Every market is becoming more global, and so small
idiosyncrasies in verbiage are worth nothing. I have tried to come up with all the differences in automotive
terminology in England and its realm of influence (Hong Kong, Australasia,
Canada, India and all former colonies that were under British tutelage since
the dawn of the motor car; about 1900) versus the United States and areas that
primarily learned English from Americans, generally near military bases.
In
analyzing the disparity between terminologies, there are simple reasons why
some words have gained favor while others have lost: U.S. words are picked up
by the pervasive media and broadcast worldwide. When people in China and Russia
learn English, they often do so from American sources.
The
words in question are themselves interesting. “When I drove down the
dual-carriageway, my boot opened so I had to stop in a lay-by.” Translated into
U.S. vernacular, it would read “When I drove down the highway, my trunk opened
and I had to stop in a rest area.” While context clues make it possible to
understand both, each dialect has its own versions of the same items. These
differences are interesting to note and useful to students learning English
that will work in an automotive field. I have taken the following list from
several old articles on the topic and combined them with terms found in the
U.S. and UK highway codes. While these are hardly exhaustive sources, they
contain a good selection of vocabulary. Where possible, I discussed the etymologies of the words, as this helps to explain why the use
of each word has been continued by the culture in question.
Caravan: RV
The idea of a caravan dates back to before the automobile,
when it referred to a group of people travelling together for safety. A caravan
could be a small or large group, but notably a group, much like an American
wagon train. An RV, or recreational vehicle on the other hand, is a term developed
by the marketing industry to describe the somewhat more glamorous camping
lifestyle that goes hand-in-hand with having a mobile home.
Coach: Bus
Coach, like many automotive terms, is a term from England,
originating sometime in the 1600s, when the coach was a large horse-drawn
vehicle that conveyed passengers and luggage from place to place. With the
advent of the gasoline-powered bus, the term stayed as the conveyance improved.
The term bus, also used in Europe interchangeably and exclusively in the U.S.,
comes from the Latin Omnibus, meaning
‘for all.’
Estate Car: Station
Wagon
In England, large country estates often had custom-made
cars, often luxury models, to ferry the lord and guests to the shooting matches
and polo games. Beginning in the 1920s, Rolls-Royces were commonly made into
wood-bodied utility vehicles for such purposes, and so the term ‘estate car,’
came into being. In the U.S., the term ‘station wagon’ came about in much the
same way; railroad stations had vehicles to drive passengers and luggage to
their final destinations, and these vehicles, with seating for passengers and
room for luggage, became station wagons.
Lorry: semi-truck
The term lorry’s origins are unknown, dating to the 1840s
according to Webster’s, but it has always denoted a large vehicle that hauls
cargo. The American ‘semi-truck’ refers to the idea of a separate cab and
connected trailer – the two are semi-articulated.
HGV (Heavy goods
vehicle): Large truck
HGV is a legal term that refers to trucks over 3.5 metric
tons. This has been picked up into common usage to refer to any large truck.
Motor: car
Motor is slang, dating from the 1950s. “I’m going outside to
wash my motor.” Since the beating heart of any vehicle is the engine, referring
to the entire object by the core makes some sense, however this slang,
originating in the suburbs of London, caught on over time.
Saloon: sedan
Saloon in a context relevant here dates to part of a train
car in which passengers could converse more easily; it was spacious. Before that,
the origins are unclear and irrelevant. The sedan reference comes from sedan
chairs, means of conveyance used by the wealthy in the 1600s onward. These
chairs, usually enclosed, were lifted by four servants.
Two-seater: sports
car
Simply put, the first sports cars had no rear seats and no
luggage space. The concept was speed and agility, and these things added
neither. Built to race, they were used on both sides of the Atlantic for
racing, hence the ‘sports car’ name.
