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We don't use the phrase "kitchen roll" in the US.

Angelfish
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  • Related: http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/209922/what-is-the-american-word-for-tea-towel/209925#209925 –  Jun 23 '15 at 20:09
  • Why won't the close-vote reason appear in time for me to amend it? 'Genref' here involves a basic Google image search. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 23 '15 at 22:41

2 Answers2

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Kitchen roll: noun [U] UK US (UK also kitchen paper, kitchen towel)

  • soft, thick paper on a roll, from which square pieces are torn and used in the kitchen or other places, especially for removing liquid. (Cambridge Dict.)

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Paper towel : noun [C] UK US

  • a sheet of soft thick paper used for drying your hands, cleaning objects, absorbing liquids, etc. (Cambridge Dict.)

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  • Funny how this British dictionary claims that this phrase is used in the US. Not! – Steven Littman Jun 23 '15 at 19:56
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    Clearly the Cambridge lexicographers are not keeping pace with the latest developments in kitchen hygiene and domestic economy. It is common to find kitchen rolls now where the distance between perforations is half the width of the towel, so that for small spills an entire square need not be used. The definition should say "rectangular pieces" not "square". – TimR Jun 23 '15 at 19:57
  • Of course, in the UK, a "square" means any rectangle. – JasonInVegas Jun 23 '15 at 20:01
  • @TimRomano - I think you are right from a geometrical perspective, not a big difference anyway. –  Jun 23 '15 at 20:06
  • The marketing department respectfully disagrees. – TimR Jun 23 '15 at 20:10
  • @StevenLittman- What do you call a kitchen roll in U.S.? –  Jun 23 '15 at 20:16
  • @Josh61 Just paper towels. Doesn't matter if they're on a roll or in a stack, or if they're in the kitchen or in the bathroom. – Dan Bron Jun 23 '15 at 20:30
  • I'd be less likely to use kitchen roll in referring to a roll of paper towels than a buttermilk biscuit. – ScotM Jun 23 '15 at 21:05
  • @JasonInVegas As far as I'm concerned, squares form a subset of rectangles. Have you any evidence to back up your strange claim? – Edwin Ashworth Jun 23 '15 at 22:39
  • @Josh61--Paper towels. – Steven Littman Jun 23 '15 at 23:38
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Yes, with the addition that you keep a single roll in the kitchen, on a holder, and use a little bit at a time.

It is used in the UK, it seems. The concept also exists in Norway, as "kjøkkenrull".

Bjørn Kjos-Hanssen
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  • Since this phrase is strange to this American ear, tell us where "kitchen roll" is commonly used? – Steven Littman Jun 23 '15 at 19:48
  • http://www.homedepot.com/p/Scott-White-Perforated-Kitchen-Roll-Paper-Towels-Case-of-15-KCC-13608/203176214 – TimR Jun 23 '15 at 20:00
  • Wallmart? . (Albeit with some supplementary words..) – Margana Jun 23 '15 at 23:10
  • These sites rely on keywords, and their markets are international. If you type in "kitchen roll," you'll get paper towel hits with the words "kitchen roll" added to the description. If you key in :"paper towel," the descriptions will not include "kitchen roll." I assure you we do not use the expression "kitchen roll" in the US. – Steven Littman Jun 23 '15 at 23:45