John Cletheroe's
USA and Canada Holiday Hints

American English to British English Dictionary - S

S and L

See Savings and Loan Associations.

Sack

Bag. At a supermarket checkout you are often asked if you would prefer your purchases to be put in a paper or a plastic sack, i.e. a paper or plastic bag.

Sack Lunch

Packed lunch.

SAD

Seasonal Affective Disorder - depression caused by lack of sunlight in winter months.

Sailplane

Glider; an aeroplane without an engine.

Sales Clerk

Shop assistant.

Salt

Many people in the USA and Canada believe that an excess of salt in the diet is harmful, leading to high blood pressure. Therefore many products are now claimed to be "low salt" or "low in salt". "Sodium free" means the same thing, common salt being sodium chloride.

Salt Water Taffy

 A type of sweet (candy) on sale widely throughout the USA.

How similar is salt water taffy to British seaside rock?

Heather Paine, originally from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire (England) but now studying in Arizona, kindly emailed me these comments:

Thought you'd like to know that salt water taffy is quite different from British seaside rock. As you mentioned already, it's usually packaged individually in bite sized pieces (and is pastel coloured) but it's soft and chewy (unless it's stale). I've eaten it in various places up and down the East coast of the US - and although sometimes there is slightly more flavour, I find it way too bland - it's more about chewing than tasting it seems.
Jason V. of Atlanta Georgia kindly sent me these descriptions:
British seaside rock is similar to a "lollypop" in the US. Like seaside rock, the US lollypop is composed mostly of sugar, flavourings and colour melted down and formed into a shape, usually a flat circle or a small sphere, and mounted on a small stick. They are often transparent (or close to it) and occasionally have a simple picture or some words that run right the way through it.
"Rock candy" in the US refers to large crystals of flavoured sugar, usually on a wooden stick. It looks quartz crystals on a stick.
Taffy, however, is similar to toffee - but in ingredients only. After the cooking process taffy is "pulled" (whereas toffee is poured out and cut up). Pulling means that the taffy is repeatedly stretched between two or more hanging pegs to incorporate air, which makes it soft and chewy. The flavouring and color are added during the last few "pulls" so that stripes may remain in the candy. The stretched out candy is then cut into individual pieces or larger logs. Quite tasty, but mind your dental work!
Unlike seaside rock, salt water taffy includes corn syrup in its list of ingredients. Although salt water taffy is normally sold in bite sized lumps, it is apparently also sometimes sold in the form of "logs". However, as far as I know salt water taffy logs don't feature the wording running through them which all seaside rock has.

The origins of the name "salt water taffy" are unclear. It appears to have originated either in the American Midwest or in the New Jersey seaside resorts such as Atlantic City sometime in the 1880's or 1890's. "Taffy" is presumably a corruption of "toffee". Salt water isn't actually used in its production (although salt can be); presumably the seaside connection gave rise to that part of the name.

Sam Hill

A euphemism for hell.

SAN

Airport code for San Diego International Airport (Lindbergh Field), San Diego, California.

San Andreas Fault

See separate article.

Sand Box

Sand pit, for young children to play in.

Sandwich

 The word "sandwich" can have a variety of meanings: a sandwich as we in Britain know it (two slices of bread with something in between), a hamburger, a chicken sandwich, a roast beef sandwich or a submarine sandwich.

Sanitary Landfill

See Landfill.

Saran Wrap

Clingfilm. I think this term may only be used in Canada and comes from a particular make.

Sasquatch

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

SAT

Scholastic Aptitude Test. A test of verbal and mathematical reasoning which is given to potential entrants to many colleges and universities in the USA.

Savings and Loan Associations (and Savings Banks)

 A financial institution which performs a somewhat similar function to a British building society. In New England Savings and Loan Associations are called Cooperative Banks; in Louisiana they are called Homestead Associations. For smaller loans, a Credit Union is often used.

Tom Wrona EMailed me this comment:

A number of states in the Northeast licence similar institutions called Savings Banks. The exact distinction eludes me. Collectively S and L's and Savings Banks are called "Thrifts".

Sawbuck

  1. A trestle for use when sawing wood.

  2. Slang term for a $10 bill.

Say Uncle

 To admit defeat or ask for mercy.

SB

State Beach.

SC

South Carolina.

