Is it stairlift or chairlift?
Stairlift or chairlift?
Written by Stannah
In Australia, we do things – and say things – a little bit differently from the rest of the world. Sometimes our mates from across the ditch, or further afield, are downright puzzled by what’s coming out of our mouths. And it’s not just our accents, either. Some words in common use down under are not used at all in the rest of the world – and vice versa.
What’s in a word?
Take for instance the old thong/thong conundrum. Even though you’ve probably heard this one a million times, it’s always good to go over again, if just for a little bit of a giggle. So in Australia, a thong? That’s your regular old double plugger. In the States, that’s a woman’s skimpy underwear – or what we know as the g string!
The thong one in particular is an interesting one, as it’s called different things all over the world. From slippers in Thailand, to flip flops in the US, to jandals in New Zealand. Plus there’s plenty of other words like this bandied about the place, too! Check out the Aussie Slang Dictionary for more Aussie-isms.
You’ll notice that if you find yourself in another English speaking part of the world, that you’ll run into words thrown into conversation that don’t make sense. These are regional linguistic differences and can be quite fun to pick out and start using.
Stairlift / Chairlift
In the US, we sell stairlifts. However, here in Australia, not too many people are familiar with the term stairlift. What are they? They are the motorized seat lifts in your home that run up a staircase, so those less mobile don’t have to walk upstairs or downstairs, but can still get up and down.
They’re the alternative to installing a costly lift, and you’ve probably seen them in movies. Now, while they haven’t been a hot ticket item in people’s home in the past in Australia, we’re now seeing a greater uptake of them.
This is especially the case for older people who are wanting to live in their homes for longer without the need to move down to a single story house. It’s a brilliant investment that can save people from having to move and reduces the risk of any tumbles in the home.
But back to the linguistics!
These lifts, in Australia, are more often called chairlifts. Like the one that you jump on at the Royal Show, or at the ski fields, except not. That’s another one, too – the old homograph – a word spelled the same but means something different.
Isn’t the English language fun? So, in Australia, you may know our products as a chairlift. Stairlift or chairlift, it’s the same thing – it’s up to you to decide what you ultimately want to call it.
In bringing our premium chairlifts to Australia, we are here to help those with mobility issues. We don’t mind what you call our products, as long as they can help you or your loved ones.
So whether it’s chairlift or stairlift, have a browse through our products to see if there’s something there that could make your life or someone else’s that whole lot easier.
