"Rowan Collins" rowan.collins@gmail.com wrote in message news:9f02ca4c050922054468d07f8a@mail.gmail.com... On 21/09/05, Mark Williamson node.ue@gmail.com wrote: [snip]
"note" vs "bill" -- "bill" would probably not be understood in the UK, but referring to them as notes would be understood in the US.
So, it's a difference. "Bill" would in fact be likely to be understood as "request for payment" - what is known in the US as a "check".
"bill" vs "check" -- uhh... we use both.
In the UK, a "bill" is never a banknote, and a "check" is never anything to do with money. We have "cheques", which are the things you write on and sign to pay for something, but that's something different again.
To be fair, we do have "Mr Check Please!", but he's fictional, so he doesn't count :-)
"pedestrian crossing" vs "crosswalk" -- we use both here.
And "crosswalk" would mean absolutely nothing to a Brit. As wouldn't, I would hazard to guess, a "pelican crossing" to you.
How about trying to distinguish between these: a.. Zebra crossing a.. Pelican crossing a.. Puffin crossing a.. Toucan crossing a.. Pegasus crossing (no, I'm not joking, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedestrian_crossing )