John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints

American English to British English Dictionary - B

B & B

While "B & B" means "Bed and Breakfast" on both sides of the Atlantic, the similarity ends there. In America B & B's are an expensive, luxurious form of accommodation, whereas in Britain they tend to be inexpensive and unpretentious.

Baby Boomer

A member of the generation born shortly after the Second World War. I've never seen a statement defining the range of dates but 1945 to 1950 seems reasonable.

Baby Carriage

Pram.

Backpacking

In the USA "backpacking" means wilderness camping.

In most other parts of the world, including Canada, "backpacking" means low budget travelling using public transit (trains and buses) and accommodations such as hostels and guest houses.

AJ VanBeek kindly sent me this message clarifying the meaning in Canada:

Just to let you know that in Canada backpacking is also low budget travel. In the US you are correct to say it is camping but in Canada we call camping "camping".

Backhoe

I think this is a device similar to a JCB digger.

Backup

To reverse (in a car or other vehicle). A backup light is a reversing light. The reverse gear is still labelled "R" on gear levers, though.

Bacon

"Bacon" can have the same meaning as in Britain, or sometimes it can mean ham. In particular, "Canadian bacon" is ham.

Bad Hair Day

A day on which everything goes wrong. According to one source the term was first used in the 1992 film "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

Badlands

See separate article.

Badger State

Wisconsin.

Bagel

A type of bread roll. Often donut (torus) shaped, although I'm not sure if this is always the case. Some fast food restaurant chains in the USA offer bagels as a choice of breakfast item.

Bail Bonds

You occasionally see signs in the USA for businesses advertising "Bail Bonds". I'm grateful to Major Jim Collins of the USA for the following explanation of the term:
Bail Bonds are monies posted to guarantee an arrestee's appearance in court. When a person is arrested, depending on the severity of the charge at the arraignment the judge will set "bail". This is an amount of money the arrestee must put up in order to be released from jail with the understanding that this person will appear on their court date. Bail Bondsmen are people who will arrange bail (put up the bond) as a loan. When a bailed-out arrestee "jumps bail" (leaves the area without a court appearance, not intending to repay the bond) then the Bail Bondsman will hire a bounty hunter to find and return that person for court. Under American Law, an person who jumps bail is a fugitive and a reward is placed for their return - "bounty". A bounty hunter simply finds that person collecting the bounty as a fee.

Baja California

See separate article.

Baking Soda

Bicarbonate of soda, as used in cooking.

Ball

In US highway traffic engineering terminology, a circular traffic light (i.e. not an arrow). A green ball is a circular green traffic light, a yellow ball is a circular yellow traffic light and a red ball is a circular red traffic light. This term is not used on road signs and is probably not understood by the general public.

Balling the Jack

To travel at a high speed. The derivation of this term is unclear.

Baloney

Codswallop, rubbish, as in "You're talking a load of baloney!".

Bañado

See Burrito.

Band Aid

Sticking plaster, Elastoplast. Also used to describe any temporary or "make-do" repair or solution to a problem.

Bandshell

Bandstand, often with a curved enclosure which reflects the sound.

Bangs

Fringe (hair). According to one source "bangs" refers to side fringes, not a front fringe.

Bank Teller

Bank cashier.

Bankroll

To support financially, for example "They decided to bankroll the project."

Barrette

According to one source this means a hair slide but I've never heard the term myself.

BART

Bay Area Rapid Transit - see separate article.

Baseboard

Skirting board.

Basin

See separate article.

Basin and Range Region

See separate article.

Bathrobe or Robe

Dressing gown.

Bathroom

The word "bathroom" can also be used as a euphemism for a toilet (the room, not the device). If someone says "I need to go to the bathroom" they probably mean the toilet. This usage leads to phrases likely to utterly bewilder the British visitor such as "my naughty dog went to the bathroom in the kitchen".

Bathroom Tissue

Toilet Paper.

Bathtub

Bath. Also called a hot tub or just a tub.

