Last week, an American tourist's Facebook post went viral when he summed up his trip to the UK through a long, rambling, random list of differences. Naturally, this inspired me to draft an equally random list of my own. After moving to London seven years ago, I've acquired some pretty good examples. So here, I present to you a handy UK translator. Before you board that next Virgin Atlantic flight to cross the pond, print this out and put it in your pocket. And yes, sweeping generalisations abound.

Understatement is hyperbole

'Please do' is ' I need you to'

'Lovely' is 'on fleek'

'Fit' is 'hot'

'Sorry' is 'excuse me'

'You okay?' is 'How are you?'

'Chuffed' is 'ecstatic'

'I'm pleased' is 'I'm DYING'

'Cheeky' is 'Dead wrong'

'Having a good time' is 'Lit'

'Fine' is 'amazing'

'Well done, you' is 'slaaaaay'

'Try again' is 'I hate it'

'I hate it' is 'you ruined everything'

'Bollocks' is 'BS'

'Brill' is 'cool'

'Faff' is 'bother'

Mobile is cell

Pumps are flats

Courts are heels

Trainers are sneakers

Braces are suspenders

Knits are sweaters

Jumpers are also sweaters

Fringe are bangs

Lippy is lipstick

Lifts are elevators

Food and wines are bodegas

Biscuits are cookies

Scones are biscuits

Pudding is dessert

Tea is dinner

Sweeties are candy

Chips are crisps

Fizzy drinks are pop

Still water is flat

Tipple is a drink

Poorly is sick

Trashed is hammered

Toilet is the bathroom

Rubbish is trash

Plasters are Band-Aids

Soho is Soho

Brixton is Harlem

South London is Brooklyn

East London is Williamsburg

West London is the Upper West Side

Croydon is Queens

Croydon is also the Bronx

Croydon is also a little Staten Island

Essex is Yonkers

Cornwall is the Hamptons

The tube is the subway

The GBBO is RuPaul's Drag Race

Boots is Duane Reade

Holidays are vacations

Christmas is 'the holidays'

BBC Radio 4 is NPR

Mind the gap is 'move out of my way'

Soz is sorry

WAGs are NBA Wives

David Beckham is Michael Jordan, Kobe or Lebron

Quality Street is Whitman's Chocolate

TK Maxx is TJ Max

Hoover is vaccum

Garden is backyard

The seaside is the beach

'Ta' is 'thank you'

and

'Cheerio' is 'Bye'

Have I missed anything? Let me know at @ELLEUK and @KenyaNHunt

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Kenya Hunt

Kenya Hunt is the Editor-in-Chief of ELLE UK. Her career spans working for some of the world's most influential women’s titles on both sides of the Atlantic from her post-graduate days as an Assistant Editor at the seminal magazine, Jane, to her time as Deputy Editor of Grazia UK and ELLE UK. As the founder of R.O.O.M. Mentoring, she advocates for greater diversity within the fashion industry by providing a supportive network for some of the many talented aspiring designers, journalists and image makers of colour London has to offer. In 2021, she was recognised by The British Fashion Council for her work and given a Global Leader Of Change Award at its annual Fashion Awards. An American based in London, she lives south of the river with her husband and two sons. Her critically-acclaimed book, Girl: Essays on Black Womanhood (HarperCollins/HQ), is out now.