Rooter?

We have already experienced several American faux pas - I managed to use "pants" to a member of the opposite sex to whom I had just been introduced within 48 hours of our arrival, much to my chagrin. But the best culture clash so far has happened to Himself.

He had called to get our home telephone/broadband service set up, and was totally confused as to why the person he was speaking to kept referring to a "rooter".  As in, "that will include your rooter".

Now, the only context in which I've heard the term rooter used involved a yearly gynecological exam, so that probably wasn't what the gentleman on the line was referring to.

No, in fact, he was saying "router" (as in internet router), but he was pronouncing it in a consistent fashion. For example: "route" in the US, at least where we grew up, was pronounced "root". So router would be rooter, right? Except that we pronounce that word the way it's spelled.

Himself finally got things straight in his own mind, and we're now expecting phone and internet service at home.

In one month. Sigh...