Batting A Thousand

Succeeding every time. From baseball batting averages, which are calculated as the number of times at bat divided by the number of hits. If a batter has achieved a hit every time at bat he is said to be "batting a thousand". The correct number is 1 but it is written 1.000. My thanks to Dave Krupka of Bolingbrook, Illinois for this definition.

Bay Area

See separate article.

Bay State

Massachusetts.

Bayou

A swamp or backwater, in the South.

BC

British Columbia.

BCS

Bowl Championship Series. A college American Football competition.

Beanie Babies

Small cuddly toys in the form of various animals. Incredibly popular in America in the summer of 1999.

Bear

Slang expression, especially amongst truck drivers, for a police officer. From the hat similar to that worn by Smokey The Bear, a character used in wildfire-prevention campaigns.

Beater

Occasionally used to refer to an old car in poor condition.

Beaver State

Oregon.

Bed and Breakfast (B & B)

While "B & B" means "Bed and Breakfast" on both sides of the Atlantic, the similarity ends there. In America B & B's are an expensive, luxurious form of accommodation.

Beefburger

See Hamburger.

Beehive State

Utah.

Beet or Beets

Beetroot.

Before And After

The Common Word. The category of puzzles in the "Wheel of Fortune" television game show in which the last word of the first phrase is also the first word of the second phrase, for example "River Bank of England" (River Bank, Bank of England) or "Miami Vice President" (Miami Vice, Vice President).

Below

  1. When temperatures are quoted in Fahrenheit, as is common in the USA, it is never too clear whether "below" means below freezing or below zero. For example "ten below" might mean 22 degrees F or -10 degrees F.

  2. I have the following usage on several occasion: "For details, see the below diagram", meaning "the diagram below" or "the following diagram". I do not know whether these have been grammatical mistakes or if this is normal US usage. It would not be considered correct in British English.

Below 500

See separate article.

Beltway

Ring Road, especially the ring road around Washington DC I believe.

Benedict Arnold

A traitor - from the name of the famous traitor of the American War of Independence. See separate article.

Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (BPOE)

 An organisation somewhat similar to Rotary Clubs.

Beringia

See separate article.

Berkshires

See separate article.

Berm

A raised ridge of earth.

Dave Krupka of Bolingbrook, Illinois offers this definition:

"Berm" is usually used to describe a man-made raised mound of earth, as is common in landscaping to form a natural looking barrier to sight and sound. Sometimes berms are used to hide unsightly structures, for example to separate an industrial area from a residence, or to provide sound insulation, for example to separate a residence from a noisy highway.)
If memory serves me, oddly enough some areas in the eastern US use this term to describe the shoulder of a highway. This is not very common outside these areas.
The word can also be used to mean a levee or a dyke, especially in the South.

In British BMX (bicycle motor cross) the term refers to a small ridge which riders have to negotiate, often making a jump from the top. I don't know if it is used in this sense in the USA.

My British English dictionary also defines the word "berm" as meaning a ledge.

BET

Black Entertainment Network.

BHM

Airport code for Birmingham International Airport, Birmingham, Alabama.

BIA

The United States Bureau Of Indian Affairs, an agency of the Department Of The Interior.

Bible Belt

See separate article.

Big Apple

See separate article.

Big Blue

A commonly used nickname for IBM, the computer company. My thanks to Adrian Offerman of Leiderdorp in the Netherlands for suggesting this definition.

Big Dig, The

The commonly used name for a major civil engineering project in Boston, Massachusetts. A series of tunnels replaced and extended an elevated highway which previously ran through the centre of the city.

Big Dipper

The Plough (the constellation).

Big Easy

See separate article.

Big Muddy

A nickname for the Missouri River.

Big Sky Country

Montana.

Bigfoot

The American equivalent of the Himalayan Yeti (Abominable Snowman), with the same pseudo-scientific status. Called Sasquatch in Canada. A supposedly ape-like creature, heavily built, hairy, and capable of communicating only by means of grunts and cries.

BIL

Brother-in-law. (This is probably an Internet abbreviation and not in common use.)

Bill

A banknote, for example a Dollar bill.

