The British describe many articles of clothing differently from Americans. While Americans use the word "pants" to describe jeans, khakis and slacks, pants refers to underwear in Britain. Likewise, the British word "nappy" refers to a baby's underwear or diaper. In Britain, a vest is an undershirt, while a waistcoat is a vest. A "zip" is the British word for a zipper, while a "bonnet" describes a hood.
British speakers use various terms to describe people and their professions. They refer to lawyers and attorneys as "barristers" and "solicitors." They call a Realtor an "estate agent," and call Girls Scouts "Girl Guides." A postman describes an American mail carrier, while a "dustman" is the British word for a garbage collector.
The same foods often have different words in British and American English. In Britain, chips are French fries while crisps are potato chips. A "biscuit" is the British word for a cookie while "sweets" is the British word for candy. The British rarely use the word "candy" and describe candy bars as "chocolate bars."
Americans who are touring Britain spend time learning the British terms for places, such as stores, buildings and transportation stations "Shops" are stores, and a "chemist's shop" is a pharmacy. They refer to the movies as the cinemas. The British have their own terms for their country's transportation stations. For instance, they refer to subways as "tubes" and "undergrounds," and they call high ways "main roads." On the road, the British refer to intersections as "crossroads" and to overpasses as "flyovers."