14 British driving words that confuse Americans

[@QALibrary]

The only strange thing about this channel that get British people confused is why have Evan not passed 1 million subs yet?

[@tobyValentine-bass]

@@alicemilne1444 As a british person I can tell you that I find it very strange that you thought it was necessary to voice your opinion, because I honestly find it quite odd.

[@tobyValentine-bass]

@@alicemilne1444 Hmm. I don't think I ever mentioned if my comment was odd or not. But I don't think this matters to be quite honest.

[@21_f_aus]

As an Australian, with British Ancestry, I also find it strange more followers...

[@21_f_aus]

​@@alicemilne1444I find the word cringy, cringy🤷🏼‍♀️ If you find him cringy then why are you here?

[@john_smith1471]

He very likely has 1m+, but many followers don’t subscribe, channel creators can see the stats, views, likes, patreon, adverts and no YT strikes all help monetise.

[@davidcroucher6262]

What you said about "emergency brakes" explains why there are so many more videos of cars rolling backwards being chased by their owners on foot from America than everywhere else.

[@detran09]

We use parking brakes

[@emmsdm]

​@@detran09I'm confused. The handbrake IS the parking brake. Do you have separate parking and emergency brakes? Why make the distinction?

[@davidcroucher6262]

@@detran09 Thanks for bringing this up, I was just thinking this morning I swear I have heard Americans use the term "parking brake". Is that a different term for the same thing or something entirely different? In the UK we are taught to use the "hand brake" every time get out of the driver's seat.

[@sodorflubbs5000]

That must be because they forgot to put their automatics in park.

[@theatheearthkiller5281]

@@emmsdmlol this is 100% logical, but it’s really because they didn’t put their car in park, but rather put it in neutral instead. Damn automatics. Lol - people that drive stick here DO use emergency brakes.😂 but this is funny.

[@KoeiNL]

A hand brake is not for emergencies only. Its used for parking so your car doesn't roll away, technically you could also keep it in a gear instead (also advised to do both on a steep hill). If you have never learned to drive a manual I can understand the confusion though.

[@TheEulerID]

It's almost never for emergencies. That's what the main brake is for. The parking brake makes a particularly bad job of stopping in an emergency.

[@Serenity_yt]

Also for cars without hill starting assistance you depend on the hand brake else you're stuck there or roll backwards before getting your foot on the gas. And in automatic cars (or at least our ambulances) you use the hand break for the Motorweiterlaufschaltung (continuing engine running sth. Basically you can leave the engine running but still close your car and you need the key to get it moving forwards again for theft prevention.

[@TheEulerID]

@@Serenity_yt Indeed. It's not really an emergency brake except in the extremely rare case that main brakes have failed, which is very rare with modern dual-circuit brakes.

[@the_pi_th_horseman]

@@TheEulerID the "Emergency" comes from when your main brakes fail. Very rare with modern cars, but it used to be a good thing to have in the back of your mind that you had a mechanical way to engage the brakes if your Master Cylinder blew and dumped all your fluid on the road.

[@Torauth]

The Emergency Brake thing explains why you get so much footage of Americans getting out of cars and then said car rolls away whilst driver does a delivery or something. In the UK if you're still for more than a few seconds you put the hand-brake on.

[@EmilyCheetham]

We say lollipop person because the sign is in the shape of a lollipop. We say zebra crossing because the crossing is black and white stripes. They make sense.

[@graemeclifford6358]

When teaching young children where it is safe to cross a road, surely it is sensible to use language they easily understand. A lady holding a lollipop is simple (childish)

[@EmilyCheetham]

@@graemeclifford6358 it’s not always a lady that’s why we say lollipop person nowadays and not lollipop lady. Also what’s simpler than lollipop person? Besides the ones around where I live only worked around schools in the morning and at school finishing times. So kids are taught about zebra crossings, traffic lights, and other types of crossings too.

[@Inucroft]

Correct, regards a former Lollypop Man.

[@Wizard0fDogs]

Plus lollipop people are around kids so it also makes sense the name is more playful

[@Inucroft]

@@graemeclifford6358 *grumpy male lollypop man noises* :P

[@jazzzzdude]

The handbrake is also referred to as a parking brake. Number plate's proper name is registrationplate because it is the number/letters that is used to register the car with the DVLA. Technically a pacement is any surface that is paved. What people commonly call a pavement is actually the footway to distinguish it from a carriageway. ( I used to be a highways engineer.)

[@Leenapanther]

Does that mean the registration plate is bound to a specific car? You can't put it on a different one? Where i come from you own that plate and can put it on every car. There are even auctions for special numbers.

[@Milkster1]

​@Leenapanther that's correct. Unless you pay for a custom plate. But even then a plate can only be used on one car. I guess its probably possible to swap plates but you have to do it officially.

[@NineLivesburra]

I also grew up using footpath for Pavement. Especially confusing when some towns have a street named Pavement.

[@jazzzzdude]

@@Leenapanther you can transfer a plate to a different vehicle but both vehicles need to be reregistered with DVLA first. Otherwise you get prosecuted for fraud or some similar offence.

[@bencarpendale]

I don't think I have ever heard the word "footway", if I really didn't want to say pavement I would say footpath but that sounds really weird when referring to a path beside a road

[@Inselmann2000]

Just for fun, in Germany the indicator is called blinker. But the official word is "Fahrtrichtungsanzeiger". That translates to "driving-direction-indicator".

[@achimdemus-holzhaeuser1233]

also the hand-break is called Handbremse :) which translates to hand-break

[@thomascarroll9556]

@@achimdemus-holzhaeuser1233 in the U.K. a “hand-break” is a serious injury or if you were ambidextrous, it could be a rest for one hand whilst you used the other.

[@vanessamichaels9512]

same in US.

[@everestbc7007]

Pulling the hand brake in an emergency sounds like the fastest way to heaven

[@graemeclifford6358]

As a young driver, i used to enjoy doing "handbrake turns" ... i wonder what americans would call that manoeuvre ????

[@frankshailes3205]

@@graemeclifford6358 A bootleg turn, also known as a smuggler's turn, powerslide, or simply bootlegger...

[@DjDolHaus86]

@@frankshailes3205 A powerslide would surely be using engine power to slide the car, no?

[@SarahDawes]

​@@graemeclifford6358 When I was learning to drive my dad took me out in the old '56 Morris Minor out to a mate's paddock to get me to practice "skid correction" by using a "handbrake turn" to full effect. XD

[@KenFullman]

Some years back we had a large downfall of snow which, we hadn't seen the likes of, in decades. My granddaughter was very excited to see it so I took her out for a ride in the car to see it in all of it's glory. We came to one particular stretch of road that was wide and straight with nothing moving and this is where I decided to turn around. I did a handbrake turn (just for the fun of it) then she called out "again again" so I was down there for about half an hour. Eventually we saw a police car coming towards us. I assumed that someone had called in to complain about my behaviour so this time I continued on towards home. Giving the police a smile and a wave as I passed them. In my rear view mirror I saw them do a handbrake turn so assumed they were coming after me so I pulled over and waited for them. But then before they reached me they did another, then another...

[@DylanSargesson]

Zebra Crossing is a particular version of what Americans would call a crosswalk. The other versions are Pelican, Puffin, Toucan and Pegasus

[@growley333]

Yes I was looking for a comment on this. It depends on if and what type of lights and signs are by the crossing too. I think zebra is the most basic so just the black & white stripes on the road? And others have the yellow lollipop flashing beacons or traffic lights by them etc.

[@kiradotee]

​@@growley333some are for pedestrians and cyclists.

[@kgames3563]

​@@kiradoteetoucan crossing - two can, which is the crossing where pedestrians and cyclists can cross

[@bidentity69]

@@growley333 The yellow lollipop flashing beacon is called a Belisha beacon .

[@tomburnham5119]

After Leslie Hore-Belisha, who was Minister of Transport when the first one appeared.