Billfold

Wallet. Also called a pocket book.

Billion

In the USA a billion is a thousand million, i.e. 1,000,000,000 or ten to the power of 9 (109 or 10^9). In Britain a billion was until recently a million million, i.e. 1,000,000,000,000 or ten to the power of 12 (1012 or 10^12). However, in recent years the American meaning has increasingly been commonly used in Britain, although this obviously can lead to considerable confusion.

Binder Clip

Bulldog clip, used to keep pieces of paper together.

Bipolar

Manic-depressive.

Biscuit
  1. Many of the fast food chains offer a variety of biscuits amongst their breakfast items. These are scones cut in half with a choice of filling such as ham, bacon, egg (in omelette form), etc and they make quite a substantial meal. In addition, these biscuits (with no filling) are often served as part of a fried chicken meal.

  2. Matt Hungerford of San Francisco kindly sent me this comment:
    Other than in fast food restaurants, a biscuit is a salty doughy type of roll (usually made with buttermilk). In the South, gravy and biscuits are a common meal item. In the rest of the country, biscuits are often eaten with butter at dinner.
  3. What the British call biscuits, people in the USA and Canada call cookies.

Bison, or North American Bison

The scientifically correct name for what most people call a buffalo.

Bit

See Two Bits

BJS

(United States) Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Black Belt

See separate article.

Blackguard

A villain.

Blackout

  1. A date on which a discount or a special offer is not available, for example a public holiday or some other peak period.

  2. As in Britain, the word can also refer to a power cut - a period when the public electricity supply is cut off, although this is more commonly called a power outage.

Blacktop

Tarmac or similar road surface.

Bleachers

Open air seating stands at a sports venue. The name comes from the effect of the sun's rays on the spectators.

Blind Pig and Blind Tiger

Slang terms for an illegal drinking establishment. "Blind Pig" is more commonly used in California, the northwest and the northern states, while "Blind Tiger" is most commonly used in the South.

Blinders

Blinkers, on a racehorse.

Blinkers

Indicators (turn signals on a motor vehicle).

BLM

The United States Bureau Of Land Management, an agency of the Department Of The Interior. See also US And Canadian Government Agencies And Departments Responsible For Recreation Areas.

Block

  1. See Block System.

  2. H And R Block, a major national accountancy firm in the USA which specialises in taxation matters, especially personal income tax.

Blood Sausage

Black pudding.

Blooper

An out-take, in other words an amusing mistake made during the filming or recording of a film or a television programme.

BLT

A bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich.

Blue Star Memorial Highways

A set of highways, throughout the USA, designated by the National Council of State Garden Clubs as a tribute to members of the US armed forces. These highways have special markers by the road and sometimes also in stopping areas such as at vista points, historical markers and rest areas.

I have found a web site which lists the Blue Star Memorial Highways in California but I'd greatly appreciated knowing if a site exists which has a list for all the states.

Tom Salyer of Prattville, Alabama kindly sent me the following information:

There are two Blue Stars that I know of in Alabama.
US 31 running throughout the state North to South. A little history about this one: The plaque located in Montgomery Alabama used to lie outside the perimeter of Maxwell AFB. Someone (I don't remember who) from the city of Prattville (11 miles north of Montgomery - my home town) found the plaque on the ground, broken and faded. Someone in the maintenance shop of the city of Prattville (again, I don't remember who) repaired and repainted the plaque to almost original, if not better than original, condition. The sign was then erected on US 31 just inside the northern edge of the city limits of Prattville.
US 11, southwest of Birmingham, Alabama. I believe this one is in Jasper.
If you want details on the Prattville plaque you might be able to contact the City of Prattville, Alabama via the Internet. I am sure someone would be able to assist you since the re-dedication was in the local paper - The Prattville Progress.

Bluegrass State

Kentucky.

Bluenoser Province

Nova Scotia.

Blvd

Boulevard.

BMT

Brooklyn-Manhattan Transit Corporation. A subway (underground railway) system in New York City. Originally an independent company but now part of New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (NYMTA). The lines built by BMT are still commonly known by that name. See also IND, IRT and PATH.

