Subway VS Underground
When I was a college student, I used summer vacation or winter vacation to visit some of my friends living overseas. One of the places I visited was England. I visited London,and small city near Manchester,and city was filled with very nice looking castle-like building even regular Post office and,you see 2 storied red colored bus,policeman riding nice looking horse, and nice cobble stone road.. it was really new and exciting experience there.
At college,I majored in English and, got license to teach English to Junior high and high school student. So,I was not too worry about not being able to communicate with people in England, but when I actually experienced conversations or signs in England,some of the words and phrases were quite new to me.
Therefore,I thought for this entry,I will write on difference between British English and American English.
In Japan, when I was at school,we started learning English from junior high school years. I think Japan is now changed its rule and start teaching English much younger age from elementary school years. The textbook is using American English.
Anyway, one of the thing I encountered was sign of transportation. In England,people call “Tube” or “underground” for what American people call “Subway”. Then,in England, “subway” means roads that you go under the road and come out to other side of the road.
Some of the stations have signs that say “subway””underground” both next each other. I first thought that it is for American people to understand what they think subway as is there.
Turned out it is not that way but rather, such station has long road that goes under the road and some people can use tubes(subway in American English) and some people can keep walking, then you come out to the other side.So, it is “subway” because of this road under the road,and underground because you can also go under the road to hop on to train as well.
It seems people call the train “tube” because train shape is roundish and just like tube.
Have you been to somewhere and found strange sign or phrases??