Scale

Weighbridge. At weigh stations for trucks alongside Interstate highways you often see signs giving instructions to truck drivers which include the word "scale".

Scallion

Spring onion.

Scanner

A device which picks up radio transmissions made by the police and other emergency services. For information on the legality of scanners and radar detectors, see Scanner and Radar Detector Laws (external link, checked Sep-98).

Schedule

Timetable.

Scheme

I'm informed that in the USA the word "scheme" has a connotation of being a criminal or semi-criminal activity, with much the same meaning as "plot". This may cause confusion when discussing matters such as pension schemes (or perhaps not after Britain's recent private pension mis-selling scandals).

Schlep

Carry, or travel.

Schmuck

Fool.

School

Sometimes used to mean higher education in the general sense, for example "I'm considering going back to school" might mean that the person is thinking of returning to college or university.

School Zone

See separate article.

Scofflaw

Someone who breaks the law. I think the term is probably restricted to non-violent and non-personal crimes such failing to properly licence a vehicle. Presumably the term comes from the idea that the person "scoffs at the law".

Scotch Tape

Sellotape. Both are proprietary names which have taken on a general meaning.

Screen Door

An additional door, usually wire mesh or glass, designed to prevent insects entering a building when the main door is opened for ventilation purposes. Very common throughout the USA and Canada. Remember that air conditioning is ineffective if doors or windows are opened.

SCRRA

The Southern California Regional Rail Authority, which operates the Metrolink Los Angeles area commuter railway service.

Scuttlebutt

Unofficial news or information such as gossip and rumour.

SD

South Dakota.

SEA

Airport code for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SeaTac), Seattle, Washington State.

Seaboard

Coastline, but only when referring to the USA's eastern, Atlantic coast. Therefore it's always the Eastern Seaboard, but the West Coast.

Season

Series, as in television series. For example "Babylon 5 has been renewed for a fifth season" means that its production company has got the go-ahead from the relevant television network to make a fifth series.

I'm informed that in America "series" refers to the programme and all its episodes.

SeaTac

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, Seattle, Washington State.

Second Floor

First floor. In American English the ground floor is called the first floor and the floor immediately above the ground floor is called the second floor. In motels and hotels, rooms on the ground floor normally have numbers in the range 100 to 199, rooms on the floor immediately above the ground floor in the range 200 to 299, and so on.

Section

One square mile. The term is often used in historical accounts, with regard to the allocation or purchase of land for new towns, homesteads or ranches, etc. I think that a section is a square measuring one mile by one mile, with straight-line boundaries running north/south and east/west. The Homestead Act of 1862 entitled anyone to the ownership of a quarter section (160 acres) of public land provided the land was settled on or cultivated for five years.

Sedan

Saloon - the type of car with a separate boot (trunk) compartment, i.e. not an estate car (station wagon) or hatchback, etc. Hatchbacks are rare in the USA and Canada, especially amongst rental cars. Most US and Canadian rental cars are sedans.

Seeing-Eye Dog

Guide-dog for the blind. (For example, as mentioned repeatedly in Arlo Guthrie's song "Alice's Restaurant", along with the glossy pictures of the "crime".)

Segway

A form of motorised scooter. They cost $5000 each to buy, apparently, but in some places you can rent them.

Semester

See separate article.

Semi-Cafeteria

A system used by many of the family steakhouse restaurant chains. On entering you line up at the counter and collect your drink, soup bowl and salad plate (if desired), and place your order. You then find a table. After a suitable delay a waitress then brings up your main course and keeps your drinks topped up. You help yourself to soup, salad and dessert from various food bars. You usually pay on entry, sometimes on exit.

Semi-Trailer

Semi-articulated lorry. "Semi" is pronounced "sem-eye".

Senior

  1. Senior Citizen, a retired person. Nowadays, anyone over about fifty. Many discounts are available to senior citizens from motels, restaurants and shops.

  2. A student in their last year at High School, College or University. Junior and Sophomore are the names for students in the earlier years.

SEPTA

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. The organisation responsible for public transport in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area.

Server

The politically correct term for a waiter or waitress.

Service Road

See separate article.

SF

  1. San Francisco, the city in California.

  2. Science Fiction.

SFB

Airport code for Orlando Sanford Airport, Sanford, Florida.

SFO

Airport code for San Francisco International Airport, San Francisco, California.

