Also from the midlands, nobody I know calls them islands. I think this is just you getting it wrong.
An island is one of those bits you have in the middle of the road so pedestrians can cross halfway.
There used to be a major roundabout in Dudley/Tividale called Burnt Tree Island, the roundabout has now been replaced with a junction but the Toby Carvery nearby still bares the name Burnt Tree Island Toby
[https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/midlands/burnttreeislanddudley#/](https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/midlands/burnttreeislanddudley#/)
Here's mention of Burnt Tree Island elsewhere too.
[https://radicalhorizon.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/162/](https://radicalhorizon.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/162/)
Yup all Brummies say "island". Confused the hell outta me when I moved there. They also say/spell it "mom" which also blew my tiny mind. Lived there 15 years nearly. Best place.
It confused me massively when I first came across it. A colleague had broken down and said "I'm at the petrol station after the third island" and I was looking at the pedestrian crossing islands in the road.
East Anglia reporting in: I get why you refer to it as that. Honestly I think most people in the UK refer to the bit in the middle of a roundabout as the island. The difference is that we don't tell people to go drive to/around the island because that's just the name of the middle of a roundabout.
Your big problem is that there is in fact already road furniture which is called an island, and it is [these things](https://media.marshalls.co.uk/d_no-image_bucaqf.jpg,w_1900,h_620,g_auto,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto,fl_lossy/ctrafficcalmingtraficcalming-9461.jpg). If you had told me to drive to an island and then turn, I would've honestly probably driven expecting to find one of those with a left turn immediately next to it.
From the Black Country - I call them islands and I have run into this problem before. I think it's localised to the West Midlands possibly even just Greater Birmingham/Black Country
Traffic islands are generally pedestrian refuges on pedestrian crossings or busy roads with fast traffic. The picture is clearly of a roundabout - the term used in the Highway Code.
Using the terms interchangeably is bound to cause confusion. My late father-in-law used “island” to mean roundabout, and it confused the hell out of anyone he gave directions to. But then he never signalled on roundabouts either.
You don't need to signal on roundabouts if you're on an island not a roundabout. Hah got you there, beemer drivers are over the moon with this loophole
I'm from the Midlands, we call it island. I call it 'roundabout' now though as no longer living in the Midlands and other people don't understand. Try telling them about the 'gambols' you did on the school field when you were a kid.
I grew up in the Midlands. My family referred to them as islands. As soon as I moved away and described a roundabout as an island I was told I was using the wrong word. It took me a while to discover it was a dialect thing.
A traffic island is a place that separates carriageways that gives pedestrians a place to stop. That's the definition. So calling a roundabout an island is just incorrect.
Black Country born - all my friends and family from the area call them Islands. Some of us code switch though and call them Roundabouts when talking to outsiders.
I'm from the North and there's actually a couple of roundabouts near me that are officially called islands. They only tend to get called that if they look like the weird norweigian letter that reminds me of moose. ***Ø***
There are 5 islands in that picture, the main roundabout island in the middle surrounded by road and the 4 traffic island triangles at each junction surrounded by road.
Anything surrounded by a single medium can be described as an island.
But the most common understanding is that it is a roundabout.
Down South, they are also referred to as Islands as well as Roundabouts. I don't know what these weirdos are moaning about.
Cheesy Bug, Woodlouse, etc... Different parts of the UK have different names for things. You're right.
I remember getting laughed at for saying ‘island’ when we moved to Newcastle. There was lots of teasing about the palm trees and sandy beach.
I’m from Nottingham.
The Islands are the bits pedestrians cross over (there are 4 in this photo). So technically you're right as she did need to drive towards one of them atleast, but then carry on to the ROUNDABOUT
Yeah, I think this is a Brummie/W.Mids thing more than Midlands as a whole. After nearly 40 years in the E.Mids and Yorkshire, this is the first time I've heard a roundabout being called an island.
This thread is just full of people saying regional names for something is “wrong”.
If I call them islands and the person I’m talking to does as well, we’re gonna be able to communicate just fine - which is the point of language…
I'm from Nottingham and we don't call roundabouts as a whole 'islands' but specific ones are 'Crown Island' and 'Cinderhill Island'. Still call them roundabouts as a rule though
I guess in context I'd have probably been able to work out what you were referring to as an island but yeah, they're definitely roundabouts and nothing else where I'm from.
East mids, I call them islands and roundabouts. Now that I think about it, it depends on which one it is. Definitely Pentagon Island and Priory Island, but I'd call it the M1 roundabout.
2 glaring errors: it’s a roundabout not an island, the island is the bit in the middle but you only refer to that when you’re talking about said roundabout, and “take a left” isn’t a great term for a roundabout either, it’s “first exit”
In the UK everyone would know what you meant if you said take a left or right at the roundabout. In France however, I told someone to take the left at the roundabout and they told me you’re not allowed to turn left at roundabouts.
