Word Family Worksheets

What do you call a cart supplied by supermarkets, for use by customers inside the shop for transport of merchandise to the checkout counter during shopping? Well, that does depend on where you are.

"I was looking for my car with a buggy full of groceries." 

The names vary by region. Many of these names may be used alone or in descriptive phrases such as grocery/shopping/supermarket _____.

"In Indiana, we just call them shopping carts."

(SHOPPING) TROLLEY is a common name in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, South Africa, some regions of the US and Canada.

"I asked someone for their shopping cart and I got a look of confusion and astonishment. They said, 'You mean my buggy?' I was like, 'Umm, yeah that.'"

(SHOPPING/GROCERY) CART is the most common name in the US. However, if you live in the southern US, the term "buggy" is often used. 

"You know, if you go shopping, you don't really want to take a 'trolley' which is what Americans ride around in on the street, like say in San Francisco."

BUGGY/BUGGIE is used in Southeast Michigan, Western Pennsylvania, the Southern US and parts of Canada.

"Just 'buggy' (we also say 'shopping cart'). 'Shopping buggy' sounds funny, even to a Southerner."

(SHOPPING) CARRIAGE is used by some in the New England and Rhode Island.

"They call them carriages here, which confused us when we first moved here." 

(SHOPPING) WAGON is used in some parts of the US.

"I grew up in Marshfield, Ma, but we always called them wagons."

TRUNDLER is supposed to be used in New Zealand.

"Trundler here in New Zealand usually refers to the wee bags-on-wheels that old ladies tow around to put shopping in."

Supermarkets insist on calling them trundlers but most people call them trolleys and some call them carts.

"I was walking back to the car and saw this sign: TRUNDLER RETURN. Guess I'll have to get used to calling a trolley 'trundler' instead."

This term is a bit controversial as many people who live in NZ state that they never use it.

"I didn't even know people called them trundlers until I lived in Aussie for a few years. Trolley or shopping cart for me."

BASCART, BASKART or BASS CART is used in various regions of the US and Canada.

"Heard the woman from Louisville talking about calling a shopping cart a bascart." 

Even though a shopping cart and a shopping basket are two different things, people sometimes use these labels interchangeably. 

"I'd never heard the term 'bascart' before yesterday. Grew up in the Florida panhandle and we referred to a shopping/grocery cart as a 'buggy.'

Note that the term shopping cart can also be the name of the portion of a website where one’s purchases are stored before one checks out and orders the items.

"I'm in Denver now, and everyone calls it a buggy not a carriage!"