lift.
Everyone knows that for the Brits, an elevator is a “lift,” an apartment is a “flat,” and those chips you’re snacking on are actually called “crisps.” But British people also say some other really weird, confusing things.
In this post
What do the Brits call a garage?
Garage = Americans put a “zsa” on the end like Zsa Zsa Gabor, pronounced ga-RAHJ. In the U.K., it’s pronounced “GARE-idge.” Like, “Can I park my bike in your GARE-idge?” 7.
Why do Americans call lift elevator?
Originally Answered: Why do American people say elevator instead of lift? Because the guy who invented the modern elevator as we know it, in 1852, was Elisha Otis and he called it an elevator. Like all his compatriots who call a lift an elevator, he too was an American.
What do the British call the roof of a car?
Roof – The top of a convertible car is called the roof in England. Roof-rack – This is the luggage rack to you. Roundabout – Traffic circle.
What do the Brits call a windshield?
Windscreen – n – Windshield.
Why do Brits say floor instead of ground?
“Floor” was an archaic word for “ground” centuries ago. And according to the Oxford English Dictionary, “floor” has been used in the game of cricket to refer to the ground (but this must be an uncommon usage, since it doesn’t currently appear in any standard British dictionaries).
Why do Americans say elevator and Brits say lift?
Vocabulary Differences
For example, what Americans would refer to as an “elevator”, the British would call a “lift”. Both groups of people are referring to the same object, but a different word is being used by each group to describe that object.
What are French fries called in the UK?
chips
We call French fries just fries, and thicker-cut fries that come from a chip shop are called chips. Then you’ve got thick, triangular chunks which we call potato wedges, which aren’t the same as circular fried slices (otherwise known as chips in other countries) which we call crisps.
What do British people call soda?
In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the term “fizzy drink” is common. “Pop” and “fizzy pop” are used in Northern England, South Wales, and the Midlands, while “mineral” or “lemonade” (as a general term) are used in Ireland. In Scotland, “fizzy juice” or even simply “juice” is colloquially encountered.
What is the British word for garbage?
rubbish
rubbish Add to list Share. Rubbish is a synonym for garbage or trash. The word is more commonly used by speakers of British English than by speakers of American English. The noun rubbish also means writing or speech that is worthless, untrue, or nonsense, especially in British English.
What do the British call whipped cream?
squirty cream
And the answer is…
In the UK, whipped cream is known as “squirty cream”.
What do the British call a biscuit?
Scone
Scone (UK) / Biscuit (US)
American do have things called biscuits too, but they are something completely different. These are the crumbly cakes that British people call scones, which you eat with butter, jam, sometimes clotted cream and always a cup of tea.
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, a bit like the shortcake in strawberry shortcake, or American biscuits, except sweet.
What do the British call sidewalks?
pavement
Also, a US sidewalk is a British pavement, and curb is spelled kerb (curb in UK English is a verb i.e. to “curb your enthusiasm”).
What do the English call a taxi?
A hackney or hackney carriage (also called a cab, black cab, hack or London taxi) is a carriage or car for hire. A hackney of a more expensive or high class was called a remise. A symbol of London and Britain, the black taxi is a common sight on the streets of the UK.
What is a basement called in England?
Amongst the estate agents and property professionals in the UK, the term ‘cellar‘ is often used to describe residential projects while the term ‘basement’ is used to describe new build and commercial projects alike. A cellar is often a smaller space than a basement.
What is the second floor in British English called?
In Britain, and the rest of Europe, what Americans call the first floor is called the ground floor. What Americans call the second floor is their first floor.
What do Canadians call elevator?
Apparently, they call them elevators in Canada.
Why do British say pants?
In British English, pants means underpants or, informally, nonsense. In American English, pants means trousers; the singular form is used as adjective. [BrEn] He thought we were going to be absolute pants. [AmEn] His pant leg was broken.
What are tires called in England?
tyre
For British motorists, the rubber wheel-covering is called a tyre – for the Americans it’s a tire.
What is chips called in British English?
crisps
Brits say “crisps,” Americans say “potato chips.”
Since Brits refer to fries as “chips,” they have a different name than Americans for potato chips ― “crisps.”