Anglophenia strikes again.

Thanks, Proof. That was enlightening - and funny.

One thing, do we say "sneakers" anymore in the U.S.? I think it's mostly "athletic shoes," right?

Also - while "trousers" sound a little stilted, sometimes clothing stores call them "trouser". I remember when my mother got confused once because her colleague (much younger than Mother was) said she'd gotten some new "pants." My mother, like you in England, thought she meant underwear because she called "trousers," "slacks."

So we in the U.S. even confuse ourselves.