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Here are many links to help you in your quest to be the best faux Brit you possibly can.
http://www.redrosepress.co.uk/britain.htm
http://www.effingpot.com/
http://www.english2american.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_English_words_not_used_in_British_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_British_English_words_not_used_in_American_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_words_having_different_meanings_in_British_and_American_English
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Britishism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_differences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK-US_Heterologues_A-Z
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_spelling_differences
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_and_British_English_pronunciation_differences
-SPELLING-
#1. Add a U. Flavour. Colour. Honour. Favourite. Behaviour.
#2. Switch Z's for S's. Realise. Criticise. Analyse. Memorise. Memorise. Emphasise. Fantasise.
#3. Switch S's for C's. DEFENCE. I cannot stress this one enough. You take DEFENCE Against the Dark Arts. Offence. Pretence.
#3.33. Of course, it is still defensive, and not defencive.
#3.66 When you turn seventeen and go to get your Apparition Licence remember the following - British usage is license for the verb and licence for the noun.
#3.84. Practise. Practice is the noun and practise is the verb. You go outside to the pitch to PRACTISE Quidditch, but if you get detention, you will be late to PRACTICE. And yes, it's practising.
#3.98. FOR DIVINATION TYPES. The noun is prophecy, the verb is prophesy.
#5. Forget the period. Dr No, St Mungo's, Mr Blair, Mrs Thatcher. Specifically remember Mr and Mrs - remember this when speaking to the parents.
#6. Add and extra L. Travelling. Jewellery. Modelling. Counselling. Quarelling.
#6.5. Remove the extra L. Yes, I know we've just added one, but for some words we remove them. Look, they started the bloody language, they can do whatever they wish with their L's, all right? Enrol. Fulfil. Instil. Skilful.
#7. Switch your -er. Metre. Centre. Theatre.
#8. -og becomes -ogue. Dialogue. Catalogue. Pedagogue.
#9. Add a vowel. Paedophilia. Manoeuvre. Gynaecology. Gonorrhoea.
#10. Keep your -ge. Judgement. Arguement. Acknowledgement.
#11. -mme. Programme. Unless it's a computer program. Then it's a program.
#12. -t for -ed. Some past tense changes. Leapt. Learnt. Spelt. Dreamt.
Additionally. You wear PYJAMAS to bed. The window has a horrible DRAUGHT that's given you a cold and you had to go TO HOSPITAL. And you pay your bills with a CHEQUE.
There are also a million and one other oddities, but these are your MOST important. ESPECIALLY THE FIRST THREE. I cannot EMPHASISE this enough.
-GRAMMAR-
Sounding British isn't just about spelling words properly and tossing in some slang. Once you've gotten all that down, try fiddling around with your sentence formation and grammar. Eventually you'll begin to think Britishy. Don't be alarmed! It's actually rather nice.
1. got and gotten: The past participle of get occurs in British English as got, but in American English as gotten. Never put gotten in a sentence.
2. In American English, you can write the simple past tense with just, already and yet, whereas British English requires the use of the present perfect tense.
◦ e.g. Did you see him yet? (American)
◦ Have you seen him yet? (British)
◦ He just went out. (American)
◦ He has just gone out. (British)
◦ Did you buy it already? (American)
◦ Have you bought it already? (British)
3. Adverbs. American English tends to drop the -ly of an adverb, thus turning it into the same form as an adjective. British English adverbs are preferable in written English as the American version tends to be less formal.
◦ He ate the ice cream real quick. (American)
◦ He ate the ice cream really quickly. (British)
◦ The line tended to move slow and sluggish. (American)
◦ The queue tended to move slowly and sluggishly. (British)
4. Preposition differences. American English likes to put in prepositions where British English prefers to leave them out.
◦ Clinton met with the queen. (American)
◦ Clinton met the queen. (British)
5. American English tends to create plurals from what British English considers uncountable nouns.
◦ They discussed the new technologies. (American)
◦ They discussed the new technology. (British)
6. American English tends to use the third-person singular of 'to be', whereas British English uses the second-person.
◦ The Weird Sisters is my favorite band. (American)
◦ The Weird Sisters are my favourite band. (British)
PUNCTUATION
1. Put the periods, commas, etc., outside of quotation marks (inverted commas in British English).
2. Double inverted commas are only for quoting speech. Single inverted commas are for other usage, such as 'irony'.
3. Did I mention it's a full stop, not a period?
4. Did I mention you never put full stops after Mr, Mrs, St, Dr, etc.?
5. This / is a stroke, not a slash. As in Man Stroke Woman.
-COMMON DIFFERENCES-
Cookies are BISCUITS.
