Living in the USA Underground USA Adapting When I first arrived in the USA it seemed inevitable that there would be some "Huh?" moments, when I said words that the local didn't understand and they used words that perhaps I knew but wouldn't necessarily have been my first choice. But what I found a little staggering was that there were many many more words that I would have imagined that are different, and you don't find out what some of them are until you've been there two to three years. Odd, obscure words that suddenly pop out in conversation turn out to be not-for-general-use on the other side of the pond. Everyone knows the obvious ones, for example trousers are pants, a pavement becomes a sidewalk, a nappie is a diaper and you'd get into an elevator and not the lift anymore. But I made a list of all the more obscure ones - the ones you don't discover until you immerse yourself into their culture for a bit. And form the list comes a whole new world of customs and cultures too, and here they all are ... Familiarise yourself first ... Get to grips with the USA first though!

I discovered the excellent 'place the state' game, which is one of those things that you'll think you'll try once, and then get sucked in and play it for the next 20 minutes trying to get a perfect 100%. UK - And once you think you've cracked that, try placing all the English counties in their proper place The List So I made a list. This webpage started out at a big list of words that are different between British English and American English. Then I found out that someone had already done it and rather well too. Please go and have a look at the English2American.com site, which also has the brilliant 'What's the difference between Great Britain and the United Kingdom' page, explained for all of those that don't know. Oh and the fact that our date format is superior too. The # key on the keyboard is called the pound. Nothing to do with the UK pound sign. Calling # it's proper name hash gets them looking at you as if you're making a weird drug reference. Driving any where throws up so many, it's hard to know where to start. The bonnet becomes the hood, the boot becomes the trunk, even wing mirrors become side mirrors.

You don't have indicators either, you now have turn signals. Traffic light? Don't be silly - they're the stop lights. Food & Drink Everyone know the basics .. like sweets are called candy, crisps are known as chips and biscuits are called cookies. But to an American (especially a southerner) a biscuit is also some pasty-scone-like cake thing to which I can think of no UK equivalent. Their Bacon is weird. You can't get nicely thick and widely cut Danish. Think and streaky seems to be the order of the day. Their eggs are generally more white than brown. And whilst their bread seems to last longer before going mouldy, the slices are just that much smaller than your typical Mothers Pride loaf. Oh, and they have no idea what a crumpet is either, and I have no idea how to best describe it. (No, it's not the same as an English muffin. Incidentally, in the UK, English Muffins are just called 'Muffins'. That's a joke) Food, dining and eating throws up so many anomalies it's hard to know where to start. Crockery for one is more commonly known as flatware.

And when you're in a nice restaurant you'll open up with a Starter in England, but Americans wouldn't know that that's what they call an Appetizer. And when you've finished that nice meal, don't use a serviette to wipe your face after you've eaten - no, you'll be using a napkin instead. Don't order a pudding either. You have to order a dessert. To Americans, pudding is a type of dessert, not a generics name for one. Root vegetables seem to be an ares where there are lots of different names - an aubergine is known as an eggplant, corgette's as zuchinni's and a swede is known as rutabega. This causes endless amount of amusement to Americans to think that 'Swede' could be a food, a not just ... a person from Sweden. Squash is Marrow. It took me three years of living in the USA to realise this, but still didn't help me like eating it. I would say Coriander, an American would say Cilantro. I would also say Rocket, whereas an American would say Arugla.

Because American thrives on coffee, coffee and more coffee, I often had to take into work my own tea. Now down in the South of American they do have tea, but it's of the cold sweet tea variety, and some American's act surprised here when they see my drinking tea ... "Oh, you drink HOT tea", they say, like that's unusual. Well ... drinking cold tea to me is unusual, oh and downright disgustingly untasty too. Even when I did make hot tea, and wanted to put milk into it .. there's no such thing as semi-skimmed, no it's called two percent milk instead. So I used to get up in the morning and make some tea, drink one at home and then put one on my flask to take to work to drink mid-morning. Except don't say flask to an an American, use the word Thermos instead, because a flask is something that you would only put liquor in. And by liquor I mean spirits - see 'alcohol' below. Canola Oil is Rapeseed oil. A baked potato to an American is one that's been sunbathing, you'll have to say jacket potato. Granola is Muesli.

