UK / USA Tool Terminology Translator etc

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I can never find a translation file for converting commonly used terms for tools and equipment and processes in the UK for the equivalent term used in the USA , or vice versa, often involves trade names. Researching this, there seems to be differences either side of the Mason-Dixon Line , for USA read somewhere in USA not necessarily all USA. Enlarging on George Bernard Shaw's observation that the US and the UK are "two nations divided by a common language" . Anyone reading this - please email me any dual terms that they are aware of , or any errors/alternatives in the following.


UK term : USA term

Allen Key : hex key , hex wrench, Allen wrench
Anglepoise lamp : Luxo lamp
anode voltage (valves) : plate voltage, "B battery" (tubes)
answerphone : answering machine
anti-clockwise : counter-clockwise
Araldite (epoxy glue) : J B Weld, Scotch-Weld
Avo (meter, short for Avocet and amps,volts,ohms ) [old analogue multimeter ] : VTVM (vacuum tube voltmeter; usually line-powered) or a VOM (volt-ohmmeter; usually battery-powered) / Simpson
Bakelite : Catlin, Catalin
banana plugs : wander plugs
barrel fuse : Buss fuse
billion (before year 1974 ?) : million million
billion (after year 1974 ? ) : 1000 million
(the) box, telly : television (set)
Bulgin connectors : Buccaneer?
bungee cord : flex cord, flex strap
earth [voltage reference] : ground
earth removal (see note as no UK equivalent ) : ground buster / groundbuster
note; groundbuster is an adaptor
that simply converts a 3 prong USA AC plug into a 2 prong.
In the UK they don't exist as such , the third earth/ground pin is needed to
open the safety, sliding shrouds, covering the powered sections of the socket.
"wall warts" for the UK always seem to have plastic earth/ground pins which
have to be there as dummies so you can physically plug them into UK power
sockets. Generally, commonly called "square pin" plugs and sockets
although rectangular in cross-sections of pins. The 3 pin structure
also avoids the situation of a drunk/poor-sighted person pushing a 2 pin
plug into a raised socket , but only one pin engaged leaving the
other one external and exposed, carying live voltage, via the equipment.
Dexion : slotted angle
EHT (Extra High Tension) (higher than high tension) : no generic USA equivalent other than maybe +HV instead of HV
elastic band : flex cord
enameled copper wire : magnet wire
engineer's persuader for percussive maintenance : knockometer
filament voltage (valves) : "A battery" (tubes)
fire cement : kiln cement? /refractory mortar? putty-like material with thermosetting resin that cures on application of heat, forming stone-like material, a variant is non-setting, it remains puttylike
flex : electric cord
Gilbows : tinsnips, sheet metal shears
grid bias (valves) : "C battery" (tubes)
grub screw : set screw
Handy Angle : slottend angle
Harwin/Molex connectors : Amp/Tyco
Hellerman pliers ,(triple prong, rubber sleeving expanders), (honeymoon pliers/ virgin surgin' ) : sleeving pliers
high tension (HT) : high voltage (hv), B+
imperial (measurements ) : inches,feet,yards,miles
inexpensive and commonly available (transistor) : jellybean (transistor)
indoor TV aerial : rabbit ears jack : plug (male part of a connection)
jemmy : pry bar Jubilee clip : worm drive hose clip
LOPT , Line Output Transformer (pronounced Lop-tee) : IHVT (Flyback Transformer) , IFBT = Integrated FlyBack Transformer,flyback transformer, FBT
mains (power) [electricity supply company power feed ] : line (power), utility power
mains dropper : is a large power resistor, eg Ohmite 100 watt, vitreous enamel coated
maths (mathematics ) : math
metric (measurements, mm ,cm, metres,km) : European
mobile (phone) : cell, cellphone, wireless, cellular phone
Mole grips : lock jaw pliers, Vice Grips
no UK term equivalent : vampire device = anything that continues to draw power even when in the 'off' state, eg wall wart etc
Paxolin : paper phenolic
Perspex : Plexiglas , Lucite
phono connectors : RCA connectors (archaic)
pilewound (as in a coil) : scatterwound
plug in power supply : wall wart, ac adapter
plugs and sockets (male and female designated by forms of outer housing ) : plugs and sockets (male and female designated by forms inner electrical connections )
power point : electric socket, electrical outlet,
QM connectors : Burndy, QikMate
Q-Max cutter : Greenlee punch
RCCD,Residual Current Circuit Device/ELCB Earth Leakage Circuit Breaker : GFCI Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter
reaction : regeneration
ring spanner : box wrench
rubber (hard formulation) : Ebonite
spanner : wrench
scope (oscilloscope) : o'scope, oscope, waveform analyzer
screening : shielding
set of rolls : roller mill ?
socket : jack (except for mains wall outlets, should be a "Jill" surely )
springline (reverb) : joy spring (reverb)
Stanley knife , craft knife : box cutter , utility knife, Skil knife, razor knife
stickers, transfers : decals
Stilsons : pipewrench
thou (thousandth of an inch ): mil (measurement)
trannie/tranny: transformer or transistor according to context
trillion (before 1974 ? ) : million million million
trillion (after 1974 ? ) : million million
trolley : dolly
vacuum tube : electron tube
(thermionic) valve : tube
Vero board ,copper strip matrix board : Vector board, Perfboard?
video : vcr (machine)
wheel brace : tire iron
white goods : appliances
Whickman fuse : submin fuse, IEC 60127-3, Littelfuse 369 series fuse
wireless : radio

