missing spark plug tool

[alantf]

Originally Posted by dentheman

Terminology. In the USA we call that thing in the photo a 'socket'

Ah, now I see the mix up. In England, a socket is the round thing with a square hole that the ratchet fits to. Hence, if we buy the box with a ratchet & several of the ends that fit it, we call it a "socket set". What's in the picture is called a "box spanner". "spanner" being the English word for what you call a "wrench"

I recall that someone (can't remember who) said "England & America are two countries divided by a common language"

[alantf]

Originally Posted by Easy Rider

What we refer to as a box wrench, in it's most basic form, is just a flat piece of steel with a notch cut in one end (or both) that apporximates the size of the nut to be operated upon.

We'd call that a "flat spanner". "flat" because it's flat, & "spanner" because that's what we call a "wrench". To us , to "wrench" something means to roughly pull it. :2tup:

[dhgeyer]

We had an English young lady stay with us for a few weeks several years ago. The language thing got downright humorous at times.

She wanted to cook dinner for us to show her appreciation. She asked Sue to get some mincemeat, among other things. Here, mincemeat is a concoction of fruit peels, a sweet sauce, and whatever else, used to make pies for desert. What Fionna was talking about was what we call hamburger, or ground beef. When Sue gave her the mincemeat, she was puzzled and a bit frustrated. "What do I do with this?" was I believe what she said.

Then, she offered to help Sue with the "oovering". What? Well, add back the "H" that Brits seem incapable of pronouncing, and you get "Hoovering". She was offering to help vacuum the floors. We still laugh about that one.

[alantf]

Yes, mincemeat has two meanings in England, both the meat & The pudding mix being called the same thing. If you've never had a "mince pie" (the pudding thing) you've not lived. They're a christmas delicacy, but my missus makes them all year round, as I love 'em. They go down well with the spanish as well. As for hoovering, it's just the generic name for the first (?) vacuum cleaner manufacturer, that the English seem to use for "vacuuming". When you say that she couldn't pronounce her H, then she must be from the north of England, like me. The southerners talk completely different - they're posh.

There's an old joke :-

"Don't you know the Queen's English?" (referring to "Queen's English" or "correct speech")

"Yes, but her husband's Greek"

[alanmcorcoran]

My daughter and I watch Top Gear when she's home from school and, her being a linguist, we like the different usages of the same words, like bonnet and boot, as well as the English quips, such as:

"Driving most supercars is like trying to manhandle a cow up a back staircase, but this is like smearing honey onto Keira Knightley."

"If this car was a breakfast, it would be cornflakes on toast."

"Telling people at a dinner party you drive a Nissan Almera is like telling them you've got the ebola virus and you're about to sneeze."

[alantf]

Jeremy Clarkson comes from the same town as me - Rotherham. He started out on the local newspaper. Did you know that he's got a Lockheed Lightning Jet fighter (circa 1950s-1960s) in his garden. When you hear him talk, he's got the same accent as me (naturally, as he's from the same place) so it's just like listening to the locals talking. The great thing is that he's got the Yorkshire, no nonsense attitude, and sense of humour. :2tup:

[alanmcorcoran]

Perhaps you can explain why they chose an Allman Brothers song (Jessica) for their show theme?

[alantf]

Sorry, I've never even heard of the Allman Brothers It's probably one of Jeremy's favourite songs. I've known him to pull the plug on bands when he doesn't like their stuff. :2tup:

[alanmcorcoran]

Allman Brothers were one of the best, if not THE best, of what's often referred to as "Southern Rock" bands, a genre which included Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet and The Marshall Tucker Band (I am dating myself.) You have more than likely heard at least one of their hits, "Ramblin' Man." The aforementioned "Jessica" was another. Their relationship to the motorcycle world is both direct and tragic: founder Duane Allman and original bassist Berry Oakley were both killed in motorcycle accidents, 13 months and three blocks apart. (Truck turned left in front of Duane, Berry crossed the center divider and hit a bus.)

Ironically, the group survived even though Duane and Berry didn't, and released their biggest selling album a year or so after Oakley died. Greg Allman, Duane's brother, was married to Cher at one time and they had a son whose name I forget.

[Sarris]

Don't forget Blackfoot. Train, train, take me on out of this town.........

:neener: