Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Tue Jan 1 05:13:50 2002

----- Original Message -----
From: "Chris" <mythtech_at_Mac.com>
To: "Classic Computers" <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2002 4:45 PM
Subject: Re: Nomenclature (was: NEXT Color Printer find


> >If WE use the wrong term
> >amongst ourselves, we'll certainly never show others that there's benefit
in
> >calling it a crescent wrench when, to some folks, "the silver-colored
> >thingie," would do.
>
> But, given the arguments that have been going on, you shouldn't call it a
> Crescent wrench either. That is the name of the manufacturer of a
> particular kind of wrench, and although generally accepted as meaning an
> "adjustable wrench" is not any more technically correct than the
> "Centronics" connector's name.

FWIW, in OZ it's called a shifting spanner or just a "shifter", thought
adjustable spanner or just adjustable would probably be recognised, but it's
not the common term.

Crescent wrench will get you a "what the #$%^ is a crescent wrench".
In fact the term "wrench" is normally only used for the "Monkey Wrench"
favoured by plumbers.
What you call a 'Wrench" we call a "Spanner" generally.
Except for a "socket" which I think is the same in both countries.

> If you ask some mechanics for a crescent wrench, you might get locking
> pliers... ones that are commonly called a "Vise Grip", which is ALSO
> technically incorrect for the same reason Crescent is wrong.

They get called "Multigrips" here generally, though "Visegrip" would
probably be recognised.

> But then, for the question of the century... if you strictly adhere to
> calling an item by its name, and NOT by the commonly used term, which in
> many cases is the manufacturer's or common usage name...

In the USA perhaps. Not necessarily so around here.

>what should you
> call a Yo-Yo? (just seeing how many people know the answer to this one)

Who knows? It's a YoYo here too.

Cheers

Geoff in Oz
Received on Tue Jan 01 2002 - 05:13:50 GMT