Glossary for Amanda Cadabra and The Cellar of Secrets
of British English
'To enhance your experience of Amanda's world, this British-set story, by a British author, uses British English spelling, vocabulary, grammar and usage. It also includes local and foreign accents, dialects and a magical language that vary from different versions of English as it is written and spoken in other parts of our wonderful, diverse world.'
The glossary appears at the end of Amanda Cadabra Book 2 and is reproduced here for your edification and entertainment. (Warning for dieters: food figures heavily.)
...
British English | American English |
|---|---|
| |
Spelling conventions | |
—ise for words like surprise, realise | —ize for words like surprize, realize |
—or for words like colour, honour | —our for words like color, honor |
—tre for words like centre, theatre | —ter for words like center, theater |
| |
A1000 | An 'A' road - a main road that is not an expressway |
A4 (paper size) | 8.26" by 11.69" |
Amachures - cockney pronunciation of amateurs | Amateurs |
Backhander | Bribe |
Bacon flan | Pastry case filled with bacon omlette mixture |
Bakewell tart | Pastry topless case filled with an almond based paste and custard |
Beep (a car horn) | Honk |
Biscuit | Cookie |
Boiler suit | Coveralls |
Bonnet | Hood |
Boot | Trunk |
Bread and Butter Pudding | Buttered bread and raisins baked in egg custard |
Car Park | Parking Lot |
Chicken shish - shish kebab | Shish Kabob |
Chips | Chips |
Conker | Large brown seed of horse chestnut tree |
Corner shop | Small grocery store |
Cornish pasty | Disk of puff pastry filled with meat and vegetables then folded and sealed at the edges. |
Curtains | Drapes |
Deep Square Leg | Batsmans left near the boundary |
British English | American English |
|---|---|
Crumpet | Cake with holes in, served toasted with butter |
Curtains | Drapes |
Different from | Different than |
Dressing-gown | Robe/bathrobe |
Fag | Cigarette |
First class honours degree | Grade A batchelor's degree |
Flask (Thermos flask) | Thermos bottle |
Forfar bridie | Similar to a Cornish pasty but without potatoes |
Fridge | Refrigerator |
Garden | Yard |
Gastropub | Pub that serves high-quality food |
GP General Practitioner | Primary Care Physician |
Grass up | Give the police incriminating information about someone |
Grey | Gray |
Headmaster | Principal |
Hols - holidays - school holidays | Vacation, break |
In a mo' | In a minute, in a moment |
Inn | Old, quiet bar, serving food, with rooms upstairs for hire |
Jelly | Jell-O |
Jersey cream | Thick cream from the milk of Cows from the Channel Islands, Jersey and Guernsey |
Jewellery | Jewelry |
Jumper | Sweater |
Kebab | Gyro |
Lorry | Large truck for carrying goods |
British English | American English |
|---|---|
Mac, mackintosh | Waterproof coat, slicker |
Mileometer | Odometer |
Minibus | Van, minicoach seating 8 - 30 people |
Mobile phone | Cell phone |
Moggy, mog | Derogatory slang for 'cat'. |
Momentarily | For a moment |
Motorway - M | Expressway, Highway |
'Oppit, Hoppit | Go away |
Pavement | Sidewalk |
Penknife | Small folding knife |
Penknife | Copy |
Pub | Quiet, family friendly, coffee-shop style bar |
Publican | Owner of a pub |
Pushchair | Stroller |
Pyjamas | Pajamas |
Scone | Smaller, lighter and fluffier than the US scone, served with cream and jam |
Serg (pronounced sarj) | Shortened form of 'sergeant' |
Shepherd's pie | Minced lamb with mashed potato topping |
Solicitor | Lawyer |
Scotch egg | Hardboiled egg in a case of sausage meat coated in breadcrumbs |
British English | American English |
|---|---|
Solicitor | Lawyer |
Spade | Shovel |
Spotted dick | Steamed suet and dried fruit pudding. |
Strawberry flan | Open rimmed sponge base filled with fruit usually in jelly and topped with cream |
Strawberry fool | A mixture of cooked pureed fruit and whipped cream |
Swag | Loot, plunder |
Sweets | Candy |
Takeaway | Takeout |
Tap | Faucet |
The ladies | Ladies' room, restroom |
Tin | Can |
Torch | Flashlight |
Trainers | Tennis shoes, sneakers |
Trifle | A dessert of layers of sponge, custard, fruit, jelly and whipped cream |
Tuppence | Two pennies, UK pre-decimal currency |
Tyre | Tire |
Van | Delivery truck |
Victoria sandwich | Light sponge cake with jam and cream filling |
Wellies, Wellington boots | Rubber boots |
Windscreen | Windshield |
British English | American English |
|---|---|
Cornish Accent and Dialect | |
A | You |
A-bretherin' | Bothering |
Arter noon | Good afternoon |
Censure | Believe |
Emmet | Tourist |
Im | Him |
Knaw | Know |
Loik | Like |
Me 'ansum | My handsome, friendly term used for any gender |
Nerry | Not one |
Pestic | Pesky |
Vitty | Appropriate, proper |
Werratting | Worrying |
Wor-wop | A smack, blow |
Yas | Yes |
| |
Scottish Accent | |
Airly | Early |
O' | Of |
British English | American English |
|---|---|
Scottish Accent | |
Oot | Out |
Vairy | Very |
Wee | Small |
Ye | You |
If you notice any errors, omissions or have suggestions for improvements, please could you let me know on [email protected]? Thank you,
Holly
