Bangers—in the United Kingdom. To Americans, just sausages on the grill, from Chef Bruce Aidell.
November 2005
Updated January 2007
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Lost In Translation
You Say Bangers, And I Say Sausage...
A Tongue-in-Cheek Warning About Buying “Exotic British Specialty Foods”
Winston Churchill called the United Kingdom and the United States, “two countries separated by a common language”—and he wasn’t even looking at this grocery list! But pity the poor Americans who pick up some enticingly labeled double cream, Demerera sugar and courgettes, only to find on they’ve brought home nothing more than good old American heavy cream, light brown sugar and zucchini.
Since many specialty food stores stock British imports, we don’t want you to think that you’ve stumbled on a cache of new and exotic foods; or that a romantic experience awaits when you finally lay your hands on something you’ve heard people singing about in Gilbert & Sullivan, like treacle (molasses). On the other hand, it might sound like a dish of collops and capsicum is akin to poison mushrooms—when it’s only meatballs and bell peppers.
Here are some foods common to both nations, found in translation.
In The U.K. |
In The U.S. |
| 1. Aubergine |
1. Eggplant |
| 2. Bangers |
2. Sausage |
| 3. Bap |
3. Bun, roll |
| 4. Beetroot |
4. Beet |
| 5. Bicarbonate of soda |
5. Baking soda |
| 6. Bilberry |
6. Blueberry |
| 7. Biscuit mixture |
7. Cookie dough |
| 8. Biscuits |
8. Crackers, cookies |
| 9. Black cherries |
9. Bing cherries |
| 10. Black pudding |
10. Blood sausage |
11. Blancmange |
11. Vanilla pudding |
12. Boiling chicken |
12. Stewing chicken |
13. Broad Beans |
13. Fava beans |
| 14. Cake mixture |
14. Cake batter |
| 15. Candy floss |
15. Cotton candy |
| 16. Capsicum |
16. Bell peppers |
| 17. Caster sugar |
17. Superfine granulated sugar |
| 18. Chicken cube, beef cube |
18. Bouillon cube |
| 19. Chicory |
19. Belgian endive |
| 20. Chili |
20. Chili pepper |
| 21. Chips |
21. French fries |
| 22 Claret |
22. Bordeaux |
| 23. Cling film |
23. Plastic wrap |
| 24. Cocoa powder |
24. Unsweetened cocoa |
| 25. Collops |
25. Meatballs |
| 26. Cornish pasty |
26. Meat turnover |
| 27. Corn flour |
27. Corn starch |
| 28. Courgettes |
28. Small zucchini |
| 29. Crisps |
29. Potato chips |
| 30. Crystallised fruits |
30. Candied fruits |
| 31. Curly endive |
31. Chicory |
| 32. Demerera sugar |
32. Light brown sugar |
| 33. Digestive biscuit |
33. Graham cracker |
| 34. Double cream |
34. Heavy cream |
| 35. Dripping |
35. Fat from roasted meat |
| 36. Essence |
36. Extract |
| 37. Flan |
37. Open top pie |
| 38. Fresh vegetables |
38. Raw vegetables |
| 39. Forcemeat |
39. Stuffing mixture |
| 40. French bean |
40. Green bean |
| 41. Gammon |
41. Ham |
| 42. Golden syrup |
42. Light corn syrup |
| 43. Ground nut oil |
43. Peanut oil |
| 44. Haricot beans |
44. Navy beans |
| 45. Icing |
45. Frosting |
| 46. Icing sugar |
46. Powdered sugar, confectioners sugar |
| 47. Jelly |
47. Jell-O®, gelatin |
| 48. Joint |
48. Beef roast,roast beef |
| 49. Lean bacon |
49. Canadian bacon |
50. Mange tout or mange-tout*
*possibly because the whole pod is eaten |
50. Snow pea/sugar pea/snap pea (Pisum sativum) |
| 51. Marrow |
51. Squash, gourd, zucchini |
| 52. Minced meat |
52. Ground beef, hamburger |
| 53. “Neat” drink |
53. “Straight up” drink |
| 54. Off-license |
54. Liquor store |
| 55. Offal |
55. Variety meats, organ meats (liver, heart, kidney) |
| 56. Oxford sauce |
56. Cumberland sauce |
| 57. Pickled cucumber |
57. Dill pickle |
| 58. Pie |
58. Meat pie or fruit pie |
| 59. Pig’s trotter |
59. Pig’s foot |
| 60. Pine kernels |
60. Pine nuts |
| 61. Pips |
61. Seeds |
| 62. Plain chocolate |
62. Semi-sweet chocolate |
| 63. Plain flour |
63. All-purpose flour |
| 64. Pluck (n.) |
64. Heart, liver and lungs |
| 65. Porridge |
65. Oatmeal |
| 66. Prawn shrimp |
66. Shrimp |
| 67. Pudding |
67. Dessert |
| 68. Raising agent |
68. Leavening agent |
| 69. Rocket |
69. Arugula |
| 70. Root ginger |
70. Ginger root |
| 71. Rusks |
71. Unsweetened zwieback |
| 72. Sack |
72. Sweet sherry |
| 73. Scone |
73. Baking powder biscuit |
| 74. Semolina |
74. Cream of wheat |
| 75. Shandy |
75. Beer with lemonade |
| 76. Sherbet fruit |
76. Fruit candies covered with powdered sugar |
| 77. Silverside |
77. Beef cut from the rump |
| 78. Single cream |
78. Half and half |
| 79. Soft brown sugar |
79. Light brown sugar |
| 80. Soured cream |
80. Cultured sour cream |
| 81. Spring onion |
81. Scallion, green onion |
| 82. Stoned |
82. Seeded |
| 83. Sultanas |
83. Seedless white raisins, golden raisins |
| 84. Sweetshop |
84. Candy store |
| 85. Swede |
85. Rutabaga, turnip |
| 86. Tinned |
86. Canned |
| 87. Treacle |
87. Molasses |
| 88. Tunny |
88. Tuna |
| 89. Water biscuits |
89. Crackers ,matzos |
| 90. Wholemeal |
90. Whole wheat, graham |
If you’d like to suggest words for the list, click here.
 Perhaps the Brits are correct: aubergine sounds so much more exciting and elegant than eggplant. Photo courtesy of www.5aday.gov. |
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