Motoring Discussion > Americanisms Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Robin O'Reliant Replies: 20
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:07 
 Americanisms - Robin O'Reliant
When the term cropped up in the occasional American movie I used to wonder what the hell a 'starter clutch' was. Perusing a US bike forum the other day and coming across a thread about one that was faulty I finally twigged that it was of course a starter motor.

Why call it a clutch? It's nothing like one. Mind you, a couple of posters there had to ask what tickover meant till one of their more worldly lads guessed it was English for idle.
Last edited by: Robin Regal on Tue 1 Jan 13 at 20:10
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:25 
 Americanisms - henry k
On an American motoring forum I use I am getting familiar with some differences but Pan and Lug were two that foxed me for a while.
Fortunately, to date, I do not have to discuss the oily bits so I can just view and learn.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:36 
 Americanisms - Slidingpillar
The one that gets me is zerks. In English they are grease nipples.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:40 
 Americanisms - nice but dim
Alu minum
Jagwaaar!
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:45 
 Americanisms - carmalade
Rotors= brake discs .I guess they rotate!
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 20:46 
 Americanisms - legacylad
Had my first taste of 'smores' in July, over an open fire outside a friends cabin in the mtns. Yuk. Glad we don't have the equivalent.
And 'sod' .Turf, to you and I. Laid 2,000 sq feet of it in Nov in my friends 'yard'..or what I thought was a nice, if bare, garden.
Last edited by: legacylad on Tue 1 Jan 13 at 20:48
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 21:16 
 Americanisms - Cliff Pope
Firewall (for bulkhead) always sounds a bit over-dramatic, or perhaps not given modern cars' propensity to catch fire.

I had difficulty explaining on a US forum what a ring-spanner was. I can't remember the answer now.

Gas is confusing, now we have LPG, especially as we still occasionally step on the gas.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 21:31 
 Americanisms - henry k
>> Firewall (for bulkhead) always sounds a bit over-dramatic, or perhaps not given modern cars' propensity to catch fire.
>>
IIRC - Be aware of "Firewalling" in aviation terms, slam the throttles forward to the fire wall for maximum thrust !!!
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:28 
 Americanisms - Harleyman
Body panels cause the most confusion. Our "sill" is their "rocker panel", a "wing" is a "fender", and of course the hood and trunk you'll all know.

Owning American vehicles, two and four wheeled, opens up a whole new vocabulary!
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:35 
 Americanisms - CGNorwich
Muffler amuses me.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:36 
 Americanisms - carmalade
Anything to put a "wrench in the works" does not sound quite right !!
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:39 
 Americanisms - Zero
>>a "wing" is
>> a "fender",

Is it? whats a bumper then?

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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:43 
 Americanisms - Manatee
>> whats a bumper then?

A bumper IIRC.

Although I think those cow catchers on railway locomotives might be called fenders.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:47 
 Americanisms - CGNorwich
A bumper is a bumper as in bumper stickers.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:56 
 Americanisms - Zero
Gosh,
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 23:22 
 Americanisms - CGNorwich
"Although I think those cow catchers on railway locomotives might be called fenders."

I think they call them pilots.

Z wil know.
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 23:40 
 Americanisms - henry k
>> "Although I think those cow catchers on railway locomotives might be called fenders."
>> I think they call them pilots. Z wil know.
>>
So does Wiki
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pilot_(locomotive)
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New Wed 2 Jan 13 09:37 
 Americanisms - CGNorwich
That's Quite Interesting! - The pilot was invented by Charles Babbage the inventor of the mechanical computer!

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New Wed 2 Jan 13 08:01 
 Americanisms - Cliff Pope
>> >> whats a bumper then?
>>
>> A bumper IIRC.
>>


What's a bumper? I don't think British cars have them. :)
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New Tue 1 Jan 13 22:50 
 Americanisms - Kevin
From a website and book written by a work colleague about ten years ago:

www.effingpot.com/motoring.shtml
Last edited by: VxFan on Wed 2 Jan 13 at 00:26
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New Wed 2 Jan 13 06:38 
 Americanisms - Ian (Cape Town)
shock absorbers = dampers.
For once, the yanks have it right.
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