A TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT: NOTES AND HINTS

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE!

Please ignore the numbers in the grids, they shouldn't be there. It's just that the software I used to do a quick grid fill put numbers in the grid, and I wanted to get the draft puzzle up to you guys as soon as possible.

Some of the pictures may not be quite right, I've rushed it a little bit to get it to you guys as soon as possible.

HINTS - BELOW THE SPOILER SPACE:



















.
.
.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
..
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.
.
.




1 - This is a great puzzle, now that London has joined Seattle/Portland for Puzzled Pint...

2 - American vs British English!

3 - The placement of the title indicates which nation's words needs to go in the grid.

4 - The UK/US words are as follows, in picture order:

FOOTBALL / SOCCER
ROUNDABOUT / TRAFFIC CIRCLE
CHIPS / FRIES
DUMMY / PACIFIER
MOBILE / CELL
PAVEMENT / SIDEWALK
BRACES / SUSPENDERS
PNEUMATIC DRILL / JACKHAMMER
TROLLEY / CART
DRAUGHTS / CHECKERS
WAISTCOAT / VEST
ANTICLOCKWISE / COUNTERCLOCKWISE
PETROL / GAS
BUMBAG / FANNY PACK
COURGETTE / ZUCCHINI
UNDERGROUND / SUBWAY
POSTCODE / ZIP CODE
AUBERGINE / EGGPLANT
CRISPS / CHIPS
CANDY FLOSS / COTTON CANDY

5 - The words as placed in the grids (Standard crossword notation):

UK
Across: PAVEMENT, CHIPS, TROLLEY, DUMMY, ANTICLOCKWISE, UNDERGROUND, PETROL, BRACES, ROUNDABOUT, CRISPS, AUBERGINE
Down: WAISTCOAT, PNEUMATIC DRILL, MOBILE, CANDY FLOSS, FOOTBALL, COURGETTE, BUMBAG, DRAUGHTS, POSTCODE

US
Across: CELL, ZUCCHINI, EGGPLANT, VEST, SIDEWALK, FANNY PACK, TRAFFIC CIRCLE, COUNTER CLOCKWISE, SUSPENDERS, GAS
Down: CART, ZIP CODE, SUBWAY, JACKHAMMER, SOCCER, COTTON CANDY, PACIFIER, CHECKERS, FRIES, CHIPS

6 - The highlighted words should be, for the US grid: ALABAMA, for the UK grid: WEST MIDLANDS

7 - What links both areas?

ANSWER: BIRMINGHAM - both places have a Birmingham as a major town. Phew!