Friday 16 March 2012

Same Product, DIfferent Name UK vs USA

One of the funniest things in regards to differences between the UK and the USA are in regards to the names products are given. From chocolate sharing the same name as soap to trying to find a Mars bar you feel like your going in a never ending circle. Or they'll have the same name but their consistency will be very different. So I thought I'd give you a look through our cupboards with the British names coming first followed by their American equivalent.

STARTING IN THE BATHROOM;


Lynx as Axe, however research comes to show that most countries call it Axe yet trademark problems wouldn't allow that brand name to be used in the UK - so in this instance the UK is the odd one. Even so, Axe seems an odd name for a body spray. 

SEARCH IN THE CUPBOARDS;

Asking a shop assistant for custard will result in being blankly stared at. Rather then being in a tin you get it in a packet like you get your jelly/jello. I haven't dared myself to try and make it yet though. 

A lot of people don't like American baked beans but I find them rather tasty. Granted you can get your typical Heinz beans [they originate from Pittsburgh so they are an American company anyway] but we tend to buy Bushes baked beans which come with mini bacon bits in a brown sauce mix.Yum.

Walkers are your Lay's, with the "ready salted" merely called Classic.

There's a marvellous thing called all purpose flour, so when your baking you often don't have to worry about having self rising or plain flour. Just one will do [obviously you can buy these flours too]. But I can't say I ever noticed anything like this in the UK?

Not only that but Lard is called shortening under the is disguise of the brand name Criso. Plus it comes in a jar! I think that's meant to make it look and seem healthier perhaps?

FRIDGE;
Milk rarely gets termed by being full fat, skimmed or semi skinned - it goes by it's percentages. So semi skimmed is 2% - but over here that's called reduced fat milk. Apparently we drink 1% milk [pink top] which is low fat/light milk. Who ever thought buying milk would be so confusing when you actually think about it rather then the colour of the bottle tops!

If you fancy a mature cheese - that's always called a sharp cheese.

SWEET GOODIES;
Being in America we should probably call them "candy" anyway. 

The one I'll never give into changing it's name is what Galaxy is called, I've mentioned this a few times now but Dove as a chocolate brand name? Especially when Dove as a toiletry is on sale too. But like Lynx/Axe Galaxy is only named Galaxy in the UK and the Middle East.

Finding a Mars Bar is an adventure in itself. A Mars Bar in America is a Milky Way, but a Milky Way in America is a 3 Musketeer. Keeping up? I may have to do a whole post about American sweets - there's way too many I haven't tried! Interested?

Have you ever come across any funny brand/food product names?

57 comments:

  1. Confusing! Just like chips/crisps!
    Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To me chips [as in fried things] will always be chips and crisps [Walkers] will always be my crisps. Just to me sounds/seems wrong being any other way!

      Delete
  2. Sounds confusing! I agree, Galaxy should always be Galaxy otherwise I'd feel like I'm eating toiletries! xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And Dove doesn't even sound chocolate like!

      Delete
  3. gosh, the sweet situation always confuses me. A milky bar should be called a milky bar not be called a milky bar and contain a mars bar! they are not the same! haha x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They don't even look the same and are totally the different size! So so confusing when you just want a chocolate fix!

      Delete
  4. I'm interested, I am a big fan of American sweeties and find myself buying stupidly expensive imports haha x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Then this is the perfect excuse for me to buy a tonne of sweets haha!

      Delete
  5. Ah love this! At least Galaxy looks the same, I've seen me excitedly raiding the sweet counter in Target only to realise I'm actually eating a mars/snickers/milky way under a different name, faff! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh lord the snickers thing too - I forgot about that. Although they do introduce really tasty versions of snickers over here!

      Delete
  6. i love this kind of posts! i remember when i was in the UK i found vauxhall (cars) confusing

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah took me ages to work out what Vauxhall were called in America!

      Delete
  7. I never even though about the fact that these would be called different thing in the UK. Thanks for the lesson!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There's probably loads more i've still yet to come across!

      Delete
  8. Oops, i always thought all purpose flour was plain flour

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dove. Ugh. I don't think I'd even dare eat it! How can anybody cope with Galaxy being called Dove? Plus, Galaxy just sounds luxurious and Dove sounds... well, like soap. :-) xx

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOVED this post :) iv never seen all purpose flour over here either but it would defo come in handy for baking!!! and Dove bar?! i much prefer galaxy :) thanks for the fab read :) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Your welcome, dove just doesn't seem right as a name for chocolate!

