> Roofs seem to be steeper, and most houses have a chimney or two.

Really? One of the things I noticed when I lived in England (Shepperton, on the Kingston side of London) was that a lot of the rooves were *flat* -- no slope at all. Our thought was, these houses would never survive a New England winter. Six feet of snow on those babies, and they're goin' DOWN. That may have just been that particular housing district in Shepperton. I realize the types of buildings there are quite diverse.

And, no, it isn't usual for the houses to be built right on top of each other here in the U.S., but unfortunately it's not uncommon. I'd go crazy if I had to live in that kind of environment for long. Where we live now is a pretty reasonable and very pleasant neighborhood environment, but I can't wait until we can afford a couple acres or so.

> I call a faucet a faucet if it is over a sink, but if it's outside it's a tap.

I don't think I do that, but I was realizing the other day that in the U.S., water that comes out of any faucet -- indoor or outdoor -- is "tap water." Maybe that's why Americans know what "tap" means, even if they say "faucet." Then again, we know what "boot" means, with respect to a car, too.

> It's sort of like stairs inside and steps outside.

I'm with you on this one, though. It's not a rule, I don't think, but I've always subconsciously used those words that way. Language is cool.