Shade

Window roller blind, or the rigid plastic blind which can be slid down in front of the passenger windows on aircraft.

Sharecropping

A form of farming. A sharecropper family provides their labour in return for a share in the profits from their crop. The landowner provides the land, equipment, animals, seed and living accommodation. The sharecropper is in most cases in a situation of permanent and increasing debt to the landowner. Sharecropping is therefore a form of peonage. Sharecropping was common in the South after the Civil War until the Dustbowl era. As far as I know it does not persist today.

Shaved Ice

 Shaved Ice is just that, shaved ice. Blocks of ice are scrapped over a blade which shaves off the ice. The ice which has been shaved off is scooped up like ice cream into a plastic cup or cone, and then a flavour syrup is poured over the ice. Some establishments have many different flavours to choose from but most are tropical fruity in nature. They are very good on a hot day.

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

I'm informed by Tom Wrona that cups of shaved ice are also called Sno-Cones, after a popular brand from years ago.

Sheet Rock

Plasterboard. Also called plasterboard or drywall in the USA.

Sherbet

Sorbet (the dessert).

Shock Jock

A radio presenter who makes extreme or rude remarks in an attempt to attract an audience.

Shoestring

Shoelace.

Shopping Cart

Supermarket trolley.

Shoulder

Hard shoulder (on a road).

Show-Me State

Missouri.

SHP

State Historic Park.

Shrimp

Prawn (although there are regional variations in meaning within the USA).

Sicilian Style Pizza

See Pizza Styles.

Sidewalk

The path alongside a road, where pedestrians walk. What the British would call the pavement or footpath - but in American English the pavement is the road surface where vehicles drive.

Sidewheeler

A riverboat with paddlewheels on each side.

Sidewinder

A type of rattlesnake.

SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

Cot death.

Sierras

See separate article.

Significant Other

"Other half" - husband, wife, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend.

SIL

Sister-in-law. (This is almost certainly an Internet abbreviation and not in common use.)

Silver State

Nevada.

Silverware

Cutlery, even if it is made of plastic. Also called flatware.

Sixteenth Note

See Musical Notes.

SJC

Airport code for San Jose International Airport, San Jose, California.

SK

Saskatchewan (the province).

Ski Mask

Balaclava hat, as worn by bank robbers.

Skillet

My British English dictionary defines a skillet as "a small, long-handled pan". The word is in fairly common use in the USA, where it means a frying pan.

Lisa Fournier of Columbus, Ohio, kindly sent me this further explanation:

The word "skillet" can be used interchangeably with "frying pan", and I think it is used more in the southern US. Some people use "frying pan" to refer to one made of aluminium or with a non-stick coating and "skillet" to mean a heavy cast-iron one. "Skillet Breakfasts" in some restaurants mean eggs, some kind of potatoes such as hash browns, and some meat such as bacon, served at the table in a large cast-iron skillet.

Skivvies

Underwear. I'm grateful to Teresa L. Wells of Poway, California for the following explanation:
Skivvies is military slang and not usually used by the American public, but does mean underwear. My daughter's gymnastics coach used to say "Don't get your skivvies in a bunch" whenever the girls complained. I had to explain it to her too.
The gym coach's phrase is very similar to "Don't get you knickers in a twist", used with much the same meaning in Britain.

SLA

See Savings and Loan Association.

Slackjawed

I previously described slackjawed as meaning open mouthed in astonishment and offered "gobsmacked" as the closest equivalent in British English. Jeffrey Lunger of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, kindly emailed me this better definition:
In my experience, there is a distinct difference between "slackjawed" and "gobsmacked". Anyone can be "gobsmacked" if the situation is sufficiently amazing or surprising. However, "slackjawed" is something of a derogatory term applied to people, mostly simple rural types, who lack the intelligence to understand anything other than those few, simple things that they encounter daily. Hence they walk around slackjawed, or with their mouths hanging partially opened, in continual low level confusion. A common phrase to describe these kinds of folk is "slackjawed yokel", which has the connotation similar to country bumpkin. If you're familiar with "The Simpsons" TV show, they have a character called Cletus, a stereotype of the uneducated, deep Southern country boy, and is a perfect example of slackjawed.