[@philpalmer8684]

Regarding "lollipop person". I think, Evan, that you are missing the historical perspective on this as is probably also true for anyone under the age of 50. You must remember that the vast majority of urban children in 50's and 60's UK walked to school on their own so it was really important that they only crossed the road by the wardens (I think when advertising for the job, local authorities use the term crossing warden). So the name was used to make the warden more friendly to children. Which child wouldn't remember instructions about a lollipop lady even if they didn't hand out confectionery? I started school at the age of 5 in 1959 and walked or ran the half mile there on my own after my mother walking me for the the first couple of weeks and it was very strictly drummed into me that I should always wait for the lollipop lady before crossing the road.

[@BucksCycleCam]

Important to note that, since there's no such thing as 'jaywalking' in the UK, lollipop people aren't confined to guarding marked crossing points. They're actually much more important when they're not at a Zebra, since they have the power to stop vehicles to allow pedestrians to cross at any point on the road.

[@Draiscor]

I always thought it was because their sign is shaped like a lollipop 😅

[@lunaangeleclipse9745]

I think even young people get it. I'm gen z and I remember my primary school made sure to introduce the kids to the local lollipop person who manned the nearest crossing to the school.

[@andrewpeacock8762]

@Draiscor this, this is why i have always referred to them as lollipop ladies!

[@nicolad8822]

The vast majority of of urban children still do walk to school, the younger ones more often with parents these days maybe.

[@WritingsOfQuill]

As a fellow American, I'm always amused how much so-called "American" dialect I learn from Evan that is actually just East Coast and/or New Jersey. And how often that coincides with me and my Western American neighbors using "British" terms. I'm going through *roundabouts* on the daily here. XD

[@ninaradio]

Agreed! Here in Tennessee, we also say roundabout. Also, hand brake is a pretty interchangeable with emergency brake here (and I was taught to always use it every time you park, whether or not there’s a hill); we say traffic light or traffic signal every bit as often as we say stop light; and I’ve never even heard anyone say “emergency lights-“ or use blinker to refer to that-I’ve only heard that called the hazard.

[@thomascarroll9556]

@@ninaradio I think the hazard lights is one of the most I’ll thought-out features of a cars system, that could easily have been done much better in, especially in non-America-land where we use amber indicators/blinkers. At the moment if you can’t see both sides of a vehicle you can’t be certain if they have their hazards on or just an indicator, what they could have done would to have had the hazards flashing at a faster irregular interval and/or the indicators and brake lights flashing alternately, that would be a very clear which signal was being utilised. It would be particularly helpful when parked cars have their hazards on (I know that’s not the proscribed use but people do use them that way) and other motorists don’t know if they’re going to pull out.

[@mbatatok-tokngogo2711]

That's really interesting to read, because I was just thinking about how he does the same thing in regards to the UK as well. For example, when he said pavement, I imagined a 'blacktop sidewalk'. But then he showed the photo and made a joke about crumbling infrastructure with tree roots coming through it, and I remembered that he lives in London. That's a very London thing. Towns outside London just have pavements made of blacktop asphalt, with no trees in them. It's only London that usually has pavements made of stone/concrete with trees in them. For what it's worth, these are much nicer to walk along than ones without any trees.

[@katieingridfalcon4960]

Cap Region NY, we say roundabout. I believe family extended family in GA does thanks to us. Traffic circles are those circles of “sidewalk” in the middle of an oversized intersection that are used for traffic claiming. Also the number of times Brits insist that Americans think “curtain” is the fancy word for “drapes” is wild.

[@salt6831]

Yup!

[@hiiamelecktro4985]

I was specially told by driving instructors that you NEVER use hand brake for emergencies. They said that the ABS system will stop working, making you lose all control over your vehicle while braking. I was told “press the brakes hard and try to avoid hitting the things your braking for”

[@streyyk5799]

Tommy Cooper joke: I was driving up the motorway and my boss phoned me and he told me I’d been promoted. I was so shocked I swerved the car. He phoned me again to say I’d been promoted even higher and I swerved again. He then made me managing director and I went right off into a tree. The police came and asked me what had happened. I said “I careered off the road”

[@lemming9984]

Titter!!!

[@inatwirlingram2540]

Can't beat a Tommy Cooper joke 😂

[@sooskevington6144]

​@@lemming9984It made me titter with laughter that Google provided a 'translate to English' option to your comment consisting of the English language word "titter". That the inaccurate translation of 'peeking' was given was even funnier!

[@lemming9984]

@@sooskevington6144 Snigger! 😃

[@kaleklol]

I'm American -- from the Midwest but lived in California a while too -- and I use "traffic light" and "roundabout" most naturally. I've never been to the UK.

[@Tamaranth404]

Ah! I was looking to see if anyone else had said this already! I'm American too - born/raised in North Carolina - and I've only ever used "traffic light", personally. I've heard both of course, but "stoplight" always makes me think of the lights that only flash red, even though I know that's not what it means lol. I used to use "roundabout" and "traffic circle" interchangeably back when they were pretty rare in the area, but now that they're much more common I always say roundabout...mostly cuz it just rolls off the tongue easier, I think. 😄

[@ginny93en]

Same

[@therealpbristow]

There's a major road in Cheltenham we sometimes jokingly refer to as "the red light district"... As in: "13 sets of traffic lights in a row, and all of them red." =:o}

[@roguechevelle]

I just commented this too and I'm from Florida.

[@NickCBax]

Yup. I thought this for several of the words. This is one of those things that is pretty regional in the US.

[@hesky10]

Try not using your handbrake in a manual car on a relatively flat and see if it doesnt roll away on its own accord. Given that british cars are manuals (stick shift) as standard the handbrake is mandatory to avoid your car rolling away. A handbrake is extra security if you have an automatic vehicle. Ive driven both manual and automatic here in the uk and always used the handbrake as its ingrained from learning to drive

[@leilasmila]

Yes, I think this is a big difference!

[@really-quite-exhausted]

My parents literally just bought their first automatic car and have spent every journey reaching for the handbrake when at junctions and traffic lights and then remembering they don't need it anymore. I can't drive at all so I just sit in the back seat and laugh at them 😂

[@utha2665]

I've never had to use my handbrake in an emergency either.

[@elemar5]

I can't think of an emergency where you would use the handbrake. Unless you need to do a 180.@@utha2665

[@mytube001]

@@really-quite-exhausted I use the normal foot brake at stops. I might turn off the engine and pull the hand brake if I know it's going to be a long wait, like at a rail crossing when the train takes a while, or if there's extra traffic lights for some roadworks.

[@billydonaldson6483]

The verb ‘career’ means to move swiftly in an uncontrolled manner. Careening in English means cleaning the hull of a ship, they used to roll sailing ships on one side and careen the the hull then roll them over onto the opposite side and careen the other side.

[@cigmorfil4101]

Moving swiftly in an uncontrolled manner from job to job is your career...

[@cactusparty023]

I haven't heard anyone in the UK use career, everyone i know would say swerve

[@david672orford]

I believe "career" was also used to describe the movement of a runaway horse.

[@wta1518]

Career means to move rapidly, and has been confused with careen by the Brits since the 1920s. Careen means to move from side to side, sometimes while careering since the 17-1800s.

[@ktj383]

@@cactusparty023 I’m British I would probably say veer off or swerve like you say

[@abrr2000]

as a train nurd, I have to point out that the "guards van" and the "caboose" actually serve two very different functions. • The guards van was where the guard sat and adjusts the breaks to ensure the chain couplings are kept taught enough to stop them jumping off the hooks and decoupling the train. (since we stoped using chain couplings, the guards van become extinct) • The caboose as well as being where the break man operates from, is also a mobile office space for filling out paperwork, a break room and bedding area for the crew. Because they often operated trains where there were none of those things.

[@robinhillyard6187]

both are extinct!

