Badges or buttons or even pins

Yep, after much deliberation I have finally bought myself a badge-making machine. Of course this has now highlighted to me the difficulty of translating between UK English and US English. I told my New York pal Diane that I was making badges and she naturally enough assumed I was making patches for jeans. 'No, no,' I corrected ... 'I am making badges that pin to your coat.'
'Ah', she said, 'You mean buttons.' Well do I mean buttons? So what do Americans have fastening the front of their shirts if not buttons? It's all very confusing and given that I am selling these badge/button/pins on etsy which is a predominently American site, I find that I am unsure how to describe them. Ah well, a picture speaks a thousand words so I will have to hope that my photos of the product will tell the tale. Mostly I am producing art badges but I have been tempted by a few wordy ones too. I have one that says 'Please tell me when it is obvious' which is a phrase that amused me when directed at me after a minor disagreement with my beloved one a few years ago. I also have one that says 'I have a badge making machine and I'm not afraid to use it.' Pinned within a cluster of other badges it's quite amusing.


I popped in to The Big Rock for a spot of lunch today and was delighted to see that 4 have sold. And this is winter when only the brave venture out. I see that their web-site is slightly beyond conception now. See it here . Their jacket potatoes are second to none.