Slated

Planned. To say that an event is slated is to say that it is planned or intended. Presumably this usage derives from the fact that something written in chalk on a slate can be changed. In British English, slated has a totally different meaning, namely to be severely criticised - for example "the minister was slated by the press on his unemployment policy". Therefore a phrase such as "the crew were slated for arrival at noon" has totally different meanings on each side of the Atlantic.

SLC

Airport code for Salt Lake City International Airport, Salt Lake City, Utah.

Sled

Sledge.

Slice

A brand of carbonated soft drink, with a lemon and lime flavour.

Slicker

A light raincoat, anorak, etc.

Slingshot

What the British would call a catapult, in the sense of a Y-shaped stick with a elastic band between the branches used to shoot projectiles.

SLO

The town of San Luis Obispo, California.

Slowpoke

Slowcoach.

Slush Puppy

A Slush Puppy, also known as an Icee, a Slushie, or a Slurpie, is basically flavoured liquid ice or slush. The machines which make these products keep the ice from forming a solid block by constantly circulating it around. The most popular flavours are probably cherry and coke. Most convenience stores have at least one of the machines that make them.

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

Smoked Herring

Kipper.

Smokestack

A ship's funnel, a steam railway locomotive's chimney or a factory chimney.

Snake Oil

A quack medicine; any product or suggestion which in the speaker's opinion is a cynically false solution to a problem, purely intended to profit the person putting it forward.

Snaps

Press studs, "poppers" - the clothes fasteners.

Sneakers

Plimsolls, trainers, running shoes. The children's playgrounds found in some fast food restaurants have racks for children to put their shoes, called "Sneaker Keepers".

Sniggler

According to one source, a Canadian term for someone who takes a parking space that you intended to use or who performs any similar legitimate but annoying act.

SNL

Saturday Night Live, a television programme.

Sno-Cones

See Shaved Ice.

Snow Peas

Mangetout (the vegetable).

Snowpack

Any mass of snow lying on the ground.

SO

Significant Other, i.e. husband, wife, partner, boyfriend or girlfriend.

So.

Often used as an abbreviation for "South" on road signs, street names, etc.

SoCal

Southern California.

Soccer

Used to refer to British football. In the USA the word "football" nearly always means American Football. Tom Wrona kindly EMailed me to explain how the name came about - from Association Football, then Assoc Football, then Soccer.

Social Insurance Number

The Canadian equivalent of the British National Insurance Number.

Social Security Number

The American equivalent of the British National Insurance Number, except that a Social Security Number is much more frequently used as a means of identification than a National Insurance Number.

Soda Pop (or just "Soda", or just "Pop")

 Fizzy soft drink (cans or bottles of Coca Cola/Pepsi Cola, 7 Up/Sprite, Dr Pepper's, etc).

Tom Wrona sent me this comment:

Called "soda" in the Northeast, "pop" most everywhere else and inexplicably "tonic" (!) in New England".
Jim Marcotte sent me this comment:
One of the very first soft drinks [sold in cans] was (and still is) "Moxie". It is a drink that has a slightly bitter taste (due to gentian root) and was, at its inception, sold as a nerve tonic at apothecaries. The orange can had a picture of a doctor on it. Only in New England it seems has the name remained.
...which prompted Seth Verdot from Jefferson City Missouri to wax eloquent regarding the delights of Moxie:
I would like to second Mr. Marcotte's recommendation of the drink Moxie for any of your readers who may visit New England. It is a (barely) living relic of American popular culture and is truly like nothing else I have ever tasted - I wish I could meet the consumers who made it the most popular drink of its time. Its flavour is far too bold for today's tastes, with the apparent exception of those hardy souls in Maine. I love the stuff and sorely regret that it isn't more widely available. Visit http://www.moxieworld.com
Ben Carter of Memphis, Tennessee emailed me this comment:
Usage of "soda pop" or simply "pop" will immediately brand you as a Northerner.
Tim Showalter sent me an email to say:
It's soda in many places, pop in the Midwest (Appalachian mountains to the Mississippi or so), and Coke in the South (they claim it's all Coke, even when it's Pepsi or not a cola). Tonic is reserved for New Englanders, being weird.
Gene Johannsen sent me an email saying that some Californians will understand when you ask for a soda, pop or soda pop while some will not.

I've certainly heard the expression "soda pop" on a number of occasions but cannot remember exactly where.