Jelly is Jello, a Sirloin steak is a Porterhouse steak, and Icing Sugar is known as powered sugar. Mince meat is just known as Ground Beef, Mince Meat is known as Ground Beef, and stock cubes (like OXO) are bouillon cubes. Prawns are known as Shrimp. Southerners like to eat a dish which I didn't like called 'Shrimp & Grits', where grits was like .. a weird porridgey substance which wasn't actually porridge. Whatever, everytime someone rolled out the Shrimp & Grits, I was all like "Ah, it's Prawns & Porridge again". What I would call a Spring Onion, the yanks call a Scallion. I'm not sure that anyone in the UK eats semolina anymore, but if they did the Americans call it Cream of Wheat. A friend of mine found the word 'semolina' particular funny, saying it sounded like the nae of a cream you'd use to cure a sexual disease. Other random words which confuse things: Going to the fairground? Be sure to get some Cotton Candy and not Candy Floss.

Cops here are famous for eating Donuts and not Doughnuts. And treacle for some reason, is know as Molasses. No really it is, and I don't know why they had to change a perfectly good word either. Blame it on the French! There are some words which Americans just haven't heard of at all. Once I turned to a friend and said "Ooh, I'd like a nice Gateaux" - as in the cake, and they had no idea what I was talking about. Gateaux of course is a word that the English have borrowed from the French, and thus Americans have rarely heard of it, and certainly never use it. I had the same problem with being "Au fait" (familiar) with something, or travelling as a group "en masse" to somewhere. "On a WHAT?" came back the American-English response. Driving There are so many word difference with cars, it's unreal. Once you've gotten over the fact that Americans drive on the wrong side of the road, you realise that a Fender is a bumper, the hood is the bonnet and the trunk is the boot.

And just to really confused things, the large yellow metal device that costs you several pounds of dollars to get you car released is what they call a boot and we call a clamp. Tyre is speled with an 'i' Tire, you fill up with gas, not petrol and even poor old wing-mirrors have turned into side mirrors. Oh, and make a turn? You would use your turn signal and not your indicator. In some places, I've even heard roundabout referred to as "rotarys", aaaah! Finally ... when you go to fill up with gas (petrol) as the gas station, the Brits use the word forecourt to describe the area of the tarmac where your car sits as you pump it full of gas. The Americans have NO SUCH equivalent word - it's just part of the gas station. Types of car ... What the Americans called a Station Wagon, I would call an Estate Car. And what I would call a Saloon, they would call a sedan. Other parts of the car ... The emergency brake to me is known as the handbrake, turn signals I would call indicators. Americans have fenders instead of wings. Which is why we call the mirros on the side ...

wing mirrors, which they just called side mirrors. And when your battaery is flat and you get a jump start? They use Jumper Cables instead of Jump Leads. To make your radio work, the it has to be plugged into an Aeriel which the Americans would call an Antenna. On the road ... What i call the hard shoulder, Americans just call the shoulder. What they call an overpass I refer to as a fly-over. And when you don't have a car but need to drive one you would hire one in Engand, but in American you would rent one. If you say 'Hire Car' in America, they'll think you're saying 'HIgher Car', and wonder just how high cars can go. A Puncture is a Flat Tire, the Motorway becomes the Freeway, a Lorry is a Truck, and the Boot of a car is the Trunk of a car.(A 'Boot' in fact to an American, is a wheel-clamp). Indicators becomes Turn Signals, Wing Mirrors are just Side Mirros, the Pavement is the Sidewalk, the Central Reservation is the Median, and Jump Leads are better known as Jumper Cables.

Oh and the road surface you drive on? No it's not Tarmac, it's Blacktop. In the home To buy your nice new house in the first place you wouldn't use an Estate Agent, oh no! You must use a local Realtor, which I think is one of the most silliest words that Americans use. All that junk lying around in your house ... where you gonna put it? That's right, in your British Loft which is the American Attic. If you fancied playing with a football at home in England, you might go for a kick about in your Back Garden, which to an American is your Back Yard. And talking of playing football ... If you ask for a Powerpoint they'll think you're talking about the Microsoft application as if it's an object. Just ask for the nearest Electric Socket instead. Underlay becomes Carpet Pad. Screw Anchor Rawl Plug Sports When at a football game (by which I mean American football, and not soccer which is real football), I totally confused someone by asking if I could walk across the pitch. I was of course referring to the field. Pitching is something that a punter does.

