British English vs American English

[eiriksmil]

Hello all,

First of all, I just want to say I know that there have been some threads about this, one very recently, about versions of English. However, I could not see a direct link between British English and American English.

"Why are you doing this?"
Many of you must now be sitting on your chairs, thinking "What's up dood", or something in that manner. However, being a Norwegian I am easily confused and even more on these particular forums; it is okay when a forum consists only of Brits or Americans, but here it is very split between Europeans and Americans.
It must be other people than me being confused over this too? Allright, I do not personally have problems keeping up with what is being said/written at these forums, but I have talked to several Americans that did not have a clue what a neighbourhood had to do with a car.


"Can't we just go on like we've always done?"
Of course you can, "nobody's putting a gun to your head". However, history has shown that it is when we combine our best sides and learn from each other things go well. Look at USA, you will not find a country with more different ethnic groups, learning from each other.
What I am trying to say is that the users of American English should learn from users of British English and vice versa, so we can understand each other better. If you know someone is from England, speak like he would have done.


All the words in the first group (car related words) are collected from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, while the words from the second group is collected from an English - Norwegian wordlist by Willy Kirkeby (there is a chapter with grammar there, for those who wondered why I would use a Norwegian dictionary for English).



British English (BrE) = American English (NAmE)


Boot = Trunk

Tyre = Tire

Number plate = License Plate

Bonnet = Hood

Saloon = Sedan

Estate Car (often referred to as Estate) = Station Wagon (Wagon)

People Carrier = Minivan

Indicator = Turn Signal

Wing = Fender

Aerial = Antenna

Windscreen = Windshield

Windscreen Wiper = Windshield Wiper

Milometer = Odometer

Wing Mirror = Side-view Mirror

Gear Lever = Gear Shift (often referred to as "gear stick" on forums)

Handbrake = Emergency Brake (often referred to as "e-brake" on forums)

Give Way = Yield

Car Park = Parking Lot

Lorry = Truck



Colour = Color

Labour = Labor

Favour = Favor

Honour = Honor

Marvellous = Marvelous

Traveller = Traveler

Centre = Center

Metre = Meter

Theatre = Theater

Defence = Defense

Licence = License

Catalogue = Catalog

Cheque = Check

Programme = Program

Aluminium = Aluminum



I made this thread so it could be a quick look-up if you are speaking to someone trans-Atlantic, wheter you are European or American.
If you know some other words that means different things, or are different from BrE to NAmE, post them up! 👍


Eirik

 

[Sage]

AFAIK, everybody in America also says “sports car” – I’ve almost never heard it without the “s”.

And does anybody else start giggling whenever they read “lorry”? I dunno why, but that’s such a funny word. I think I’d really lose it if I heard it spoken.

 

[socomplayer2]

Sports car = Sport Car


Eirik

I think there called sports cars in America too. I and everyone I know call them that too

 

[Dave A]

And does anybody else start giggling whenever they read “lorry”? I dunno why, but that’s such a funny word. I think I’d really lose it if I heard it spoken.

No, not really . I see many a lorry on my way to work each day. I remember in school one of the teachers tried to get us to say red lorry yellow lorry repeatedly and as fast as we could, everyone would end up saying red lolly yellow lolly instead.

 

[Scaff]

AFAIK, everybody in America also says “sports car” – I’ve almost never heard it without the “s”.

And does anybody else start giggling whenever they read “lorry”? I dunno why, but that’s such a funny word. I think I’d really lose it if I heard it spoken.

In which case this is just for you Sage

An indie band from the '80s

Regards

Scaff

 

[Race Idiot]

And does anybody else start giggling whenever they read “lorry”? I dunno why, but that’s such a funny word. I think I’d really lose it if I heard it spoken.

No not really, when I read the word lorry i'm all like this

up in this thread.

I remember a while ago I was confused about Brake rotors, I didn't know that brake rotor = brake disk and I used to think that the rotor was some other part of the braking system for some reason. Also I think americans say timing belt insted of cambelt. Also for some reason the British term for fender is Wing, which I think is pretty retarded, I mean we don't call it a wing bender when we have an accident do we. I end up adopting allot of the american car terms for some reason and tend to confuse the hell out of other people sometimes. I never use the term trunk though, but I do use the term frunk because the phrase 'front boot' sounds realy stupid.

