Divided by a common language

[RelentlessOnanism]

It's another one of those queries about the difference between British and American English...

When you move house in the UK, you may employ removal men to transport your furniture. What do Americans call removal men?

 

[SimonDoom]

I think the term we would use is "movers."

 

[PennameWombat]

What he said. And "moving company," e.g., Mayflower is one of the large, nationwide (in the US) companies. They also arrange moves out of the US (trust me on this) and have alliances with companies around the world. Mayflower sends a crew to your place to pack everything up, load it onto their truck and deliver it.

Of course there are plenty of local moving companies and "two men and a truck" (not a "van") sorts all over the US offering local and across-town moves. But they'll all answer to "movers." I've used these as well.

"Relo" or "relocation" is a term used by realtors and other real estate people who offer expertise in guiding someone to finding a suitable house, etc. in their new location. As well as companies who "relocate" their employees.

 

[BelleCanzuto]

What he said. And "moving company," e.g., Mayflower is one of the large, nationwide (in the US) companies. They also arrange moves out of the US (trust me on this) and have alliances with companies around the world. Mayflower sends a crew to your place to pack everything up, load it onto their truck and deliver it.

Military brat specific variation on an old joke: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Furniture.

 

[lovecraft68]

I like "removal men' sounds like professional killers....

 

[PennameWombat]

I like "removal men' sounds like professional killers....

"Sorry to hear your book tanked," friend one said.

"I thought sure my anti-hero's catch phrase," said friend two, "would've put it over the top! I mean, 'You're being relocated. To hell!' Just before he dispatched each bad guy. Who wouldn't love that?"

"Sounds like a winner to me...," friend one said. Friend two shrugs and hunches his shoulders and walks away.

"How did you keep a straight face when you said that? You're better than me," friend three said. The two of them laughed.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Just tossing it out there for the common language twist, they’re “Removalists” in Australia...

 

[NotWise]

I like "removal men' sounds like professional killers....

Or varmint hunters. "Got a skunk problem? We're the removal men!"

Please stand back at least ten feet while we consider your cost estimate.

 

[KeithD]

We called them the moving men for my 39 moves--but that was before the campaign to wipe out sexist language.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

Thinking about it I've called them removal men, moving guys, removal/moving chaps, even shipping guys, but never movers. (London UK).

The plural of a man with a van is Men With Ven, in common dialogue.

Out of interest do Americans call a van such as a Ford Transit or Merc Sprinter a truck, or is it that roads are large enough people use trucks to move even if belongings would fit in a van?

 

[XerXesXu]

Mayflowers.

If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring? Furniture.

Furniture?

Immigrants surely.

 

[jaF0]

Of course there are plenty of local moving companies and "two men and a truck"

Anything For A Buck (aka Larry and the Darryls).

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9VrtK7rCtVk/XPqPS1qUQdI/AAAAAAAA_Zc/zim8ChUK8QQkQMVdtt9BcvJAgjR2O3WjgCLcBGAs/s1600/ldd-meme.png

Out of interest do Americans call a van such as a Ford Transit or Merc Sprinter a truck, or is it that roads are large enough people use trucks to move even if belongings would fit in a van?

Those are vans, not trucks (Lorries).

Real Americans rent trucks by the day and move their own stuff:

http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/Images/small-rental-truck.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4078/4795227929_0bb8fe42db_z.jpg

 

[holliday1960]

Anything For A Buck (aka Larry and the Darryls).

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9VrtK7rCtVk/XPqPS1qUQdI/AAAAAAAA_Zc/zim8ChUK8QQkQMVdtt9BcvJAgjR2O3WjgCLcBGAs/s1600/ldd-meme.png



Those are vans, not trucks (Lorries).

Real Americans rent trucks by the day and move their own stuff:

http://www.uhaul.com/Reservations/Images/small-rental-truck.jpg

https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4078/4795227929_0bb8fe42db_z.jpg

Hmmm... Real AMERICANS may rent their own truck and move their own stuff... but real Texans OWN their own truck AND move their own stuff. Just sayin'...

 

[KeithD]

Real Americans rent trucks by the day and move their own stuff:

Not from Virginia to Bangkok, they don't. And not from anywhere to anywhere else if someone else is paying for the move.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

As in the joke 'what does lesbian bring on a second date?' A U-Haul.

For a few years after the spread of the internet and sitcoms like Ellen, you could tell someone was queer in England if they knew what a U-Haul was...

I do know expats who will hire and pack their own shipping containers themselves. Some people have too much time on their hands; I still vow the money I spent on professional movers 15 years ago was the best 800 quid I ever spent.