[@vipperblaze8923]

there are 4 different types of crossing in the UK and 3 of them are named after birds there's the zebra crossing (named after the black and white stripes) there's the pelican crossing (a light crontrolled crossing where you press a button and wait for the traffic light to turn red and then it starts beeping at you, used to be spelled pelicon because PEdestrian LIght CONtrolled) there's the toucan crossing which is what allows bicycles to cross (you can learn this by saying "two can cross" and these generally have a separate light for bicycles and pedestrians) finally there's the puffin crossing (similar to pelican crossings but with sensors that detect if pedestrians are crossing slowly and halt traffic for longer and will also cancel a button press if the person who pressed it walks away or crosses early)

[@utha2665]

Well, there you go. I was wondering what the difference was, thanks for explaining.

[@growley333]

Which one is the crossing with an orange flashing ball on a black & white striped stick on each side but no🚦?

[@niallblack2794]

​@@growley333that's a zebra crossing Also for anyone wondering. The highway code explicitly explains why each is called what it is. They've added some more. Like I swear from when I last read the HC that there's a Pegasus crossing which is when they have the bit for horses too. So if you're in the country and they have a separate horse path that then gets to a crossing and it has buttons for the lights at regular pedestrian height and also at the height for someone mounted on horseback.

[@katrinabryce]

@@niallblack2794 You will mostly find pegasus crossings in London around Buckingham Palace / Hyde Park / Green Park.

[@garygcrook]

To an American these would all be Crosswalks, to a Brit these are all different under the Highway Code and for safety.

[@_AndrewYee]

The plate on a car in UK is officially called registration plate, although many do say number plate

[@iNightra]

Yeah I've always just called it a redge plate

[@roguechevelle]

that makes sense.

[@TheErador]

​@@iNightraa Reg. Plate then.

[@DavidNewmanDr]

Australians say reggo

[@neuralwarp]

Technically, a Registration Mark in the UK. Everyone says number plate. And Guernsey does just use numbers.

[@claudioferrara4455]

Handbrake: it’s called the same in other European languages (e.g. freno a mano in Italian, freno de mano in Spanish), and here in Europe they teach you at driving school to ALWAYS use it when you park your car, not only when you park uphill. Hence not “emergency”!

[@philippabrealey1310]

Amber light. It was introduced before plastic could be made any colour you want. So they had to use glass and the colour it made wasn't really yellow, more orangy brown. So it was called amber which was a better description of the colour.

[@polyvg]

Possibly oddly, UK railway signals show yellow - not amber. Possibly they were introduced a bit later when they could make them really yellow?

[@lolzlolz69]

@@polyvg It's a definition thing rather than being about absolute colour. "Yellow" has been used to describe a caution signal ever since the first days of railway signalling with police constables and flags.

[@BillySugger1965]

If you really want to know Evan, (and I suspect you don’t), the reason we use amber lights in the UK is because green and yellow are surprisingly close to each other on the colour spectrum. I once had to deal with products being manufactured with LEDs that were supposed to be yellow and green, but actually looked exactly the same. So amber, being a little further towards the mid point on the spectrum between red and green, is less likely to be mistaken for one of the other two colours. This may also be an issue for people with certain kinds of colour blindness, but I’m told amber doesn’t help people with red/green colour blindness. But presumably such people are fucked by traffic lights anyway, so I dunno…

[@neuralwarp]

It can be a problem. For me, red amber green and also yellow street lamps are all just shades of ginger. But you do get some distinctly reddish reds and bluish greens. Not a problem in daylight because you can tell by the position.

[@barvdw]

it's why traffic lights almost everywhere are standardised to have red on top and green at the bottom. Everywhere? No, there is a nation that has warded all attempts at standardising road signs...

[@ser132]

in Canada, the lights are amber, but everyone says yellow. I remember when I was taking the test multiple choice test to get my learner's permit years ago one of the questions had the choice of amber, and I was like, "wtf is an amber light" lol. Everyone just calls it a yellow light, even though it's actually amber.

[@MissesLykaa]

@@ser132 in the Netherlands we call it an orange light, which is probably the same as amber lol, but I've never heard of someone referring to the middle colour as yellow

[@ShirinRose]

But why is it called amber and not orange?

[@darkora_]

Evan continues to teach us the differences between English (Traditional) and English (Simplified) 😅

[@frankshailes3205]

Whose tradition though... a lot of American English is closer to what the UK used to use in the 17th and 18th centuries.

[@TheZacman2]

If you've actually taken the time to watch his videos, he gives several examples of how American words denote more specificity about what is being referred to, while British words for the same things are more general and could be interpreted in multiple ways. Please explain how you characterize this as the simplification.

[@Wizard0fDogs]

​@@TheZacman2 Chill dude, 'tis but a joke. But also, at the end of the video Evan literally says in the US a roundabout is just called a circle, couldn't get much more simple than that, additionally have you seen how Americans spell "realise" and "colour" they simplified it because apparently silent letters were too difficult for them lmao

[@Maglev178]

​@@Wizard0fDogsI think simplified is more relevant with scientific terms where ph is replaced with f (sulphur) and extra vowels are removed like foetus or faeces

[@BrianRonald]

Noah Webster has a lot to answer for this. @@frankshailes3205

[@rhillsgamer4121]

I live in the US and I have never referred to a roundabout as a circle. That one had actually surprised me as I am not sure I have ever heard someone refer to one as a circle

[@Abi-bi6cb]

I assume he shortened the term 'traffic circle'?

[@eddymccabe5351]

Whilst I’d agree with you in general terms, I grew up (in Dundee, Scotland) half a mile from a roundabout. There were shops nearby, and the immediate area, due to the presence of the “roundabout” was known as “The Circle” - in fact a fish and chip shop was called “The Circle” chippy. However, no other roundabout in the city was afforded this title.

[@arthurerickson5162]

Evan claims that he grew up in the great State of New Jersey. Here in NJ, we do refer to roundabouts as “traffic circles” or just “circles.” Once common, they were replaced by “jug handles” to help cross “Jersey barriers” (essentially concrete fences used on divided trunk roads). Also, in the NJ Driver’s Manual, the middle color in a stop/go traffic signal is referred to as “amber!”

[@rhillsgamer4121]

@@arthurerickson5162 I was just surprised. The language that he learned in NJ is usually fairly similar to the language that I grew up with in NY (not the city)

[@TheDJHoller]

I've heard them being called a "rotary", but that was only on a TomTom SatNav by one of the American voices

[@southvillechris]

In the UK, most cars are manual transmission (shift stick), which means the handbrake is essential when you stop on a hill - say at traffic lights, otherwise the car will roll backwards. Most cars in the US are automatic transmission, so the car doesn't roll back, and most of the time you don't need the handbrake.

[@lachlanhunt]

In Australia, we mostly follow the UK words, but with some differences. Calling a lollipop man/lady a crossing guard seems strange. We almost never have them at crossings like they do in the US. They more often work at roadworks, controlling traffic. We usually call the middle traffic light Orange, but Amber is technically the name of the specific colour. I think they might use a different colour in America because photos of American lights do look more yellow than ours, which definitely look more Orange. Indicators are often called blinkers. We never call them turn signals. Sidewalk/pavements are usually called foot paths.

[@louisemorris1581]

I’ve seen a few lollipop people outside schools in NSW but the official title is school crossing supervisor. I would refer to them as lollipop man/lady but I’m English born.

[@Lily33McC]

Amber is a warmer colour than yellow and is apparently easier to see in foggy conditions we sometimes get in the UK! ❤

[@garygcrook]

The actual British equivalent of a Caboose is called a Brake Van. Both were designed to act as additional braking on cargo trains as they didn't have brakes on each car back then. This feature was combined into other carriages on passenger trains. A Guards Van/Car is usually a Luggage carriage used/manned by the guards on British trains, and isn't necessarily the last car.

