Americans may get bewildered by the British saying lorry instead of truck, but they have their reasons

If you’re an American visiting the UK, hearing someone say ‘lorry’ instead of ‘truck’ might throw you off.

But don’t fret – the Brits aren’t trying to be confusing. They’ve just been calling them that for over a century.

The term ‘lorry’ has been used in the UK since at least 1911, but it likely goes back even further – possibly to the 16th or 17th century, when the verb lurry meant to drag or carry something.

It tracks, right? A lorry is basically just a big, rumbling thing made to drag cargo from A to B. Old word, same job.

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It also helps to understand that trucks – or lorries – aren’t quite the same in Britain as they are in the States.

In the US, you’ve got your ‘semis,’ ‘big rigs,’ ‘18-wheelers,’ ‘tractor-trailers’ – take your pick.

But say any of those in the UK and you might get a funny look.

In Britain, it’s just ‘lorry,’ plain and simple.

And even the biggest lorries on British roads are smaller than their American cousins.

UK road laws cap truck length at 18m – about 59ft – so those mammoth 18-wheelers just aren’t really a thing.

Really, this is just one of those charming quirks of language – like how biscuits are cookies, chips are fries, and pants are definitely not what you think they are.

Different? Absolutely. Confusing? Also yes.

So should Americans start calling trucks ‘lorries’? Probably not. Unless you’re also planning to adopt tea breaks, overly dry humor, and the word ‘petrol.’

Still, it’s fun to know where these words come from and how they evolve in different corners of the English-speaking world.

So next time a Brit talks about a lorry, don’t be baffled – they’re just speaking the other kind of English.

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