I used to call a till a cash register. And to me a counter is static, whereas in a supermarket there's a conveyor belt. I fairly recently came across a delightful American couple in Kensington Gardens. They were considering a visit to Kensington Palace, and I said it was most interesting but they may have to queue. This seemed to throw them and they asked what I meant, so I assumed it's a word not often used in USA. I actually love it when language evolves and new, sometimes startling expressions come into use, often by the young. I particularly like Multicultural London English, as spoken by Lee Nelson and Ali G. Wicked! Qualiteee!