Turn right at the rotary....

[B00]

In the car the other day, our Sat Nav told us to "turn right at the rotary" in a horrible naselly American accent, I looked at Mr Boo and said something along the lines of....

"Rotary?? That American for roundabout?

Now...I got to thinking (I do it occasionally), as I understand it, Americans don't have roundabouts in the US, so why have they, in their infinite wisdom, decided to change the word for something they dont even have?

[pastafreak]

Vulcan...some of my ex-inlaws lived in Sweden....I remember that roundabout well....made me glad I don't drive.

[B00]

Haha, ya might have a point ;-)

[pastafreak]

yes...and some of them lived in SWINDON also


dohhhhhh.....

[Clanad]

I rarely visit this Topic, but the title caught my eye and reminded me of a pet peeve with our GPS (your Sat Nav's) units here in the U.S.
Seems, the manufacturers believe that a female voice with a pronounced British (English?) accent will be the most aggravating method of grabbing one's attention. This is especially true when you've made an arror and haven't turned were the 'magic magenta line' leads... "RE-calculating" is, at once, condecending, superior and mother-in-law like...
As to roundabouts...as jno stated they have been in use for years in the New England states... saw my first in Boston. We are now seeing them here in the western, predominantly rural, U.S.
Thankfully, the ones near here are all single lane. The multi-lane ones in New England are accidents waiting for a time to happen. I'm sure they were invented by insurance appraisers.... (somewhat akin to Marmite... so many people say it's really great stuff, all the while it's quietly waiting in it's small perfunctory brown jar to attack your mouth with vileness personified... gasp, gurgle... spit... spit!

[B00]

Hey, great to see you in CB Clanad! I'm honoured ;-)

This question started out as a CBesque musing, but im now quite intrugued with this topic- I obviously do need to get out more!

And as for your Marmite post you made some time back, it was one of the funniest things i ever read on here, I still suspect you secretly love the gorgoeus stuff, and are, as we speak, happily spreading it on a slice of toast, go on admit it.....

[Clanad]

Even the thought, Boo... excuse me, I've gotta run... vacate the bathroom! Women and children be damned...

[Hopkirk]

Less confusing over her Pasta?

The Americans simplify the English language - EG removing the U from colour, labour, humour, harbour etc.

How confusing must it be to come here and see signs to Loughborough, Leicester and Alcester then hear how the locals pronounce them.

[Hopkirk]

.. sorry, over here ....(not her)

[boxtops]

...and as for Featherstonehaugh.....

[mike11111]

That reminds me of the tourist quite a few years back who came to England and thought he had pretty much mastered the pronunciation of our spelling until one day, when he was travelling on a bus he passed a London theatre where the billboard read, "THE BLACK AND WHITE MINSTREL SHOW! PRONOUNCED SUCCESS!"