It is not just Chinese learners of English that get confused about certain words that are used differently by Americans and Brits.

Almost all British travellers to the States have come across situations where they are misunderstood and vice versa.

As George Bernard Shaw once said 'England and America are two countries are separated by a common language.'

It's great fun if you can match all the words that are distinctly American with British translations.

In the first of American English Words we look at some commonly used words relating to food and drink.

You will hear five short dialogues between two American speakers and two British speakers. Don't be surprised if they don't understand each other the first time.

jelly and jam

eggplants and aubergine

scallions and spring onions

the check and the bill

pigs in a blanket

Listen to the programme to find out which are American English and which are British English.

If you have a question you would like to ask our team, email us at questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk.

We might make a programme about your question.

Rob:   Hello everyone and welcome to Question and Answer of the Week. I'm Rob.
 
Yang Li:  大家好我是杨莉，在今天的《你问我答》节目中我们介绍美式英语和英式英语中的一些不同用词。
 
Insert
Hi BBC, I like your Question and Answer programme. I have a question  too; Americans use different words from the British such as eggplant and aubergine, or fall and autumn. Could you make a summary? Thanks. Simon from Nanjing
Rob:    As George Bernard Shaw once said  "England and America are  two countries separated by a common language".
 
Yang Li:  著名爱尔兰剧作家肖伯纳曾说美国和英国是由一种共同语言隔开的两个国家。 
 
Rob:  They  both  speak  English  but  the  words  they  sometimes  use  can  be  very different.
 
Yang Li:  In this and the next programme we will help Simon make a summary of some of the most commonly used words in American English.
 
Rob:  And compare how we British would say them. Let's start with food and drink.
 
Yang Li:  首先我们来看看和饮食相关的一些词语。 
 
Rob:  Chips or crisps?
 
Example
 
A: May I help you? 
B: Yes can I have a bag of chips please?
A: I'm afraid we don't sell chips but you can get them from the fish and chip shop around the corner.
B: But I can see them on the shelf behind you.
A: Where? Oh I see. You mean crisps. 
B: Oh, we call them chips.
A: What do you call the fried potato strips then?
B: Strips? Oh, they're French fries. 
 
Yang Li:   大家听清楚了吗？英国人称薯片为 crisps, 但是美国人称薯片为 chips. 而 chips 在英国人看来就是是薯条的意思。
 
Rob:    This can be very confusing, can't it?
 
Yang Li:  It can. I remember that when I was on holiday in America I once asked the waiter to bring me some chips to go with the fish I ordered but he brought
me crisps! 
 
Rob:   Well, that's because they call chips French fries in America. Now listen to a few more examples of different terms of address.
 
 
Example
 
A: What did you have for breakfast?
B: Oh something very simple; just jelly on toast and some coffee. 
 
Rob:  I  guess  what  she meant  was  jam.  That's  something  we  often  have  for breakfast, but jelly is something different. 
 
Yang Li:  美国人称果酱为  jelly 而英国人称果酱为  jam, 很国人喜欢果酱抹面包。而  jelly 这个词在英国人看来是果冻的意思。
 
Rob:      Now let's look at some vegetable terms.
 
Yang Li:  茄子和小葱的说法。 
 
 
Example
 
A: What shall we have for dinner?
 
B:  Look  I've  bought  some  eggplants  and  scallions  from  the  grocery  store  on my way home. So I can make a stir fry, yummy!
 
A: I know what eggplants are in British English but what are scallions? Oh, I see; we call them spring onions. 
 
B: Americans don't call scallions 'spring onions'; we call them scallions.
 
 
Yang Li:  美国人把茄子称为 eggplant, 小葱为 scallions; 英国人称茄子为 aubergine, 小葱为 spring onions. 
 
Rob:    Next we will hear a dialogue in a restaurant.
 
Example
 
A: What would you like to drink?
 
B: On such a hot day? Soda please, with some ice. And can I also have a napkin? 
 
A: Soda? Napkin? Do you mean a fizzy drink and some serviettes?
 
B: Yes.
 
A: Hello again, is everything OK?
 
A: Yes, terrific. Thank you. May I have the check please?
 
B: You mean the bill? Yes, I will bring it over shortly.
 
A: Thank you.
 
Yang Li:  汽水可是夏天的好饮料。不过美国人称之为 soda  英国人称之为 fizzy  drink. 对餐巾纸和账单的称呼也不同。
 
Rob:  In American English they are napkins and checks 
 
Yang Li:  In British English they are serviettes and bills. 
 
Rob:  Next one is really interesting can you guess what are pigs in a blanket?
 
Yang Li:    Pigs in a blanket? 毛毯里的猪？Don't know. Let's listen. 
 
Example
 
A: Have you bought anything from the farmers' market?
 
B: Yes I bought some pigs in a blanket. They're delicious.
 
A: What are pigs in a blanket? Can you show me?
 
B: Here you are. Pigs in a blanket.
 
A: Aah, sausage rolls! What a funny way to say sausage rolls, pigs in a blanket!   
 
Yang Li:    原来 pigs in a blanket 就是香肠卷的意思。 
 
Rob:  I guess sausage rolls are generally made of pork, so that's why Americans call them pigs in a blanket.
 
Yang Li:  Very good. 
Now  let's have a quick recap of  the words we have  learned so  far. Shall I say the American words and you give the British version or translation? 
 
薯片 chips 
 
Rob:    Crisps.
 
Yang Li:    薯条 French fries.
 
Rob:    Chips
 
Yang Li:      果酱 jelly.
 
Rob:    Jam.
 
Yang Li:   茄子 eggplants.
 
Rob:      Aubergine.
 
Yang Li:     小葱 scallions.  
 
Rob:      Spring onions.   
 
Yang Li:     汽水 soda
 
Rob:        Fizzy drinks.
 
Yang Li:     餐巾纸 napkins.
 
Rob:     Serviettes
 
Yang Li:     账单 the check
 
Rob:     The bill.
 
Yang Li:    猪肉卷 pigs in a blanket.
 
Rob:  Sausage  rolls.  Well  this  is  fun  translating  American  English  into  British English.
 
Yang Li:  Yes.  Next  week  my  colleague  Natalie  will  explore  words  and  phrases relating to clothes.
 
Rob:  So if you're into fashion and clothes watch this space next week.
 
Yang Li:  Meanwhile  if you have any question  relating  to  the English  language  just drop us an email.
 
Rob:      Our email address is questions.elt@bbc.co.uk 
 
Yang Li:   谢谢大家收听，我们下次节目再见。
 
Rob:     Bye bye.