European vs. American English, different words

In addition to spelling differences, there are some words that are dissimilar between European and American English. Most are useful only in fine-tuning usage, although there are some distinctions that are important to know.

European	American
Anticlockwise	Counterclockwise
Aubergine	Eggplant
Balaclava	Ski mask
Bin	Trash can
Bin liner	Trash bag
Biro	Ballpoint pen
Biscuit	Cookie
Bollocks	Balls	(Also a general-purpose swearword)
Bonnet	Hood	(of a car)
Boot	Trunk	(of a car)
Braces	Suspenders	(for a pair of pants)
Brush	Broom
Building society	Savings and loan company
Call	To visit, pass by
Called	Named	(Personal or family name.) As in "a lad called Joe"
Canteen	Break room, cafeteria
Caravan	Travel trailer
Car park	Parking lot
Cart	Trolley	For shopping
Chemist	drugist, drugstore	also "pharmacy" in both Am. & Euro.
Chips	French fries (sort of...)	Chips are thicker than fries
Cling film	Saran wrap	The U.S. term is proprietary (derived from a brand name.)
Clothes peg	Clothes pin
Collect	Pick up (somebody)
Cooker	Stove
Coriander	Cilantro	In U.S., "coriander" is the seed of this plant
Coss	Romaine	(Lettuce)
Courgette	zuchinni
Crisps	Potato chips
Cunt	Guy, fellow	(Irreverent — yes, vulgar — but not obscene.) See Irish joke about Charles Haughey.
Custom	Patronage, business	"Thank you for your custom" — a written business courtesy
Cutlery	Silverware
C.V.	Résumé	(Curriculum vitae)
Dear	Expensive
Dodgy	Sketchy	(Or "bad," as in "a dodgy pint"
Dressing gown	Bathrobe
Drink driving	Drunk driving
Dummy	Pacifier	(For infant)
Earthed	Grounded	(Electrical)
Estate agent	Realtor	In European, also "auctioneer"
Fag	Cigarette	Not to be confused with an American homophobic term
First floor	Second floor	(First floor above the ground floor.
Flat	Apartment
Flyover	Overpass	(On a road)
Football	Soccer	"Soccer" is the preferable term in Ireland, which also plays a game called "Gaelic football."
Fortnight	Two weeks
Full stop	Period	(Punctuation at end of sentence)
Garden	Yard
Good job	Good thing	("It's a good job [that...]")
Graft	Effort, labo(u)r, work	Usually if not always used as part of the term "hard graft." In American, "graft" connotes political/business corruption.
Half-four	Four-thirty
Happy as Larry	Satisfied
Herb	Herb (silent "h")
Hire	Rent	(A car, etc.)
Holiday	Vacation
Jumper	Sweater
Knackered	Tired, worn out
Knickers	Underpants
Knocked down	Run over	(By a car etc.)
Lead	Cord (electrical;) or leash (for pet)
Lift (n.)	Elevator
Lift (v.)	ride (in a car, e.g.)	"Ride" has a sexual connotation in European English...
Lorry (n.)	Truck
Management reserve the right...	Management reserves the right...	see plural versus singular
Mangetout	Snow peas
Marks	Grades	(In school)
Maths	Mathematics
Mean	Stingy, tight
Mince	Ground beef (or "hamburger")
Mobile 'phone	Cell 'phone	In European, usually simply "mobile"
Nappies	diapers
Off licence	Liquor store	(There seems to be no hyphen "off licence" — at least not in Ireland.)
Overtake	Pass	(In traffic)
Pavement	Sidewalk, footpath
Petrol	Gasoline, gas
Pissed	Drunk, drunken	This has an important difference of meaning compared to the American.
'Phone box	'Phone booth
Pitch	Field	(Sports)
Post (n.)	Mail
Post (v.)	To send by mail
Potter (v.)	Putter (about)
Pram	Infant stroller
Pressurize	Pressure (v.)	(Try to convince or compell)
Pull	Pick up	(For sexual interests)
Punter	Customer, patron, bettor
[Made] redundant	Laid off	(From a job)
Return	Round-trip	[Ticket or journey]
Reverse-charge call	Collect call
Ride [n. or v.]	F*ck	One of those important differences in the two languages...
Ring (v.)	Call	(On telephone)
Ring road	Beltway, bypass
Risible	Laughable, ludicrous	(Used only rarely in U.S. English)
Rob	Steal	In American, you would "steal" a car. In European, you'd "rob" it. To rob a car in American is to steal something from inside it.
Roster	Schedule	(At work.) Also "rota" in Euro-English
Rubbish (n.)	Trash, garbage
Rubbish (v.)	Disparage
Sack (v.)	Fire	(From a job)
Salamander	Broiler
Scarper	Slip away, escape
Secondary school	High school
Serviette	Napkin
Shite	shit	(Literal or figurative)
Shop (n.)	Store	"Retail shop" = department store
Shop [v.]	Rat out, turn in (somebody)
Skip	Dumpster
Skive	Goof off	(doss, in Irish English)
Skirting board	Baseboard	(At bottom of wall)
Socket	Outlet	(Electrical)
Solicitor	Lawyer, attorney
Sorry	Excuse me	In conversation or pedestrian traffic
Slag, slag off		To insult, criticize, talk down
Slapper		Disparaging (or hopeful) reference to a "loose" woman
Spanner	Wrench
Sport	Sports
Stone	14 pounds (unit of measurement)	Recently-antiquated; still used colloquially in discussion of personal weight
Store	Storeroom
Suspender	Garter belt
Take-away	To go	(Food, e.g.)
Tap	Faucet
Take the piss	Lampoon	Satirize, be ironic; take advantage of a perceived lax opportunity
Taste (n.)	Flavour	The difference is a bit subtle. In America, you could say that somebody has "good taste" (in music, e.g.) But you wouldn't normally say that a food has "a good taste." In European English, you can say that. In American, you'd have to say "a good flavor." You can say that in Euro-English as well — spelling it "flavour."
The	excluded in some European phrases	"In hospital;" "in future" (but "in the past")
Tippex	White-out	"Tipp-ex" is proprietary.
Thousand million	Billion
Toilet	Restroom, bathroom
Torch	Flashlight
Trainers	Sneakers	(also "runners" in European.) Don't wear them to an Irish late-club.)
V.	Vs.	(As abbreviation for "versus.")
Wellington boots	Galloshes	Usually "Wellingtons" or "Wellies"
Whinge	Whine, complain
Windscreen	Windshield	Of a car, etc.