[@alistairburgess8688]

Close but not 100%. Brake Van and guards van are interchangeable, BR standardised to BV but thr GWR called them guards vans. For coaching stock it's call.a Brake coach, with there are many types, it's nothing to do with the guard but what coaches have a hnad Brake. All loco hauled passengers trains must have 1 handbrake fitted vehicl in the formation.

[@tonysheerness2427]

I thought a Caboose was a food wagon on the back of train.

[@davidgould9431]

I had (many, many years ago) an American colleague who did his very best to not "park on the pavement" by pulling his car onto the, erm, "sidewalk". The traffic warden was very amused and amazingly understanding when he heard my colleague's accent.

[@rklrkl64]

You missed some parts of a car that are different: bonnet vs hood, windscreen vs windshield, accelerator vs gas pedal, shock absorber vs damper, sill vs rocker panel, boot vs trunk, wing vs fender and exhaust pipe vs tail pipe being the most obvious. Other driving differences: motorway vs highway, petrol vs gas, car park vs parking lot, crossroads vs intersection, multistorey car park vs parking garage, sleeping policeman vs speed bump, lorry vs truck, diversion vs detour, cul-de-sac vs dead end, caravan vs trailer, dual carriageway vs divided highway, estate car vs station wagon, level crossing vs grade crossing, give way sign vs yield sign, central reservation vs median and saloon vs sedan.

[@garygcrook]

I noticed you didn't use 'Bumper vs Fender' even though Fender as in 'Defender' is the American word. Is it because Americans have taken to using Bumper, as saying "bumper-to-bumper" for a traffic jam sounds better than "fender-tofender"?

[@Tamaranth404]

Just for the record, a cul-de-sac and a dead end aren't actually the same thing (afaik)... A cul-de-sac is when the street ends in a wider area where you can just drive around in a circle in order to go back the way you came. A dead end is when the street literally just stops, and usually looks like the street was supposed to keep going but just didn't for whatever reason. At least, that's how I've always understood it as an American, and hearing both used all the time.

[@bobtheskutterbot]

Great list! Where were you 15 years ago when an American asked me what the median was called in British English?

[@salamanda11]

I’m sorry SLEEPING POLICEMAN??

[@conlon4332]

@@salamanda11 Yeah, although people also say speed bump.

[@frogandspanner]

3:36 *Career* : The word comes from a road/racecourse/carriage. A career, as in a job that develops according to a plan, fits in with that, but so does _to career_ , which originally meant to charge at top speed, lance under arm, tilting at one's opponent. *Careen* means to tilt over one's vessel in order to remove barnacles and other unwanted accretions. It can be wet in UK, but our cars tend not to accumulate barnacles, so we rarely careen them.

[@davidhendrie6935]

The colour "Amber", named after the gemstone, has a distinct orange tinge to it. Definitely not yellow. It has been the traffic light colour since introduction in 1926. I believe the actual shades of red, amber and green are standardised.

[@nuneatonolly]

Yep, amber is quite a specific shade between orange and yellow. Personally, I really like the colour - and love the fact that we call it amber in the UK 😄

[@K-o-R]

For fun, a railway signal is referred to as yellow.

[@catgladwell5684]

and we couldn't have had the snappy little "don't be an amber gambler" phrase if we called it orange, "Don't be an orange .... er".

[@sinkingkitchen]

in the Netherlands we just call the light orange lol

[@EmilyCheetham]

We say Amber light in uk as many are amber (like the gemstone Amber) coloured not yellow. In other words they have an orange ish tint to them.

[@utha2665]

Here in Australia we sometimes refer to the amber light as the orange light.

[@utha2665]

Emergency brake, really? It's everyday use is a hand brake, here in Australia we also call it a park brake, which really is what it is designed for. Sidewalk, pavement, even better footpath. Interesting note, in South Africa they call a traffic light a robot. Always interesting and fun as usual, Evan. Thanks.

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

In America it is also called a parking brake, but it is required to be tested at inspection for emergency use, if the hydraulic brakes fail while driving. That is the main purpose. Look inside a Toyota Kluger in Australia, 2019 model or older. The parking brake has a pedal, not a hand lever. In America say footpath for a packed dirt pathway, but if paved, we often say walkway, when it is not along side of a street, which then would be a sidewalk.

[@brogicus]

In the UK a footpath would be the thing hikers walk on (e.g through a field / up a mountain)

[@fsujavi16]

In CA we call it an emergency brake, hand brake, or parking brake. All the same thing.

[@continental_drift]

@@brogicus I've heard that in some videos on KZbin and realised where footpath came from In Australia, Not all footpaths are paved and those that are are still called footpaths.

[@JTScottOfficial]

We do refer to it as the parking brake in the UK as well. When we park.

[@royboivin]

american here and we always called it a hand brake... the emergency brake is usually referring to the one you have to push down with your foot and you pop it back up with your hand under the dash. Also grew up saying career when meaning swerving. I think most of these words are dependent on what part of the states your in.We also have a lot of roundabouts never heard anyone call it a circle. Again I think this is probably based on what ever location you were in durring your time in the states.

[@nightwishlover8913]

Brake...

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

The legal term is usually emergency brake under most American vehicle codes and regulations. That's its main purpose, regardless if it is foot or hand operated. It is required in case the regular brakes fail while driving.

[@melissaroscher1080]

Also, parking brake is used. When I found out about how the brits used the hand brake at stop lights, I started doing it, and as my feet have aged, I find myself doing quite often. I hope I have a car that will always has a nice mechanical hand brake. These new digital ones would just get broken.

[@archie-127]

As a brit living in Germany I love watching your videos; they give me a sense of love and nostalgia in a very uplifting way. Along with some educational kicks in the caboose to remind me that the unexpectedly learned things in a day are always the best; bet ya caboose on it! 🎉😂 my new word of the moment, thank you Evan!

[@gwtreece]

Roundabouts are becoming more common in the US. In Missouri, they continue to add roundabouts and diverging diamond interchanges. I’ve never heard them called a circle.

[@lynn69jackson]

The irony is that an American invented roundabouts but they never seemed to catch on there. I think since mythbusters proved that traffic flow at junctions is more efficient with roundabouts that they are beginning to become more popular.

[@terben7339]

Careen is used to describe dragging a ship out of the water onto a beach and tipping it over onto its side. This is done to scrape all the fouling off its bottom. It comes from the Latin word 'carina', keel in English. Career means to move at full speed, out of control, in non-US English.

[@daveayerstdavies]

In an automatic car you could say the handbrake is for 'emergency' but in a manual car you need the handbrake for every hill start, not just 'emergency'.

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

It doesn't matter what type the transmission is if the regular brakes fail, while driving, not parking. That's the reason it is called an emergency brake and is required to function properly at vehicle inspection.

[@Phiyedough]

In practice you use it for every start because it saves having to assess every place you stop for its flatness.

[@daveayerstdavies]

Why name something that has multiple uses after the specific use that it will probably never experience? @@BrandonLeeBrown The handbrake is also used as a parking brake as manual transmissions don't have 'Park'.

[@potterlover96]

I love the BMW driver joke, no idea if that's a thing in America or something Evan has picked up here but it's so true 😂

[@emilynolf]

Having lived in Indiana, Iowa, Texas, and Kentucky, I’ve primarily heard of circular lanes of traffic being referred to as “roundabouts.” I have also heard the term “traffic circle,” but roundabout is definitely more common in my personal experience.

[@havtor007]

So if i understand this correctly a Traffic circle is not the same as a roundabout, in how you enter and exit it. Traffic circles is why there is so few roundabouts in America because they are less safe and far worse then roundabouts.

[@kokliangchew3609]

I'm Malaysian and there's a word we use here to mean to reverse a vehicle which is a cross between a nautical term and pidgin English. It is "Gostan", and it is derived from the nautical term "Go-astern", i.e., to move backwards or behind a ship. As to how it became common usage here, nobody knows, although it might be the British Navy influence here :)

[@xANN28x]

Here to say I liked Mic 2 better. Also, great video. I love these vocabulary videos so much.