BN

Burlington Northern Railroad.

BNA

Airport code for Nashville International Airport, Nashville, Tennessee.

BNSF

Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Bobby Pin

Hair grip.

Bogart

To be selfish, or to refuse to share something, particularly a marijuana cigarette. The term was derived from Humphrey Bogart's habit of hanging a cigarette from his lip and was immortalised in songs such as "Don't Bogart Me" and "Don't Bogart That Joint".

Bomb, Bombed

  1. A description of a performance as a bomb, or that it bombed, in America means that it was a disaster. My thanks to Stephen Whitelaw for this definition. In Britain "it went down a bomb" means that something was extremely successful.

  2. Intoxicated, drunk.

Boneyard

Junkyard or scrapyard.

Boob Tube

A colloquial name for a television.

Boondocks

A remote rural location.

Boondoggle

To engage in a useless or impractical time-filling task.

Boot

See Denver Boot.

Booth

  1. A kiosk. A sales booth is a sales kiosk.

  2. A exhibitor's stand at an exhibition or a trade show.

Bootstraps

To "pull yourself up by your bootstraps" is to solve a problem yourself without outside help. Hence the term "bootstrap" or "boot" to describe the process of a computer starting up, where each program loads the next program in sequence. A short story by Robert Heinlein called "By His Bootstraps" describes a time-traveller who returns in time so as to become his own father and build the time machine that he will later use.

BOR

The United States Bureau Of Reclamation, an agency of the Department Of The Interior.

Boreal Forest

The type of forest which covers large areas of North America and Russia, and smaller parts of Europe, at northern latitudes and higher elevations. The terms Northern Forest and Taiga have the same meaning.

I'm not sure whether "boreal" comes from the same root as "arboreal" (related to trees) or "borealis" (as in aurora borealis, the northern lights), or whether all these words have a common root.

BOS

Airport code for Logan International Airport, Boston.

Bouillon Cube

Stock cube, Oxo cube.

Box

See Outside The Box.

Box Canyon

A canyon with three steep sides. In the days of the wild west, box canyons were (according to western films) often used by cowboys to gather together horses or cattle.

Box Cutter

A knife, somewhat similar to a Stanley knife. Presumably primarily intended for cutting up cardboard boxes.

Boxcar

An old-fashioned enclosed railway wagon with a sliding side door.

BPOE

See Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

BPR

(United States) Bureau Of Public Roads. I think this bureau no longer exists by that name but presumably was a predecessor of the present-day Federal Highway Administration.

BR

Business Route. See separate article.

Braces

Curly brackets, "{" and "}".

Braid

Plait (hair style).

Breakdown Lane

Occasionally used to refer to a hard shoulder on a road. The term "shoulder" is much more commonly used.

Brevet

A military rank above that for which an officer receives pay. In effect, a temporary or tentative promotion. The practice of brevetting was common in the US Army in the second half of the nineteenth century. Major Jim Collins of the USAF informs me that brevetting ended soon after the Spanish-American War of 1898.

Brewpub

A pub which brews its own beer.

Brights

The headlights of a car when on high beam. My thanks to Lisa Fournier of Columbus, Ohio, for confirming this definition.

Broil

Grill (the method of cooking). See also "Grill" since that has a special meaning in American English.

Bronco

A small, semi-wild horse. Also called a cayuse or a mustang.

Brown Bag Lunch

Picnic lunch, packed lunch.

Brownie Points

An activity which is considered likely to increase your reputation or your chances of promotion is sometimes said to "earn you Brownie points". Presumably the term comes from the awarding of points for the successful completion of various activities in the Girl Guides ("Brownies").

Brownout

A reduction in mains electricity supply voltage, usually caused by a particularly heavy load during a period of peak usage. Because of the extensive use of air conditioning in the USA and Canada, brownouts can occur during the summer as well as in the winter.

BRU

Airport code for National/Zaventem Airport, Brussels, Belgium (included here for convenience).

