Between the United States and the United Kingdom, the words and phrases we use to describe everyday things can change. Even though we’re both speaking English, etymology can vary widely, and the same item or activity might leave you scratching your head when you hear it coming from someone on the other side of the pond. This extends even to home improvement, which is colloquially known in Britain as “Do It Yourself” or “DIY.” So if you find yourself in a DIY store looking to fix up the plumbing or something else has gone wrong in your house or flat, better learn these terms, so you’ll know what to get.

Bodge Job

A “bodge job” is typically one that’s gone quite wrong. If you hired a handyman whose workmanship wasn’t good enough because it was done cheaply or in a hurry, it could break again, which would make it a bodge job.

Stanley Knife

In America, we would typically call this a box cutter or a utility knife. Much like Kleenex, Band-Aid, or Post-It, this tool in Britain has become a generic trademark, or a brand name that has become so synonymous with the item itself that all similar products are referred to by the trademark name.

Wire Wool

This one seems so straightforward that you might wonder why we don’t call it the same thing. Wire wool for Brits is what Americans call steel wool. Both names are rather apt as this material is made from steel wires bundled very finely so that they form an abrasive surface that’s good for finishing work.

Silicone Sealant

This name is a little more upfront in Britain than in America, where we typically call it caulk. While caulk is made from silicone, the origins of the term go back to the 14th Century when it began use as a verb meaning “to stop up cracks and crevices.” “Caulking” came into being in the 18th Century, though calling silicone sealant “caulking material” started around 1980.

Spanner

This term you might be most familiar with, since “spanner” is the British term for a wrench. It comes from the 17thCentury and the German word “spannen” which was the tool used for winding the wheel lock of a firearm. It’s also the origin of the phrase “spanner in the works”, which means something that otherwise ruins one’s plans.

White Spirit

While not exactly the same as paint thinner, white spirit the British term for mineral spirits, which are typically used to clean paint brushes and keep them getting gunked up with dried oil-based paints. Unlike paint thinner, mineral spirits don’t have the same pungent aroma.

Breeze Block

Breeze block is a much cooler-sounding name for what Americans call a cinder block. The origins of the terms are very similar, as the blocks are commonly made from mixing concrete and ash, the latter of which is synonymous with the word “breeze” in Britain.

Stillson Wrench

Despite being an American invention, in America, we call it a pipe wrench rather than giving it the name of its creator. Daniel C. Stillson invented the Stillson wrench in Massachusetts, and the first patent on it was issued in 1869. Instead of naming it for Mr. Stillson, we gave it the name that follows its function, which is tightening or loosening pipe fittings.

Steel Rule

While we could call this a tape measure in America, in Britain, that’s used to refer to a tape measure that is used by a tailor to take measurements for clothing. It gets the distinction by being made of a thin steel ribbon rather than cloth or plastic as is normal for the other kind of tape measure.

Bonus: Gaffer Tape

This one is a fun one – gaffer tape is what the British call ‘duct tape.’