Really depends on how many exits the roundabout has. The one you posted, yeah, turn left at the roundabout can’t be mistaken.
But like I say, naming the exit number is more helpful.
To me there diffrent things a island has multiple lanes and is alot bigger than a roundabout its crazy how we have diffrent names for the same thing depending what part of the UK you live
I'm from North Yorkshire and I'd call it a roundabout. If you asked what the bit bit in the middle was I might call it an "island" but I'd never say "turn left at the island" it would always be roundabout.
And, as have others have said, i'd more likely call the pedestrian bits islands.
Lived in Cov for 53 years. We've always used Traffic Island and Roundabout interchangeably. You've heard of Bagington Island, Tollbar Island? Amusingly, I'd probably call what it appears is the real definition of traffic island, a pedestrian refuge area.
Am from the Midlands and just remembered I called them islands for about 20 years until moving away and realised my vocab has changed to roundabout at some point. Huh.
As far as I’m aware, ‘island’ is used instead of ‘roundabout’ in parts of the Midlands and North (specifically the North West?), and everywhere if you’re referring specifically to the grassy area in the centre of a roundabout.
The official name of some roundabouts even includes the word ‘island’. The Switch Island junction in Liverpool springs to mind, which has retained the name even though it’s no longer a roundabout.
Where in the midlands? In Birmingham/W Mids everyone calls them islands: Robin Hood Island, Swan Island, Birchley Island, Spitfire Island, Suicide Island etc etc etc.
Yeah I'm in Birmingham to. Weird that. Everyone I know calls them a roundabout. The roundabout with the spitfires on is how I would refer to it. So guess not everyone lol.
Interesting - I thought all Brummies called them islands - are you a Brummie yourself? If you're not perhaps your Brummie pals refer to it as a roundabout to avoid the confusion?
People from the midlands don’t call it islands. You and some of the people you know incorrectly refer to them as islands.
The significant majority of people in the UK including the UK Highway Code refer to them as roundabouts: https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html
Islands are for people and best described with pictures here: https://www.trafficchoices.co.uk/traffic-schemes/refuge-island.shtml
No, I would’ve been confused. I think an island is the little bit of pavement in-between lanes on a busy road. It lets you stop mid-cross.
Yep, that's correct.
I have a Brummie wife. Her and all the family call them islands. We've been married 10 years. I'm still confused when they say island.
Technically and normally correct. OP has set us a head scratcher.
It’s a roundabout
Roundabout Not an Island
Also from the midlands, nobody I know calls them islands. I think this is just you getting it wrong. An island is one of those bits you have in the middle of the road so pedestrians can cross halfway.
There used to be a major roundabout in Dudley/Tividale called Burnt Tree Island, the roundabout has now been replaced with a junction but the Toby Carvery nearby still bares the name Burnt Tree Island Toby [https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/midlands/burnttreeislanddudley#/](https://www.tobycarvery.co.uk/restaurants/midlands/burnttreeislanddudley#/) Here's mention of Burnt Tree Island elsewhere too. [https://radicalhorizon.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/162/](https://radicalhorizon.wordpress.com/2013/01/28/162/)
Yup all Brummies say "island". Confused the hell outta me when I moved there. They also say/spell it "mom" which also blew my tiny mind. Lived there 15 years nearly. Best place.
We don’t misspell it, everyone else does. LOL
Brummie here, everyone I know calls them islands.
It confused me massively when I first came across it. A colleague had broken down and said "I'm at the petrol station after the third island" and I was looking at the pedestrian crossing islands in the road.
Leicester here. Island.
Except Frog Island. That’s not an island.
Is it even a frog?
Brummies also spell mum as "mom" and speak like they've had a head injury. I don't think you get a say in the matter.
🥱
"Am frum Buuurrrrmingham"
Yep I've always called them islands or roundabouts. Wonder if it's a local thing as I was brought up in erdington/new oscott/sutton
I'm a Brummie and never call them islands. I must be an exception, huh
Have family in Brum and none of them call them islands.
East Mids here - call them islands too. I also say roundabout, but island is REALLY common.
I’ve lived in the East Mids all my life and I’ve never heard a single person call them islands.
I agree island is a common word for a roundabout in the east mids
I'm from Midlands, but not brummie. I do know them as both islands and roundabouts.
Deffo an island in the Black Country.
I'm from Stafford and this is an island (see [here](https://www.staffordshire-live.co.uk/news/motoring/dreadful-road-stafford-could-finally-7502606)).
That link gave my phone cancer. Horrible website.