[@aaronshade90]

Mic 2 (the one used for most of the video) is definitely better. Sounded cosier whilst Mic 1 was louder and startled me slightly. if that makes sense! Great video Evan as ever! 💜

[@samtibbitts]

Also, mic 1 is picking up/amplifying a lot more sizzle or higher frequency sounds from your voice. That might make you slightly easier to understand but is not flattering.

[@phillshas1935]

Evan. I love the etymology of words... Career means to move rapidly at a fast speed, often used in jousting where it lead to Career Off, meaning the jouster suddenly moved in another direction (probably due to a big pole hitting his ribs!). Career also evolved into a course of travel for a professional, hence Career in the employment sense. The etymology of Career is also directly linked to Carraige and Car. Careen however comes from the french word Cariner, to expose a ships keel. I guess both USA & UK are both correct 👍

[@eattherich9215]

Careen sounds like some awful butter substitute.

[@davidhendrie6935]

"Pavement". This goes back to the days of horse-drawn transport in our towns and cities, where the only paved areas were for walking on. The roads were originally just dirt, then "cobble stones" became the norm. Even though the roads are now paved, the term for "where you walk" has stuck! You can still find some cobbled streets preserved up here in Glasgow and Edinburgh. 😀

[@AbiGail-ok7fc]

The Dutch call the middle light of a traffic light "orange". And in the Netherlands, the light is orange, not yellow. Amber is a shade of colour between yellow and orange. Also, in the Netherlands, the lights are officially called "verkeerslichten" which translates to "traffic lights" (so, the UK term). But most people will say "stoplicht", meaning "stop light" (the US term). And the Dutch use "Zebrapad" (zebra path) for the crossing. But the call the lollipop man a "Klaarover" ("Ready over" or "Clear over")

[@gdclemo]

In Japan, green traffic lights are called blue for some reason, even though they are all green (if I remember correctly, this is hearsay)

[@ThePizzabrothersGaming]

I've never heard klaarover. Only Verkeersregelaar

[@JV-pu8kx]

I've heard "flyover" used to refer to the long, swooping, curved bridges for the ramps at freeway interchanges. Americans call it a "Parking Brake," as well. In my experience, Americans use "roundabout," more than "circle." However, my home town has a "traffic circle." The primary difference is in a roundabout, everyone has to yield to traffic in the circular intersection, while a traffic circle will have stop signs or lights at either the entrances or inside the circle, if it is big enough. My traffic circle has one stop sign, three yield signs, and two gas stations. ( 😮 I may have doxed myself. 😟 )

[@georgeadams1853]

In New England, they're called "rotaries". Curiously, many of them aren't even circular.

[@stevelknievel4183]

My roundabout has no Stop or Give Way signs and the only traffic lights are for the adjacent pedestrian crossing. What it does have though is a Art Deco Ferrari/Maserati dealer (that's the building not the cars!) which was used a few years ago as a filming location in one of the episodes of the David Suchet series of Poirot. I too may have just doxed myself.

[@roguechevelle]

I'm from north Florida we also call it a "roundabout" and a "traffic light" here. I've never heard it called a circle before but there are so many differences in regions in the US.

[@porgy29]

As someone from the Northeast of the US (MA specifically): -the whole fixture is a Traffic Light but the red light specifically is a Stop Light. But the main time they come up is when you are " stopped at a stop light." -We never call them "Circles" rarely a "traffic circle" but usually a roundabout or a rotery. Also in the past 20 years they have gotten much more common. -I know this is a distictly MA thing but we call the turn signal the "blinker," and for extra Bostonian drop the "r" and pronounce it "blinka".

[@THEEblindman]

The hand brake is used as an everyday brake in the UK as there are a lot more manual (Stickshift) cars that will roll backwards on small inclines at stops, plus its used a lot as a parking brake when you leave the car parked unlike automatics which dont roll back on small inclines and have a park position on the gear selector. so here we call them the "Handbrake" and "footbrake"

[@b34m270]

In French the official term for traffic light is feu tricolore which means tricolor light, but for some reason it's basically always called feu rouge/red light, even when it's green

[@better.better]

Amber is a specific color of yellow bulb, and even here in the states if you go to an automotive store, you would be asking them for an Amber bulb if you wanted to purchase a replacement. since you been away for awhile, you probably don't realize how many intersections have been replaced with roundabouts. here in Albany NY they've been going kind of nuts with them over the last 10 years, and there places where there's several in a row. and it goes either way on what people call them. some call them "roundabouts" others "traffic circles"... a lot of places especially replacing jughandles with roundabouts. there aren't many jug handles where I live, but I do remember encountering them when I visited my grandmother in New Jersey before she passed.

[@ToothbrushMan]

Try going to Milton Keynes in the UK. Every single junction is a roundabout. Seriously. They are everywhere.

[@utha2665]

What is a jug handle?

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

Yes, but in America, the driving laws usually refers to the caution light as being yellow.

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

​@@ToothbrushManno they're not.

[@garygcrook]

There was that Mythbuster episode where they compared a roundabout to a four-way junction with lights, the Roundabout was shown to be faster and more efficient. Such experiments and studies might be why Roundabouts have been increasing in the US.

[@nathangamble125]

In British English, careening is cleaning the bottom of a boat. I also always understood "caboose" to be another term for "sleeping car", entirely separate to the guard's wagon.

[@ComfyCherry]

ahhh yes, the emergency situation we all know so well... parking your car.

[@eattherich9215]

😂😂😂

[@airborne63]

In the US, because of poor driver training and handing out of Drivers' Licences like candy.......parking a car...IS an 'emergency situation' for many Americans. as they don't seem to be able to do it correctly.

[@NineLivesburra]

It's also known as a registration plate. Also the original plates only had numbers but with more cars on the road, the letters crept in and the first two represent the town where the car was registered. For example vehicle with a plate beginning YH20 was registered in York in 2020.

[@craiggerhardstein7305]

in the United States they just go in order. you will see plates with the same letters in the same order but different numbers like you will see 315 HDP then will see a 461 HDP and numbering and letter system varies from state to state. some states make you get a new plate when you buy a new car and some states let you transfer the plate to the new car or if you own multiple cars but don't always drive them all you can just get one plate and then go to the DMV and transfer the plate to another car.

[@neskire]

I am a Canadian/American and I have always called it a "parking brake". I live in New Zealand now and the "sidewalk" is called a "footpath" here. The area I live in (Wairarapa) has no traffic lights, only stop signs, give-way signs (yield), and roundabouts.

[@r.brooks5287]

We (UK) call it a pavement when it's paved and next to a road, everything else, including pavements, are footpaths.

[@Blue-d3t1c]

As an American/American (of the 70’s), we called it a parking brake too. Mostly foot operated, but sometimes mounted on the dash. Modern handbrakes and bench seats were simply incompatible.

[@michaelclark3192]

I was baffled when driving in Canada (from Australia) when there were signs saying put your 4 way flashers on in bad weather on the highway. I'd never heard that in my life but I realised it meant the hazard lights.

[@annabelholland]

When it comes to the word 'highway' in the UK, it means any public road (including motorways), pavements or cycle paths although it is commonly used in official and legal documents and not really common in colloquial speech. An example is 'All motor vehicles shall have insurance, tax and MOT (unless exempt) when being driven or parked on the *highway*' The US may also use highway to refer to the above, but its commonly used to refer to a motorway.

[@sarahealey1780]

Many years ago when satnavs were still very new, I purchased one while in the US as they were cheaper thereat the time, I loaded the UK maps onto it, but it kept the US language it called motorways highways and roundabouts rotisseries, which always made me think of chicken when it said it 😂

[@SamanthaJoe]

Rotisseries?! That's hilarious. 😂 I want that sat nav! Which also is a fun word too because Sat Nav is UK where in US we'd be more likely to say GPS.

