English Muffins and Crumpets are two entirely different things, and
not a confusion over terminology across the Atlantic. As someone
raised by very English parents in Canada, I can confirm that crumpets
are definitely an traditional English food, but I can't comment on
whether or not the same is true for English Muffins.
Crumpets resemble a small thick pancake that has not been flipped
over. The batter is yeasted, and the consistency is much more
elasticky than that of a pancake or bread. The top has a large
number of deep holes in it, where the bubbles popped but were never
flattened out by flipping. We used to toast them, and spread butter
on top, which would melt into the bubble holes.
English Muffins have a crumb of the same consistency as bread, but
also look like a small, very thick pancake. The crust of a English
Muffin is very thin, and remains elasticky (no "snap" like you'd get
on a baguette). Most of the English Muffins I've come across have a
dusting of cornmeal on the outside, probably to stop them from
sticking to the pan. Traditionally, an English muffin is pulled
apart into two pieces by inserting a fork around the middle of the
outside circumference and then pulling them apart like an Oreo
cookie. This technique yields a very coarse surface on each half
which results in irregular cooking when toasted, and causes the
butter to melt into little puddles. I have never heard of anyone
eating an untoasted English Muffin.
dave.