UK / USA Tool Terminology Translator

[N Cook]

Once this is in a semi-final form, I'd like to add it to the S.E.R. FAQ (with
your permission).

Thanks.

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Another related file is
http://www.divdev.fsnet.co.uk/abbrev.htm
abbreviations as found in audio and video repair manuals

 

[Ray L. Volts]

If the housing is male but the electical connection is female and the
mating
housing is female and corresponding electrical part is male which part
would
be refered to as male and which female.

We refer to the pins/receptacles, w/o regard to the casing/housing.
If it has a pin, it's male. If it has a hole the pin goes into, it's
female.
A good example of this is the F connector. The housing with the hole
(external threads) is male, while the female housing (internal threads) has
the pin -- the one with the pin/wire is the male connector.

If the connector has no "pins", but rather "tongues" or "fingers" (as with a
Centronics parallel connector), the connector with the protruding fingers
tab is male, the connector with the depression (receptacle) is female.

Now, in the case of a connector which has both a pin and a hole (or
multiples in various configurations), that's a tough call. Though uncommon,
I have run into a few of these in the past. Maybe we could call that an
ambiguous connector.
Anyone else have the correct terminology for this type?

Do I hear you correctly that in USA the receiving female part is called a
Jack ?

Yep. The notable exception being ac wall wiring -- we call that receptacle
an outlet or socket. I never hear wall outlets referred to as jacks. Note
that I said _wall_ wiring. If we are using an extension cord, any of the
three terms will be used for the female end -- outlet, socket or jack.
Strange, but true. Then again, I'm in Texas. There may be (probably will
be) a difference of opinion up north in yank country.

 

[Ray L. Volts]

LOPT = Line Output Transformer pronounced comfortably as Lop-tee

....have also seen it as IFBT = Integrated FlyBack Transformer

 

[Ray L. Volts]

revised list
UK term : USA term

banana plugs : ?
same

choc block connectors : ?

European-style terminal strip (distinguished from a regular terminal strip
by its recessed screws)

Harwin connectors : ?

dunno which u had in mind, as they make a bunch of different types..
http://www.mouser.com/harwin/

plug in power supply : wall wart

I never hear it called that in the South; it's always an "ac adapter"

 

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I'm thinking of the Bulgin power connectors used on valve/tube amps
where the chassis housing is female but has 3 pins mating with 3 sockets
in a male housing on the line cord - is the line cord connector called a
plug or a socket ?

You go by the pins. Unless, of course, it's an XLR LNE.

 

[N Cook]

We refer to the pins/receptacles, w/o regard to the casing/housing.
If it has a pin, it's male. If it has a hole the pin goes into, it's
female.
A good example of this is the F connector. The housing with the hole
(external threads) is male, while the female housing (internal threads) has
the pin -- the one with the pin/wire is the male connector.

If the connector has no "pins", but rather "tongues" or "fingers" (as with a
Centronics parallel connector), the connector with the protruding fingers
tab is male, the connector with the depression (receptacle) is female.

Now, in the case of a connector which has both a pin and a hole (or
multiples in various configurations), that's a tough call. Though uncommon,
I have run into a few of these in the past. Maybe we could call that an
ambiguous connector.
Anyone else have the correct terminology for this type?


Yep. The notable exception being ac wall wiring -- we call that receptacle
an outlet or socket. I never hear wall outlets referred to as jacks. Note
that I said _wall_ wiring. If we are using an extension cord, any of the
three terms will be used for the female end -- outlet, socket or jack.
Strange, but true. Then again, I'm in Texas. There may be (probably will
be) a difference of opinion up north in yank country.

Just as well big G didn't have this problem.

Anyone else have the correct terminology for this type?

hermaphroditic ?

 

[kip]

best know as IHVT

 

[N Cook]

European-style terminal strip (distinguished from a regular terminal strip
by its recessed screws)


dunno which u had in mind, as they make a bunch of different types..
http://www.mouser.com/harwin/


I never hear it called that in the South; it's always an "ac adapter"

These sorts of interboard cheap and cheerfull basic connectors
often in reddish brown housings would generically be called "Harwin"
http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/subRangeAction.do?catoid=-1600779854&cache
ID=ukie

 

[Ray L. Volts]

hermaphroditic ?

When I hear that, I have one of these in mind:

http://www.delphi.com/pdf/c/is_0-8mm_bd-bd.pdf

The unusual type I referred to earlier actually had pins and holes on the
same side, in a cylindrical housing. It's been so long since I've
encountered them, I don't even remember what they were called.

 

[Dave D]

Buddy:
You are correct.... math is math any where in the universe......

It's not that simple. Billion did indeed mean a million million here in the
UK years ago.

Another case of differing measurements is US v UK gallons. A UK gallon =
1.201 US gallons.

Dave

 

[Buddy Smith]

Another case of differing measurements is US v UK gallons. A UK gallon =
1.201 US gallons.

I believe this comes from the fact that a "US" pint is 2 cups, 16 oz,
whereas an "imperial" pint is 20 oz. And the rest are the same (ie, 1
quart is still 2 pints, one gallon is 4 quarts, etc).

To the OP: I think you had "imperial" meaning "metric" in your list, but
in the US, "imperial" means british, ie "imperial gallon" or "imperial
pound" etc.

ttyl,

--buddy

 

[Mark Zenier]

revised list
UK term : USA term

Vero board : perf board (often with no circuit traces), Vector board

Million: Million
Milliard: Billion (obselete)
Billion: Trillion (obselete)


Mark Zenier [email protected]
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

 

[Ray L. Volts]

These sorts of interboard cheap and cheerfull basic connectors
often in reddish brown housings would generically be called "Harwin"
http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/subRangeAction.do?catoid=-1600779854&cache
ID=ukie

Here, they are widely known generically as "amp" (Tyco) connectors -- see
the CST II housings in the link below.
The 3-pin power connector is widely recognized simply as a pc fan connector.
The 6-pin version is recognized as an AT-style motherboard power connector
(2 per board).

http://catalog.tycoelectronics.com/TE/bin/TE.Menu?M=MENU&ID=17760&LG=1&I=13

 

[4wd]

When I hear that, I have one of these in mind:

http://www.delphi.com/pdf/c/is_0-8mm_bd-bd.pdf

The unusual type I referred to earlier actually had pins and holes on the
same side, in a cylindrical housing. It's been so long since I've
encountered them, I don't even remember what they were called.

My vote is 'polarised', ('polarized' for yanks

But of course that also covers male/female.

Personally I'd lump the following together:

UK & US -> imperial (linear measurements, ie. inches,feet,yards,miles)
Rest of world -> Metric (except for some bastions of Imperial Colonisation)

Dave

 

[4wd]

revised list
UK term : USA term

Avo (meter) , [old analogue multimeter ] : VTVM (vacuum tube voltmeter;
usually line-powered) or a VOM (volt-ohmmeter; usually battery-powered)

Wouldn't the AVO apply specifically to a product rather than any old
analog meter?

I ask because I do have an AVO here, (Australia - they are reasonably
common), but general term is just an analog meter unless you get more
specific.

engineer's persuader for percussive maintenance : knockometer

SOP #1

flex : electric cord
Gilbows : tinsnips

This would have to be another trade name, they're just tinsnips in Oz.

power point : electric socket

GPO (general power outlet)

Vero board : matrix board

Aren't these two different things?

Here in Oz, Vero, (another trade name IIRC), board is matrix board with
copper connection strips on one side.

Whereas matrix board is Vero board without any copper at all, ie. just a
board with holes

video : vcr (machine)
white goods : appliances
wireless : radio

A few synonyms of sort
Low Copper, High Oxygen Content Connection = High Impedence Air Gap =
unplugged

Don't forget the standard user fault code: Eye-Dee-ten-Tee (ID10T)

Yeah, I know - not UK : USA specifically but as a colonial I kind of
fall under UK in a really, really good stretch of the imagination.

AUS : USA

shifter (shifting spanner) : adjustable wrench
wheel nuts : lug nuts
wheel brace : lug wrench


Another fun one is 'Durex'

AUS : NZ

Durex (sticky tape) : condom (IIRC)

Dave

 

[Ross Herbert]

My vote is 'polarised', ('polarized' for yanks

Polarised (polarized) connectors do not necessarily have a mix of both
male and female terminals. A polarity concious connector might simply
have a physical projection or spigot on the housing, or a special
arrangement of terminals which makes it polarised (polarized). The
correct term for mixed terminal connectors is 'hermaphroditic' as
previously pointed out.

When used for a permanent fixed ac electrical input the commonly
accepted terminology for a connector with male pins is 'Appliance
Inlet'.

A cord ended connector with female pins used for supplying ac power
would be an 'Extension Socket'.

 

[Ross Herbert]

These sorts of interboard cheap and cheerfull basic connectors
often in reddish brown housings would generically be called "Harwin"
http://rswww.com/cgi-bin/bv/rswww/subRangeAction.do?catoid=-1600779854&cache
ID=ukie

Harwin is simply a connector manufacturer which started in the UK in
1952 but I didn't come across their products in Australia until around
1980.

The connectors you refer to in your link were originally made by Molex
(US company started in 1938) and I first came across them in the 60's.
and they were commonly referred to generically as Molex Connectors.

 

[John G]

Personally I'd lump the following together:

UK & US -> imperial (linear measurements, ie. inches,feet,yards,miles)
Rest of world -> Metric (except for some bastions of Imperial
Colonisation)

Dave

It is worse than that .
The US has not started to get with it yet even though the law was passed
back around 1890.

The UK have made a token jesture to joining the rest of the world by
buying litres of petrol (gasoline) to travel miles on their roads.

 

[4wd]

It is worse than that .
The US has not started to get with it yet even though the law was passed
back around 1890.

The UK have made a token jesture to joining the rest of the world by
buying litres of petrol (gasoline) to travel miles on their roads.

Doesn't the US also sell petrol by the litre?

I'm sure it did when I was there 2 years ago....or maybe I got so used
to working out how much it cost per litre that I'm remembering it that
way....

Dave

 

[James Sweet]

Doesn't the US also sell petrol by the litre?

I'm sure it did when I was there 2 years ago....or maybe I got so used
to working out how much it cost per litre that I'm remembering it that
way....

Nope, it's gallons here, always has been. Canada sells it by the liter
though.