Turn right at the rotary....

B00 | 19:53 Sun 22nd Aug 2010 | ChatterBank

30 Answers

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?

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jno

they do have roundabouts in the north-east states, though obviously not as common as here.

-- answer removed --

ChuckFickens

They have tested roundabouts in a few places in America.....

everyone crashed so they took them out again :)

B00

Question Author

Ok, I stand corrected on that point then...

Still doesn't alter the fact they changed a perfectly acceptable word...why?

boxtops

If I turn right at the rotary in my garden I will crash into the fence.

karenmac60

Cos they're American and that's what they do - if they don't change the word they change the pronunciation. I wonder how they pronounce tw@ts.... ;)

snags

'' I wonder how they pronounce tw@ts''

'Bush'. Either George will do ;-p

boxtops

We turn the sound off on ours and just watch the pictures....

China Doll

I thought rotary was some sort of pig on a stick?! I'd have stopped for a bit of that in a bun...

sherrardk

Thanks for that - you've just reminded me I've left the washing out (only it's realy dark now and I don't know if there is an outside light!).

Hopkirk

Wasn't it Winston Churchill who said we are two countries divided by a common language?

yelenots

My husband got 'Joanna Lumley' on his sat nav - she's really annoying - darling this and darling that - really winds me up :)

Buenchico

This might be of interest to some people. (Surely I can't be the only nerd around here?):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout

B00

Question Author

No you aint Chris ;-)

And stupidly, I never thought to Wiki it! Interesting to know they do use the word roundabout too, well, along with the aforementioned rotary and now a new one to me...a traffic circle.

Those Americans, weird bunch aren't they- now 3 words for the same bloody thing?

Hopkirk

Sorry Chris, you are.

saxy_jag

Never came across any when I was in West Michigan, but my cousin informed me they do have them and they do call them roundabouts.

What gets them flummoxed, though, is the mini-roundabout.

Are you sure there wasn't a clothes airer in the middle of the road?