something not mentioned so far relates to buildings and where you enter them from street level.


Now we quite logically call that "Ground Level" not first floor ;

Although to cause confusion the Heath Hospital in Cardiff has an Upper Ground floor, a ground floor and a lower ground floor plus a basement and floors 1 to 4 (not 1 through 4)

and why do you insist on calling the liquid fuel used in vehicles "gas"?


A gas powered car is on that runs on something like hydrogen or even LPG 

Yeah, you call the second floor the first floor. Sorry Mike but I have to call you 'wrong' on this one. If you have a two floor house, and remove the first floor, are you not left with (gets out calculator and......) zero floors? Where is the first step on the ladder, the second one up? What about a multi- story building, is the 'first' floor on top of the 'other  first' floor?

 

Brian

something not mentioned so far relates to buildings and where you enter them from street level.


Now we quite logically call that "Ground Level" not first floor ;

Although to cause confusion the Heath Hospital in Cardiff has an Upper Ground floor, a ground floor and a lower ground floor plus a basement and floors 1 to 4 (not 1 through 4)

The lowest floor should be named "Ground / 1".

After all, it does have a floor, which is not just the ground (dirt).

For buildings on a side hill where the actual ground on one side of the bldg is higher or lower than the other by the height of 1 floor (or more), and yet the higher side is the main entrance/front of the building ... I dunno, call the lower level "Floor -1" or since that looks like "Floor dash one", spell it out "Floor Number Negative one".

 

 

You're left with a bungalow
WHich still has its ground floor as you have taken the first floor away.

Actually many modern lifts/buildings use 0 for the Ground floor rather than G

Nope the second floor is on top of the first floor then the third and so on

Yeah, you call the second floor the first floor. Sorry Mike but I have to call you 'wrong' on this one. If you have a two floor house, and remove the first floor, are you not left with (gets out calculator and......) zero floors? Where is the first step on the ladder, the second one up? What about a multi- story building, is the 'first' floor on top of the 'other  first' floor?

 

Brian

numbers


7600

is this seventy six hundred or seven thousand six hundred ?

what about 7633?


Also our billion has been devalued. It used to be a million million but more recently we have adopted the US convention of a thousand million. Same goes for a trillion which used to be a million million million

7600

is this seventy six hundred or seven thousand six hundred ?

Either is universally understood in the U.S.

what about 7633?

Seven thousand six hundred and thirty-three. Seventy six hundred and thirty-three, while technically it works, I don't think many people use it.

Also our billion has been devalued. It used to be a million million but more recently we have adopted the US convention of a thousand million. Same goes for a trillion which used to be a million million million

What?? Where did it go? You lost a million, and nobody is out there looking for it?? 

What?? Where did it go? You lost a million, and nobody is out there looking for it?? 

on the bright side our gallon is still the correct size , 4.54 litres as  opposed to 3.78 for the US Gallon

I've always called them roundabouts.  Never called them rotaries.

Here, I have never heard them called anything but "traffic circles".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traffic_circle

something not mentioned so far relates to buildings and where you enter them from street level.


Now we quite logically call that "Ground Level" not first floor ;

Although to cause confusion the Heath Hospital in Cardiff has an Upper Ground floor, a ground floor and a lower ground floor plus a basement and floors 1 to 4 (not 1 through 4)

Again, that is a toss-up.  Here, it seems to be an even mix between "ground" and "1".  They are typically used interchangeably, with basement being "B" or a number with it indicating a negative floor.  Examples:

B, 1, 2
B, G, 2
B3, B2, B1, G, 2, 3
B3, B2, B1, 1, 2, 3

I have almost never seen something like  B, G, 1, 2  in the USA (and personally, I would find that very odd and illogical).

and why do you insist on calling the liquid fuel used in vehicles "gas"?

A gas powered car is on that runs on something like hydrogen or even LPG 

"Gas" doesn't mean "a gas", in this context, it is just short for "gasoline"

As already stated, either would do here in the US.

But seeing as you mention million, billion, etc., here is a difference:

In the US, we would call ten million dollars (or tiddlywinks, whatever) "ten million". I have noticed a British to refer to it as 'millions' and so the quote would be "ten millions". In the US, the multiple is already implied once one has gone beyond two (or apparently, the third floor of a UK dwelling, assuming a building with a 'first floor' is a single story place).

