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Posted

Wheel embellisher is used in classic car circles, but that's where I'm predominantly hanging out automotive wise.
For hubcap, I've heard nave plate occasionally.

The plastic ones are called Poundshop Trims around here.
Although rear screen is much more commonly used here, I have heard the term backlight often.
I have never heard anyone say rear window.

Anyway, the previous ones are only the ones that came to mind quickly. There are more, though.

Isn't a gear lever called gear stick in America?
And column or floor change called column or floor shift?

I know that a Woodruff Key isn't called that in England, but I forgot the English term.

There is more.

Gas Pedal - Accelerator
Hood Ornament - Radiator Mascot
Philipps - Crosshead
Reflector - Cat's Eye
Convertible - Cabriolet
18 Wheeler/Semi - Artic
Parking Lot - Car Park
Detour - Diversion
Overpass - Flyover
Glove Compartment - Glove Box
Rental - Hire Car
Wrong Way - No Entry
Top - Roof
Entry/Exit Ramp - Slip Road
Totalled - Write Off
Bumper Bracket - Dumb Iron
Bend - Curve
Intersection - Junction
Rest Area - Lay By
Hardtop - Coupe
Pry - Prise
Seat Cushion - Squab
A-Arm - Wishbone
Bushing - Bush
Valve Cover - Rocker Cover
Troubleshooting - Fault Finding / Diagnosis
Dismantle - Strip Down
King Pin - Upright
Allen Bolt - Grub Screw
Latch - Catch
Frozen - Seized
Float Bowl - Float Chamber
Counter Clockwise - Anti Clockwise
Light - Lamp
Lamp - Bulb

and most importantly:

Bar - Pub


 

 

 

Posted

In the UK we call Spark plugs Spark plugs not sparking plugs. Plus we don't have Dynamos any more we have alternators and sparking wires are HT leads (High Tension leads)

Also Shock absorbers are not called Dampers very often they just get called Shocks

Sorry, remembering from days gone by ( 1966-1967} when i was the proud owner of an MGA roadster, first things first get the shop manual, learn all about the car, of course when things start falling off ya gotta be ready steady,

Posted

I like hearing different accents more than anything... I always enjoy listening to Aussie/Brit/Scot/Irish accents. I have no accent... unless I've had a few to drink, then I get a little twang. lol

But anyway, the different/alternate words always intrigues me as well. 

Lately I find myself listening to music in languages I can't even understand (Russian, specifically) but for some reason I enjoy it.

Everyone has an accent, learned that the hard way, USN boot camp pretty much just like in the movie, Platoon. Cowboy.

Posted

As we've discussed here before, "wheel covers" and "hubcaps" are two different things, though "hubcaps" is often misused for both.

I'm very familiar with "backlight," but have never heard "rear screen."

Indeed they are different.  I'm talking colloquially - to the man in the street, in the UK, they're hubcaps.

 

 

Posted

Wheel embellisher is used in classic car circles, but that's where I'm predominantly hanging out automotive wise.
For hubcap, I've heard nave plate occasionally.

The plastic ones are called Poundshop Trims around here.
Although rear screen is much more commonly used here, I have heard the term backlight often.
I have never heard anyone say rear window.

Anyway, the previous ones are only the ones that came to mind quickly. There are more, though.

Isn't a gear lever called gear stick in America?
And column or floor change called column or floor shift?

I know that a Woodruff Key isn't called that in England, but I forgot the English term.

There is more.

