What is Halloween?
About 2000 years ago, people called Celts lived in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. Their new year didn’t begin on January 1st, it began on November 1st. So, October 31st was New Year’s Eve. Halloween has a pagan origin. The Celts worshipped the god of Death, Samhaim, and the Romans worshipped Pomona, the goddess of the Gardens and Orchards – that’s why Halloween colors are black and orange.
The Celts believed that ghosts and goblins and witches walked the Earth on October 31st. These spirits terrified the Celts, then the people dressed up in costumes, so the spirits wouldn’t recognize them. Continue Lendo
Differences between British and American vocabulary
|
British
|
American
|
| bill/account |
account |
| aeroplane |
airplane |
| gangway |
aisle |
| pocket money |
allowance |
| aerial (radio/TV) |
antenna |
| anywhere |
anyplace |
| flat |
apartment |
| block of flats |
apartment building |
| diary |
appointment book |
| dialing code |
area code |
| dustbin |
ashcan, garbage can, trashcan |
| car |
automobile |
| pram |
baby carriage/baby buggy |
| luggage |
baggage |
| gallery (theatre) |
balcony |
| plaster/elastoplasts |
band aid |
| pub |
bar |
| dressing-gown |
bathrobe |
| lavatory/toilet/w.c./loo |
bathroom/restroom/washroom/john |
| bath |
bathtub |
| bank note |
bill |
| wallet |
billfold |
| bomb (success) |
bomb (disaster) |
| grill (v.) |
broil |
| arse-licker |
brownnoser, ass-kisser |
| chest of drawers |
bureau |
| taxi |
cab |
| canteen, staff restaurant |
cafeteria |
| reverse charges |
call collect |
| sweets |
candy |
| sweets |
candy |
| fair (fun) |
carnival |
| mobile phone |
cellphone |
| bill (restaurant) |
check |
| current account |
checking account |
| wardrobe |
closet |
| biscuit |
cookie |
| maize |
corn |
| mad |
crazy |
| nappy |
diaper |
| city centre, town centre |
downtown |
| driving-licence |
driver’s license |
| chemist’s |
drugstore |
| aubergine |
eggplant |
| lift |
elevator |
| rubber |
eraser |
| shattered |
exhausted |
| staff (academic) |
faculty |
| autumn |
fall |
| tap (indoors) |
faucet |
| fire brigade |
fire department |
| ground floor (US: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, …, UK: ground, 1st, 2nd, …) |
first floor |
| torch |
flashlight |
| American football |
football |
| motorway |
freeway, expressway |
| chips |
French fries |
| reception (hotel) |
front desk |
| litter, rubbish |
Garbage/trash |
| bin |
garbage can |
| rubbish-bin/ dustbin/bin |
garbage can, trashcan |
| Dustman/ dustbin man |
garbage collector |
| dustbin lorry |
garbage truck |
| filling station / petrol station |
gas station |
| petrol |
gas, gasoline |
| gear-lever |
gearshift |
| Girl Guide |
Girl Scout |
| class/form (school) |
grade |
| level crossing (railway) |
grade crossing |
| postgraduate course |
graduate studies |
| bloke, guy |
guy |
| bap |
hamburger bun |
| spirits |
hard liquor |
| ironmonger |
hardware store |
| main road |
highway |
| homely (=pleasant) |
homely (=ugly) |
| bonnet |
hood |
| limited (company) |
incorporated |
| directory enquiries |
information assistance/ directory assistance |
| crossroads |
intersection |
| gaol |
jail |
| caretaker/porter |
janitor |
| jam |
jelly |
| skipping rope |
jump rope |
| paraffin |
kerosene |
| trade union |
labor union |
| Solicitor/ barrister |
lawyer/attorney |
| let |
lease/rent |
| bank holiday |
legal holiday |
| queue |
line |
| lost property |
lost and found |
| post |
mail |
| pillar box/letter box/ postbox |
mail box |
| postman |
mailman |
| book (v.) |
make reservation |
| director (company) |
manager |
| problem sum/ maths |
math |
| propelling pencil |
mechanical pencil |
| mum, mummy |
mom, mommy |
| engine |
motor |
| motorbike |
motorcycle |
| film |
movie |
| cinema |
movie house/theater |
| silencer |
muffler |
| bank holiday |
national holiday |
| teat (baby’s bottle) |
nipple |
| surgery(doctor’s/dentist’s) |
office |
| single ticket |
one-way ticket |
| stalls (theatre) |
orchestra seats |
| dungarees |
overalls |
| flyover |
overpass |
| dummy (for babies) |
pacifier |
| trousers |
pants |
| car park |
parking lot |
| overtake (vehicle) |
pass |
| road surface |
pavement |
| prison |
penitentiary |
| full stop (punctuation) |
period |
| chemist’s shop |
pharmacy/drugstore |
| soft drink, pop, fizzy drink |
pop, soda |
| crisps |
potato chips |
| chairman (business) |
president |
| headmaster/mistress |
principal |
| handbag |
purse |
| railway |
railroad |
| state agent |
realtor |
| break (school) |
recess |
| public toilet |
rest room |
| curriculum vitae |
resume |
| joint (meat) |
roast |
| big dipper |
roller coaster |
| return ticket |
round trip ticket |
| contraceptive/condom |
rubber |
| shop assistant |
sales clerk/sales girl |
| timetable |
schedule |
| sellotape |
scotch tape |
| first floor |
second floor |
| saloon car |
sedan |
| bootlace/shoelace |
shoestring |
| jab (injection) |
shot |
| pavement/footpath |
sidewalk |
| gym shoes/plimsolls/ trainers |
sneakers/tennis shoes |
| football/soccer |
soccer |
| petrol |
gas (gasoline) |
| cotton reel |
spool |
| queue (v.) |
stand in line/line up |
| shop |
store |
| cooker |
Stove/ oven |
| Tube/ underground (train) |
subway |
| braces |
suspenders |
| kiosk/box (telephone) |
telephone booth |
| trainers |
tennis shoes, running shoes, sneakers |
| semester |
term academic (3 in a year) |
| cotton |
thread |
| noughts and crosses |
tic-tac-toe |
| schedule |
time-table |
| can |
tin |
| tyre |
tire |
| Stop light |
traffic lights |
| caravan |
trailer |
| pants |
trousers |
| Lorry/ van |
truck |
| subway |
tube/underground |
| swede |
turnip/rutabaga |
| fortnight |
two weeks |
| degree |
undergraduate school |
| vest |
undershirt |
| holiday |
vacation |
| hoover |
Vacuum/ vacuum cleaner |
| waistcoat |
vest |
| black or white?(coffee) |
with or without?(coffee) |
| garden |
yard |
| nought |
zero |
| zipper |
zip |
| Postcode/ postal code |
zip code |
| courgette |
zucchini |
Tel: 4743-1790