A "soda fountain" is a kiosk or an area in a shop where soft drinks are sold. Now a somewhat historical term but still encountered sometimes.

According to one source, if you ask for a soda in most parts of Canada you are likely to receive soda water, although presumably this very much depends on the nature of the establishment.

Finally, René Plante of Ottawa provided the explanation for the name:

In the early days of soft drink manufacturing, carbon dioxide was made from sodium salts. This is why carbonated beverages were called "sodas" or "soda water".
See also Coke.

Sodium Free

A few years some carbonated soft drinks were sold in "sodium free" versions, meaning salt free. Many people in the USA and Canada believe that an excess of salt in the diet is harmful, leading to high blood pressure (common salt is sodium chloride). These sodium free versions don't seem to be available nowadays.

SOHO or SoHo

  1. Small Office/Home Office. Mainly a term used in relation to computers and now in use on both sides of the Atlantic.

  2. Elizabeth Fry emailed me to say:
    Spelt SoHo, a neighbourhood of New York City that includes many trendy restaurants, art galleries, etc. The name comes from South of Houston. Houston is a street, pronounced house-tin, and not to be confused with the city of Houston in Texas which is pronounced hyues-tin.
Neither of these meanings are to be confused with the sleazy area of London, England with the same name.

Solitaire

Patience - a card game for one player.

SoMa

I'm informed that this is a district of San Francisco, the name coming from "South of Market", i.e. south of Market Street.

Sonoran Desert

See separate article.

Sooner State

Oklahoma.

Soother

A baby's dummy, although the word "pacifier" is more commonly used.

Sophomore

A university student or high school student in their second year.

Sorority

A university student organisation for women. Such organisations commonly have names formed by a sequence of Greek letters. The male equivalent is a fraternity.

SOS or SoS

Secretary of State.

South

Road number geographical direction suffixes (North, South, East or West) on signposts and highway marker shields, and in instructions giving directions to destinations, always refer to the direction of travel. For example, "I-15 South" means I-15 southbound.

South, The

See separate article.

Souvlaki

See Gyros.

SP

State Park.

Speed Zone

A section of road subject to a lower than normal speed limit.

Spelunker

Someone who explores caves; a pot-holer.

Spic

A derogatory term for a person of Latin American descent. Although it seems an abbreviation of "Hispanic", according to one unlikely sounding theory it comes from "I no speak-a de English".

Spire

A pinnacle of rock. Due to erosion over geological time a mesa becomes a butte, then a spire, and eventually disappears.

Spool

Reel (of cotton, etc).

Sportsman's Paradise

Louisiana.

Spring Break

A long weekend in early April when college students head for the beaches in Florida and the other gulf coast states. Spring break doesn't appear to create any additional pressure on accommodation elsewhere in the USA. According to articles in USA Today in Jan-03 and Feb-03, the most popular destination in the USA for spring break is Panama City, Florida which expects 450,000 student visitors in 2003. Other popular destinations are Daytona Beach (Florida), Fort Lauderdale (Florida), Lake Havasu City (Arizona), Miami Beach (Florida), and South Padre Island (Texas). The most popular overseas destination is Cancun (Mexico). Other popular overseas destinations include Acapulco (Mexico), Amsterdam (Netherlands), the Bahamas, Caba San Lucas (Mexico), Jamaica and Mazatlan (Mexico). Excessive drinking and associated behaviour during spring break is becoming an increasing problem and resorts are now attempting to control this.

Sprite

A brand of soft drink, similar to 7-Up.

SPRR

Southern Pacific Railroad.

Spur

See Hubs and Spurs.

Spur Line

Railway branch line.

Squash

A vegetable very similar to a marrow.

SRA

State Recreation Area.

SRR

Scenic and Recreational River.

Standard, or Standard Time

See separate article.

Standings

League table in sport.

Start Over

Begin again.

State Highway

See separate article.

State Line

The border between two states. When prefixed with the name of a state, the word "Line" indicates the border between the state you are now in and that other state. For example while in Colorado the Utah Line is the border between Colorado and Utah; while in Arizona the Utah Line is the border between Arizona and Utah.

State Reservation, State Reserve

As far as I know, an area very similar if not identical to a state park.

State Road

See separate article.

State Route

See separate article.

State School

According to one source, this term may be reserved for schools for pupils with learning difficulties, funded through taxation. Normal schools which are funded through taxation and do not charge a fee are called public schools in American English.

