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Conversion Charts
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Weights and Measures | |
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Baking | |
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Clothing & Shoe Sizes | |
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Temperature | |
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British Terminology | |
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Time |
Weights and Measures
Weights
| 1 ounce | = | 28 grams or 2 tablespoons |
| 1 decilitre | = | 6-7 tablespoons, 3-4 ounces, or 1/4 cup (scant) |
| 1 cup | = | 1/2 pint, 1/4 litre, or 2 1/2 decilitres |
| 1 pound | = | 16 ounces or 450 grams |
| 1 kilo | = | 2.2 pounds |
| 1 hekto | = | 100 grams |
| 1 stone | = | 14 pounds |
Measures
| 1 centimetre | = | .3944 inch |
| 1 inch | = | 2.540 cm |
| 1 foot | = | 12 in or 30.480 cm |
| 1 yard | = | 36 in, 3 ft, or 91.440 cm |
| 1 meter | = | 39.37 in, 3.281 ft, 1.094 yds |
| 1 kilometre | = | .621 mile or 5/8 mile |
| 1 statute mile | = | 1609.344 meters, 1760 yds |
Baking
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Flour & Other Dry Ingredients | |
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Sugars | |
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Chocolate | |
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Cream | |
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Liquid Measures | |
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Dry Measures | |
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Cooking Temperatures |
Flour & Other Dry Ingredients
There are a number of different types of flour in Britain, so make sure you read the label carefully.
| Plain flour | Used for pastry flour or for thickening sauces, substitute for American all-purpose flour. |
| Superfine Plain flour | This light, white flour is used in British recipes for baking cakes |
| Self Raising flour | This flour requires no extra baking powder, as it is already included. |
| Strong flour | This flour has a high gluten content, and is used to make breads and puff pastry. |
| Malted Wheat flour | This flour has a distinctive texture and nutty flavor, and is brown in color. |
| Wholemeal flour | Wholemeal flour for baking and breads. |
| Baking Powder | Most American baking powder is double acting. When using an American recipe, double the amount to obtain the amount of English baking powder you should use. |
| Yeast | Dry yeast is purchased here in sachet packets. As an approximation, 2 1/2 U.S. tsp. of dry yeast is equal to 1 sachet, or 1/4 oz. of dry yeast. When substituting dry yeast in a recipe, use only half the amount called for. |
Sugars
| Granulated | The U.K. product is very coarse, and is generally used to sweeten tea, coffee, etc. Do not use for baking. |
| Caster sugar | This is an ideal product for baking, as it is finely granulated. Use also as super fine. |
| Demerara | Do not confuse this with brown sugar. It is a coarse brown crunchy sugar and is good over cereals or in tea and coffee. |
| Muscovade | Soft and dark sugar used in cooking. |
| Soft light or dark brown sugar | Either of these sugars is comparable to the U.S.-style brown sugar |
| Vanilla sugar | Flavoured sugar used in custards and puddings. |
| Icing sugar | Same as confectioner's sugar |
Chocolate
| Bitter | A dark bittersweet chocolate often used for covering candy. |
| Plain | Comparable to U.S. semi-sweet chocolate. |
| Bakers unsweetened chocolate | There is no equivalent to this in the U.K., although it can generally be found in Selfridges Food Hall and other American specialty shops. It is expensive. As a substitute, 3 1/2 Tbsp. of unsweetened cocoa plus 1 Tbsp. of butter or margarine is equal to 1 oz. square of chocolate. |
Cream
| Half cream | Use it like Half 'n Half (an American product) |
| Single cream | 18% butterfat and slightly thicker than half cream |
| Double cream | 48% butterfat, used to pour over fruits and desserts |
| Sour cream | 18% butterfat, similar to U.S. sour cream but thinner |
| Crème fraiche | Very good substitute for U.S. sour cream, as it is thicker than above. |
| Spooning cream | 30% butterfat, used to spoon over desserts. |
| Whipping cream | 40% butterfat, suitable for recipes that call for heavy or whipping cream. |
| Clotted cream | 55% butterfat, use instead of butter on scones |
Liquid Measures
| US | UK | |
| Teaspoon | 1/6 oz. | 5 ml. |
| Dessert spoon | 1/3 oz. | 10 ml. |
| Tablespoon | 1/2 oz. | 15 ml. |
| Cup | 8 oz./225 ml | 10 oz./290 ml. |
| Pint | 16 oz./470 ml | 20 oz./585 ml. |
Dry measures
| US | UK | Metric | |
| Flour | 1 cup | 5 oz. | 140 g |
| Sugar | 2 Tbsp. | 1 oz. | 25 g |
| 1 cup | 8 oz. | 225 g | |
| Brown sugar | 1 cup | 6 oz. | 170 g |
| Bread crumbs/nuts | 1 cup | 4 oz. | 115 g |
| Butter | 1 Tbsp. | 1 oz. | 25 g |
| 1 cup | 8 oz. | 225 g | |
| Yeast | 1 U.S. pkg. | 1/4 oz. | 7 g |
Cooking Temperatures
| C | F | Gas Mark |
| 110 | 224 | 1/4 |
| 125 | 250 | 1/2 |
| 140 | 275 | 1 |
| 150 | 300 | 2 |
| 165 | 325 | 3 |
| 180 | 350 | 4 |
| 190 | 375 | 5 |
| 200 | 400 | 6 |
| 220 | 425 | 7 |
| 230 | 450 | 8 |
| 240 | 475 | 9 |
Clothing & Shoe Sizes
Clothing and shoe sizes may be shown in U.S., U.K., or European sizing. You may also see children's clothing sizes in centimetres. Generally, the U.K. clothing size for women is two more than the U.S. size. For example, if you wear a size 8 in the U.S., you would probably wear a size 10 in the U.K.
