‘Tis been a while since I’ve tended to our little language lessons. Today let’s focus on a smattering of terms relating to getting to where you’re going (and the little things that can help you along the way). To kick off the list, the first term is a little tidbit a London friend taught me yesterday in view of the treacherous ice-coated sidewalks (if you haven’t moved to London, yet, you missed a doozy of a snowstorm…at least as far as the locals see it. Nothing this Chicago gal hasn’t seen before…):
grit = sand (as in the sand they lay on frozen walkways for friction, not like the sand at the beach. I miss salt!)
queue = line (as in the winding lines you’ll get to stand in at the post office and grocery stores–not to mention the ones countless folks have been waiting in when London airports cancel flights due to 1 centimeter of snow)
trolley = shopping cart
lorrie = truck
motorbike = motorcycle
boot = the trunk of a car
bonnet = the hood of a car
car park = parking lot
carriageway = lane (as on a highway)
tube/underground = subway
subway = pedestrian underpass (to cross a street from beneath it via ramps on either side)
aeroplane = airplane
Safe travels to you, and be assured that London Relocation Ltd. always speaks your language in terms of understanding your property expectations and translating them to the London property market.
Related posts:
- Speaking the Queen’s English (Food–Part 1)
- Speaking the Queen’s English (Food–Part 4)
- Speaking the Queen’s English (Food–Part 3)
- Speaking the Queen’s English (Home & Garden)
- Speaking the Queen’s English (Food–Part 2)








[...] the past, I’ve touched on topics like pronunciation, conversational lingo, getting around (transport and signage), food, etc., but today I’ll touch on some grammatical differences. I am an [...]