[@lisahenry20]

My first experience with a satnav was when we went on holiday to Florida and hired a car. We always made fun of how it said different things.

[@TheErador]

It was rotary on early TomToms with the US voices

[@TheErador]

​@@SamanthaJoeGPS is a bad term though, as the GPS part is only what tracks where you are, whereas satellite navigation expresses the fact that it's more than a simple GPS which can only give you a position and potentially a compass reading for north, satnavs have route planning and often traffic information systems too

[@gchecosse]

​@@TheEradoralso modern ones will use GLONASS, Galileo and Beidou as well as GPS

[@ernestestrada2461]

As a child our family moved around and I would pick up the local accent. I'm just amazed that after 10 years you haven't picked up a British accent. My partner went to Canada for a week and came back speaking like a Canadian.

[@PugalshishOfficial]

I have lived in America my entire life and I have always called from traffic lights, roundabouts, and indicators

[@monmonmonsta]

In Aus there's a lot of pride over having a manual licence as well although it's pretty common now for people to go auto only. I prefer driving manual except in terrible traffic, you have better control over the car and I feel more tuned in so I enjoy that more

[@carrieann5714]

Where I grew up in the US, we used the term roundabout. The term handbrake would be in reference to what’s on a bicycle.

[@jemhams]

To answer your last question: I think mic 1 sounds crisper and it's easier to distinguish between words but it's also a bit sharper which makes it a bit unpleasant. Mic2 feels smoother but also a tiny bit more muffled. I was watching on my phone without headphones and would be just fine with either tbh.

[@bobtheskutterbot]

Good description.

[@MeppyMan]

I was showing my American friends around here in Australia, and I used the phrase “heaps of parks down there” when telling a stranger where they could park. My friends were baffled and years later they still say that to me like I was being silly. 😂 Also it’s a footpath.

[@kayelle8005]

I mentioned to my American friend that I was going to Chuck a U-ey. That was a fun conversation. That expression is now one of her favourites.

[@kasroa]

"heaps of parks", like a large quantity of parks? Those large areas of grass and trees usually found in cities and towns? Yeah it is silly. A footpath? Those paths in parks that allow you to walk on a solid surface instead of grass, dirt, stones or other natural surface? Yeah but they can be anywhere. A pavement or a sidewalk is specifically next to a road.

[@MeppyMan]

@@kasroa heap of parks as in plenty of car parks/spots. Footpath is a sidewalk/pavement.

[@michaelclark3192]

​@@kasroait's all footpaths in Australia whether it's beside a road or in a park. We also have bike paths that let you ride your bike on them in a park or if they're painted on the road are just bike lanes.

[@susanwestern6434]

@@kasroa Sometimes they can be footways as well as pavements in the UK.

[@martinnyberg9295]

2:04 ”Emergency brake”? Are you serious? In the booklet that comes with cars it’s a PARKING brake. 😂

[@BomberFletch31]

"Caboose" meaning one's rear end? Suddenly, that line in Star Trek: First Contact in which Lily told Picard, "watch your caboose, Dix" all makes sense - 27 years later!

[@AnthonyBurnett]

As a Canadian from Ontario, I would usually refer to the very rare roundabouts I encounter as "traffic circles". Just saying "circle" sounds incomplete. I'd be asking "What type of circle are you talking about?"

[@LivvyAlexW]

Same

[@utha2665]

Are they like crop circles? 🤭

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

On the CAA AMA website, they state that Alberta makes the distinction, between roundabouts and traffic circles and has diagrams of both types of intersection as they are defined in Alberta and how the rules differ.

[@annaflitz2838]

Funnily, they are called "Kreisverkehr" in Germany - 'circle traffic'. I've always thought "Verkehrskreis", 'traffic circle', would be a more appropriate name. Sometimes people shorten Kreisverkehr to Kreisel, which literally means spinning top.

[@stuffyouotterlistento1461]

I'm from the American South, and yeah, "circle" sounds a bit incomplete or slangish. You could say, "pull into the circle up here", and that sounds right, but if you just refer generally to circles, it sounds off.

[@blackrosenuk]

I live in the states and am American. 1, It's a roundabout. I sometimes hear "traffic circle" (like

[@annaburch3200]

Parking break!!! Yes. That's the other term I was looking for!! Thank you. 👍

[@PoolOfTrees]

In the UK we often shorten "the traffic lights" to just "the lights" too, e.g. "turn left at the lights".

[@XBluDiamondX]

@@PoolOfTrees Interesting, we also informally call them lights too. Only difference I'm used to is people say "turn left at the light" instead of using the plural version of it.

[@clivemortimore8203]

Evan mentioned about the British love of manual gear boxes. I have a full motor bike licence which entitles me to drive a 3 wheeled car with a manual gearbox. Following a motor cycle accident, where I smashed up my left elbow, I needed a car licence very quickly as I was not going back on my bike. With a then very painful left arm and my wife already having an automatic car I took the easy way out and learned to drive an automatic car. So I am now in the situation if a car has four wheels and a manual gearbox it is illegal for me to drive it but with one less wheel no problem. And before anyone ask, yes I did own a Reliant Supervan Three, just like Del Boy's but it was purple.

[@Abi-bi6cb]

I think the "emergency brake" difference is because Americans are used to automatics, which have a "park" function. Manuals left in neutral will roll, so the handbrake is actually the only type of brake engaged. You can leave the car in first gear for added security, but the handbrake is always engaged. Also lollipop persons have this name because the stop sign they hold resembles a lollipop.

[@benjibatch]

A flyover is usually refers to a bridge that carries vehicles whereas a a bridge just for pedestrians would be called an overpass/underpass

[@Thaumar]

In the Netherlands we have Red, Orange and Green traffic light, and they are definitely not yellow and I don’t remember ever seeing a yellow traffic light in the uk. Amber is a nice description for the orange-ish color, maybe in the US the color is actually yellow, I don’t know, but in the UK (like in the Netherlands), the middle color is not yellow. Also, in the Netherlands the official term is Traffic Lights, but most people refer to them as Stop Lights, but I agree traffic lights is a better description. And I have never used an Hand Brake as a Emergency Brake, that sound ridiculous, what kind of emergency would that be? Also, in modern(ish) cars most of the times it’s reduced to a button, basically only uses as a parking brake, also in a automatic transmission car. Driving stick is fun, gives you a sort of feeling of being in control of a machine I guess, but automatic make soooo much more sense, I mean, it’s perfectly capable of shifting gear by it self, why wouldn’t you want to make it easier for yourself. In the Netherlands a car is even called an Auto, it better be able to at least shift automatically I would say. Ok, back to sleep…

[@PippetWhippet]

Having had all three types of gearing, I can answer the question about why not - it’s because automatics never choose an appropriate gear for what’s about to happen. Sharp corner coming up, your auto doesn’t know and so doesn’t choose the correct gear for the corner until you’re in the corner. Maybe if you slow down to cornering speed (with your brake pads, because it’s not going to engine brake for you) well in advance, it will choose the correct gear eventually and you can apply your mild acceleration for the safest turning of the corner once it’s done that but in a manual, that whole process is so intuitive that most people don’t realise they are doing it. Cvt is superior to both though, always in the perfect gear as you have smooth infinite gearing.