But when I explained that to me a punter was someone who attended a concert or gig, this drew bizarre looks. In the world of more dangerous sports, abseiling to me means to dangle yourself down a rope off the side of a cliff. The Americans however calling this rappeling. Turns out the word is apparently derived from the German abseilen, meaning simply “to rope down.”. Christmas They don't do Christmas Crackers. 'nuff said. And there are Americans out there right now reading this thinking 'What the hell are Christmas Crackers"? Brilliant. Oh, and don't expect a batter/yorkshire pudding either with your gravy. You're going to get a weird sweet potato and marshmellow combo mix instead, duh. What we call Father Christmas they always call Santa Claus. And don't expect to get the day off of work after Christmas either - there's no Boxing Day. For a country which is so big and people actually need the extra time to travel to see family for Christmas, it's odd that you only get the one day off for Christmas. Britain have Fairy Lights whilst the USA just call 'em Christmas Lights. And Mince Pies become sweet pies.

When you get your Wrapping Paper out to cover up that gift, the Americans are more familiar with the phrase Gift Wrap. They also don't "do" pantomime. The word isn't really used, and the concept of getting have-been celebs to dress up for the Christmas season and act out some camp play just doesn't happen either. And then ... there is singing Christmas Carols in church ... The first time I went to a carol service at Christmas I was rather confused ... There are at two different major melodies for the song 'Away in a Manger' one, "Cradle Song" [1] , more commonly encountered in the United Kingdom ; the other, "Mueller" [2] , more commonly found in the United States . The same goes for 'Oh Little Town of Bethlehem' which has a completely different tune. Cooking and in the kitchen What the Brits call Washing Up Liquid the Americans would call it Dish Soap. Dish Cloth Tea Towel Dishware Crockery Shopping I discovered that T.K.Maxx in England becomes T.J.Maxx in America. This always made me hum the theme tune to T.J.Hooker instead, yes .. i know that's sad, ok?

Numbers You'd think numbers would be easy, right? Wrong! You can't use 'double'. No siree, that's just to confusing. When giving out your phone number of 7688, you can't say "Double eight", oh no. You have to say "Eight, eight" , or their poor little brains get confused. Clothing How can pieces of clothing have different names? .. I found asking to myself. Easy, it would seem, when you discover that they laugh at you when you use the phrase swimming costume proffering instead to say bathing suit. I guess they don't play polo, as a Polo Neck means nothing, try asking for a Turtle Neck instead. When you get dressed up nice and smart, you don't wear a waistcoat, you were a vest. A vest to a British person if of course a string vest. A dressing gown is a bathrobe. Suspenders are known as braces, a sweater is a jumper and sweatpants are actually called tracksuit bottoms. What they call a fanny pack we call a bum bag, and ski-mask is a balaclava, and garter belts are what we'd call suspenders.

Living in America I lived in America for almost four years between May 2006 and November 2009, and it was a continual discovery of obvious and more subtle differences between the two nations that are divided by the same language. Although I should clarify that when I say I say "I live in America", what I really mean is that I moved to Charleston, South Carolina where I never appreciated how 'The South' was different to rest of the USA. Just as the UK has its localised customs and a range of dialects - so does the USA. Americans that I meet here though are never failed to be impressed with my ability to conjure up Scottish, Irish (both hard Belfast and soft Dublin), Welsh, Brummy (midlands), Manchunian, Liverpudlian, Geordie and West Country (Cornwall) based accents. Not to mention received pronunciation (Queens English) and some good old Cockney rhyming slang thrown in for good measure. For such a small country (compared to the USA) we beat them hands down for mix of dialects.

Links How to Understand British Terms: 8 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow Be aware that certain food items are called by different names: Chips are thick fries, and french fries are the thin fries. Crisps are potato chips . A biscuit is a cookie. A British person would only call chocolate-chip biscuits a 'cookie'. Scones are a baked item made of firm dough. They are neither soft like bread or crisp like a cookie or a biscuit but are somewhere in between. They can be sweet or savoury and are eaten topped or filled as appropriate. Jelly is a gelatin dessert (Jello), the type given with ice cream in hospital; fruit preserves are jam. 2 Learn the different terms for parts of a building: The ground floor is the same as the American first floor. The first floor is the one above this, and other numbers follow as normal. A lift is an elevator. A flat is the general term for an apartment. A bedsit is a one-room flat (efficiency apartment) that serves as a bedroom and a living area. 3 Study these terms for when you are on the move: The boot is the trunk of the car.

A trunk in Britain is a kind of old-fashioned large suitcase. The wing is the fender of the car. The bonnet is the hood of the car. The "windscreen" is the windshield as goes for the wipers. However, a trunk call, is a long-distance (on a trunk-line) phone call but the term is not associated with automobiles at all as one might be lead to believe. Trunk call is not used in modern British English. A roundabout is a traffic circle. The colours of traffic lights are called red, amber (not yellow) and green. A lorry is a truck (not necessarily a "pick-up truck"). They are, more often than not, the type that carry goods. The sidewalk is called the pavement or the footpath (unpaved walkway). Petrol is gasoline (e.g., "Can we stop at the petrol station?"). 4 Avoid embarrassment of not understanding these differences: A bum is a derrière/posterior, not a homeless person. Spell and pronounce ass as "arse", bearing in mind that an "ass" may also be four-legged or even a more derogatory synonym for a two-legged "twit". Do not call your "bum" your fanny.