Sweaters are JUMPERS.
You do not graduate, but rather LEAVE SCHOOL. There is not a big ceremony. It's sort of anticlimactic and it's just over.
Backpack is RUCKSACK.
Mad is CROSS or HACKED OFF or ANGRY.
Crazy is MAD.
Drunk is PISSED (or DRUNK).
Interesting side note: Whilst angry, you can be PISSED OFF or MAD AT someone, but you can't be PISSED or MAD because then you're just drunk and crazy.
Semester is TERM. There is a WINTER TERM which ends at Christmas holidays, a SPRING TERM which ends at Easter hols and then SUMMER TERM, after which you have summer holiday. Feel free to make a Cliff Richard joke. There is no fall or autumn term.
teneagles tells a different story. "The terms are Michaelmas (Sept-Dec), Lent (Jan-March), and Summer (April-July). Michaelmas and Lent are called Autumn term and Spring term in the state schools." I will leave it up to the discretion of the writer, as I've got two conflicting reports from Brits.
Fall is AUTUMN.
Grades are MARKS.
Studying is HOMEWORK or REVISION.
Faculty is STAFF.
Vacation is HOLIDAY.
Sidewalk is PAVEMENT.
Candy is SWEETS or specifically CHOCOLATE.
Something is CRAP, not crappy.
You are REALLY tired, not real tired.
College is UNIVERSITY.
Ass is ARSE. Unless you are talking about a donkey.
Bangs is FRINGE.
Jerks are usually WANKERS or BASTARDS.
An attractive boy or girl is not cute, they are FIT. This is not meant in an athletic context! Someone who sits around in the pub and smokes a bunch of cigarettes and couldn't run a mile if they tried can still be fit. They can also be GORGEOUS or a STUNNER.
Things are generally not good, they are NICE. As in, the pasta at dinner was NICE. One would not say, "I'm good," but rather "I'm okay," or "I'm all right."
Pills are TABLETS.
Things are not dumb, they are STUPID.
You HAVE A SHOWER, you don't take a shower. Same goes for baths.
Couches more commonly SETTEES or SOFAS and they go in your FRONT ROOM.
Dessert is PUDDING or more commonly AFTERS.
Chips are CRISPS and french fries are CHIPS. (Unless they are curly, and then they are curly fries.)
Jell-O is JELLY.
Jelly is JAM, but some people have MARMALADE on their toast.
7-Up/Sprite/lemonish soda is LEMONADE.
Lemonade is SQUASH.
You go TO HOSPITAL or are IN HOSPITAL, not *the* hospital.
It is CASUALTY, not the emergency room.
Locker room is CHANGING ROOM.
Mail is the POST.
Movies are FILMS and the movie theatre is the CINEMA.
If it's cloth, it is a NAPKIN. If it's paper, it's a SERVIETTE.
Oatmeal is PORRIDGE.
Pants are TROUSERS.
Underwear are PANTS, KNICKERS if you're a girl or Y-FRONTS if you are a boy who wears briefs. Boxers are still boxers, though they can be referred to as pants.
Tank tops are VESTS.
Vests are WAISTCOATS.
Barrettes are HAIR SLIDES.
A period at the end of a sentence is a FULL STOP. As in, if you do not read the whole of this post and commit it to memory I will lose my mind, full stop.
Popsicles are ICE LOLLIES and lollipops are LOLLIES.
Private school is PUBLIC SCHOOL.
Public school is PRIVATE SCHOOL. Yes, that is sort of confusing! Just switch them!
To explain a bit more, but to keep it simple, public schools are prestigious schools and they charge fees. Think Eton. Private schools are schools that charge fees, but don't think Eton. State schools (comprehensives/comps) are like public schools in the States. I believe that Hogwarts would be considered a top public school.
There is also a comprehensive explanation at this link.
A resume is a CURRICULUM VITAE or a CV.
Classes are LESSONS.
Robe is a DRESSING GOWN.
