As I used to own Triumphs (TR-6) I'm used to the different lingo of car parts: bonnet, boot, roof, tyres and not putting on makeup "whilst" driving!

One thing about the Mini puzzles me though: in the Triumph we put things in the "cubby" but the Mini has a "glove box" has the Mini been Americanized?

'08 MCCS on order. Born Aug 2nd. Currently sitting at the docks hoping for a ride to the states!

 

Its always been a glove box in Britain. A "Cubby hole" is just any convenient place to put something.

 

Hmm... we always called them cubby boxes... of course that was back in the 70's
Here's a cut and paste from an old Moss Motors "catalogue" so I know that I'm not crazy.... well not totally crazy anyway!!
TR3A lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TR3ADLS . . . . . . . . .£66.95
(Pair of door handles, boot handle, cubby box lock and ignition barrel)
TR4-4A lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .TR4DLS . . . . . . . . . .£58.95
(Cubby box lock, pair of door lock barrels, boot handle and ignition barrel)
TR5-250 lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GAC6400X . . . . . . . .£49.95
(Boot handle, cubby box lock, pair of door locks and ignition barrel)
TR6 (to 1969) lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GAC6401X . . . . . . . .£45.95
(Cubby box lock, pair of door locks, boot barrel and ignition barrel)
TR6 (1970-72) lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GAC6402X . . . . . . . .£37.49
(Chrome cubby box lock, pair of door locks and boot barrel)
TR6 (1972 on) lock set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .GAC6403X . . . . . . . .£38.95
(Black cubby box lock, pair of door locks and boot barrel)

 

A couple more that I can think of:

windscreen - windshield
battery - accumulator
generator - dynamo
tachometer - rev counter
muffler - silencer
and of course: gas - petrol

I also love how the OBC refers to MPG as "Consumption" and Miles to Empty as "Range".

Some over here call the Clubman a Station Wagon, but the correct body description is a Shooting-Brake, originally used by the upper classes for hunting or fishing trips. I have read that the French still use the French translation of this term for a 2 door vehicle with rear access like the Clubman.

As Winston Churchill once said, Britian and America are two nations separated by a common language.

 

Some of these may have fallen out of favor in the last 40 years too, but there was also:
wrench = spanner
rear window = backlight
turn signal = indicator

 

My fave is "brightwork" for chrome.

 

I think the MINI marketing department only wanted to go so far with the British terminology to avoid confusing the Americans entirely. For instance, the folding top on the convertible *should* be called the "hood" (and since MINI uses "bonnet" to refer to the engine cover, there shouldn't be any confusion, but MINI stopped short).

My other favourites:

"paraffin" = kerosene
"torch" = flashlight

 

I thought you said Chubby.