      Delete
  11. Ifound this super interesting I love looking at the american sweets in selfridges! x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Certainly off to grab a huge heap full of american sweets to blog about soon for sure!

      Delete
  12. Love this post, each time ive been state side i always marvel at the names, the milk was esp confusing! lol. Scarlett x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I always thought we were drinking semi skimmed until I read about the differences! But yeah there's so many different kinds of milk to buy!

      Delete
  13. Haha, this boggled my mind. It sure would be tough shopping in a different country. At least you seem to have sorted out the craziness that is America :]

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is a great post! That flour sounds so clever. We could do with some of that over here.x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah it takes out the hassle of having to have different types to bake with!

      Delete
  15. Oh god the whole mars bar - milky way thing sounds so confusing !
    Didn't realise so much was different !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah but thankfully the mars bars do taste like the UK ones! Which i'm glad about because I do love a Mars!

      Delete
  16. It's Dove chocolate in Australia too and its yummy! It's called Lynx here too. We have mars bars and milky ways totally different sweets. The world is a funny place. xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. Do an American sweets post, please! One thing that confused the hell out of me when I moved to the states was biscuits. I had never had an American biscuit until much later because I didn't want to eat what I thought were "crackers" with my turkey. soooo strange.

    ♥ laura
    the blog of worldly delights

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah I never understand why they call them biscuits!

      Delete
  18. Hahahaha my little brother wants to use Axe! =)

    http://pinkchampagnefashion.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  19. Definintely interested in a US sweets post - I didn't realise about the Mars/Milky Bar/3 Musketeers and I think Galaxy is a way better brand name than dove. I've only tried Hersheys and really wasn't keen.

    All purpose flour sounds so much better than having to keep shedloads of different types in the cupboard though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think Hershey's can be really hit and miss, I love their dark chocolate bars, they are really nice.

      Delete
  20. I get so much pleasure from spending time in Indian supermarkets and working out the brand differences, too. x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love just looking at the British section - so funny how they define a nation by it's food!

      Delete
  21. Haha some of this looks very familiar! Slightly off topic but have you tried smart food white cheddar popcorn? (comes in a black/yellow bag). The closest I can like it to is wotsits in popcorn form. I've been hooked on the stuff for about 10 years now and so happy to be able to buy it on my weekly shop now!!! Try it!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll have to keep my eyes out for this it sounds really good!

      Delete
  22. This is a great post. I never knew the differences between Axe. Thought it was a universal name.

    http://myminibag.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I guess we all get use to what it's called in our homeland and think it's really weird when it's called something else!

      Delete
  23. haha this is a neat post! and no nobody believes crisco is healthy hahaha in america we def know that's SUPER unhealthy!! haha

    also you should try it i love jello pudding from the box haha it's delish! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Crisco is such a funny thing, I keep wanting to stick it back into the fridge too! It's really weird to me when people use it in recipes, it just doesn't seem a good thing to be using to me haha!

      Delete
  24. Haha I don't know how you cope!
    I'd love to see an American sweets post

    xo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It gets rather confusing at times. I got sad i couldn't find pasta bake the other day. It doesn't seem to exist.

      Delete
  25. This was such an interesting post! The Milky Way/Mars Bar thing sounds very confusing haha!

    Gillian x
    elevatormusik

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha then I noticed there's even more then one type of milky war [UK Mars bar] so confusing!!

      Delete
  26. dove chocolate is so so good! it's smooth and creamy :) xx
    my blog: boho vanity

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeap Galaxy is certainly my favourite kind of chocolate!

      Delete
  27. I love 3 Musketeer bar!!

    http://golddustk.blogspot.co.uk/

    Katie x

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haven't got around to trying one of those yet but i'm adding them to my chocolate blog themed investigation.

      Delete
  28. Wow there are so many things I didn't know about the branding in America. It's so weird to see Lynx being called Axe...and Galaxy as Dove, it just seems strange when you can buy soap with the exact same name!

    Just found your blog through Life of a Sweetaholic and loved your interview, you've definitely got a new follower in me :)

    Love, Elizabeth xx

    http://butterflyboo.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw thank you hun! I know you can have your dove smellies and your dove chocolate in one shop. Very strange!

      Delete
  29. OMG I would be sooo confused if i ever visited the US! lol. I'd love to see an american sweets post :) xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  30. Love posts like this! When I went to LA, I saw the Dove chocolate thing and got totally confused, thankfully Galaxy doesn't actually taste like soap. I miss American food :( I'm almost out of Jolly Ranchers, and breakfast just isn't the same without Lucky Charms. xx

    ReplyDelete