 

[fyfee]

Australian English uses a bit of both. Geez, we are a lazy country, borrowing words from everyone like we do

Boot

Tyre = Tire umm...I say Tire

Number plate

Bonnet

Sedan

Station Wagon (Wagon)

People Carrier = Minivan (We say People Mover, well, I do)

Indicator or Blinker

Wing = Fender (Spoiler)

Aerial

Windscreen

Windscreen Wiper

Odometer

Side Mirror

Gear Lever = Gear Shift (Gear Stick)

Handbrake

Give Way

Car Park

Truck

It can be confusing sometimes, because sometimes when a Fender is talked about, it can refer to 'Quarter Panels'

Colour = Color

Labour = Labor

Favour = Favor

Honour = Honor

Marvellous = Marvelous

Traveller = Traveler

Centre = Center

Metre = Meter

Theatre = Theater

Defence = Defense

Licence = License

Catalogue = Catalog

Cheque = Check

Programme = Program

Aluminium = Aluminum


British Spelling all the way though!

 

[Danoff]

We just had a very detailed discussion of the difference between a purse, and handbag.

UK/US

Purse/Change Purse
Handbag/Purse

...just in case you were wondering about that.

Lou/Bathroom
Crumpet/?? We don't eat those

 

[Race Idiot]

Lou/Bathroom
Crumpet/?? We don't eat those

Actually it's loo, but most people say toilet or bathroom.

Also crumpets are disgusting.

 

[fyfee]

We just had a very detailed discussion of the difference between a purse, and handbag.

UK/US

Purse/Change Purse
Handbag/Purse

Purse - A womans wallet, carries money, cards, pictures of loved ones and all that stuff.

Handbag - The thing she carries her purse, and the rest of a womans junk in i.e lipstick and so on...

 

[Omnis]

Look at USA, you will not find a country with more different ethnic groups, learning from each other.

You'll also not find a country with more different cases of ethnocentric ignorance.

If you know someone is from England, speak like he would have done.

Why? If we're supposed to understand eachother, why can't we just use our own terminology? People ask questions when they have a problem; no harm in that. I wouldn't have learned so much british terminology if the UK'ers didn't contribute their native tongue by opting to write "American."


👍

 

[Jay]

Australian English uses a bit of both. Geez, we are a lazy country, borrowing words from everyone like we do



Wing = Fender (Spoiler)

Spoiler? We call the Fender/Wing a 'mud guard' (or just guard) in Australia, you're not confusing with a aerodynamic wing/spoiler are you?

 

[fyfee]

Spoiler? We call the Fender/Wing a 'mud guard' (or just guard) in Australia, you're not confusing with a aerodynamic wing/spoiler are you?

Yes. Ive always thought that they mean Spoiler when they refer to Fender/Wing I never thought people on here would talk about Mud Guards?

 

[Famine]

We just had a very detailed discussion of the difference between a purse, and handbag.

UK/US

Purse/Change Purse
Handbag/Purse

...just in case you were wondering about that.

Lou/Bathroom
Crumpet/?? We don't eat those

And this is where English dialects come into their own...

Loo = Toilet, Bog, Dunny, W.C., John, Khazi, Throne (amongst the more "polite" ones)
Crumpet = Pikelet or possibly Bun.

And I won't touch Blueberry with a ten foot pole.

 

[daan]

And I won't touch Blueberry with a ten foot pole.

What about bum-bags?

And the trousers/pants one is confusing. The last time I went out just wearing pants, I was arrested!

 

[Omnis]

I just learned what a numptie is.

 

[Dark Elite]

Interesting list, thanks for this

I have a quite pathological hatred of American English, in all honesty, but now at least I can recognise it as bastardised words rather than mispellings

A few less polite terms for the bog come to mind...

DE

 

[Thiele]

i thonk we have the same Englsih as British

Australia/Britian - Metre
America - Meter

stupid American FireFox spellcheck saying Metre's spelt wrong and meter's spelt right

i hate American FF

i personelly use indicator and turning signal, and i don't use wing or fender, i use spoiler

 

[Dave A]

No not really, when I read the word lorry i'm all like this

up in this thread.

I remember a while ago I was confused about Brake rotors, I didn't know that brake rotor = brake disk and I used to think that the rotor was some other part of the braking system for some reason. Also I think americans say timing belt insted of cambelt. Also for some reason the British term for fender is Wing, which I think is pretty retarded, I mean we don't call it a wing bender when we have an accident do we. I end up adopting allot of the american car terms for some reason and tend to confuse the hell out of other people sometimes. I never use the term trunk though, but I do use the term frunk because the phrase 'front boot' sounds realy stupid.