In the U.K., a "fanny" is a word meaning the female, external genitalia (vulva)! A "fag" is a cigarette. (The British are well aware of the American meaning.) While thanks to American culture, "faggot" is sometimes used as the derogatory name for homosexuals (avoid in polite company), in UK "fagot/faggot" can be used to mean "a cigarette, bundle of firewood, a chopped meatball," or "a bundle of anything", though this is an obscure usage. [1] The "loo", "bog", "WC/water closet", or just "toilet" is the American English "bathroom" (e.g. "Where's the loo?"), though if you say you're going to the bathroom, people will get the idea. A rubber is a pencil eraser, as well as meaning a condom. "I'm stuffed" means "I'm full". The word stuffed can also be interpreted in a negative or insulting manner depending on context (e.g. "Go get stuffed." is a bit more polite than "F**k off.", having roughly the same meaning).

5 Remember when throwing something away that: Rubbish is garbage or trash and goes in the rubbish bin if it is inside, or a dustbin if you mean the large outside receptacle. A trash bag is called a bin liner or bin bag. 6 Use these terms when talking about clothing: Trainers are sneakers, Wellingtons (Wellington boots, wellies, boots) are calf-length rubber (or plastic) waterproof boots and have nothing to do with beef. They are named after the Duke of Wellington. Pants in England are worn underneath your trousers or jeans, just like American panties. While the British may understand what you mean, due to the invasion of American culture, they will likely find the mental image this conjures amusing and may call you out on it, also called "knickers". Tights, are pantyhose with two legs, "stockings" is the term used for pantyhose that have two separate garments, just like socks. 7 Finally, study these terms which may cause confusion: The phrases "taking the mickey", "taking the Michael" and "taking the piss" mean making fun of or teasing.

The phrase "on your knees" means to show respect, beg, or even plead, To ring is to call on the phone (e.g. "I'll ring you later"). A pram or buggy is a baby stroller. A trolley is a shopping cart used for shopping in large shops such as supermarkets. A dummy (short for "dummy teat") is a pacifier. A lolly is a contraction of "iced lolly", a popsicle. A mobile or mobile phone is a cellphone. A bodge or botch is a poor job (or repair) that just about works. A brolly is short for an umbrella. Very occasionally called a "gamp" after a character in a Dickens novel. Going on "holiday is a vacation. A torch is a flashlight. Maths is the shortened mass noun for mathematics, American "math". Washing-up liquid is dish detergent. An aerial is a TV or radio antenna. Anti-clockwise is counter-clockwise. The phone is engaged means that the phone line is busy. Punt in the UK refers to a flat-bottomed boat with a square-cut bow, designed for use in small rivers or other shallow water. Punting refers to boating in a punt.

In America, especially in American Football, a punt is when you clear the ball down the field. That was the joke used on Emma Watson by David Letterman ("Here, we do that on 4th and long"). The English equivalent is a drop kick, but the mechanics are different. A punt in rugby is a kick in which the ball is hit BEFORE touching the ground. It's also slang for 'a bet' or a gamble, as in 'I took a punt on it not raining tonight', 'I had a punt on a horse race'. "Football" is soccer. The American game is called American football, and is viewed as a second-rate version of rugby. 8 The Septic's Companion - List of British Words For Travel & Transport The most common British words or British English terms related to cars (or parts of cars), travel and transport generally. artic: n abbr articulated vehicle, usually a large hauling truck or semi. articulated lorry: adj semi truck which is able to bend in the middle. Of course, I just wrote pretty much the same thing two seconds ago. I�m beginning to understand why the guy who wrote the first Oxford English Dictionary ended up going mad and cutting his penis off.