Sneakers or tennis shoes are usually TRAINERS.
A mug is often a BEAKER.
Scotch tape is SELLOTAPE. Please take this moment to have a laugh about Spellotape.
If you tape something up somewhere it is STUCK.
Sherbet is SORBET.
Fizzy powder candy is SHERBERT.
Dumb is THICK or STUPID.
Shrimps are PRAWNS when one is talking about eating them.
A ski mask is a BALACLAVA.
A parka is an ANORAK. (Specifically a thin, waterproof type one with a hood.) An ANORAK is also a nerd.
Soda/pop/coke are SOFT DRINKS or FIZZY DRINKS.
Store is SHOP.
Stove is OVEN or COOKER. If it's on the top its ON THE HOB or if inside IN THE OVEN.
Suspenders are BRACES.
Garters are SUSPENDERS.
Bathroom is TOILET, LOO, BOG or LADIES/GENTS. See below.
Cellphone is MOBILE.
Commercials are ADVERTS.
Thread is COTTON.
Tic-tac-toe is NOUGHTS AND CROSSES.
Trash is RUBBISH.
Trash can is DUSTBIN, RUBBISH BIN or BIN. You bin something or put it in the rubbish or chuck it.
Trucks are LORRIES.
On a car the trunk is the BOOT and the hood is the BONNET.
Wrenches are SPANNERS. A SPANNER is also a moron.
Instead of hi you can often say ALL RIGHT.
All of you or you all is YOU LOT.
In general you GO OUT with someone rather than date them. It is still a blind date though.
Wheat bread is BROWN BREAD.
You do not write someone, you WRITE TO someone.
Your Mom is your MUM.
It is not a show, it is a CONCERT or more commonly a GIG.
You do not stand in a line, you QUEUE. The verb for standing in a line is QUEUEING.
It is OI not oy, unless you are Jewish and are whinging about something.
- SLANG -
Things you can say instead of BLOODY: SODDING, FRIGGING, BLEEDING, FLAMING, FLIPPING, BASTARD, BLIMMING
Regarding slang: There are many, many UK<->US slang dictionaries on the web. They're extremely handy things, but when using slang please be aware of who you are, what you're saying and the context you're saying it in. It's very easy to use a slang word improperly. When in doubt? Don't.
That said, here is one of the better slang dictionaries. http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang
-FAUX PAS-
FANNY does not mean butt in the UK. It is a mildly vulgar word for the female gentalia. Your posterior is your BUM.
Saying you're going to the TOILET is not rude. If it makes you uncomfortable, you can alternatively use the LOO or THE LADIES/GENTS if you're talking about a public facility. You don't go to the bathroom unless you're having a bath.
AGE OF CONSENT. The age of consent for homosexuals was not lowered to sixteen until 2001. Sorry kids. And even then, it's still illegal for someone to engage in a sexual relationship with someone between 16-18 if they are in a position of authority, i.e. a guardian or a teacher. Not that any of you HP/SS shippers really care for the legality of things, eh? I know I don't.
It is not a big deal to turn sixteen in the UK. In the Wizarding world you are of age when you are seventeen, but there is no canon evidence that that's really an exciting thing either. No sweet sixteen celebrations, please.
-IN CLOSING-
Please remember it is 1991. Research your pop culture references so you're not anachronistic. Google is your best friend. If you're a Mudblood Muggleborn and want to discuss pop music, check out http://www.everyhit.com - an archive of the British music charts from the past 50 years - try searching for Cliff Richard.
Watching British television or movies can be a huge help to get you into the proper state of mind. Or listen to the BBC. Radio 4 is talk.
http://www.bbc.co.uk
Netflix has a ton of British telly on DVD.
The American DVD of Quadrophenia has an addition subtitle track with interesting (and sometimes very strange) trivia bits in. Also Phil Daniels was really fit.
Also, if you have good cable you may have BBC America, which has lots of lovely programmes you can watch. And if you like sport then take a look at FoxSportsWorld. Finally, your local public television station probably shows older British programmes so check your schedules.
When you've finished a post (or fic) read it to yourself in a generic British accent (if you can't do an accent, at least try it mentally) to see if it sounds right. You'll find that your errors will sound really obvious. Very handy! If you can't do that, find a nice British person (or me - though I am neither nice nor British) to read through it for you.
Thank you.