Static

White noise, the noise you hear between stations on a radio or television set.

Station

  1. The word "station" can refer to a railroad (train) station, bus station, or to a gas (petrol) station. This last meaning can sometimes be confusing in directions, as in those found in motel directories. For example "turn left at Sinclair station" might lead you to look out for a train station of that name but in fact refers to a gas station, Sinclair being the brand name. [Of course, Babylon 5 fans would probably read yet another meaning into "Sinclair station"!]

    Major Jim Collins of the USAF kindly sent me this comment:

    You are safe by NEVER assuming "station" means "train station". They are so unusual, especially in the MidWest/West, that in the unlikely event someone refers to one it would be "train station".
  2. As in Britain, the word station can also be used to refer to a radio station or television channel.

Station Wagon

Estate car.

Statute of Limitation

A seemingly bizarre clause in American law which limits the length of time after a crime has been committed during which a criminal can be convicted. The length of time varies for different types of crimes and between different states.

Statutory Holiday

The name given to a Bank Holiday in Canada.

Steep Grade

The road sign "Steep Grade" indicates a steep hill but doesn't specify whether it is an ascent or descent.

Stemware

Wine glasses.

Sternwheeler

A riverboat with its paddlewheel at the rear.

Stick of Butter

Four ounces of butter, a fraction of a standard packet. The wrappers on packets of butter often have lines printed on them marking these fractions.

Stick Shift or Stickshift

Dave Krupka kindly provided this explanation:
Stickshift refers to a manual transmission or gear box. Sometimes its shortened to "stick". If someone "...knows how to drive stick" they know how to work manual transmissions.
The stick is the gear lever.

STL

Airport code for St Louis Lambert International Airport, St Louis, Missouri.

Stocking Stuffer

Stocking filler. Small Christmas gift.

Stool Pigeon

An informer.

Store

Shop. The term "store" is used much more frequently in American English than in British English and can apply to any kind of shop, or even a fast food restaurant.

Storied Province

Province Of Québec.

Stove

Cooker, oven, used to prepare food (and not for heating).

Straight

  1. Continuous; complete; with no gaps or exceptions; in a row. For example a sports team might be referred to as having won "six straight games", meaning six matches in a row.

  2. Undiluted, when describing drinks.

Straight A Student

A student at a school, college or university who routinely obtains A grades, i.e. the highest marks, in all subjects. The term is normally meant as a compliment with no negative implications of being a swot.

Streetcar

  1. Tram, running on rails, usually sharing a road with other vehicles.

  2. Trolley-bus, powered from overhead electrical wires.

  3. Trolley. Nowadays this term normally refers to a medium sized motor vehicle built to resemble an old-fashioned trolley or San Francisco cable car, providing public transport in tourist towns such as Gatlinburg, Tennessee. These services are often a preferable alternative to driving.

Stretch, Stretcher

An exaggeration. Mark Twain uses the word "stretcher" with this meaning in Huckleberry Finn and I have seen the word "stretch" utilised in the same context in modern usage.

Strip, The

In Las Vegas, Nevada, "The Strip" is Las Vegas Boulevard, along which most of the well-known casinos and other attractions are located.

Strip Mall

A parade of shops, not enclosed as a whole. Also called a shopping plaza.

Stroller

Pushchair, baby buggy. A sign saying "No strollers" means "No pushchairs". It does not mean that you aren't allowed to walk there, nor does it mean "no loitering".

Stromboli Style Pizza

See Pizza Styles.

Stub

Counterfoil, in a cheque book etc.

Student

In the USA, school pupils, even young children, are called students. In Britain the term is normally reserved for those in higher or further education.

Stuffed Pita

See Pita.

Styrofoam

Polystyrene, as used to make insulated plastic coffee mugs, etc.

Sub, Sub Sandwich, Submarine Sandwich

 A long roll (hence the name), normally six inches or a foot long, with various fillings, usually a choice of meat, cheese and salad items. A healthier alternative to other fast food. Several fast food chains specialise in submarine sandwiches, notably Subway which now has more locations in the USA than McDonald's. Other similar chains include Blimpie and Quizno's.

Another commonly used name for a submarine sandwich is a hero.

