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Say What? English in the U.K. v. The U.S.

Say What? English in the U.K. v. The U.S.

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Foreign languages are hard, no matter how many Rosetta Stone CDs you buy. But what if you speak the same language but still have no idea what your companion is talking about? Although England colonized the U.S. for nearly 200 years, the countries have had their way with the English language. Rather than flounder around for some context, here is a brief guide to things with entirely different names in the U.K. and the U.S.

Whatever you call it, good luck fitting in everything you need ThinkStockPhotos
Whatever you call it, good luck fitting in everything you need
ThinkStockPhotos

Boot v. trunk

Throwing something in the back of the car can get confusing when you’re not sure if it’s a car part or a shoe. Plus, one’s a lot harder to fit the luggage into. And just to make things more confusing, the trunk/boot is called a dickie in English-speaking parts of South Asia.

You probably still won't know what you're looking at though ThinkStockPhotos
You probably still won’t know what you’re looking at though
ThinkStockPhotos

Bonnet v. hood

While we’re looking into cars, the name for the front is also under contention. They both kind of make sense when you think about it, as bonnets and hoods are both a type of hat for the car. In England though, hood actually refers to the fabric cover over the passenger compartment, aka the top of a convertible in the U.S.

Yellow means speed up in every country, right? ThinkStockPhotos
Yellow means speed up in every country, right?
ThinkStockPhotos

Robot v. traffic light

Last driving-related term, I promise. But it’s such a weird one, it felt wrong to leave it out. When driving down the street in America, you’d be pretty alarmed if you encountered a robot directing traffic. But in England, along with South Africa, among other places, robots are just your standard red, yellow, and green traffic lights. Makes you wonder what they think are actually inside of them.

At least one thing is certain: you will NEVER find parking for this baby ThinkStockPhotos
At least one thing is certain: you will NEVER find parking for this baby
ThinkStockPhotos

Lorry v. truck

Get ready for a history of language lesson, folks. “Truck” most likely comes from the Latin word trochus, meaning “iron hoop,” or the Greek trokhos, meaning “wheel.” Whereas “lorry” was used to refer to a freight car in the railway industry in the 1800s, or the verb lurry, meaning to pull or tug. It’s not entirely clear why they went such different ways, but interesting nonetheless!

Essential for staying up past bedtime ThinkStockPhotos
Essential for staying up past bedtime
ThinkStockPhotos

Torch v. flashlight

If the lights go out, you’ll need to grab one of these (and hopefully you stocked up on extra batteries). But if you hear somebody calling for a torch, no need to fear the pitchforks – it’s just a flashlight, replete with ghost-story-telling, fuse-box-finding capabilities.

Delicious no matter what you call them ThinkStockPhotos
Delicious no matter what you call them
ThinkStockPhotos

Chips v. French fries

Now this is an important one (I’ve been burned before by this). If you’re ordering in a restaurant, be sure to remember that chips are actually the deliciously fried potatoes known as French fries, or freedom fries to the more stubborn.

Mouth-wateringly crispy  ThinkStockPhotos
Mouth-wateringly crispy
ThinkStockPhotos

Crisps v. potato chips

…You’ve got to order crisps to get potato chips! It makes sense, I suppose, as potato chips are known for the crispiness, but still. Or you could avoid the confusion and pick the healthy route and order a side salad instead, but who actually does that?

This looks like the place to start for your next holiday/vacation/paradise getaway
This looks like the place to start for your next holiday/vacation/paradise getaway
ThinkStockPhotos

Holiday v. vacation

Everyone loves a holiday, regardless of what it means, but where a holiday gives you time off work to take a vacation in the States, it’s the vacation itself in the U.K.. It also lends itself to becoming a verb. You can “holiday” in exotic locales.

Like I said, win-win!
Like I said, win-win!
ThinkStockPhotos

Biscuit v. cookie

Honestly, you can’t really go wrong here. If you get mixed up, you’ll either end up with a flaky, delicious pastry or a chewy, chocolaty (if you pick right) cookie. So don’t stress when ordering, it’s a win-win!

Could nobody figure out how to make one without leaving tiny pieces of rubber everywhere? ThinkStockPhotos
Could nobody figure out how to make one without leaving tiny pieces of rubber everywhere?
ThinkStockPhotos

Rubber vs. eraser

Get your head out of the gutter when somebody asks you for a rubber. They’re just asking for a harmless eraser! Although nobody really uses pencils after the age of 14, so this may be a moot point.