Continuing an alphabetised list of words and phrases common to the U.S. that are not widely used in the UK, here are 6 such words beginning with the letter 'O'.
1. Obligated
Archaic in the UK. UK equivalent: obliged.
2. Off-the-rack
Clothes bought straight from a store. UK equivalent: off-the-peg.
3. Oftentimes
Archaic in Britain but colloquial in America, especially clause-initially. UK (and US) equivalent: often.
4. Ornery
Irritable, crotchety, cranky, troublemaking (from ordinary); very mild and may situationally be used affectionately.
5. Ouster
Ousting, overthrow ("the ouster of a regime"; "the ouster of the CEO").
6. Overpass *
UK (and US) equivalent: flyover.
I remember the first time I used the word ornery (North American informal Bad-tempered or difficult to deal with).
ReplyDeleteI was in the third year at Sowerby Bridge Grammar School, during an English lesson as I wrote some lyrics from the Jim Reeves song, 'The Blizzard' ... Dan get up you ornery cuss ....