Subway

  1. An railway which runs underground, usually in a large city.

  2. If you see a building with a large sign outside it saying "Subway" in a small town out in the country then it is far more likely to be a member of the Subway submarine sandwich fast food restaurant chain than an underground railway station.

Succotash

According to one source, a mixture of corn and other vegetables such as peas or beans. I've never heard the term myself.

Sulky

The cart pulled by the horses in harness racing, a type of horse racing.

Summer School

Additional classes held during the summer holiday for students needing to catch up or wishing to get ahead. I think these are held at both schools and at universities.

Sunflower State

Kansas.

Sunny Side Up

 One choice for specifying how you want eggs cooked. A fried egg which is not turned over, so the yoke (the sunny side) is on top or "sunny side up". The yoke is usually runnier than eggs cooked over easy. [Many thanks to John Hayes (jnhayes@austin360.com) for contributing this entry.]

An alternative definition is fried on one side only.

Sunshine State

Florida or South Dakota.

SUNY

State University of New York.

Superior Upland

See brief mention in Canadian Shield article.

Supermarket

If you want to look up "Supermarkets" in the yellow pages, it can sometimes be useful to try under "Grocery Stores" as well.

Surf and Turf

See Turf and Surf.

Surface Roads

See separate article.

Susan B. Anthony Dollar

 Susan B. Anthony (1820-1906) led the campaign for votes for women in the USA. On 2-Jul-1979 the U.S. Mint honoured her work by issuing the Susan B. Anthony Dollar coin but production ceased in 1981. According to some sources additional coins were minted in 1999.

Lisa Fournier of Columbus, Ohio kindly sent me this comment:

The US Government is trying to encourage the circulation of Susan B. Anthony Dollars, but the public does not like them because their size and design are easily confused with quarters.
I'm also grateful to Robert Seidel who sent me this description:
The Susan B. Anthony Dollar coin has a milled edge (like the silver Dollar, half-Dollar, quarter, and dime). Its size is slightly bigger than a quarter (but smaller than a 50-cent piece). They are used to give change at postage stamp vending machines in Post Offices. Since they are so close in size to a quarter they never became very popular on a widespread basis.
I have seen silver Dollar coins in Las Vegas but I think they were larger coins, not Susan B. Anthony Dollars.

Seth Verdot of Jefferson City Missouri kindly sent me this comment:

Alongside the failed Susan B. Anthony dollar coin, there is a very recent addition - the US Mint has begun making a "golden dollar" coin. Like its much maligned predecessor, it's almost exactly the same size as the quarter but it has a distinctive colour and a smooth edge.

Suspenders

Braces, an old fashioned method of keeping trousers up.

SUV

Sport Utility Vehicle, such as a Range Rover or Ford Explorer. My thanks to Greg Harvey for this definition. SUV's are somewhat controversial, being considered by some people as being fashionable gas guzzlers.

Swap Meet

See Flea Market.

SWAT Team

Special Weapons and Tactics, a section of a police force which deals with dangerous incidents such as armed criminals, hostage situations, terrorist actions, etc.

According to one source, SWAT teams were set up after the 1965 riots in Watts, a suburb of Los Angeles, California. However, William Blum of Warsaw Indiana sent me the following:

SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams were formed primarily in response to the 1 August 1966 tragedy at the University of Texas, when a lone gunman ascended the tower at the center of campus and for 96 minutes held the community at bay.
The Watts riots taught police departments across the country how NOT to handle large groups of hooligans, but it wasn't until a year later when Charles Whitman killed 13 people from the top of that tower that police departments across the country realised that "it can happen here."
For further reference, see http://members.xoom.com/towertragedy

Sweeper

Vacuum cleaner.

Sweeps

Periods during which television audience figures are measured, when networks make every effort to attract viewers.

Swiss (cheese)

See separate article.

Switch

Points on a railway line.

Switch Engine

Shunting engine - a type of railway engine used to move goods trucks in freight yards.

Switchback

  1. Hairpin bend. Tight hairpin bends as encountered on the Alpine passes of Europe are very rare in the USA and Canada except on a few minor roads over mountain passes.

  2. A road or hiking trail which ascends the side of a hill by a series of hairpin bends.

Switcher

Shunter (the type of railway engine).

Switchyard

Railway marshalling yard, goods yard, freight yard.
Numbers A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

American English to British English Dictionary

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Most recently modified 2-Mar-06