Some material trade names / brand names / chemical names from about 1950
Alvar - Polyvinyl Acetal
Ameroid - Casein
Bakelite - Phenol Formaldehyde
Bakelite - Urea Formaldehyde
Bakelite - Polystyrene
Bakelite - Ebinite
Becolate - Ebonite
Beetle - Urea Formaldehyde
Butvar - Polyvinyl Butyral
Catalin - Phenol Formaldehyde
Catalin - Melamine Formaldehyde
Crystalite - Acrylate and Methacrylate
Dexine - Ebonite
Daikon - PMMA (polymethyl methacrylate). It will not soften when touched with a cocktail stick dipped in acetone, while polystyrene will. The smell when heated is distinctive and different to polystyrene too.
Dilectene 100 - aniline Formaldehyde synthetic resin
Distene - Polystyrene
Durite -Phenol Formaldehyde
Durite - Phenolic Furfural
Ebonestos - Synthetic resin
Erinofort - Cellulose acetate
Erinoid - Casein
Ethocel - Ethylcellulose
Fibestos - Cellulose Acetate
Heresite - Phenol Formaldehyde
Lucite - Methyl Methacrylate
Lumarith E.C. - Ethyl Cellulose
Lustron - Polystyrene
Makalot - Phenol Formaldehyde
Melmac - Melamine Formaldehyde
Micanite - Mica compounds
Nixonite - Cellulose Acetate
Nixonoid - Cellulose Nitrate
Nylon - Super Polyamide
Perspex - Methyl-Methacrylate
Plaskon - Urea Formaldehyde
Plexiglas - PMMA polymethyl methacrylate
Pressphan - Laminated synthetic resin
Protectoid - Cellulose Acetate
Prystal - Phenol Formaldehyde
Pyralin - Cellulose Nitrate
Resinox - Phenol Formaldehyde
Steatite - Ceramic Porcelain
Styraflex - Polystyrene
Styron - Polystyrene
Super Styrex - Polystyrene
Tenite - Cellulose Acetate
Trolitul - Polystyrene
Vinylite A - Polyviny Acetate
Vinylite Q - Polyvinyl Chloride
Vinylite X - Polyvinyl Butyral


Australia : USA

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


A few synonyms of sort
Low Copper, High Oxygen Content Connection = High Impedence Air Gap = unplugged
Diverse Devices,Southampton,England
Telephone number - the same number as it has been since 1988 but email is now the preferred method of contact so number deliberately not placed here.
I devote time each day to replying to emails.
(obscure/obsolete components,second hand test equipment, schematics etc) Postal: 66 Ivy Rd,St Denys,Southampton,England SO17 2JN

e-mail

diverse9@onetel.co.....m ( for anti-spamming reasons please remove all 5 dots ..... between co and m ) Plain text only (see below)

If this email address fails then replace onetel.com with fastmail.fm or replace onetel.com with divdev.fsnet.co.uk part of the address and remove the 9 . Please make emails plain text only , no more than 5KByte or 500 words. Anyone sending larger texts or attachments such as digital signatures, pictures etc will have them automatically deleted on the server. I will be totally unaware of this - sorry, again blame the spammers. If you suspect problems emailing me then please try using my fsnet.co.uk account.
Hints & tips and repair briefs on homepage http://home.graffiti.net/diverse:graffiti.net/
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