Differences in Vocabulary
Autor: Darling Cavalcante | Publicado: 2012-05-27T16:22:00-07:00

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Differences in
Vocabulary





&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Ask someone from England what a fag is and
he/she will tell you it's a cigarette. Asking an American the same question,
however, could put you in a rather embarrasing situation. You see, in American
English, a fag is a highly derogatory and offensive term for
homosexual.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The above example shows that sometimes the same
word has different meanings in England
and in the US.
So, if you were in England
and wanted to buy candy, you'd have to ask for sweets.
In the United States, a
person asks for dessert after dinner, while a person in England may ask
for a sweet or a dessert.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
There is a story about an Englishman visiting New York for the first
time who stopped a man and asked how to get to the underground. The answer he received
from the New Yorker was a very blunt and rude. "I don't know. Why don't
you try killing yourself?" The New Yorker mistakenly thought that the
Englishman was interested in meeting Lucifer himself. Little did the New Yorker
know that in British English, the underground (also called tube)
is nothing more than the subway.


&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Underground is a good example of the many words
in England
which are different from their American equivalents. Scholars interested in
those lexical differences have actually compiled British/American -
American/British dictionaries. Observe a list of some of the most common words
we offer you (see above). &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;








 

  
  
American

  
  
&nbsp; British

  
  
Portuguese

 

  
  
airplane 

  
  
&nbsp; aeroplane

  
  
Avião

 

  
  
apartment

  
  
&nbsp; Flat

  
  
Apartamento

 

  
  
area code 

  
  
&nbsp; dialing cod 

  
  
Código de área

 

  
  
Bar

  
  
&nbsp; Pub

  
  
Bar, taverna

 

  
  
billfold

  
  
&nbsp; Wallet

  
  
Carteira

 

  
  
busy

  
  
&nbsp; Engaged (phone)

  
  
Ocupado (telefone)

 

  
  
candy

  
  
&nbsp; sweets

  
  
Doces

 

  
  
cookie/cracker

  
  
&nbsp; Biscuit

  
  
Biscoito

 

  
  
corn 

  
  
&nbsp; sweet corn, maize

  
  
Milho

 

  
  
crib

  
  
&nbsp; cot

  
  
Berço

 

  
  
crazy

  
  
&nbsp; mad

  
  
Louco

 

  
  
crosswalk

  
  
&nbsp; pedestrian/zebra crossing

  
  
Faixa de pedestre

 

  
  
cuffs

  
  
&nbsp; turn-ups (on trousers)

  
  
Bainha de calça

 

  
  
diaper

  
  
&nbsp; nappy

  
  
Fralda

 

  
  
drugstore, pharmacy

  
  
&nbsp; chemist's

  
  
Farmácia, drogaria

 

  
  
elevator

  
  
&nbsp; lift

  
  
Elevador

 

  
  
eraser

  
  
&nbsp; Rubber, eraser

  
  
Borracha (escolar)

 

  
  
Fall/autumn

  
  
&nbsp; autumn

  
  
Outono

 

  
  
first floor, second floor
  etc

  
  
&nbsp; ground floor, first
  floor

  
  
Térreo, primeiro piso...

 

  
  
flashlight

  
  
&nbsp; torch

  
  
Lanterna

 

  
  
Flat (tire)

  
  
&nbsp; Flat tyre, puncture

  
  
Pneu furado/vazio

 

  
  
french fries

  
  
&nbsp; Chips

  
  
Batatas fritas

 

  
  
garbage/trash

  
  
&nbsp; rubbish

  
  
Lixo

 

  
  
garbage can, trashcan

  
  
&nbsp; dustbin, rubbish bin

  
  
lata-de-lixo

 

  
  
gas/gasoline

  
  
&nbsp; petrol

  
  
Gasolina/combustível

 

  
  
highway, freeway

  
  
&nbsp; main road, motorway

  
  
Estrada, rodovia

 

  
  
hood (of a car)

  
  
&nbsp; bonnet

  
  
Capô

 

  
  
intersection

  
  
&nbsp; crossroads

  
  
Cruzamento (de rodovias ou ruas)

 

  
  
mad

  
  
&nbsp; angry

  
  
Enfurecido

 

  
  
Mailbox

  
  
&nbsp; pillar box

  
  
Caixa de correio

 

  
  
mean

  
  
&nbsp; nasty

  
  
Mesquinha

 

  
  
movie, film

  
  
&nbsp; film

  
  
Filme cinematográfico

 

  
  
movie theater

  
  
&nbsp; Cinema

  
  
Cinema

 

  
  
pants, trousers

  
  
&nbsp; trousers

  
  
Calças compridas

 

  
  
Parking lot

  
  
&nbsp; Car park

  
  
Estacionamento

 

  
  
pavement

  
  
&nbsp; road surface

  
  
Calçamento, pavimentação

 

  
  
pitcher

  
  
&nbsp; jug

  
  
Jarro(a)

 

  
  
potato chips

  
  
&nbsp; crisps

  
  
Batata frita (em fatias)

 

  
  
railroad

  
  
&nbsp; Railway

  
  
Ferrovia

 

  
  
raise

  
  
&nbsp; rise (in salary)

  
  
Aumentar

 

  
  
rest-room, bathroom

  
  
&nbsp; (public) toilet

  
  
Toalete, banheiro (em restaurantes, hotéis etc.)

 

  
  
sidewalk

  
  
&nbsp; pavement

  
  
Calçada

 

  
  
resumé

  
  
&nbsp; CV

  
  
Currículo profissional

 

  
  
schedule, timetable

  
  
&nbsp; timetable

  
  
Horário

 

  
  
sneakers

  
  
&nbsp; trainers (=sports shoes)

  
  
Tênis esportivo

 

  
  
Stand in line

  
  
&nbsp; queue

  
  
Fazer fila

 

  
  
store/shop

  
  
&nbsp; Shop

  
  
Loja

 

  
  
**subway

  
  
&nbsp; Underground*

  
  
Metrô

 

  
  
trunk (of a car)

  
  
&nbsp; Boot

  
  
Porta-malas

 

  
  
truck

  
  
&nbsp; lorry, van

  
  
Caminhão

 

  
  
two weeks

  
  
&nbsp; fortnight, two weeks

  
  
Duas semanas

 

  
  
vacation

  
  
&nbsp; holiday(s)

  
  
Férias

 

  
  
vest

  
  
&nbsp; waistcoat 

  
  
Colete

 

  
  
zee

  
  
&nbsp; zed 

  
  
"zê" - o nome da letra "z"

 

  
  
zipper

  
  
&nbsp; zip

  
  
Zíper, fecho de correr

 











Profa. Darlene