A wing isn't limited to something that resembles a birds wings in shape or effect. We don't say wing bender, but I don't know any British people that say fender bender either.

Also in the UK - American there is...

Crisps - Potatoe chips
Indicators - Turn signals
Petrol - Gasoline
Tarmac - Asphalt
Chemist - Pharmacy
Cinema - Movie theatre

And the BIG one....
Football - Soccer

 

[ALPHA]

Also crumpets are disgusting.

You fail at the Internets.

Crumpet = Pikelet or possibly Bun.

You Englandy people are crazy.

I call that a crumpet, whilst a pikelet is just a thick pancake but similar in size.

A pikelet is similar to a crumpet, but much thinner and sometimes irregularly shaped. (However, the meaning of pikelet varies: in some regions of Britain it traditionally refers to a crumpet, muffin or other teacake. In Australia and New Zealand it refers to a Scotch pancake.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crumpet

We be special.

 

[daan]

I like a nice bit of crumpet.

 

[Jay]

and i don't use wing or fender, i use spoiler

A wing/fender is a mud guard not a spoiler.

In this case don't look at the word 'wing' and think a 'aero' type wing, the brits call the mud guards 'wings'

 

[DQuaN]

The thing that I don't get is the e-brake/emergency brake.

I can't think of any emergency while driving, that would require yanking up the handbrake rather than using normal brakes.

 

[Jay]

The thing that I don't get is the e-brake/emergency brake.

I can't think of any emergency while driving, that would require yanking up the handbrake rather than using normal brakes.

A few years ago I was with my friend in his 1983 Alfa Romeo Sprint Veloce Ti, which before he got it had the brakes serviced by someone. As we were driving we heard some clunking when braking so my friend decided to get a tow using a rope from another friend with his big 1985 Ford Falcon.
As we were being towed and my friend in the Alfa pressed the brakes suddenly there was a big clunk and he lost the brakes, pedal went to the floor, then quickly applied the handbrake.................. which also failed, we then crashed into the rear of the Falcon, lucky we didn't drive it on without the tow.

Anyway the Alfa had front inboard disc brakes which were replaced but unfortunately the bolts holding them inline with the driveshaft and transmission all fell out and so did the brake rotors, Brake pressure was lost as the pistons in the calipers just popped out.

And now to the point, In most other cars the handbrake is cable operated to the rear brakes so it would have stopped or atleast slowed him down enough but unfortunately again Alfa Romeo decided to run its handbrake cable to the front brake caliper so in that case it didn't help at all.

So in a similar rare case it could be a emergency brake, but its always a hand brake to me.

 

[Race Idiot]

You fail at the Internets.


You Englandy people are crazy.

That looks like a crumpet to me and it looks disgusting as ever.

 

[kikie]

edit

 

[Sage]

In which case this is just for you Sage

http://www.cdquest.com/images/album_art/sorted/0501/3929/0501392911672.jpg

You Englandy people are crazy.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...ttered_crumpet.jpg/640px-Buttered_crumpet.jpg

I call that a crumpet […]

Ooh, now I have a better idea of what a crumpet is – we have something very similar in America called “English muffins”. I know, I know…

I like a nice bit of crumpet.

The thing that I don't get is the e-brake/emergency brake.

I can't think of any emergency while driving, that would require yanking up the handbrake rather than using normal brakes.

I think if your main brakes fail, you’re supposed to be able to use the handbrake.

 

[Dave A]

Not going to be very good in a high speed emergency on a motorway. The only use I have for the hand brake is when I'm parked or if I'm stopping on a slope, it stops the car from rolling, or being able to be pushed into something should it get bumped while parked/stopped. I would never dream of using the hand brake to stop my car while it's in motion, I'd think that I'd have better luck slowing the car with the clutch and using engine braking than the hand brake, at least down to a certain speed anyway. I'd have thought could get well and truely knackered and probably fail if operated it high speeds.

 

[TopHat]

Yes, but the handbrake was put to the front brakes, which is useless.

EDIT: Tree'd

 

[Sharky.]

That looks like a crumpet to me and it looks disgusting as ever.

It IS a crumpet.

On the left, we have a pikelet. On the right, we have a crumpet.
(some random picture I got off Google Images)

And don't say a pikelet is a crumpet turned upside down, because they're not. And crumpets taste like crap.