A while back on this list there was a discussion of trivia, mainly
dealing with the different terms that British and Americans use for
the same components. For my club Christmas party this past weekend,
I put together the following trivia quiz. Most of the entries came
from messages here, but some were taken from "How to Restore British
Sports Cars" by someone-whose-name-I-can't-remember. The winner at
the party got 50.5 out of 58 correct, and won a small prize. I've
since added several more terms, which explains why there are more than
58 entries. I didn't include things like B(P)L, SOL, PO, or swork,
since not everyone has access to this mailing list.
Feel free to use this for your parties, meetings, or newsletters.
It is not my intention to re-ignite any debates regarding the accuracy
of the terms, but merely to make the quiz available to those who may
find it useful.
British auto term American term
----------------- -------------
1. actuator 1. switch or servo
2. baulk ring 2. synchro ring
3. bonnet 3. hood
4. boot 4. trunk
5. bulkhead 5. firewall
6. choke tube 6. venturi
7. crosshead 7. Phillips
8. crown wheel 8. ring gear
9. cubby box 9. glove box or glove compartment
10. damper 10. shock absorber
11. drive shaft 11. half shaft or axle shaft
12. drop-head coupe 12. convertible version of 2 door coupe
13. dumpy screwdriver 13. short screwdriver
14. dynamo 14. generator
15. earth 15. ground
16. estate 16. station wagon
17. fascia 17. dashboard
18. fixed-head coupe 18. 2 door coupe
19. gearbox 19. transmission
20. gudgeon pin 20. wrist pin
21. hood 21. convertible top
22. jointing compound 22. gasket sealant
23. monocoque 23. unibody
24. nave plate 24. hubcap
25. nose 25. front of car
26. paraffin 26. kerosene
27. pinking 27. knocking or pinging
28. prop shaft 28. drive shaft
29. petrol 29. gasoline
30. prise 30. pry
31. proud 31. above or raised
32. quarterlight 32. vent window
33. rev counter 33. tachometer
34. roadster 34. car that only comes in a convertible style
35. saloon 35. 4 door sedan
36. scuttle 36. cowl
37. side curtains 37. removable side windows
38. silencer 38. muffler
39. sill 39. rocker panel
40. spanner 40. wrench
41. split pin 41. cotter pin
42. spring washer 42. lock washer
43. squab 43. part of seat
44. suction advance 44. vacuum advance
45. sump 45. oil pan
46. thrust bearing 46. throwout bearing
47. tickover 47. idle
48. Welch plug 48. freeze plug
49. wheel nut 49. lug nut
50. windscreen 50. windshield
51. wing 51. fender
Abbreviation Meaning
------------ -------
52. AC (e.g. AC Cobra) 52. Auto Carrier
53. BL 53. British Leyland
54. BMC 54. British Motor Company
55. BSW 55. British Standard Whitworth
56. CD (refers to carbs) 56. constant depression
57. DB (e.g. Aston-Martin DB6) 57. David Brown
58. MG 58. Morris Garage or Morris Garages
59. PI 59. petrol injection
60. SS 60. Swallow Sidecars
61. SU 61. Skinners Union
62. ZS 62. Zenith-Stromberg
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T.J. Higgins | tjhiggin@ingr.com | (205) 730-7922
Intergraph Corp. | Mapping Sciences Division | Huntsville, AL, USA
|