Brits and Americans have hundreds of different phrases for the same thing. Luckily, it’s usually a source of amusement rather than frustration. A flashlight by any other name is still a torch. My personal favourite is ’fairy lights ’ which we boringly refer to as ’Christmas lights.’

Crosley is playfully observing how British and American English diverge in everyday vocabulary, turning potential confusion into comedy. By invoking “a flashlight by any other name,” she echoes Shakespeare’s “rose” line to suggest that objects remain the same despite linguistic labels—yet the labels carry cultural flavor. The examples (“torch” vs. “flashlight,” “fairy lights” vs. “Christmas lights”) highlight how British terms can feel more whimsical or imaginative to American ears, while American terms can sound bluntly functional. The quote ultimately celebrates linguistic variety as a benign, even charming, marker of identity rather than a barrier to understanding.