You'll probably find that the washing instructions are mostly symbolic. You have to understand the symbols in order to know how to properly wash your clothes! You might want to ask at a laundry service for an explanation of the symbols.
Women's Clothing
| U.S. | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 |
| U.K. | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 |
| Europe | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 | 46 | 48 |
Women's Shoes
| U.S. | 5 ½ | 6 | 6 ½ | 7 | 7 ½ | 8 etc. |
| U.K. | 3 ½ | 4 | 4 ½ | 5 | 5 ½ | 6 etc. |
| Europe | 37 | 37 ½ | 38 | 38 ½ | 39 | 39 ½ |
Men's Clothing
| U.S. & U.K. | 36 | 38 | 40 | 42 | 44 |
| Europe | 46 | 48 | 50 | 52 | 54 |
| Metric (cm) | 91 | 97 | 102 | 107 | 112 |
Men's Shirts
| U.S. & U.K. | 14 ½ | 15 | 15 ½ | 16 | 16 ½ | 17 | 17 ½ |
| Metric (cm) | 37 | 38 | 39 ½ | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 |
Men's Sweaters
| U.S. | Small | Medium | Large | Extra large |
| Europe | 44 | 46-48 | 50 | 52-54 |
| U.K. | 34 | 36-38 | 40 | 42-44 |
Men's Shoes
| U.S. | 8 | 8 ½ | 9 | 9 ½ | 10 etc. |
| U.K. | 7 ½ | 8 | 8 ½ | 9 | 9 ½ etc. |
| Europe | 40-41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 etc. |
Children's Clothing
| U.S. | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 etc. |
| U.K. | 3-4 | 4-5 | 5-6 | 6-7 | 7-8 etc. |
Temperature
Temperature is typically reported in Celcius or Centigrade, not Fahrenheit. To get a rough idea of the temperature in Fahrenheit, double the Celcius/Centigrade temperature and add 30.
Fahrenheit to Centigrade: subtract 32, multiply by 5, divide by 9.
Centigrade to Fahrenheit: multiply by 9, divide by 5, add 32.
| Fahrenheit | Centigrade |
| 0°F | -17°C |
| 10°F | -12°C |
| 25°F | -4°C |
| 32°F (freezing) | 0°C |
| 40°F | 5°C |
| 50°F | 10°C |
| 60°F | 15°C |
| 70°F | 21°C |
| 80°F | 26°C |
| 90°F | 32°C |
| 98.6°F (body temp.) | 37°C |
| 100°F | 38°C |
| 150°F | 65°C |
| 200°F | 93°C |
| 212°F (boiling) | 100°C |
British Terminology
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Food | |
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School | |
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Travel | |
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Houses | |
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Politics | |
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Entertainment | |
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Religion | |
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Clothing | |
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Miscellaneous | |
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Spelling Differences | |
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Pronunciation |
Food
Aubergine = Eggplant
Bangers = Sausages
Biscuits = Cookies
Chips = French Fries
Chippy = Fish & chip shop
Corn = Wheat/barley
Courgette = Zucchini (small)
Crackling = Pork rinds
Crisps = Potato chips
Doner (kebabs) = Gyro
Lemonade = Any 7-Up type of soda
Maize = Corn
Marrow = Zucchini (large)
Minerals = Soda (use brand names instead)
Mousse = A specific sort of pudding
Muffin = Muffin/cupcake
Pinta = A pint of milk
Pudding = Dessert
Swede = Rutabaga, treat as a potato
Beer does not usually mean lager, but ale, bitter, porter, and the like. The term tea can mean an afternoon snack at 4PM or a light evening meal. A cream tea is a treat of tea and scones with clotted cream and jam. The Devon area is well known for its clotted cream.
School
Biro = Ball-point pen
Infants = Grades K - 2
Maths = Math
Middle = Grades 3 - 6
Nursery = Pre-school
Primary = Grades K - 6
Rubber = Eraser
Secondary = Grades 7 - 12
College = Roughly similar to a junior college
Comprehensive = Average state-run high school
Grammar school = Prep school
Grant Maintained = State school financially independent from the LEA
L.E.A. = Local Education Authority
Oxbridge = Refers to Oxford and/or Cambridge
Public school = An exclusive private school
O-levels refers to an obsolete set of tests. They were replaced by GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) tests given by the state. Most students take between 8 and 11 subject tests.
