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Different Meanings in British and American English- Jigsaw

A LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE TEACHERS

Students review expressions that have different meanings in the UK and US and so could be confusing with a fun jigsaw exercise.

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Lesson Plan Content:


Different meanings in British and American jigsaw

Instructions for teachers

Copy one set of cards per group of two to four students. Decide which cards you want to use, for example by cutting off the cards which are too easy from the top and cutting off the cards which are too difficult from the bottom.

Cut up the cards like a jigsaw, with a mix of different sizes and maybe shapes, with at least two cards in each piece of the jigsaw, and maybe with the whole middle column not cut up at all. Don’t leave any individual cards on their own. Students should match the word cards to the two meanings cards, using words above and below and the shapes of the cards to help when they aren’t sure about the meanings and about which one is British and which one is American. Note that the words used in the explanations sometimes come from the opposite kind of English, so they should just think about the meaning of the word in the middle column, not the origin of the words used to describe it. Many of the words (like “gas”) also have shared meanings that are not included due to lack of space, but which you could tell them if they get stuck. You could also:

  • Tell them a few matches
  • Tell them one column and get them to match the others
  • Let them look at an un-cut-up copy of the worksheet without touching the cards, then try again after they hide the answer sheet

After they check their answers with the answer sheet, they can test each other on the same words by:

  • Reading out two meanings for their partner to guess the word for
  • Read out a list of words and meanings from one side of the table until their partner is sure if it is all British and if it is all American (maybe with points off if they are wrong)
  • Reading out a word and one meaning for their partner to say the other meaning of
  • Reading out a word for their partner to say both meanings for

 

Cards to cut up/ Suggested answers 

 

British meaning of the word

 

word

 

American meaning of the word

 

just above ground level

 

 

first floor

 

at ground level

 

pedestrian underpass

 

 

subway

 

underground railway

 

natural gas

 

 

gas

 

gasoline/ petrol

 

wallet for coins/ women

 

 

purse

 

handbag

 

vacation

 

 

holiday

 

public holiday

 

underpants

 

 

pants

 

trousers/ slacks

French fries, as in fish and…

 

chips

 

crisps, as in nacho…

place with a bathtub/ shower

 

bathroom

 

toilet

 

starter

 

 

entrée

 

main course

 

soccer

 

 

football

 

American football

 

a kind of private school

 

 

public school

a government-funded school

 

top level academic

 

 

professor

 

university teaching staff

 

crazy

 

 

mad

 

angry

 

stove/ range

 

 

cooker

 

cook/ chef

 

the opposite of generous

 

 

mean

 

the opposite of kind

 

cookie, as in “chocolate…”

 

 

biscuit

 

a kind of savoury scone

 

field hockey

 

 

hockey

 

ice hockey

 

wheat, as in “fields of…”

 

 

corn

 

sweetcorn, as in “tuna and”

 

one pence

 

 

penny

 

a cent

 

 

 

track and field (sprint, etc)

 

 

athletics

 

sport


 

sprinter, etc

 

 

athlete

 

sportsman (generally)


 

cook under heat/ broil

 

 

grill

 

barbecue on a hot plate

 

long distance highway bus

 

 

coach

 

economy class

 

allowing free choice

 

 

liberal

 

left wing/ progressive

 

finish an undergrad course

 

 

graduate

successfully finish education

 

technician

 

 

engineer

 

train driver

 

undershirt

 

 

vest

 

waistcoat

 

petrol station

 

 

garage

 

multi-storey car park

 

sweater/ pullover

 

 

jumper

 

knitted dress


 

alcoholic apple drink

 

 

cider

 

apple juice

 

dessert (generally)

 

 

pudding

 

crème caramel

 

eraser

 

 

rubber

 

condom

 

railway coach

 

 

carriage

 

baby carriage/ pram

 

pushchair/ stroller

 

 

buggy

 

baby carriage/ pram

 

zipper

 

 

zip

 

postcode/ nothing

 

nylons/ pantyhose

 

 

tights

 

leggings/ unitard

 

doctor’s office/ clinic

 

 

surgery

 

operating theatre

 

revenue/ gross sales

 

 

turnover

 

staff turnover

 

do the dishes

 

 

wash up

 

wash your hands

 

passage for cars

 

 

underpass

 

pedestrians’ way

 

 

 

drunk

 

 

pissed

 

annoyed


 

Jello (a kind of dessert)

 

 

jelly

 

a kind of jam


 

baby’s bed/ crib

 

 

cot

 

camp bed

 

top of a convertible car

 

 

hood

 

bonnet

 

to hold up stockings

 

 

suspenders

 

braces, to hold up trousers


 

cart/ wagon

 

 

trolley

 

streetcar/ tram

 

round brackets

 

 

brackets

 

square brackets

 

telephone box/ booth

 

 

callbox

 

roadside emergency phone

 

campground

 

 

campsite

 

pitch for a tent

 

freight car on a train

 

 

wagon

 

shopping cart/ trolley

 

sleeveless sweater

 

 

tank top

 

sleeveless T-shirt

 

bring into discussion

 

 

table a topic

 

lay aside/ delay

 

picnic basket

 

 

hamper

 

laundry/ linen basket

 

day care/ nursery

 

 

crèche

 

Xmas nativity scene

 

criticize

 

 

tick off

 

annoy

 

duplex (as in “… detached”)

 

 

semi

 

articulated lorry (“… trailer”)

 

a position in rugby

 

 

hooker

 

slang for prostitute

 

sidewalk (for walking on)

 

 

pavement

 

asphalt/ road surface

 

panto, a kind of Xmas play

 

 

pantomime

 

miming

 

detective constable

 

 

DC

 

District of Columbia

 

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