British English V American English.

me2 said:
I don't hear the word Throttle used much today, but I remember the word from my younger years. Maybe someone can help me out here, but it seems like there was a knob on the dash board panel that could be pulled to make the gasoline mixture richer or flow faster/slower or something. This all changed before I started driving in 1958 but I have vague memories of it in older cars.
Click to expand...

I am familiar with the manual throttle that you are referring to being used on farm tractors and various equipment where there are no foot pedals. Also used in aviation.

Some of the earlier (classic) automobiles may have had throttles, but they also had a manual choke on the dashboard that was used to vary the mixture of fuel and air to the engine.
 
me2 said:
In defense of Big Unc - The word Pavement may not be used in place of road or street, but it does refer to the street - not to the sidewalk, as it does in the UK.
Click to expand...

Yes, even though our sidewalks are paved, around here their hard surface is referred to by it's specific type rather than by the generic term 'pavement', although the verb 'to pave' is used when referring to the act of installing the hard surface on those areas. In this region the material used to be bricks from the local brick and terracotta works. Most of that original material has been replaced by concrete, except in the restored business district in the city next door. There the sidewalks and the central square are paved with bricks reminiscent of the original. Here in my village, the tacky modern business area that replaced the vintage buildings after the '72 flood has been paved with blacktop with a fake brick pattern pressed into it. Nothing like piling tacky upon tacky!

Marianna
 
me2 said:
In defense of Big Unc - The word Pavement may not be used in place of road or street, but it does refer to the street - not to the sidewalk, as it does in the UK.
Click to expand...

In closing down for the night I cannot resist thanking you for these kind words but must point out that to us they are in my defence, not in my defense.
 
Big Unc said:
In closing down for the night I cannot resist thanking you for these kind words but must point out that to us they are in my defence, not in my defense.
Click to expand...
Point taken. I should have remembered that.
 
I have to point out in my innocence in my early reading habits, I was thinking that "paved road" in the detective novels I used to steal from my elder brothers piles were meaning roads made of paving slabs .Not tarmac as was later used. ??? I soon realised how wrong I was when my reading became more varied.
 
Without going off too much on a tangent, all the talk on throttle, automobiles etc, reminded me of the 'emergency brake' which some American cars have.

Not too sure what that is.

Anyone?
 
wstol said:
Without going off too much on a tangent, all the talk on throttle, automobiles etc, reminded me of the 'emergency brake' which some American cars have. Not too sure what that is. Anyone?
Click to expand...

Do you call it the 'hand brake' or 'parking brake'? It's on all cars here as standard equipment. Is it on all makes and models in the UK, as well? Although it's often referred to here as the 'emergency brake', the only emergency in which it's used is when the foot brake has completely failed.

Marianna
 
Is the British word 'homely' equivalent to the American word 'homey'? In American English, 'homely' means unattractive. Would a British speaker use 'plain' in that context?

Marianna
 
index4u said:
Do you call it the 'hand brake' or 'parking brake'? It's on all cars here as standard equipment. Is it on all makes and models in the UK, as well? Although it's often referred to here as the 'emergency brake', the only emergency in which it's used is when the foot brake has completely failed.

Marianna
Click to expand...

We have the hand brake which we use when parking the car.

If the foot brake was to fail, the hand brake is no reliable way to stop the car.

I speak from experience.
 
wstol said:
We have the hand brake which we use when parking the car.

If the foot brake was to fail, the hand brake is no reliable way to stop the car.

I speak from experience.
Click to expand...

I've been fortunate in never having the foot brake fail, so never had to test out the emergency use of the hand brake that I was taught in Driver Ed way back in 1960.

Marianna
 
To add to all of the confusion of the automobile , car dilemma. I work for the Auto industry or Automotive industry, we make cars, vans, trucks, etc.. I suppose the words can be interchangeable in articles , and used in the media. Some of these interchangeable words depends on the demographics, and our upbringing.

UK give way sign, I suppose this means to stop and look for oncoming traffic.
US Stop sign, make complete stop.

is this correct UK?
 
brendalovescompo said:
UK give way sign, I suppose this means to stop and look for oncoming traffic.
US Stop sign, make complete stop.
Is this correct UK?
Click to expand...

No, we have both 'Give Way' and 'Stop' signs, the latter necessitating a complete stop.

One thing we do not have is the 'Four Way Stop' system.
 
index4u said:
Do you call it the 'hand brake' or 'parking brake'? It's on all cars here as standard equipment. Is it on all makes and models in the UK, as well? Although it's often referred to here as the 'emergency brake', the only emergency in which it's used is when the foot brake has completely failed.
Click to expand...

When I was learning to drive at age 15 or 16, most vehicles were standard transmission, meaning you had 3 pedals....the clutch, the brake, and the gas (accelerator). If you were required to stop while going up a steep hill, you had to depress the clutch pedal with one foot (to disengage the transmission) and apply the brake pedal with the other foot (to stop the forward movement). The problem occurred when restarting up the hill.....how in the world do you take your foot off the brake, move it to the accelerator, and release the clutch without rolling back into the car behind you?? The hand bake was the solution. You pulled the hand brake on to hold the vehicle in position, which then allowed you to move your one foot from the brake pedal to the accelerator. I remember it took some practice to get the clutch, hand brake and accelerator all working in unison. And if you stalled the engine.....on a steep hill......panic!!
 
brendalovescompo said:
To add to all of the confusion of the automobile , car dilemma. I work for the Auto industry or Automotive industry, we make cars, vans, trucks, etc.. I suppose the words can be interchangeable in articles , and used in the media. Some of these interchangeable words depends on the demographics, and our upbringing.

UK give way sign, I suppose this means to stop and look for oncoming traffic.
US Stop sign, make complete stop.

is this correct UK?
Click to expand...

We have very similar signs to yours in Ireland Brenda, with two variants of the yield sign. These signs, especially the latter mean Jack s**t to the average Irish motorist :25:

04o7AYL.gif
8jnS7jF.gif
wMIxlZs.jpg
 
cciaffone said:
So what's the diff between the Yield and the Yield Right of Way signs???
Click to expand...
None is the short answer. All these signs before 1997 were 'Yield Right of Way' and just Yield after that date. This other sign is used in 'Gaeltacht' areas which are regions that are designated Irish or Gaelic speaking areas.
PtynYyE.gif
 
Last edited:
onyx(John) said:
None is the short answer. All these signs before 1997 were 'Yield Right of Way' and just Yield after that date. This other sign is used in 'Gaeltacht' ares which are regions that are designated Irish or Gaelic speaking areas.
PtynYyE.gif
Click to expand...

Thanks for the education John and Big Unc! One question John, you said Irish or Gaelic speaking areas, What percentage of Ireland speak those languages?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top