amber light

[howsmyenglish]

I forgot to ask yesterday: Reginald Hill refers to what I would have called a yellow traffic light as "amber". Is this specifically his own invention? Or is it usual to call the traffic light amber in the UK? Or some part of it? How do you call it?

Comments

[iddewes]

Yes it’s called amber in the UK.

[howsmyenglish]

Funny i never noticed... I suppose other authors i read just don't mention it that much...

[iddewes]

I doubt traffic lights are mentioned very often in novels 😉

[howsmyenglish]

Right? And Hill mentioned it being amber - twice in the same book!
(the scientist in me wants to go back and examine the circumstances)))

[thanatos_kalos]

It's amber in UK, yes. :)

[howsmyenglish]

But yellow in the US?
Orange anywhere? Do you know?

[thanatos_kalos]

Yellow in the US, yes. I haven't heard it called orange anywhere.

[howsmyenglish]

I have! But it don't remember in which language...

[thanatos_kalos]

I just looked it up-- it's orange in French. :)

[howsmyenglish]

Right, looking it up is always a good idea... ;D

[thanatos_kalos]

:)

[angelofthenorth]

I’d usually say amber

[howsmyenglish]

I had no idea :D