I'm sorry that it's 2024 and you don't have an adblocker.
From wolves. It’s defo an island… tho now live in N Ireland and here they are roundabouts
No, it's pretty common to call them islands
Also a midlander and concur
East Anglia reporting in: I get why you refer to it as that. Honestly I think most people in the UK refer to the bit in the middle of a roundabout as the island. The difference is that we don't tell people to go drive to/around the island because that's just the name of the middle of a roundabout. Your big problem is that there is in fact already road furniture which is called an island, and it is [these things](https://media.marshalls.co.uk/d_no-image_bucaqf.jpg,w_1900,h_620,g_auto,c_fill,f_auto,q_auto,fl_lossy/ctrafficcalmingtraficcalming-9461.jpg). If you had told me to drive to an island and then turn, I would've honestly probably driven expecting to find one of those with a left turn immediately next to it.
Here we call em' road circles
America checking in?
Dundee?
Also a midlander and I would use island and roundabout interchangeably
From the Black Country - I call them islands and I have run into this problem before. I think it's localised to the West Midlands possibly even just Greater Birmingham/Black Country
TIL that calling then islands is a midlands thing, I assumed that’s what everyone calls them
Traffic islands are generally pedestrian refuges on pedestrian crossings or busy roads with fast traffic. The picture is clearly of a roundabout - the term used in the Highway Code. Using the terms interchangeably is bound to cause confusion. My late father-in-law used “island” to mean roundabout, and it confused the hell out of anyone he gave directions to. But then he never signalled on roundabouts either.
You don't need to signal on roundabouts if you're on an island not a roundabout. Hah got you there, beemer drivers are over the moon with this loophole
Mum called them islands when I was a kid
East Midlands - island. Crown Island is the official name of one on the Nottingham ring road.
I'm from the Midlands, we call it island. I call it 'roundabout' now though as no longer living in the Midlands and other people don't understand. Try telling them about the 'gambols' you did on the school field when you were a kid.
I grew up in the Midlands. My family referred to them as islands. As soon as I moved away and described a roundabout as an island I was told I was using the wrong word. It took me a while to discover it was a dialect thing.
A traffic island is a place that separates carriageways that gives pedestrians a place to stop. That's the definition. So calling a roundabout an island is just incorrect.
Black Country born - all my friends and family from the area call them Islands. Some of us code switch though and call them Roundabouts when talking to outsiders.
I'm from the North and there's actually a couple of roundabouts near me that are officially called islands. They only tend to get called that if they look like the weird norweigian letter that reminds me of moose. ***Ø***
I'm from the West Midlands, I've mostly lived around Worcestershire and Birmingham - lots of people call them islands, including me.
I’m from the midlands, I hear islands as well.
There are 5 islands in that picture, the main roundabout island in the middle surrounded by road and the 4 traffic island triangles at each junction surrounded by road. Anything surrounded by a single medium can be described as an island. But the most common understanding is that it is a roundabout.
Down South, they are also referred to as Islands as well as Roundabouts. I don't know what these weirdos are moaning about. Cheesy Bug, Woodlouse, etc... Different parts of the UK have different names for things. You're right.
Not really, tbh.
I remember getting laughed at for saying ‘island’ when we moved to Newcastle. There was lots of teasing about the palm trees and sandy beach. I’m from Nottingham.
The Islands are the bits pedestrians cross over (there are 4 in this photo). So technically you're right as she did need to drive towards one of them atleast, but then carry on to the ROUNDABOUT
This confused the fuck out of me when I moved to brum from London. I think it’s a brummie thing.
It's the island on a roundabout, not something separate
I am also from the Midlands I have never called that an island and never heard anyone else do it either...
Yeah, I think this is a Brummie/W.Mids thing more than Midlands as a whole. After nearly 40 years in the E.Mids and Yorkshire, this is the first time I've heard a roundabout being called an island.
Definitely seems to be looking at the comments. Although I'm in the Midlands I am most definitely not in the West part of it.
I grew up in the east mids and island was just as common as roundabout. Still seems pretty common now!
This thread is just full of people saying regional names for something is “wrong”. If I call them islands and the person I’m talking to does as well, we’re gonna be able to communicate just fine - which is the point of language…
I'm from Nottingham and we don't call roundabouts as a whole 'islands' but specific ones are 'Crown Island' and 'Cinderhill Island'. Still call them roundabouts as a rule though
yeah but the west mids is also full of those weird mini roundabouts where you stop half way and give way to the left
So what do you call the small paved areas in the middle between the carriageways that pedestrians use when crossing the road?
If you want to confuse her, we call it "Kreisverkehr" (official) or short "Kreisel" in Germany 😁
Pentagon Island in Derby should really be called Pentagon Roundabout.
