Hanging around a mainly North American crowd, I have noticed a number of “Americanism” which I have yet to accept or even understand. I am not commenting on whether one is more correct than the other, it is just that the “English” used outside of England can be slightly confusing.

Education

  • School: University.
  • College: I believe it means something similar to “School (US)”
  • High School: Secondary school
  • Junior High, Middle School: Primary school
  • Semester: Something similar to a term

Sport

  • Football: American football
  • Soccer: Football
  • Hockey: Ice Hockey

General

  • Cell: Mobile Phone
  • Mainland: meaning the rest of Asia
  • Continent: meaning North America
  • Gas: petrol
  • Pants: trousers

Finally, some Englishisms/Londonsims that I will, most likely, continue to use:

  • Tube/The Underground: The Metro
  • “That’s rubbish”
  • the lift: The elevator
  • trainers: sports shoes
  • football: soccer
  • pretty good
  • fortnight: two weeks

Other Englishisms that will require re-alignment on my part:

  • Europe/Mainland/Continent: Europe excluding UK

Americanism that I will (hopefully) never use:

  • awesome