Gas Pedal - Accelerator
Hood Ornament - Radiator Mascot
Philipps - Crosshead
Reflector - Cat's Eye
Convertible - Cabriolet
18 Wheeler/Semi - Artic
Parking Lot - Car Park
Detour - Diversion
Overpass - Flyover
Glove Compartment - Glove Box
Rental - Hire Car
Wrong Way - No Entry
Top - Roof
Entry/Exit Ramp - Slip Road
Totalled - Write Off
Bumper Bracket - Dumb Iron
Bend - Curve
Intersection - Junction
Rest Area - Lay By
Hardtop - Coupe
Pry - Prise
Seat Cushion - Squab
A-Arm - Wishbone
Bushing - Bush
Valve Cover - Rocker Cover
Troubleshooting - Fault Finding / Diagnosis
Dismantle - Strip Down
King Pin - Upright
Allen Bolt - Grub Screw
Latch - Catch
Frozen - Seized
Float Bowl - Float Chamber
Counter Clockwise - Anti Clockwise
Light - Lamp
Lamp - Bulb

and most importantly:

Bar - Pub


 

 

 

Heated rear window - the old Skoda joke:ttps://www.leaseyournextcar.com/blog/why-does-skoda-octavia-have-heated-rear-window

Having lived all my life in England and also having rebuilt a couple of engines, I've never seen or heard of a Woodruff key referred to as anything else....

The rest of your list looks good, apart from the Allen bolt - that's still an Allen bolt.  A US set screw is a UK grub screw.

Posted

Wow - thanks all, never thought there were so many!

However did AC and Shelby manage to get the Cobra built?

Cheers,

-Don.

Posted

'Valve Cover - Rocker Cover' - Nowadays most people in the UK say Cam Cover as most cars are OHC.

We also use Philips screws, people don't call them crosshead any more -  but do you say 'slot head' for the other kind in the US?

-Don.

Posted

We also use Philips screws, people don't call them crosshead any more

-Don.

Yeah, people also put hash browns on one's breakfast nowadays.
Damned transatlantic interlopers. Give them a good thrashing & kick them off the plate, I say!

Harrumph!

Posted

 but do you say 'slot head' for the other kind in the US?

-Don.

I don't think I've ever heard "slot head" (at least not for screws, har har) in the US. I've seen reference to "slotted head" screws, and sometimes "thin slot" screws, but usually, if it's not a Phillips or Allen or Torx or some other oddball system specified, the word "screw" just implies a simple slot of some kind.

Posted

Well just to confuse things a little more, what you guys in the US call french fries (and are actually Belgian) are chips this side of the pond, but your chips we call crisps which I'm led to believe is what you call salad greens

Posted

Well just to confuse things a little more, what you guys in the US call french fries (and are actually Belgian) are chips this side of the pond, but your chips we call crisps which I'm led to believe is what you call salad greens

Needz moar Haggis...

Posted

While I started learning to wrench on American cars, I really became a competent mechanic on British cars, with all the attendant terminology. This sometimes caused problems when I went to get parts. I wanted a grub screw and couldn't remember the American name!

Posted

Back to cars, there is a throwout bearing in America, which I think is a thrust bearing in the UK.
Petrol vs. gas has been mentioned, but I think not that what gas is in England is called LPG in the US.

Interestingly, the German automotive terminology more often than not is a literal translation of the American one, rather than the English one.
Which strikes me as odd, seeing that the links between Germany and England were much stronger than between Germany and America in the
founding era of the automobile. Which brings up another difference between USA and UK: Automobile - Motorcar.

There are still more:

Dismantling - Breaking
Junkyard - Scrapyard
Parts - Spares
Auto Parts Store - Motor Factor
 

Posted

Back to cars, there is a throwout bearing in America, which I think is a thrust bearing in the UK.

A "thrust bearing" is the same either side of the Atlantic, and controls the end play in a rotating shaft.

The US "throwout bearing" in UK-speak is usually "(clutch) release bearing".

Not car-related (well, sometimes actually) is the US "garters" and the UK "suspenders".  ;)

Posted

A "thrust bearing" is the same either side of the Atlantic, and controls the end play in a rotating shaft.

The US "throwout bearing" in UK-speak is usually "(clutch) release bearing".

Not car-related (well, sometimes actually) is the US "garters" and the UK "suspenders".  ;)

Braces ?

Posted

Officially, the back light is a back light in the US too.

 

I just ran across the term again last night in a US-written, US-edited, US-printed book about Corvettes.

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