[@Thaumar]

@@PippetWhippet well I agree, driving stick definitely has the benefit of a humans capability to preemptively shift gear, and therefore make for a more optimized driving of a car, reducing fuel consumption and reducing pollution from using the brakes and when done well can result in the most fluent and continuous driving experience. And most people are very well capable of learning to do these ‘extra’ tasks so automatically that it’s not a real burden, proven by the many people having no problem driving stick still today. I like driving stick, it’s just that driving an automatic (or cvt, or electric) feels so much more logical and obvious. Not the driving itself per se, the idea just makes more sense; so much more simple and straightforward. I switched to a 6 gear automatic a couple of years ago and found I could change my driving habit to fit this cars characteristics and fortunately my car is able to reduce speed enough when letting go of the gas to be useful in approaching corners, I can use the breaks way less than I expected. Not the same as with a stick, but still. It also made me a less ‘aggressive’ driver, with a stick I was accelerating much faster, shifting gears fast to get to the cruising gear. Now I just accelerate more calmly and more fluently, and I go of the gas earlier to slow down when approaching a corner, crossing or traffic lights so I have to break less. With 6 gears the shifting is almost unnoticeable and I rarely feel the car is not responding appropriately because it’s in a wrong gear. This is of course not the same for all cars and may very well be not the general experience when diving an automatic transmission car. And in the end, all this and more is definitely also achievable with a stick shift. I wouldn’t say automatic transmission is ‘better’ then stick shift, but I still think a car without stick shift and clutch is easier and more logical (at least for most use cases); one pedal to go faster, another to go slower, it just makes sense. Anyway, the future looks to be (stick) shift free, so… way are we talking about this? 😉

[@craigbryant9925]

In South Africa, as usual, you could use all these words interchangeably and be well understood but we also have a few that you might like. Traffic light =Robot Indicator = Flicker Mic 1 is a bit more vibrant.

[@joepiekl]

I've heard that a traffic circle in the States was actually something different (not the one that you showed in the picture). Rather than giving way to the people on the roundabout, there were stopping places on the circle and you had to give way to people coming onto it. Way more dangerous because people are coming into potential crash zones at a higher speed. It's apparently one of the reasons why the US had so few roundabouts for so long, because they had a bad experience with traffic circles.

[@stephenlee5929]

That's my understanding too, we (UK) and parts of Europe also had these and they were dangerous here too, though safer than a crossroad (4 way junction). I think we and Europe replaced them in the 1960's with the roundabouts. We do have traffic light controlled traffic circles (with part time signals) for when the lights are not in use they are roundabouts, when the traffic is heavy and roundabout would become block traffic lights control the flow.

[@ceej8736]

No the people coming into the circle yield to the people inside already. They are just dangerous cus people are idiots and try to drive around them the wrong way. No stopping inside the circle.

[@BrandonLeeBrown]

In the US every place has, "official" names for different types of intersections. Speed humps were invented by a Brit and he would royalties paid to him when they were constructed. Some places in America do make the distinction between speed humps and speed bumps, but some other American places don't have a separate legal term for speed humps and technically call them speed bumps. The same for roundabouts ,traffic circles and rotaries, as most places in America use the same term, whichever they choose, for all three. Some places in Canada do have technical differences between roundabouts and traffic circles. Most places in America don't bother with adding different legal and technical terms for similar traffic items. In continental Europe, before EU, the convention was that traffic already in a circle had to yield to traffic entering the circle. After EU, most EU countries adopted the circle rules of Britain and America, where traffic in a circle is considered already in the intersection and traffic entering a circle has to yield to traffic already in the intersection. This was considered safer by EU, than the older traditional European traffic circle rules. In the circle = in the intersection. This has been the rule in America and Britain for a long time. I remember before EU, people would start fist fights in Belgium and France, for not yielding to a vehicle entering a circle. The circles didn't change in Europe, only the circle rules changed.

[@katrinabryce]

Yes, and the US does have some roundabouts as well, not anything like as many as in the UK or France.

[@ThatAlchemistGuy]

From what ive heard, in the us, a traffic circle is 1 lane while a roundabout has multiple lanes. Google maps will say traffic circle for one lane ones, i havent been through a multiple lane one in a while though, now im curious if google maps will still say traffic circle or switch to roundabout

[@spielpfan7067]

"Hand brake" is the literal translation for the German word too. "Handbremse". Also "number plate" can be translated literally to German "Nummerntafel". Also "Zebra crossing" can almost be translated literally, in German we say "Zebrastreifen" (zebra stripes). So you can see that English English is closer to German in that sense than American English.

[@wfjw]

@spielpfan7067 that is true

[@r3cy]

i thought it went without saying that ''lollypop person" is such a cute and silly name because its a role specifically created for interacting with young children. "pay attention to the lollypop lady" and "pay attention to the road safety officer" are wildly different vibes to be throwing at a toddler. 😆

[@Bel_Chymes]

@2:13 ish minutes. I have seen so many KZbin videos about cars rolling down off drives in the us. We don’t have that problem because as Evan states in the states it’s used as an emergency! - We park here in the uk & put the hand brake on to stop the car rolling away. (Amazon drivers!). 😂😂

[@robinbraden3873]

Mic 2 sounds best! It reduces the echo that is picked up from your room. Another great video!

[@BertoLaDK]

Very interesting comparison between the two variants of english, it also got me thinking what the words in my native language (Danish) would be in comparison if I translated them literally, Soo here you go: 1. For the first one we don't really have a word for it, we just call it a bridge (bro). 2. We too call it a Handbrake (håndbremse) 3. We call it a numberplate (nummerplade) tho we do have a bit more numbers than letters compared to the UK [AB 12345]. 4. there's a word for that? 5. Here we call the pavement or sidewalk for "fortov" which is derived of older language meaning front space/square or front road referring to the place in front of houses before the roads. 6. ?? 7. We only have these people stopping traffic at schools and they are usually children and they are called School Patrol (Skolepatrulje), its a decently big thing here and once a year all of the kids that have participated in keeping the crossings safe get a trip to legoland, there's a whole day called School Patrol Day. 8. For the crossings we call it a Walking Person Field (Fodgængerfelt) or however you would translate that, but ig it makes sense. 9. Its still normal to take your drivers license with a manual car here in denmark even though we are progressing towards automatic and electric vehicles with 60% of new cars being automatic compared to around 10% 10 years ago. 10. In danish we do have and use the word "Trafiklys" meaning Traffic light but I think its a lot more common to just call it a Light Cross (or Light Intersection) (Lyskryds). 11. We call it a Blink Light (Blinklys) which is very similar to Blinker, its a light that blinks quite simple. Also loved the BMW joke. for the hazardlights we call it Catastrophe Blink (Katastrofeblink). 12. Here its called a round drive (Rundkørsel) which makes sense because you drive in a round road ig, idk. I have apparently only counted 12 on my translating mission. idk if I missed some or they were a part of some of the others.

[@grahamtravers4522]

There are not two variants of English. There's English, and there's American ...

[@BertoLaDK]

@@grahamtravers4522 you are right there are more than two variants. But American is not it's own language, it's just American English.

[@sammymarrco2]

tak fra USA, jeg er lytter til dansk musik nu.

[@kaspianepps7946]

Lollipop people are for the walk to and from school - generally outside a school but can be anywhere a large number of children need to cross. Due to the very part time nature of the job it's quite common for them to be retired people. Nowadays they mainly work on zebra crossings. Legally cars have to stop to let people cross, but this can cause traffic issues when you have a whole school of children crossing, so the lollipop person lets some people cross then some cars through etc. In the past there were fewer zebra crossings (and children walked to school alone at a younger age) so the lollipop people would stop traffic for children to cross safely. When I was a child there was a busy road that ran through the middle of my village that children had to cross to get the school bus. Parents asked for a lollipop person but the council said it would be too dangerous for them - the danger to the children apparently wasn't an issue.

[@martinchampion6467]

The biggest reveal from this video was that Evan has only just found out a tea is called a brew

[@grahamtruckel]

Another great video Evan, but one small (pedantic) point - here in the UK we don't say Public Transit, it's Public Transport.

[@dougsheehan3585]

Always funny that the vanguard is at the front of an army/movement, but the guards van is at the back of the train. I don't get out much.

[@lulusbackintown1478]

I must get out as little as you because that has always thrown me too and I read military history, I defo don't get out enough!

[@daleykun]

10:15 - the pixels on your screen are red green and blue. RGB are the primary colours for light, where as RGY are the primary colours for paint.

