Although the British and the Americans understand each other the vast majority of the time, there are still many important differences between UK and US English, which can lead to confusion or humorous misunderstandings. One area where there are different words in American and British English is clothing.
Here are 7 words relating to clothing that may be confused:
Pants
Pants are a piece of underwear which have two holes to put your legs through and elastic around the top to hold them up round your waist or hips. The usual American words are ‘panties’ or ‘underpants’.
Pants are a piece of clothing that covers the lower part of your body and each leg. The usual British word is ‘trousers’.
Suspenders
Suspenders refers to a piece of underwear that is used for holding up stockings. In the US, the word ‘garters’ is used.
Suspenders are a pair of straps that go over someone’s shoulders and are fastened to their pants at the front and back to prevent the pants from falling down. The usual British word is ‘braces’.
Jumper
A jumper is a warm knitted piece of clothing which covers the upper part of your body and your arms. The usual American word is ‘sweater’.
A jumper is a sleeveless dress that is worn over a blouse or sweater. The usual British word is ‘pinafore’.
Overalls
Overalls consist of a single piece of clothing that combines trousers and a jacket. You wear overalls over your clothes in order to protect them while you are working. This word is also used in this meaning in American English.
Overalls are trousers that are attached to a piece of cloth which covers your chest and which has straps going over your shoulders. The usual British word is ‘dungarees’.
Vest
A vest is a piece of underwear which you can wear on the top half of your body in order to keep warm. The usual American word is ‘undershirt’.
A vest is a sleeveless piece of clothing with buttons which people usually wear over a shirt. The British word is ‘waistcoat’.
Purse
A purse is a very small bag that people, especially women, keep their money in. The usual American word is ‘change purse’.
A purse is a small bag that women carry. In British English, the word ‘handbag’ is used.
Cuffs
The cuffs of a shirt or dress are the parts at the ends of the sleeves, which are thicker than the rest of the sleeve.
The cuffs on a pair of pants or trousers are the parts at the ends of the legs, which are folded up. The word ‘turn-ups’ is used in British English.
Written by Maree Airlie, Language Content Manager
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