Reply To: More American Confusion??

[cameraclicker]

If you guys call Crisps – Chips, and Chips – French fries, and Jam – Jelly…… What do you call Jelly?

And why do I keep seeing cars in American TV shows that seem to have (something that looks like )a combination lock just above the door handles?

Jelly is jam without the little bits of fruit, just a homogenous spread.  Jam contains bits, or fruit pulp as Emileeself stated.  Her description is better than mine, though I don’t think Jello is part of what you are asking since it hardens and can be cut into cubes for dessert.

My car has the combination lock over the door handle.  It also has keyless entry.  The combination lock is useful when the car is at the dealership and they have the keys.  You can use the combination lock to open the doors and drop your stuff, before going into the dealership to collect the key.  I think I have used it twice in 12 years.  Ford declined to build the car we ordered, so we canceled the order and purchased the one we have off of another dealer’s lot.  It had a TV screen, VCR, leather, and a bunch of other stuff we didn’t care about like the combination lock, but it cost less than the one we ordered.

Everything I have driven in the last many years has had keyless entry.  Several of the last bunch have had keyless ignition, too.   One unlocked the doors every time the fob got near the car!  Some have a button to press to start or stop the engine, as long as a key fob is near.

It is more than just Americans.  I had a rental Volkswagen for a few days and it was all tricked out too.

I should probably add that to me, a boot is something you put on your foot, and the storage area for things in your car is a trunk.  😉