[@itsgonnabeanaurfromme]

Was looking for this comment until you said RGY were the primary colors for paint....

[@daleykun]

@@itsgonnabeanaurfromme d'oh! RBY not RGY - an artist I am most certainly not, as a physicist I only know light

[@Solaire.Solaire]

For the pavement one, as a Brit I mix up these: 1. Pavement 2. Path 3. Side of the road (side a’ the road in my accent)

[@SuperVlerik]

in Ireland i would say 'footpath'

[@tommyc23101986]

Up North Causey from shortening Causeway

[@angelavara4097]

I say the same.

[@IslayAnderson]

@@SuperVlerik I'd use footpath for marked paths out in the country like tow paths 'n that

[@lisahenry20]

I tend to use path to refer to footpaths, basically the green dashes on maps. I also tend to use it for bridleways too (green lines on maps that you can take horses and bikes on). I tend to use bridleway if it's somewhere that I am going on my bike and so need that distinction.

[@ronhill2]

The handbrake is used in the UK because most of our cars are manual ( stick shift ) so if you don't use the handbrake your car without a park position could roll away. Even when left in gear the car can overcome engine compression and move.

[@DaraelDraconis]

The other BrE term for a caboose, which also sheds some light on why we barely _have_ terms for it, is "brake van" - but it's rarely used for reasons similar to the reason you don't see a caboose that often on an American train any more either. Modern trains have brakes on every carriage/van/car/&c, controlled centrally from the cabin. Before this arrangement was standard, though, American trains would routinely be longer and heavier than British ones, and consequently more likely to need extra brakes in addition to the ones on the engine. Hence: the caboose or brake van, a piece of the train with extra-powerful brakes at the end opposite the engine, operated manually by a member of the train crew (the guard).

[@ajwinberg]

I absolutely love that they call a crossing guard lollipop person. I am going to start using that here. 😂 Also, I think that most Americans would understand what is meant by Zebra Crossing because it really does make sense.

[@ProudPlatypus]

The name is so cute because they really are only seen on crossings around schools before and after school, it’s a case of deliberate cuteness. We don't general have something that you would call a crossing guard, outside of people who help divert traffic after accidents. At least not that I've seen.

[@mdx7460]

We actually say lollipop lady or lollipop man. Never actually noticed how cute it is for the kids 🍭

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

Calling the handbrake an emergency brake in the US makes no sense to me. Because if you needed to break in an emergency, you'd slam your foot on the foot break since if you used the handbreak suddenly there's a good chance you'd spin out of control and get into a bigger accident. I mean, both are dangerous. But I think it was drilled into me that having the handbreak on was worse.

[@jitmancanth6698]

But hand brake turns are essential for good rallying etiquette!

[@Mekrinel]

I think it might be a regional thing as well. I grew up in western New York and learned to call the hand break a 'parking break'

[@fergy1442]

Probably because most American cars are automatic so have a Park mode. where as here in the UK it's used as a brake when the car is stopped ( or for handbrake turns).

[@JustAnotherPerson4U]

​@@jitmancanth6698i have NEVER heard of a handbreak turn nor been taught it when I was learning.

[@billyhills9933]

The whole emergency thing is baffling - you use it all the time. Parking brake makes more sense but handbrake is best.

[@MissesLykaa]

Quite funny to realise the Netherlands has words that are similar to both, for example we use zebra crossing as well, but we also use stoplight. And I've never thought of the middle colour as yellow, for us it's orange!

[@AdrianColley]

Here in Ireland, an orange light is one that changes from yellow to red simultaneously with a driver speeding past it. For deniability.

[@PoolOfTrees]

Yeah, I think that's perhaps why we call it 'amber' in the UK. I think it used to be even more orange than they tend to be now, but the aren't normally yellow here.

[@PoolOfTrees]

​@@AdrianColleyWhen I drove in Ireland I found the instant red to green rather disconcerting, as with the red and amber light before the green in the UK it gives you a 'get ready' indicator with the expectation that you are pulling away on green, so I always felt a pressure to rush to get going when there was the instant change.

[@jbird4478]

Officially they're called traffic lights though (verkeerslicht) and the middle color is officially yellow. That's the phrasing in law, but I don't think anyone actually uses those words. We call them stoplights in speech and call it orange. There's also one amber light in the law, but that's for a direction indicator on a bicycle. Those are optional according to the law and don't exist in reality.

[@Showsni]

My granddad calls indicators "trafficators". Which I think was the term when it would literally make a little flag pop up on the side of the car to imitate you sticking your arm out to show which way you were going.

[@skylarkkralyks4496]

American here: for the longest I thought that "tarmac" was only the pavement used at airports, because the only time I ever heard it used was when passengers had to get down the stairs from a plane directly onto the tarmac, when there isn't jetway/jet bridge to go directly from the plane into the airport. Apparently "tarmac" is just a synonym for pavement... in which case I'm not sure why people don't say they used the plane stairs onto the pavement.

[@stevesretroloft]

In some places the Roundabout can be called an island (Midlands mainly). Not to be confused with a traffic island (those bits that appear in between carriage ways)

[@nen1811]

Lollipop ladies were a big part of my childhood lol. I think it's said that way to be more child-friendly and stuff, I always thought it was cool to cross the road with the Lollipop lady. Strangely I've never seen a man or any other people as one though.

[@ruth649]

The school I taught at a few years ago had a lollipop man, so there are some!

[@iNightra]

The school I went to only had a lollipop man so I actually hadn't really heard the term lollipop lady / guessed it would be lollipop woman haha

[@annbsirius1703]

I feel like roundabout is becoming more common in the US. My navigation apps use it, so maybe that's why.

[@empressmarowynn]

A zebra crossing refers to a very particular type of crosswalk though. Regular ones are at stoplight intersections and are just the two straight lines. Zebra crossings have the stripes to make them more noticeable because they are used mid-block where a driver might not be anticipating one. To make them safer they're supposed to have those flashing lights that are activated by pedestrians but not all (at least in the US) have them. There's a zebra crossing I use frequently and I've nearly been run over numerous times because drivers here have no clue you're supposed to yield to peds on them. I wish driving instruction was more strict here because far too many people have a license when they don't understand a single thing about driving.

[@jasonandreoli4135]

Traditionally it was only possible to manufacture coloured glass in a handful of colours, one if those colours was called Amber glass because it resembled natural Amber so when it was used for traffic lights the name stuck.

[@dom-fell]

In Australia instead of sidewalk/pavement we say footpath, and frankly I think we've nailed that

[@tonysheerness2427]

Foot path in the UK is anywhere you can walk, does not have to be paved or tarmacked.

[@meikala2114]

@@tonysheerness2427 when I was a kid most footpaths by the side of the road were not paved in Australia except in the CBD

[@bookishlybecca]

Interesting and entertaining video as always, Evan! I've been really enjoying all of these "British words" videos - particularly as a Canadian who will be visiting England for the first time this fall! Also: Both mics at the end sounded good to me, but I think #2 was slightly more pleasing to my ear, for whatever reason. ;)

[@AdrianColley]

Remember to say "autumn". If you say "fall" people will assume you are referring to Lucifer's Fall.

[@KJ1234]

I liked Mic 2 better, more bass. Mic 1 sounded like it has more treble and not as soothing on the ears as mic 2 😊 Also, Ive really been enjoying your UK vs. US word/culture videos! Thanks!

[@LeeSmith-cf1vo]

Fun fact: on the railway the lights are referred to as red, yellow and green. Not amber. And they are actually a different colour than used in traffic lights. I have no idea why.

[@TheEggmaniac]

A manual car, that is with one with automatic gears is considered something your granny might drive, in the UK. Just about everyone in the UK drives a car with a a gear 'stick.' You can react much quicker to changes of speed, caused by driving conditions and traffic, if you have a manual gear box, rather than an automatic one. For example you can accelerate much faster if you can manually change the gears. An automatic gear box is much slower to react.