Bonnet: Hood
The bonnet was initially a metal covering or cowl for
fireplaces and ventilators. It was only natural that, since the first cars were
very much hands-on affairs, the name would transfer. In the U.S., hood was both
the covering for a horse’s head and a hatch covering on a boat, according to
Webster’s. Either is a logical transition to the part of the car.
Dickey seat: Rumble
seat
The driver of a carriage wore a dickey in his shirt – and
was always exposed to the elements. When the seat became popular as an
occasional-use seat, the occupants were open to the elements, hence the name
carry-over. The noise of the car, especially the whine of the rear axle, over
which the rumble seat occupants were perched, became the rumble of the seat’s
name.
Dynamo: Alternator
A dynamo is short for dynamoelectric machine, first
found in 1882 (Websters). It takes mechanical energy and converts it to
electrical energy. An alternator does the same, but the source is unclear.
Hood: folding convertible
roof – top
The hood in Europe refers to the folding top of a carriage
or car. It was a covering for the face and neck in clothing, dating back long
before the automobile, and so putting the hood up to protect oneself from the
elements is a logical step. Calling the same thing the ‘top,’ as it is over
one’s head, is again, a logical step.
Hooter: horn
To hoot came from Middle English houten,
to make noise. Horn dates back to much the same period. My hypothesis is that
European cars used fewer electrical accessories, and so the manual,
hand-squeezed klaxon was used far later in Europe than in the U.S. The U.S.
electric horn, with a metal diaphragm, has a far louder sound, more similar to
that of the musical instrument, while the hand-powered version tends to have a
more high-pitched hooting sound.
Wing: fender
In early cars, the front fenders, or wings, were arched over
the wheels and resembled the curve of a bird’s wing. The term fender refers to
a leather triangle attached to the stirrup to protect the legs of a horseman.
The protective nature of fenders (against rocks and debris spray) makes this a
logical transition for people naming their new motor vehicles.
Silencer: muffler
Both terms are self-explanatory. The device lessens the
noise of the engine, which is a series of small explosions.
Windscreen:
windshield
Both terms are self-explanatory.
Boot: trunk
Boot comes from Middle English, from Anglo-French bote, and refers to a protective covering. When
carriages and early automobiles first transported people and their luggage, the
luggage was strapped to the back, covered by a protective boot, or weatherproof
shroud. Once the luggage compartment began to be a standard feature, as late as
the 1930s, the term carried over to refer to the new aperture. In the U.S.
before the trunk became a standard feature, a rear luggage rack was a common option, and
people strapped large steamer trunks to the back to carry luggage. This
reference continued long after the habit ended.
Gearbox: transmission
As many European cars (about 95%) have stick-shift
transmissions, calling it a gear box, or a container full of gears, makes
sense. In the U.S. by the early 1950s, not having an automatic was a sign of
poverty. The item in question took power from the engine and transmitted it to
the rear wheels automatically. Thus, transmission, from Latin transmitter, to transmit, is a
device that does so without user input.
Hand Brake: Parking /
emergency brake
In Europe, the hand-brake is often used because of the
preponderance of stick-shift vehicles. In the U.S., stopping on a hill in an
automatic requires nothing more than a foot on the brake. In a manual car, it
requires the hand-brake to be used as the driver changes feet between the
clutch and brake and the clutch and accelerator. In America, this
rear-wheel-only brake is used primarily for parking and, since it is
cable-operated, for emergencies if the normal braking system fails.
A-road: highway.
Classifications of roads in England and in commonwealth
countries were planned on a national scale and without the meddling of states
or counties in naming. This way, the A, B and C-roads denote the size of the
road in question.
B-road: primary state
road, generally 1 lane in each direction
C-road: secondary
state road, less travelled than above
Dual Carriageway:
road with at least two lanes, one in each direction
Single carriageway:
section of road all in one direction, usually part of highway
Multi-story: parking
deck
Multi-story refers to multi-story parking structure, in
common usage since the 1960s, and so calling it a multi-story is accepted. In
parking deck, deck refers to levels, such as in a ship. Such usage also refers
to a story in a building.