A-levels are much more advanced than O-levels or GCSEs. Most students take three to five. A student must pass at least three in order to enter university.
Travel
'A' road = Arterial road between towns (e.g. the A1, a.k.a. the Great
North road)
'B' road = Secondary roads between towns, sometimes in very poor conditions
Bonnet = Car hood
Boot = Car trunk
Bureau de Change = Foreign Exchange
Coach = A bus like a greyhound
Dual-carriageway = Divided highway (usually an 'A' road)
Juggernaut = Large semi-articulated truck
Lorry = Truck
Manual transmission = Stick shift
Motorway = Highway (e.g. the M25, which goes in a circle around London)
Railway = Railroad
Return = Round-trip (e.g. "return ticket")
Silencer = Muffler
Single = One way ticket
Tram = Streetcar
Underground/Tube = Subway
Windscreen = Windshield
Houses
2-up/2-down = A 2-story house with 2 rooms on each floor
Council flat/house = Like CHA housing
Detached house = A free-standing house
Ensuite = A toilet or bathroom adjoining a bedroom
First floor = Second floor
Flat = Apartment
Ground floor = First floor
Lift = Elevator
Semi-detached = 2-4 houses built as one big one
Settee = Sofa/couch
Terraced house = Townhouse
WC/Loo = Toilet
The word bathroom is never used to mean "toilet". A bathroom always has a bathtub in it.
Politics
Conservatives (Tories) = The party led by William Hague (Right)
Labour = The main opposition party led by Tony Blair (Left)
Liberal Democrats (LibDems) = Small middle-of-the-road party
SNP (Scottish Nationalist Party) = in Scotland
Plaid Cymru (pronounced "Pliyd Kumree") = Welsh Nationalist
Party
(Ulster) Unionists = Want Northern Ireland to stay in the U.K.
Nationalists = Want a reunited Ireland
E.U. = European Union, commission is in Brussels and the parliament is
in Strasbourg. Is also known as the EC, EEC, & Common Market
Brussels = Often used by the media to mean EU
The City = London's financial district (within the confines of the old
Roman city)
Entertainment
Bangra = A type of Pakistani rap/hip-hop
Bank Holiday = State holiday (e.g. Dec. 26)
BBC Radio 1 = Pop music
BBC Radio 2 = Pop from 50's to 80's
BBC Radio 3 = Classical
BBC Radio 4 = Current events, mainly talk and discussions
BBC Radio 5 = Talk and sports
Cinema = Movie theater
Disco = Nightclub
Film = Movie
Football = Soccer
Holiday = Vacation
Panto(mime) = A children's farcical play
Ragga = Hip-hop Reggae
Rave = a (sometimes illegal) dance
Sport = Sports
Telly = Television
Wireless = Radio
Religion
Curate = Associate pastor
C of E = Church of England
Vicar = Anglican pastor, also used to mean any cleric
PP (parish priest) = Pastor
Evensong = Anglican sung evening prayer
Lauds/Vespers = Anglican or Catholic morning/evening prayer (from the
Breviary)
Clothing
Braces = Suspenders
Jumper = Sweater
Pants = Underpants
Suspenders = Garter/garter belt
Trainers = Gym shoes
Trousers = Slacks/pants (not jeans)
Vest = Sleeveless undershirt
Wellies = Wellington boots
Miscellaneous
A short = A shot (of liquor)
Call = Visit (not a phone call)
Car boot sale = A type of flea market
Chemist = Drugstore/pharmacy
Cockney = One from the east end of London, also a rhyming slang (e.g.
"dog and bone" = phone)
CV (Curriculum Vitae) = Resume
Fags = Cigarettes
Ironmongers = Hardware store
Kilo = 2.2 lbs.
Naught = Zero/nothing
Newsagents = A local shop selling newspapers, magazines, etc.
Nil = Zero
Off-License = Liquor store
Ring/phone (verb) = To call someone on the telephone
Shopping trolley = Shopping cart
Short back & sides = A type of haircut
Solicitor = Lawyer
Stone = 14 lbs. (I weigh 10 st. 4 lb. = I weigh 144 lbs.)
Queue = Stand in line
Spelling Differences
Examples: centre, theatre, tyre, colour, honour, defence, grey
Pronunciation
Advertisement - adVERTtizment
Controversy - konTRAHvehsee
Library - LIEbree
Medicine - MEDsin
Restaurant - resTAHrawn
Secretary - SEKrahtree
Student - STYUdent
Tissue - TISSyu
Tuesday - CHOOSday
Waitrose - WAYtrose
Queue - Q
Places
Bicester - BISter
Derby - DARbee
Greenwich - GRENich
Glasgo - GLAZgo
Liecester - LESter
-shire - Sheer
Worcester - WUSter
Some rare examples:
Cholmondeley - CHUMlee
Featherstonegagh - FanSHAW
Time
In the UK, time is generally reported in the Military format. This means that times after 12:00 Noon continue with 13:00, 14:00, and so on. To quickly convert to a 12-hour clock, simply subtract 12 from whatever the time is, when it is after Noon. Alternatively, you can drop the one and subtract two.
