.livejournal.com]

Oh, I forgot to add: Here, a pinafore is an apron, usually a formal frilly thing that is worn over a little girl's dress, and not the dress itself. Pinafores used to be part of the nurse's uniform waaaay back in the day as well.

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Whups! Well, the South in America is practically England anyway. Yay, penal colonies!

[singeaddams.livejournal.com]

Long Johns are also called 'flannels' especially in the west, like Montana and thereabouts.

(Damn, this is interesting!)

[elenlilta.livejournal.com]

Do y'all use "sweet-as" to describe stuff? Or just use the "-as" added on to words? Cause that's something I picked up over the summer, but in an American accent, it somehow just doesn't sound the same. :)

[shirehobbit2002.livejournal.com]

actually, a lot of places dont call "soft drinks" pop in America--only certain spots. i always call it soft drink. but w/e :)

[undone27.livejournal.com]

I've also heard them called union suits by older people.


Since you were mentioning Southernisms, a good way to get a Southerner angry is to call him a Yankee. :)

[shehasathree]

ooh, what's this for? uni? or purely fannish? either way is good. humble offering:

report card = (school) report

[tvillingar.livejournal.com]

Others have already talked about the jelly-jam thing but as far as I've understood it, they're two different things (in Finnish, too). Also, when I look at your list I find that I've misunderstood many meanings of the words. The Australian equivalent is closer to what I've learned at school (we obviously use Brit English as the norm) and I haven't paid much attention to the nationality of the writer. This also cleared up some words I've been wondering about (sharpie).

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

This is terrific, and I will save to memories. I do hope you'll continue to add to the list.

A couple of things I find amusing: There are actual maps of where in the US people say "soft drink," "pop," or "coke" to mean a carbonated beverage. And oddly, just yesterday I had a conversation with a co-worker about the difference among flip-flops, thongs, and zorries -- they all mean the same thing, a type of rubber sandal, but I grew up in the southwestern part of the US where we said thongs (and never meant that dental flossy underwear) and he grew up in Los Angeles where he said zorries. Neither one of us ever heard of flip-flops until a few years ago.

Fascinating stuff. My favorite? "Jumper" for a pullover sweater. A friend from Australia tells me the term comes from "woolly jumpers," i.e., the sheep who produce the wool for the sweater. I use it in my own writing when I'm trying to write from Dom's or Billy's POV, but in my head? They're frilly little aprons worn over dresses.

Love that image!

Thank you again. Great post, and a great service.

[lindz04.livejournal.com]

Southerners say Flip Flops! Here in the mid-west they're also called rubber sandals.

Hmm... never heard of flip flops being called rubber sandals, and I'm from the midwest.

[salwood.livejournal.com]

Here's one!

You call trousers - pants. Pants are items of underwear over here int he UK - knickers is another word.

I always chuckle when I hear trousers referred to as pants!