Taxi rank: cab stand
The rank and file line of taxis could come from rank meaning
a large number or rank as a lineup of military members. Either way, the idea is
that the taxi at the front gets the next passenger, and so there is a
hierarchy. Taxi comes from the Latin taxa, meaning charge. Cab is short
for Cabriolet, a type of open carriage, and so the contraction taxi-cab would
be a type of vehicle that charges. In cab stand, the vehicles are standing,
waiting for fares, and so that was more than likely a slang term.
Garage: gas station
Full service stations have long since gone by the wayside,
but filling stations in England are still referred to as garages, dating back
to the time when anywhere that sold fuel also services cars. Gas station is a
more American idea, as a place where one almost solely purchases fuel. See
petrol: gas.
Petrol: gas
Petrol is short for petroleum. Petroleum is a more formal
use, used also by BP, as in British Petroleum. Gas is short for gasoline, the
refined version of petroleum that we burn in our vehicles.
Lay-by: rest area
The idea of a lay-by more than likely dates back to
pre-automobile transportation when long journeys would require a stop in the
middle. A place to lie down and sleep by the road, usually an inn, became a
lay-by. A rest area is much like the American ‘restroom,’ a somewhat twee word
that belies its true function. Most American rest areas provide lavatories and
food, but not beds.
The Bill: The Cops
The Bill was a long-running ITV program, much like the
American Hill Street Blues. After 26 years, ‘The Bill’ became synonymous with
the police. According to Snopes.com, ‘cop’ is not an acronym for constable on
patrol, but rather refers to the verb to cop, as it ‘to cop a feel;’ to take.
The police arrested, or copped suspects, hence the ‘cop,’ or British ‘copper.’
Circular/ring road:
beltway
More common in Europe where medieval towns do not lend
themselves to modern through traffic, ring roads or circulars send the majority
of traffic around a town and eliminate the congestion that becomes stifling. The
beltway concept that most people are familiar loops around Washington D.C., but
is the same idea.
Diversion: detour
Not a happy distraction, diversion is the noun form of
divert – to change course. The French-derivate detour means ‘to turn,’ and has
come to mean a change from planned or expected.
Roundabout: traffic
circle
In England, roundabout can mean a traffic circle or a
merry-go-round child’s toy. Either way, it is a circular object that joins
three or more roads, usually far more, and does not, in most cases, require
traffic lights; traffic keeps moving. The traffic circle has never caught on in
the States, and so is not commonly known.
Verge: grass road
edges
Road edges, especially in rural areas, are grass up to the
edge of the paved surface. This is called the grass verge, from the Latin virga, or line. Most roads in the U.S. are
bordered by grass, but it is not really called anything.
Hard Shoulder: paved
area by the side of the road.
The shoulder of the road, or the sloped area where water runs
off, can be paved or not. If it is, it is hard versus soft /grass shoulder. The
shoulder or median in the U.S. is simply shortened.
Depress (the pedal):
step on the pedal
Depress means to push down, and so it is more commonly used
in England to press or step on, because the downward motion is inherent in the
word.
Thumb it: hitchhike
Thumbing a lift, or hitching a ride, dates back to hitching
a sled or trailer to an already moving vehicle. Using the thumb to indicate
interest in sharing a car comes from the usual coachman's way of greeting while
the hands are occupied with the reins.
Overtake: pass
To overtake is to catch up and get in front of, to pass is
to go by; both are easily
interchangeable.
Puncture: flat tire
While a puncture references a bicycle with a flat tire in
the U.S., it still means a flat tire of any kind in Britain. When tires had
inner tubes, they were often punctured and repaired. Today’s tubeless tires
have carried over the old terminology.