 

[lovecraft68]

I've always moved myself and because I have an uncanny ability to pack a truck using up very square inch as well as being able to angle anything into pretty much anywhere, I've always been the first person people ask to help them move.

But after helping my wife's best friend, who owns an unnatural amount of shit, move last year, I decided I'm retired. I'm not a kid anymore, and after neck surgery and a rotator cuff issue I can't lift the way I used to.

If we ever decide to sell this house and downsize being the kids are long gone, and its just us, I'll pay for movers.

In the meantime I'll still help people, but now I just stand in the truck and tell people how to stack everything.

 

[jaF0]

Y'all do it the hard way. Just put the wheels under the house and get on with the gettin' on:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rJuoc0OpxRE/maxresdefault.jpg

 

[BelleCanzuto]

I still vow the money I spent on professional movers 15 years ago was the best 800 quid I ever spent.

Same here. Iirc, it was a little less than $2000 to move from NYS to VA, and $500 and change to move across town. I packed, they hauled. I stood back amazed at how fast they were.

I'm hoping to never move again.

 

[oggbashan]

When we moved to this town 40+ years ago, we had two children including one that was six weeks old.

We employed professionals to pack, move and unpack. They were worth their money.

 

[RejectReality]

I assume there are movers around here, but I've never in my life actually seen a crew at work anywhere. Uhauls, pickups, and cars stuffed to the gills by the family and friends.

Most of my stuff always got moved in my car, with whatever was too big for that going in a single, final trip in someone's pickup. I've had a 27 inch CRT television strapped in with a seatbelt in my car more times than I can count.

( Though not in use, I still have that television, and it works. It's older than my son and he's pushing 22 LOL )

The moves to and from Texas were self-packed in a Uhaul.

 

[lovecraft68]

I assume there are movers around here, but I've never in my life actually seen a crew at work anywhere. Uhauls, pickups, and cars stuffed to the gills by the family and friends.

Most of my stuff always got moved in my car, with whatever was too big for that going in a single, final trip in someone's pickup. I've had a 27 inch CRT television strapped in with a seatbelt in my car more times than I can count.

( Though not in use, I still have that television, and it works. It's older than my son and he's pushing 22 LOL )

My father has an old Curtis Mathis floor model in his basement. Remember those? They were like a piece of furniture with the big top shelf and the wood cabinet. He still watches VHS tapes on it.

But those things were insanely heavy and when they sold their house a few years back to move into something smaller, it took four of us to lift the damn thing, and get it down from the second floor, then get it into his basement.

I told him if it ever stops working and he wants it out, its going in pieces.

 

[jaF0]

^^ My JVC was a bit of a heavy bugger, it was.

 

[oggbashan]

My father has an old Curtis Mathis floor model in his basement. Remember those? They were like a piece of furniture with the big top shelf and the wood cabinet. He still watches VHS tapes on it.

But those things were insanely heavy and when they sold their house a few years back to move into something smaller, it took four of us to lift the damn thing, and get it down from the second floor, then get it into his basement.

I told him if it ever stops working and he wants it out, its going in pieces.

My uncle and aunt had an upright piano in their second-floor apartment above a bank. When they died the apartment reverted to the bank but they wanted the piano removed.

One of the bank employees went to the nearby public house and paid some drinkers. They cordoned off the pavement, removed the window and frame, and threw the piano out. Job done!

 

[lovecraft68]

My uncle and aunt had an upright piano in their second-floor apartment above a bank. When they died the apartment reverted to the bank but they wanted the piano removed.

One of the bank employees went to the nearby public house and paid some drinkers. They cordoned off the pavement, removed the window and frame, and threw the piano out. Job done!

Bet they had fun, smashing things is a blast. Back when I worked for a display company and they would have discontinued displays the customer wanted thrown out I'd put them on the forklift and take the boom as high as I could then tilt forward and smash them on the ground

Then the rest of the crew would pick up the small pieces to throw in the dumpster. They weren't as amused as I was.

 

[RejectReality]

My father has an old Curtis Mathis floor model in his basement. Remember those? They were like a piece of furniture with the big top shelf and the wood cabinet. He still watches VHS tapes on it.

But those things were insanely heavy and when they sold their house a few years back to move into something smaller, it took four of us to lift the damn thing, and get it down from the second floor, then get it into his basement.

I told him if it ever stops working and he wants it out, its going in pieces.

We literally had the Jeff Foxworthy joke going on in our house for a good decade when we were kids. Our working television sat on top of the non-working floor model.

It only finally left the house when Dad went to college for electronics, dug into it, fixed it, and sold it to someone.

The television then sat on an end table for a few months LOL