Belisha Beacons: n yellow flashing lights on sticks that are positioned next to zebra crossings and flash constantly to alert drivers. They were named after Hore Belisha, who was Minister of Transport when they were introduced. Perhaps a more interesting derivation was put forward by an episode of the BBC radio programme �Radio Active,� which featured an unwinnable quiz, one of the questions being �From where did the Belisha Beacon get its name?� Answer: �From the word �beacon�.� I was younger then, and in the cold light of day it seems less funny now than it once did. You can�t take away my childhood. big end: n the end of the conrod, which is attached to the crankshaft in a conventional combustion engine. The other end, attached to the piston, is called the �small end.� bollard: n small concrete or metal post generally used to stop cars from driving into certain places. While used only in a nautical context in the U.S., it is accepted universally in the U.K. When not on boats, Americans call them �pylons,� which to Brits are the giant metal structures used to hold up national grid electricity wires.

bonnet: n hood of a car; the part of a car which covers the engine. Confusion arises in the U.K. when dealing with rear-engined cars; it�s difficult to determine whether to call it a bonnet or, as seems perhaps more logical, a boot, on account of it being at the back. The trials of modern life. To encourage confusion, �hood� is used in the U.K. to describe the convertible top of a convertible car. boot: n trunk of a car. The boot of a car is the part you keep your belongings in. So called because it was originally known as a �boot locker� � whether it used to be commonplace to drive in one�s socks is anyone�s guess. camper van: n motorised caravan in which you can take your entire family for a horrible holiday. Americans call them �R.V.s,� but the average European camper is significantly smaller than the average American one. Also, the average European is, of course, smaller than the average American, as proven by statistics. car park: n parking lot. The large buildings composed of many floors of just parking spaces are called �multi-storey car parks� in the U.K.

but �parking garages� in the U.S. caravan: 1 n terrible device which attaches to the back of your car and allows you to take your whole family on holiday at minimal expense and with maximum irritability. They�re more popular in Europe than they are in the U.S., where they�re called �trailers.� Be careful not to confuse a touring caravan (which a family will generally keep outside their house and drag behind their normal car somewhere for a few holidays a year) with a static caravan, which is generally deposited once by a truck and left there. Americans call both of these things �trailers,� and where a distinction is needed they�ll call the touring variants �travel trailers.� The devices that Americans call a �fifth wheel� � caravans which attach to a conventional diesel truck � are pretty much non-existent in the U.K. Another caravan variant common to both sides of the Atlantic is the �trailer tent,� which is like a caravan except the walls and roof fold out like some sort of ghastly mobile puppet theatre. No doubt you�re much less confused now. I could go on about caravans for days.

2 v the act of staying in a caravan: Doris has taken it into her head to go caravanning this weekend. cat�s eyes: n little reflectors mounted in the centre of the road, amid the white lines. When you�re driving along at night your headlights reflect in them to show where the road goes. When you�re driving like a screaming banshee they gently bounce the car up and down in order to unsettle it, causing you subsequently to lose traction and crash the rented 1.3-litre VW Polo through a fence and into a yard. Everything goes black � your senses are dead but for the faint smell of petrol, and the dim glow of a light coming on in the farmhouse. Somewhere in the distance a big dog barks. As you slowly regain consciousness, you find that you�re in a soft bed, surrounded by candles and with a faint whiff of incense drifting on the breeze from the open window. You see a familiar face peering down at you � could it be Stinky Potter, from down by the cottages? Wasn�t that corner just about where they found poor old Danny�s motorbike? And how does this guy know your name?

If you try to run, roll the dice and turn to page seventeen. If you choose to kiss the old man, turn to page twelve. central reservation: n median. Far from being a sought-after restaurant booking, this is in fact what Brits call the grassy area in the centre of a motorway which is there to stop you colliding with oncoming traffic quite as easily as you might. coach: n bus. Generally used in the U.K. for longer-haul buses (50 miles or more). The difference between a coach and a �bus� is that a coach tends to have a loo, not so much chewing gum attached to the seats and fewer old ladies hacking up phlegm in the back. Brits do not use coach to refer to economy-class seats on an aircraft; that�s a peculiar American thing. damper: n shock absorber. The part of a vehicle�s suspension system that stops the suspension from bouncing (rather than actually absorbing any shock). demister: n defroster. The little network of electrical wires that weave around your car�s rear window and are intended to remove frost. They are perhaps referred to as such in the U.K.

because any devices attached to British-built cars have precious little chance of getting rid of frost, and, indeed, don�t stand much of a chance against mist, either. deplane: v disembark from an aeroplane. A very antiquated term, it�d be met with a vacant stare by most Brits under forty, as would its antonym, �enplane.� dodgem: n bumper-car. Once used in U.S. English too, but now chiefly British. Odd that it should imply an aim to the game that is quite the opposite of what it is. dual carriageway: n divided highway. There is generally very little difference between a dual carriageway and a motorway except that learner drivers are not allowed onto motorways. earth: n ground. Only in the electrical context � this is the wire that zooms off into the planet somewhere and somehow stops people from electrocuting themselves in the bath. enplane: v get onto an aeroplane. As out of use as its sister word, �deplane.� estate car: n station wagon. gear lever: n the �stick� of a stick-shift car. This applies to cars with manual transmission - automatic cars in the U.K.

