Several examples are as follows:-

Please don’t walk on the pavement, as this is the road and could be dangerous, use the sidewalk instead.

Don’t trying asking for plasters, in the event of a minor injury, as I did in Sea World.  It took us several minutes to arrive at Bandaid, which we both understood.  Also if you have difficulty finding Paracetemol ask for Tylenol

When asked how long you are staying on vacation (holiday) say two weeks as a fortnight leaves them looking perplexed

When entering any multi-storey building, remember that the ground floor is the 1st floor because to us the 1st floor is really their 2nd!  To get to the 2nd or subsequent floors take the elevator and not a lift.

Their hypermarkets are fantastic and sell everything from food to guns (WalMart).  In the food department, my most confusing moment was looking for jam which turned out to be jelly.  What we know as jelly is actually jello.  Some things are obvious, like cookies for biscuits, candy bar for a chocolate bar and candy for sweets.  For babies, dummies are pacifiers and nappies are diapers.  You will be pushing your small child around in a stroller.

The restaurants are usually really good value but remember when ordering your food if it says chips then you’ll actually receive crisps. (French) fries are chips. If you want brown bread ask for wheat.  Also don’t ask for the bill – it’s the check. Your money will not be in your purse as this is your handbag but in your wallet.  A man’s wallet is a billfold.

For the motorists, your car, sorry automobile, has a hood, trunk and windshield instead of a bonnet, boot and a windscreen.  Remember to put gas in your tank and not petrol. The main road is a highway, motorway is a freeway, a toll motorway is a turnpike and a ring road is a beltway.

Also bear in mind when looking through the villa’s information pack to see what days the bin men come that the Americans put out the trash.

Fanny packs are bum bags and whatever you do, do not ask for a fag instead of a cigarette as you might get some very funny looks!  

And you thought we spoke the same language!