And by the way, as you call a rental apartment a 'flat', does that distinguish it from something else? Do Brits. live in round places sometimes? Bent places? Not sure why the word "flat" as a name for a rented dwelling space. ?? Were most of them crooked in the olden' days?

Brian

numbers


7600

is this seventy six hundred or seven thousand six hundred ?

what about 7633?


Also our billion has been devalued. It used to be a million million but more recently we have adopted the US convention of a thousand million. Same goes for a trillion which used to be a million million million

Nope, I would say "10 million tiddlywinks" however I would also use "millions of tiddlywinks" as an abstract.

Hmmm"flat", good question as to the origin, "apartment" is used in the more upmarket end (some might say pretentious) of the housing stock.

Ah it appears the word "flat" may come from the old english "flett" meaning floor and relates to the living accommodation being all on one level.


Why are "apartments" called that as they aren't "apart" from anything


 

As already stated, either would do here in the US.

But seeing as you mention million, billion, etc., here is a difference:

In the US, we would call ten million dollars (or tiddlywinks, whatever) "ten million". I have noticed a British to refer to it as 'millions' and so the quote would be "ten millions". In the US, the multiple is already implied once one has gone beyond two (or apparently, the third floor of a UK dwelling, assuming a building with a 'first floor' is a single story place).

And by the way, as you call a rental apartment a 'flat', does that distinguish it from something else? Do Brits. live in round places sometimes? Bent places? Not sure why the word "flat" as a name for a rented dwelling space. ?? Were most of them crooked in the olden' days?

Brian

"Gas" doesn't mean "a gas", in this context, it is just short for "gasoline"

I know that but there is a potential for confusion

If you told me you filled your car with gas I wouldn't think you farted in your gashole.

If you told me you filled your car with gas I wouldn't think you farted in your gashole.

or trumped

I know that but there is a potential for confusion

It wouldn't be English without confusion!

I’m a little late to this discussion, but here on the west coast, we have always called them “roundabouts”.  Officially, I think they’re called “traffic circles”.  They are popping up more and more often, but some folks still have a hard time getting used to them. (Especially the elderly).  I love them.

I suspected they were more efficient than four-way stops, but I also think they cause less wear and tear on your vehicle and save gas (or petrol) by having only to slow down rather than come to a complete stop and start again).  So roundabouts are a win-win. 

I think part of the problem for local governments in using them more is that they cost more money to build because they take up more space, resulting in more road material, rather than simply putting up stop signs and limit lines. 

Ah it appears the word "flat" may come from the old english "flett" meaning floor and relates to the living accommodation being all on one level.
Why are "apartments" called that as they aren't "apart" from anything

And by the way, as you call a rental apartment a 'flat', does that distinguish it from something else? Do Brits. live in round places sometimes? Bent places? Not sure why the word "flat" as a name for a rented dwelling space. ?? Were most of them crooked in the olden' days?

Some answers: https://www.quora.com/Why-are-apartments-called-Apartments-if-theyre-not-apart

The term flat is still very much in use here in the states, but localized to mostly Chicago. It may appear occasionally in other large dense eastern and midwestern cities, but to a lesser extent.
If there is only one apartment on each floor it is often called a flat. The building itself is usually referred to as a "3 flat" or what ever number of floors there are with "flat" at the end. 2 and 3 flats dominate, but sometimes there are 4 flats which usually have a basement flat. "Flat buildings" are usually on inner city narrow lots. Usually if there are multiple apartments on each floor it is referred to as an apartment building. There are of course exceptions where a "flat" floor has been converted (sometimes illegally) to a front and rear "flats" or "studio flats".

In a building with "flats", it is usually assumed that there is no elevator/lift. I'm not sure where the term "walk ups" comes from, I always assumed it was a New York City thing.

And since nobody has mentioned this yet,

Can we (Americans) please, for the love of God, follow suit with the rest of the world and SWITCH TO THE METRIC SYSTEM?  I mean, the English invented the English system and even they use the metric system?  Am I right???  Can I get an Amen??