are reserved for pensioners, the severely disabled and Americans. gearbox: n transmission. The box of gears that sits between the engine and the prop shaft of a car. give way: interj yield. This phrase on a road sign means that, at the junction you�re approaching, other traffic has the right of way. The signs themselves are white upward-pointing triangles with a red line around them. Americans have similar signs but the arrow is downward-pointing, and they have �Yield� written on them instead. Americans used to have yellow ones, but this turns out to be a whole separate topic that I don�t want to get into. handbrake: n emergency brake (on a car). A handbrake operates like a normal brake pedal but only on the rear wheels. Before the days of speed-cameras, Brits used to use the handbrake to slow down when they passed police cars as the brake lights don�t go on and it�s not so obvious you were speeding. hard shoulder: n shoulder. The poorly-surfaced bit at the side of the road that you�re only supposed to drive on if you�ve broken down, have fallen asleep at the wheel or desperately need to wee.

hood: n convertible top. The part of a convertible car that, well, converts. This only serves to complicate the bonnet/boot confusion. Brits do not use �hood� as an abbreviation of �neighbourhood,� unless they are trying to act like American rap stars. Brits are not very good at that, although it doesn�t stop them trying. indicator: n turn signal. The little orange lights that flash on the side of the car to show that you�re about to frantically try and turn across four lanes of traffic into your driveway. jump leads: n jumper cables. The pair of heavy wires which you use to connect the battery of your working car to the battery of your dead car, or to a person from whom you wish to extract information. kerb: n curb. Not entirely sure how the different spellings arose. L-plates: n big white square stickers with a red letter �L� in them, which have to be put on the front and back of a car that�s being driven by a learner driver (i.e. someone on a provisional license). There�s no real American equivalent. lay-by: n rest area.

A little parking area off the side of a main road (usually a motorway), where people generally stop to have a sandwich, let their children vomit, empty the dog or copulate with their work colleagues. Perhaps this is where the name came from. light: n car window. Largely obsolete - most seen in modern English inside the term �quarterlights,� which is used to refer to those small windows a little ahead of the front door windows, near where the mirrors are attached. �Light� is used in the U.S. architecturally to refer to the individual panes of a split window. The etymology of the term is nautical - small prisms were inserted in the decks of sailing ships to improve visibility below deck, and these themselves became known as �lights.� lorry: n truck. Not a pick-up truck (which barely exist in the U.K.); more of a goods truck. manual gearbox: n stick-shift transmission. The way God intended cars to be driven. milometer: n odometer. The thing that tells you how far you�ve gone in the car. A fairly antiquated term. motor: n automobile.

Derived from the time when all cars were known as �motor-cars.� motorway: n freeway. multi-storey car park: n commercial car parking garage with, well, many floors. Americans call the same building a �parking ramp,� �parking structure� or �parking deck,� depending upon where they are in the country. nearside: n the side of a car closest to the kerb. The other side is the offside. Don�t bother looking up �offside,� because it�s pretty much a copy-paste of this with one word changed. I�m lazy like that. number plate: n license plate. I already wrote about this under my entry for �registration� and I�ll be damned if I�m writing any more. offside: n the side of a car furthest from the kerb. omnibus: n 1 old-fashioned bus. This is a quaint word, dating back to the times when buses were open at the rear and had a conductor ready to meet you. An omnibus is essentially one step technologically forward of a tram.

2 concatenated episodes of a week�s worth of television or radio series (typically soap operas) often screened at the weekends (also called �omnibus edition�). The Latin word �omnibus� means simply �for all,� which could explain both of these etymologies. I�m just saying that because I can�t be bothered checking either of them. I can�t even be bothered checking the Latin - someone just told me it. For all I know it�s Latin for pig-fucker. pavement: n sidewalk. Brits call the part that cars drive on �Tarmac.� I wonder how many holidaymakers have been run over as a result of this confusion. Well, probably none really. I digress. Historically, �sidewalk� is in fact an old, now-unused British English word meaning exactly what the Americans take it to mean. Pelican crossing: n pedestrian crossing. An area of the road, marked with black and white stripes, where traffic lights stop cars so that pedestrians can cross. A contraction of �PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled crossing.� Yes, I know that would be �pelicon.� People were stupid back then. petrol: n gas.

