With the help of many on the aircooled newsgroup, I have compiled an "english to english" dictionary. I have always been intrigued by the differences in our languages. I still remember playing with the english kids in Europe where I lived as an "air force brat" and getting confused ("THAT is not a 'football'"). It has become more apparent with the technical "car stuff" that gets discussed on the newsgroup. And there is lots of representation of the UK and Australia there. With the help of Lotus, I was able to alphabetize and sort the translations into the two tables below.
Please feel free to e-mail me if you think something important is omitted (car related terms only, please) or if something is incorrect. I know that there are some further differences between the UK (England/Ireland/Scotland) and Australia but I'm not getting into that here. I'll leave it to "you guys" to sort that out.
Enjoy.
| USA to UK/Australia | |
|---|---|
| antenna | aerial |
| bay-window van | loaf |
| boot (as in axle boot) | gaiter |
| boot (as in 'vert top down cover) | hood bag |
| carburetor | carburettor or carbie |
| convertable top | hood |
| convertible | cabriolet, cabrio or drop top |
| cotter pin | split pin |
| dealer | trader |
| denatured alcohol | methylated spirit |
| distributor | dizzy |
| driveshaft | propeller shaft |
| engine | lump |
| fender | wing or mudgaurd |
| flashlight | torch |
| freeway, turnpike etc | motorway |
| gas or gasoiline | petrol |
| gas tank | petrol tank |
| generator(DC) | dynamo |
| ground | earth (elec.) |
| hard top | fixed top |
| heat riser | hot spot |
| hood | bonnet |
| kerosene | paraffin |
| license plate | number plate |
| metal chips or debris | swarf |
| muffler | silencer (exhaust) |
| odometer | mileometer or clock |
| parking light | sidelight |
| parking/emergency brake | handbrake |
| parts | spares |
| pinging | pinking |
| quarter window | quarterlight |
| ring gear | crown wheel |
| rod bearing | big-end bearing |
| sedan | saloon |
| shift | gearchange |
| shock | damper |
| spacer | distance piece |
| station wagon | estate car |
| stolen | nicked or pinched |
| thing | trecker |
| throw-out bearing | thrust bearing |
| tie-rod (or connecting rod) | track rod (steering) |
| tire | tyre |
| trailer | caravan |
| transmission | gearbox |
| trunk | boot |
| turn signal | indicator |
| windshield | screen or windscreen |
| wrench | spanner |
| wrist pin | gudgeon pin |
| UK/Australia to USA | |
|---|---|
| aerial | antenna |
| big-end bearing | rod bearing |
| bonnet | hood |
| boot | trunk |
| cabriolet, cabrio or drop top | convertible |
| caravan | trailer |
| carburettor or carbie | carburetor |
| crown wheel | ring gear |
| damper | shock |
| distance piece | spacer |
| dizzy | distributor |
| dynamo | generator(DC) |
| earth (elec.) | ground |
| estate car | station wagon |
| fixed top | hard top |
| gaiter | boot (as in axle boot) |
| gearbox | transmission |
| gearchange | shift |
| gudgeon pin | wrist pin |
| handbrake | parking/emergency brake |
| hood | convertable top |
| hood bag | boot (as in 'vert top down cover) |
| hot spot | heat riser |
| indicator | turn signal |
| loaf | bay-window van |
| lump | engine |
| methylated spirit | denatured alcohol |
| mileometer or clock | odometer |
| motorway | freeway, turnpike etc |
| nicked or pinched | stolen |
| number plate | license plate |
| paraffin | kerosene |
| petrol | gas or gasoiline |
| petrol tank | gas tank |
| pinking | pinging |
| propeller shaft | driveshaft |
| quarterlight | quarter window |
| saloon | sedan |
| screen or windscreen | windshield |
| sidelight | parking light |
| silencer (exhaust) | muffler |
| spanner | wrench |
| spares | parts |
| split pin | cotter pin |
| swarf | metal chips or debris |
| thrust bearing | throw-out bearing |
| torch | flashlight |
| track rod (steering) | tie-rod (or connecting rod) |
| trader | dealer |
| trecker | thing |
| tyre | tire |
| wing or mudgaurd | fender |