Here Are 18 American Words For Things That Make Wayyyy More Sense Than The British Equivalent

Washcloth is clearly the superior name here.

Ahhhh, the USA vs. the UK... How many times have we stoked that fire here on BuzzFeed? You only need to watch something like Hamilton to know how far back our warring goes, but today we're just talking about linguistic differences.

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Most people will know that oftentimes there is a British English word for something, and then a different American English word for it. Why is that, I hear you ask... Well, let's have a quick history lesson, shall we?

Basically, centuries ago, the lexicographer Noah Webster sought to reform the English language for Americans by changing the spelling of certain words to be more phonetic, i.e. "colour" became "color". He published the first American dictionary in 1806, which ushered in many of these changes.

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It's generally believed that given this newfound sense of linguistic independence afforded to them by Webster's work, Americans began naming new things in their own way going forward. Resultantly, certain things invented ~after~ Webster was born – e.g. the torch/flashlight – were named one way in the US, and another way in the UK. Thus, American English was born!

Now I'm not trying to start anything here per se, but speaking as a Brit, I think many US words are actually wayyyy better. Here are a few of my personal favourites – let's see if you agree or not...

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What I love about this (and many Americanisms) is it does what it says on the tin... A "flashlight" *flashes light*. "Torch" should die out like "beshrew" and "forsooth" – unless we're talking literal fire on a stick, which is unlikely.

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Again, "sunblock" *blocks* the sun. Sure, I guess it is also a cream, but I think "sunblock" is just a better word.

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I don't know where "hundreds-and-thousands" comes from, but it's dumb. "Sprinkles" is much better and honestly, I think most of the UK feels the same way because we often tend to say "sprinkles" too.

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I think "sidewalk" is infinitely better because you use it to WALK beSIDE the road. "Pavement" is from Latin via French, and sure it works, but it's hardly descriptive of what it is in today's English-speaking world.

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This is jokes because in the US, a "rubber" is condom. "Rubber" is a cute word for when you're a kid asking to borrow your mate's stationery, but as an adult, I go for "eraser". It makes more sense and it avoids any confusion!

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It's a store where you get "drugs", not a store where you get "pharms" or "chems"! (I guess "chems" does mean drugs as well, but only to the gay/bi community).

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Both of these work, but I just think we need to get on the same page here... Cos we also have escalators, and that can be mighty confusing to some folk!

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There's a certain nostalgia to the word "flannel" for me, but truly, what does it mean??? "Washcloth" is clearly the superior name here, and it doesn't also make you think of a plaid shirt!

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"Braces" can also mean those used on your teeth, and "suspenders" – once again – just makes more sense. They *suspend* your trousers (or pants).

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This is a funny one because they are actually both brand names that have become synonymous with the thing itself. I think "Wite-Out" is more descriptive, and so it wins again. "Tipp-Ex" isn't bad though, at least it's not "Twink", as it's known in New Zealand... 🥴.

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I'm done with "bin". It's just a trash word, and "trash" is better. It is what it is.

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I am actually fond of the word "queue", but it is a nightmare to spell sometimes, and it doesn't really have much of a grounding in the English language anymore (being another French/Latin word). I'm not totally advocating a change to "line", but it makes more sense, right?

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Again, "vest" is a French word, and "undershirt" is just far more descriptive. I sound like a broken record at this point, but do I lie???

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I guess neither of these are perfect, but at least a "trunk" is denotative of a thing you store things in. Unlike "boot"?!?!

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I just can't with "nappy". Just WHY??? "Diaper" seems to have really gone round the houses in terms of etymology (Old French via Medieval Latin via Medieval Greek), but it is much a nicer word, IMO.

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"Toilet" is another borrowed word from the French, and though we've made it our own (in terms of pronunciation), I just LOVE saying "restroom". It paints a much more spa-like picture of the place than "TOY-LUT" does.

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It pacifies the child... gotta love the practicality of this one. Plus, "dummy" is just a ~dumb~ word that I can't say as an adult.

Truly it's a matter of preference, I guess, but there we are! What other words have I missed? Have you any other thoughts on this subject? Let me know in the comments below!