Bump start: push
start a stick shift car
As mentioned before, most vehicles in Europe have manual
transmissions. To start a manual car without electricity, it can be pushed to a
walking pace, and then by releasing the clutch with the vehicle in gear, the
weight of the vehicle will transmit the turning motion back into the engine,
turning it just as the starter would. The vehicle will often rock and buck
while doing this, as the compression of the engine will try to resist the
turning motion of the wheels.
Manual: car with a
standard transmission
Manual simply refers to changing gears by hand, as opposed
to the ubiquitous automatic transmission found in American vehicles.
Central reservation:
median strip
The grass or paved divided between opposing lanes on a
divided highway, this area, set aside for emergencies, is both in the middle
and set aside. Both terms mean much the same thing.
Change up/down: shift
up/down
To change up is in such common use that the word ‘gear’ is
commonly left out. To change or shift gear
up or down (in a manual transmission.)
Coachwork: bodywork
At the turn of the 20th century, early
automobiles often had their mechanicals built at the automobile factory, and
were then shipped to a former carriage-maker to have their passenger
compartments built to customer specifications. In the U.S., customers were
concerned about the exterior, or the body, while the older coach references
stayed in use in England.
Demister: defroster
Owing to a damp climate, the vents blowing air on the front
and rear glass of a car are more often used to eliminate condensation in
England versus frost in the northern U.S.
Dip your lights: turn
high beams off
Headlight beams initially were a mechanical device that
tilted the headlights up, and so to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, the
headlights were dipped to face the road. This is long since gone, as there are
now two different beams, but the terminology stayed as the light beams are
dipped.
Fascia: dashboard
Fascia comes from the Latin for band or bandage. Many early
cars had a dashboard made of one board. As the cars became more complicated,
the dashboard filled with gauges but only in the last 50 years has the style
changed from a large piece of wood to a complicated plastic mess. The band of
wood stretching across the car in front of the driver was once a good
reference; is now dated.
Flyover: overpass
First seen in 1901, the idea of a flyover came before the
Wright Brothers and was, most likely, due to the unusual nature of having a car
pass overhead.
Hire car: rental car
Using hire as an adjective, the English term is unusual in
layout, but not too complicated for ESL students.
Number plate: license
plate
Trains in Britain were all numbered individually. When road
users had to get plates marking their vehicles just after 1900, the plates were
very similar to those used on trains, except letters were soon included in the
road-vehicle plates. In New England in the early days of motoring, the plate
was given to the driver to allow them to drive and was moved from vehicle to
vehicle as needed. The plate was the driver’s license.
Panda car: police car
The black and white paint schemes cause the nickname panda
cars. Unlike U.S. States, all police vehicles look the same across
England.
Slip road:
entrance/exit ramp
The road to enter or exit a larger one allows drivers to
slip into traffic. The term could have come from there or from the fact that
the roads are usually small ‘just little slips.’
Spaghetti junction:
cloverleaf
Complicated intersections look like tangled spaghetti from
the ground and a clover from the air. Credit must go to a journalist in each
instance, but who and when are lost to time.
Zebra crossing:
pedestrian crossing
The alternating black and white stripes across roads in
England denote a safe place to cross. Vehicles must yield to pedestrians here.
Lollipop man/woman:
crossing guard
The uniform of an English crossing guard is a yellow
raincoat and a round sign with children on it on top of a rod. The sign looks
like a lollipop in shape, and the nickname has stayed.
Cat’s eye: in-road
reflectors
Small reflectors in the middle of lanes and at the edges of
road pick up headlight beams and shine gently back through two small round
holes, like eyes. Rain collects in small depressions in front of the ‘eyes,’
and when a car runs one over, the unit dips into the water and washes its face.
Equivalents are not common in the U.S., except for Botts' Dots in California.
Driving license:
driver’s license
The structure of ‘driving license’ follows fishing license
and hunting license. In the U.S., the quest to make everything one’s own has
made the license personal.