An abbreviation of �petroleum,� much like �gas� is an abbreviation of �gasoline.� prang: n fender-bender. An event towards the more sedate end of car accidents - you�re unlikely to hear on the news that fourteen people were killed in a multi-car prang and ensuing fireball on Wednesday evening. puncture: 1 n flat tire. In the U.K., puncture is used to describe the offending tire itself rather than just the hole in it: We had to pull over because we got a puncture. 2 infraction (universal). quay: n pron. �key� the place in a docks where boats are loaded and unloaded. The word exists in American English, but the British pronunciation can cause blank stares. railway: n railroad. Can�t think of anything witty. recovery lorry: tow truck. The vehicle that comes to collect you when you have either legitimately broken down or are too boneheaded to change a tyre. It�s really not that hard. There are instructions in the glove box. And I mean you too, girls. registration: n licence plate.

While Americans can have anything they fancy on theirs, and they bear little pictures of sunny beaches and legends like �Ohio - The Flour Biscuit State� and such, the Brits have slightly more plain affairs and less choice about what goes on them. Well, no choice at all, in point of fact. As the government changed their systems of number/letter combinations a good few times, however, there is a lively secondary market in plates that look like they say something. return ticket: adj round-trip ticket. As you probably know, it just means that you�re planning on coming home again. roundabout: n traffic circle; rotary. The device put into the road as a snare for learner drivers and foreigners. Everyone has to drive around in a circle until they see their selected exit road, at which point they must fight through the other traffic on the roundabout in a valiant attempt to leave it. Roundabouts do exist in the U.S. (predominantly in Massachusetts) but in the U.K. they�re all over the place - there is no such thing as a four-way-stop. saloon: n sedan. The cars that, well, aren�t estates or sports cars. The kind your dad and the dentist have.

They are called saloons in the U.K. because they usually have wooden swing doors, spittoons and people tend to burst into them waving a gun and saying something about the car not being big enough for two of us. Them. Us. I see why people hate learning English. sleeper: n railroad tie. The very large blocks of wood which go between the rails and the ground on a section of railway line. slip-road: n on-ramp/off-ramp. A road that runs parallel to a major one, allowing you to gain or lose speed safely while joining or leaving the main road. speedo: n abbreviation for �speedometer.� subway: n underground pedestrian walkway. Built to enable you to cross the road safely, urinate or inject heroin. Brits do not call the London underground train system the �subway.� They call it the �underground.� tailback: n traffic jam; back-up: Don�t bother going via the M25, there�s a ten mile tailback. tarmac: n blacktop. The stuff that covers roads. Perhaps you�d like to hear some road-making history? Hmm? Or perhaps not.

Perhaps you�re sitting in bed naked, waiting for your husband to finish in the shower. Perhaps you�re on a train in a strange foreign country, hoping that this stupid book was going to be much more of a tour guide than it turned out to be. Perhaps you�re having a shit. Well, bucko, whatever you�re doing you�re stuck now, and so you�re going to hear a little bit of road-making history. A long time ago, a Scotsman named John Loudon Macadam invented a way of surfacing roads with gravel, this coating being known as �Macadam� - a term also used in the U.S. �What happens when the road aged?,� I hear you say. Well, I�m so glad you asked. Unfortunately as the road aged the gravel tended to grind to dust and so it was coated with a layer of tar - this being �Tar-Macadam,� which was concatenated to tarmac. Somewhere in the mists of time the Americans ended up using this only to describe airport runways, but the Brits still use it to describe the road surface. tickover: n idle (of a car engine): It even overheats on tickover!

ticking over idling. trailer tent: n pop-up camper. A sort of folding-up caravan. It starts off as an average-sized trailer and then unfolds into a sort of crappy shed when you reach a campsite. tram: n streetcar; trolley. A device very much like a train except it generally runs on tracks built on top of normal roads and is often powered electrically by high-strung cables (I mean ones on poles, not ones of an excitable disposition). Trams are making something of a comeback in Europe generally, with new systems springing up in the U.K. Tube: n the London Underground railway. Londoners are clearly not as inspired as Glaswegians, who call theirs the �Clockwork Orange.� In the U.S., these sorts of rail systems are known as �subways� which, no doubt in order to cause confusion, is what the Brits call the walkways which go underneath roads, where tramps live and drunk people urinate. tyre: n tire. The black rubber things around the wheels of your car. The British spelling in this particular instance is, well, curious. underground: n subway (specifically underground railway): There�s an underground station two minutes from my house.

