List of British Words Not Widely Used in The United States - R

R

randy

(informal) having sexual desire, lustful, horny (now more common in the US because of the Austin Powers franchise)

ranker

an enlisted soldier or airman or (more rarely) a commissioned officer who has been promoted from enlisted status ("the ranks" * )

rashers *

cuts of bacon

rat-arsed

(slang) extremely drunk

recce

(informal) reconnoître, reconnaissance (pronounced recky) (US: recon)

recorded delivery

certified mail

reel of cotton

in the US is spool of thread

Register Office, Registry Office

official office where births, marriages and deaths are recorded; usu. refers to local Register Office (in each town or locality). General Register Office is the relevant government department. In England and Wales until 2001, almost all civil (non-church) marriages took place in the local Register Office; different laws apply in Scotland and N. Ireland. "Register Office" is the correct legal term, but "registry office" is in common informal use. (US: Office of Vital Statistics)

Return

A ticket that is valid for travel to a destination and back. A round trip ticket.

Right of way

path (usually an old one) upon which one has the right to travel regardless of land ownership. (Americans are likely to misunderstand the phrase to mean correct way although right-of-way is in use in the US.)

road-works

upgrade or repairs of roads (US: construction; roadwork )

rock

hard candy in cylindrical form often sold at holiday locations and made so that the location's name appears on the end even when broken. (US: no exact equivalent, but similar to a candy cane)

rodgering

(vulgar) to engage in a sexual act, or suggest it. e.g.: "I'd give her a good rodgering!"

ropey

(informal) chancy; of poor quality; uncertain (see dodgy). Can also mean unwell when used in the form to feel ropey

row *

a fight or argument (rhymes with cow)

reverse charge call

a telephone call for which the recipient pays (US and UK also: collect call); also v. to reverse charge *, to make such a call (dated in US, used in the 1934 American film It Happened One Night – US usually: to call collect)

rota

a roll call or roster of names, or round or rotation of duties

roundabout

a circular multi-exit road junction. (US: rotary junction; traffic circle)

(the) rozzers

1.(rare slang) Police ("Quick, the rozzers! Scarper!") – possibly from Robert Peel, who also gave his name to two other slang terms for the police: peelers (archaic) and bobbies (becoming old-fashioned).

rubber

a pencil eraser (US: eraser. The word eraser is additionally used in the US to refer to a blackboard eraser. "Rubber" in the US is a slang term for a condom.)

rubbish

worthless, unwanted material that is rejected or thrown out; debris; litter (US: trash, garbage)

rucksack *

a backpack.

rug muncher

a lesbian. also carpet muncher.

rumpy pumpy

sexual intercourse, used jokingly. (Popularised by its usage in The Black Adder and subsequent series; the suggestion of actor Alex Norton of a Scots term.)