In my native language, the stuff is called "aluminium foil".
In English, I always heard people use the phrase "tin foil" for that. I adopted that phrase thinking that despite the foil being made of aluminium (and not tin as it used to be) this is what people call it.
Recently a native American English speaking person took the phrase literally and wondered why I would want tin foil, because aluminium foil is much more common these days...
I checked the wikipedia article on the matter and found this quote:
Actual tin foil was superseded by cheaper and more durable aluminium foil after World War II. Despite this, aluminium foil is still referred to as "tin foil" in many regions.
What regions use the term "tin foil" what use "aluminium foil"? Does the majority of English speakers understand "tin foil" as "aluminium foil"?
I'd happily adopt the more correct phrase "aluminium foil", but a-lu-mi-ni-um is quite a mouth full. Even in my native language it is commonly abbreviated with just "alu". IS there something like that in English? I think the shortness of tin is what kept people using it.
What's the best phrase to refer to aluminium foil?