verge: n shoulder. The edge of the road, populated by hitch-hikers, frogs and children urinating. That�s �frogs� and �children urinating,� not �(frogs and children) urinating.� Glad I could clear that up. Let me know if you have any other questions. windscreen: 1 n windshield (of a car). 2 n one of those things that you put up on a beach that stops the sand from blowing in and stops those inside from noticing that the tide is coming in. wing: n fender. The metal part of a car that covers the front wheel and joins onto the bonnet. Perhaps it derives from the time when cars were made which could fly. zebra crossing: n the black-and-white striped pathways drawn across roads where pedestrians have right of way and motorists have to stop if anyone is waiting by them. The phrase has been slightly usurped by the less exciting term �pedestrian crossing.� While this very concept of �it�s alright, on you go, the cars all have to stop� is dangerous enough, a great deal of them are positioned straight after roundabouts where motorists are least likely to be ready for them.

I swear these things are part of some sort of population control policy. To make them marginally easier to see, some of them are marked with Belisha Beacons. Parts of a Car English Vocabulary - Vocabulario en inglés Partes del Auto Coche Carro English Vocabulary Accelerator: The foot pedal that makes the car go faster. Battery: Usually near the motor, this provides a supply of energy to the car, especially when the motor isn't running. Sometimes if you leave your lights on when the motor is off, the battery keeps them on and then becomes flat (stops working) which makes it difficult to start your car again. Boot: The enclosed space usually at the back of a car where you can put your bags etc. It is called the Trunk in the United States. Bonnet: The metal lid at the front of the car that covers the motor. It is called the Hood in United States. Brake: The foot pedal you use when you want to make the car go slower or stop it from moving. Brake light: The red light at the back of the car that indicates the the brake is being used and that the car is slowing down.

Bumper: The bar at the front and back of the car the helps protects the car when it is hit. It is sometimes called the Fender in United States. Clutch: The foot pedal that you use when you want to change gears. Dashboard: The part in front of the driver that has the controls like the Temperature gauge, Fuel gauge and the Speedometer. Door: The way you enter and leave the car. Some cars have two doors but most have four doors. Exhaust (Pipe): The pipe that takes the waste gases from the motor and lets them go into the air. Fan belt: The belt that keeps a fan moving that helps keep the motor cool. Fender: The bar at the front and back of the car the helps protects the car when it is hit. It is called the Bumper in Britain. Fuel gauge: (US: Gas Gauge) A part of the dashboard that lets you know how much gasoline / petrol there is in the petrol tank. It usually has the letters F for Full and E for Empty. Handbrake: You usually put the handbrake on when you park your car so that it doesn't move by itself later (especially down hills).

It is usually situated between the driver's seat and the passenger's seat. Headlight: The lights you turn on so that you can see the road ahead in the dark when you are driving. Headrest: The top part of the seat where you can rest your head. Hood: The metal lid at the front of the car that covers the motor. It is called the Bonnet Britain. Horn: Usually found on the steering wheel, when you press the horn, it makes a sound that other people (in other cars) can hear. Hubcap: The metal covering of the middle part of a wheel. Indicators: (US: Turn Signals) The lights that let others know in which direction a car is turning. Ignition: You put the key here to start the car. Number plate: (US: License Plate) The unique identification numbers and letters for each car. There is usually a number plate at the front and back of the car. Radiator: Cools the water of the motor. Rearview Mirror: The small mirror attached to the middle of your windscreen so that you can see what is behind your car while you are driving.

Roof-rack: The metal frame on top of a car that is used to support the weight of things you put on top of the roof of the car. Seatbelt: The belt that is connected to the seat and you place across your body to help protect you in an accident. Speedometer: A part of the dashboard that lets the driver know how fast the car is moving. Steering wheel: The round instrument that the driver uses to make the car go in a certain direction. Temperature gauge: A part of the dashboard that lets you know the temperature of the engine. If the engine is too hot, it can be damaged. Trunk: The enclosed space usually at the back of a car where you can put your bags etc. It is called the Boot in Britain. Tyre: (US - Tire) The round rubber part of the wheel. Wheel: The round parts that connect the car to the road and help the car move. Windscreen: (US: Windshield) The big window at the front of the car that the driver looks through as he/she drives. Windscreen wiper: (US: Windshield wipers) Clears the rain from the windscreen so that you can see through it.

Next Activity Try our interactive game with vocabulary about the parts of a car . Practice your Vocabulary (and spelling) with our interactive Hangman Game which includes 50 words associated with Parts of a Car in English . If you found this English Vocabulary about Parts of a Car interesting or useful, let others know about it:

Question: What do Americans call what we British call a car bumper?
Answer: FENDER