dustbin and etc.

[emily wong]

dustbin / ash can / garbage box / garbage can

I know all these refer to the can or barrel for refuse. But people in US and Britain must have their own preference on the words, so could anyone please help me out and explain the difference on acutal usages?

Another question is what the name for the smaller plastic item for storing wastes usually put under one's desk?

Many thanks!

Emily Wong

[Ouisch]

In the US, the small plastic recepticle you place under your desk is called a wastebasket.

The term for a larger waste recepticle in the US actually depends upon your geographic location (people in New England call it something different from those folks in the South). However, the typical names are garbage can, trash can, and rubbish can. The very large recepticles found in parking lots behind office buildings and restaurants (that can only be emptied by a special truck) are called dumpsters.

I'm pretty sure that dustbin is strictly a British term.