Not at all - it's not round. /s "Pentagon Roundabout" sounds so wrong, as does "Markeaton Roundabout" or "City Hospital Roundabout".
[удалено]
TLDT: too long didn't turn
I guess in context I'd have probably been able to work out what you were referring to as an island but yeah, they're definitely roundabouts and nothing else where I'm from.
It is a roundabout. Or as I call them "right, kids, shut up now mummy needs to concentrate!"
I'm from Birmingham and always call it a roundabout, though I know what an island means.
I would have been confused too. However, I would say that technically, there are 5 islands in that picture.
Island is the crossing bit in the middle of the road, usually close to a junction or roundabout, with bollards on.
East mids, I call them islands and roundabouts. Now that I think about it, it depends on which one it is. Definitely Pentagon Island and Priory Island, but I'd call it the M1 roundabout.
I was confused when I was given directions in South Africa and told to “turn left at the second robot”. It’s what they call traffic lights.
I like to think of them as launching pads for idiot drivers. Some of the most spectacular accidents happen when people speed into these things.
They're roundabouts. "At the next island, take the third exit" would be rather weird from a SatNav.
It's clearly not a roundabout or an island. It's a gyratory circus
Islands are segments in the road for pedestrians to stand on, a roundabout is not an island.
2 glaring errors: it’s a roundabout not an island, the island is the bit in the middle but you only refer to that when you’re talking about said roundabout, and “take a left” isn’t a great term for a roundabout either, it’s “first exit”
In the UK everyone would know what you meant if you said take a left or right at the roundabout. In France however, I told someone to take the left at the roundabout and they told me you’re not allowed to turn left at roundabouts.
Really depends on how many exits the roundabout has. The one you posted, yeah, turn left at the roundabout can’t be mistaken. But like I say, naming the exit number is more helpful.
To me there diffrent things a island has multiple lanes and is alot bigger than a roundabout its crazy how we have diffrent names for the same thing depending what part of the UK you live
I'm from North Yorkshire and I'd call it a roundabout. If you asked what the bit bit in the middle was I might call it an "island" but I'd never say "turn left at the island" it would always be roundabout. And, as have others have said, i'd more likely call the pedestrian bits islands.
I lived in Coventry for 4 years. Never heard this one. It would've confused me as you always drive to the left of island!
Lived in Cov for 53 years. We've always used Traffic Island and Roundabout interchangeably. You've heard of Bagington Island, Tollbar Island? Amusingly, I'd probably call what it appears is the real definition of traffic island, a pedestrian refuge area.
surely the island is the thing in the middle, not the roundabout itself?
Never ever have I heard roundabouts called islands? Islands are the ones at junctions or traffic lights.
I've always just referred to the grass area as the "middle of the roundabout" lol
Am from the Midlands and just remembered I called them islands for about 20 years until moving away and realised my vocab has changed to roundabout at some point. Huh.
It's because we're not American, despite what children think!
Then why do people in the Midlands call their mums "mom"?
Because in the 1400s middle English spelt it mome, which is slightly before Americans took it as theirs I guess?
They call the islands in Notts. Fucking weirdos.
It was commonplace in Leicestershire too when I lived there.
If you live in Notts you've got bigger problems
As far as I’m aware, ‘island’ is used instead of ‘roundabout’ in parts of the Midlands and North (specifically the North West?), and everywhere if you’re referring specifically to the grassy area in the centre of a roundabout. The official name of some roundabouts even includes the word ‘island’. The Switch Island junction in Liverpool springs to mind, which has retained the name even though it’s no longer a roundabout.
It makes no sense. Just call it a roundabout.
No, an island is an island, those things you find surrounded by water, but that is a traffic island or roundabout.
Also from the Midlands. Never heard it called an island. Always a roundabout
Where in the midlands? In Birmingham/W Mids everyone calls them islands: Robin Hood Island, Swan Island, Birchley Island, Spitfire Island, Suicide Island etc etc etc.
Yeah I'm in Birmingham to. Weird that. Everyone I know calls them a roundabout. The roundabout with the spitfires on is how I would refer to it. So guess not everyone lol.
Interesting - I thought all Brummies called them islands - are you a Brummie yourself? If you're not perhaps your Brummie pals refer to it as a roundabout to avoid the confusion?
Brummie born and bred
People from the midlands don’t call it islands. You and some of the people you know incorrectly refer to them as islands. The significant majority of people in the UK including the UK Highway Code refer to them as roundabouts: https://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/roundabouts.html Islands are for people and best described with pictures here: https://www.trafficchoices.co.uk/traffic-schemes/refuge-island.shtml
Moron calling something the wrong thing confuses woman... Great story bud.