Res ipsa loquitur

This is one I'm intrigued by, and if someone has more info about it I hope they'll chime in:

After "to need" or "to want," BrE (sometimes?) uses the -ing form of the verb where AmE uses the -ed form.

"He wants his head examining" --> "He needs his head examined."

Or, in a real example from series 3 of Cabin Pressure on the subject of airline safety videos:

"Anyone who needs the operation of a whistle explaining to them deserves to drown." --> "Explaining" would be "explained" in AmE.