Near-side: closest
side to driver
Because England is the opposite of the continent of Europe
with the location of the steering wheel and direction of travel on each side of
the road, the terms near-side and off-side are commonly used to avoid
confusing. Since describing left and right becomes confusing when issuing instructions,
near- and off-side eliminate the differences between automobiles.
Off-side: side away
from driver
See above.
Propeller shaft:
drive shaft
The shaft that connects the gearbox to the rear axle, this
is a linear motion and the term is taken straight from nautical terms. Since
steam power began to be used in ships, the circular motion of the engine has
been transmitted to propulsion by a shaft with a propeller on it. When the same
system was used in motor vehicles, the shaft connects to the rear axle rather
than a propeller, but still propels the vehicle.
Tarmac: blacktop
Tar and macadam mix to create tarmac, a hot pourable
substance commonly used for road surfaces. Due to the inherent color of tar, asphalt
or blacktop became a lay term that encompasses most black road surfaces.
Road works:
construction zone
Road works can be one word or two, but is an unusual
phrasing that does not match normal English grammar. Signs commonly read
‘Roadworks Ahead,’ and would mean that work on the road is happening ahead and
not that the road ahead is functioning. The idea of a ‘works,’ seems to stem
from the industrial revolution when factories and plants were often called
‘Works.’ When laborers toiled on the thoroughfares, the all-encompassing
‘works’ took in all aspects of whatever the crew was doing. In much the same
way, the term construction took in all aspects of road work (not works) and now
a sign reading ‘Construction Ahead’ is readily translated as a road-repair zone
is ahead. For non-native speakers, these would not directly translate and be
less obvious.
Junction:
intersection
From the Latin iungere "to join together," junction is a term
used more in America when referencing railroads, while intersection became more
common for streets.
Pelican/Puffin/Toucan
Crossing: Pedestrian crossing
As seen above with pandas, cat’s eyes and zebras, the
English love their animal references. All of these bird crossings have slightly
different rules and layouts, but are much the same: a pedestrian can push a
button, and when the orange lights flash, they can cross – much like a zebra
crossing but without the automatic right of way.
Level crossing: railroad
crossing
Denoting a meeting of road and rail on the same plane, a
level crossing is far less common that one would initially think; when the vast
network of railways was put into place in Britain, the number of hills and
valleys means that there are far more bridges when road and rail meet than
expected. To separate them on maps and in reference, the idea of being on the
same horizontal plane kept things straight. The American ‘railroad crossing,’
has come into common use wherever the road crosses the railway.
MOT: vehicle
Inspection
Vehicle safety inspections may vary from state to state,
while in England, the MOT is an extremely rigorous Ministry of Transport test,
resulting in the ability to pay road tax and obtain a current tax disc.
Tax Disc: current
registration
A large round dated sticker in the front window, having one
means that the vehicle has paid road tax and is safe for road use. In the U.S.,
the condition of the license plates or registration stickers denotes the same
information.
Indicator: turn
signal
A device that indicates to other drivers a change in
direction, calling it an indicator just makes two words one.
When the automobile was invented in
1885, there were no rules and for the next 10+ years, the rules and terms had
to be invented. Many were borrowed from existing bits and pieces of railroad,
nautical and horse-related jargon; the rest were picked up by common use. With
cottage industries in American and England creating cars, no-one went back and
forth making sure that the terminology was staying the same. Rather, these
words are the results of what happens when, left to their own, independent
devices, tow cultures speaking much the same language create different words to
describe the same items. Some things, like ’The Bill,’ were social creations,
while others, like ‘bonnet,’ were transfers from the engineers who developed
the vehicles – in many cases they came from other trades, and their terms
transferred. The advent of the internet in the last 15 years has rapidly
homogenized the development of the English language across oceans and time
zones. This unique look at a widely-recognized piece of technology, the
automobile, allows us to see the blossoming development of separate, but
similar, terms and phrases in situ.