BSDA

Bi-State Development Agency. The organisation responsible for public transport in the St Louis, Missouri area.

Bubbler

Anne Stibor of Wisconsin kindly sent me the following message:
If you want to be really obscure, here's a word for you:
"Bubbler" is used instead of "drinking fountain" here in the Milwaukee, WI area, though I've heard some people say it's used in other parts of the country. (I have yet to find anyone else who uses it.) Comes from the days when the public drinking fountains had a center fountain and the water would "bubble" out of them.

Buck

A Dollar. Two bucks is two Dollars, etc.

Buckeye State

Ohio.

BUF

Airport code for Greater Buffalo International Airport, Buffalo, New York State.

Buffalo Wings

 Buffalo Wings are actually chicken wings, usually deep fried and smothered in seasonings or maybe a barbecue sauce. The degree of seasoning can range from mild to extremely spicy, and many establishments offer a choice of mild, medium or hot. In restaurants they are usually found on the appetiser menu and are popular as a happy hour food at many bars (usually spicy to encourage patrons to buy more beer). As far as why they are called Buffalo Wings, I think it is because they first became popular in Buffalo, New York. You might also hear them referred to as Hot Wings.

[Many thanks to John Hayes (jnhayes@austin360.com) for contributing this entry.]

Bugs

Insects.

Bullhorn

Loud hailer, megaphone.

Bullpen

A term used in baseball to refer to players called "relievers" (who are presumably substitutes). An alternative definition is the name for the area in which relief pitchers warm up. Idiom Site offers an explanation of how the term came to be used (external link verified Dec-02).

Bum

  1. To ask for something free of charge.

  2. Tramp, hobo.
The British use of the word to mean the backside is probably not generally used in the USA.

Bun

Bread roll, bap or hamburger bun.

Burger

See Hamburger.

Burl

  1. Wood cut from a large, rounded growth on a tree. Burl has strong, distinctive grain and is used as a special veneer.

  2. A swirl or twist in the grain of wood, usually occurring near a knot, but which itself does not contain a knot.

Burlap

Hessian, the coarse fabric.

Burner

Hob, hotplate, that part of a cooker which you put saucepans on.

Burrito

 A Mexican food item.

A burrito consists of an edible soft flour tortilla "envelope" wrapped around and totally enclosing its contents of minced beef, lettuce, cheese, refried beans, sauce, sour cream, etc. A burrito is therefore somewhat similar in concept to a Chinese spring roll, although a burrito has a softer "envelope" than a spring roll, and different contents.

I'm informed that a bañado is the name for a burrito smothered in chili sauce and that a chimichanga is a burrito that is deep-fried.

In a Mexican food fast food restaurant, one burrito forms a reasonably substantial snack; two would form a good meal. Sizes at "sit-down" Mexican restaurants may well be much larger.

A fast food restaurant breakfast burrito is a light snack, with a contents of diced cheese, egg, etc.

See also enchilada.

Burro

Donkey.

Bus

  1. In the USA the word "bus" can refer to a local bus service in a city, or a long-distance bus service such as those operated by Greyhound. People in the USA don't use the word coach to refer to a long-distance bus.

  2. The word "Bus" is also often used as an abbreviation for business, for example "Bus Route" to mean "Business Route".

Busboy

A worker in a restaurant who sets and clears tables. I don't think this word is still in common use.

Business District

Town or city centre, or any area where there are businesses (shops, restaurants, gas stations, motels, etc).

Business Route

See separate article.

Busy

An engaged telephone line. A busy signal is an engaged tone.

Butte

A large isolated mound of rock. Pronounced "beaut", to rhyme with mute, I'm informed by Steve Francis. Also the name of a town in Montana, and as a suffix in a number of town names in the western USA, all of which are pronounced the same way. The word comes from French. Due to erosion over geological time a mesa becomes a butte, then a spire, and eventually disappears.

Buy The Farm

To die in military combat. There are various theories to explain how the term came about.

BWI

Airport code for Baltimore/Washington International Airport, Baltimore, Maryland.

Byways

See separate article.
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