h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Numbers? We don't use those in maths.

Because it's short for 'mathematics' not 'mathematic'.

sorry mate bu thats been said

BTW, a brake van is the 'correct' name for what is generally known as a 'guard's van' on a goods train. The US equivalent is a caboose. They are fairly rare now that wagons have their own brakes applied from the locomotive.

Incidentally UK Goods train = US Freight train, though yet again the American term is now in common use here.

for the frount of a HGV Uk Truck =US Rig

...and another railway one:

UK Points = US Switches

::bookmarking::
^. .^
= ' =

Presumably "rails" is the same, but what about sleepers? That is bits of wood upon which the rails lie.

UK bowler hat = US Derby
UK scone (savoury) = US biscuit
UK soda water = US club soda
UK removal man = US mover
UK bog/khazi/thunderbox = US john/head/can
UK bogroll = US bathroom tissue (I think)
UK kitchen paper = US paper towels (I think)
UK fag-end/dog-end/dimp = US cigarette butt/stogey
UK guard (railway) = US conductor

On the tramp/bum thing - I'd say that a tramp is more like a hobo, i.e., usually an older person, or someone who's been doing it for years. A hobo is a step above a bum, whom I would call a UK dosser, or a panhandler (UK beggar)

UK smack (heroin) = US dope
UK dope = US pot
UK girder = US I-beam
UK spanner = US wrench
UK hallway = US lobby
UK flyover = US overpass

I think you missed quite a few out of your 'so far' list Shea..and btw,
UK '......' = US "........"

Oh, and while it's on my mind...
UK biro = US ballpen

UK clock in/out = US punch in/out
UK lift ("Can you give me a lift home?") = US ride
UK Prom = one of a series of classical concerts (The Proms) held every summer at The Royal Albert Hall in London and broadcast on The BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/index.shtml intended as an easy and affordable way for people who might not otherwise go to a classical concert to.... go to a classical concert
US prom = school dance (perhaps an American researcher can help fill out the details of this one )

And of course 'prom' is also short for promenade, as in:

I do like to stroll along the prom prom prom
Where the brass band plays tiddly-om-pom-pom

but gosho... you *are* an american researcher. or, at least, you are *now*

an american prom is the mother of all school dances. little girls dream of their high school proms before they dream of their perfect weddings. it's a formal dance, or 'black-tie affair', where the boys rent tuxedos and the girls get long (but getting shorter--much shorter) formal gowns. (compare to fashions on oscar night, then relay that to a teenage level). proms are usually for juniors and seniors in school, or eleventh and twelfth graders, unless one asks a younger student to be their date. traditionally the junior class throws the prom for the departing senior class, and the dance is held near the end of the school year. did i miss anything relevant?

i think for the list, tho, it could be compiled as:
uk prom= classical music concert
us prom= formal school dance

also wanted to make a few other points, come to think of it.

uk sleepers = us (railroad) ties
uk motorway = us highway (as well as freeway and interstate)
uk durex = us trojan (surprised that wasn't mentioned (beside rubber))

i think someone already explained the brake van/caboose thing, but if there is any more confusion: years ago a brake van or caboose was the last car on the end of a train, behind all the passenger or freight cars. it's job was not only to provide brakes for the rear of the train, but i think also to report or react to any trouble on the rear half of a train. (this is on the list of things i've learned from watching my son's favorite television programs )

i had a question about the floor thingy. i understand that uk ground floor = us first floor. does it then follow that us second floor is uk first floor? or is it the second over there as well?

and i also wanted to point out that while 'tighty whities' is a term for pants, it is a more casual, teasing, fun term. unknowing travellers to our fine country would not want to walk unassuming into the nearest k-mart and ask to be directed to the 'tighty whitey department'. but if you happen to have the need while so far away from home, it is safe to ask for the men's department if you are male (or shopping for males) or the intimates department if you are female or just kinky

Gosho, it's clocking on/off, surely.

in my school (which is in wales)(and isn't a "typical" brit school) we have a may ball for sixth formers (the last two school years) which is in may, surprisingly enough, but there are loads of "black ties" as well, which are posh parties given by students to get money.
^. .^
= ' =

Proms:

The Proms in the UK is a particularly special event at the Royal Albert Hall. A regular classical music concert would not be usually described as a prom, but just as a concert.

From what I can gather a prom as a dance event in US schools is a seriously big and important event. There is no real equivalent in the UK. Any dance is, well, just a dance.

BTW we don't "graduate" from school in the UK, we just leave.

sorry about the mistake about the proms in england. honest mistake. i read gosho's explanation, and it just didn't 'click' so to speak.

St Brolean, our first floor is indeed your second floor and so on.

Are you sure about motorway being equivalent to all of those? A motorway is a specific legal designation and various rules that don't necessarily apply on other roads, no matter how big they may be. e.g. no stopping, no pedestrians, no bicycles. Perhaps a highway is more like an A-road.

well I know the german equvalent is auto-bahn, although thy dont have a speed limmet