Your pet peeve, technical or otherwise.

[eutectique]

In a similar manner, people in the UK commonly called a "motor car" a "motor" when I first visited there in 1971.

That's mostly a low class London thing.

How would you explain the etymology of motorist and motorway ?

[TimFox]

The things under the bonnet have always been engines, AFAIK. And electric motors have always been motors. I think the distinction is that engines have moving parts whereas motors don't (other than the rotor, of course). But cars en bloc have been known as motors to chavs.

There are technical distinctions between “motors” and “engines” and “locomotives”.
Internal combustion engines are heat engines, as described by Carnot.
Locomotives contain their prime mover, such as steam heat engines or Diesel engines.
Locomotive-shaped objects without prime movers, using external electrical power, are often called “motors”.
Electrically powered rotating thingies are properly called motors, not engines.

[themadhippy]

Don't get the bright sparks started on bulbs/luminars etc.

Lamps glow bulbs grow

[RJSV]

   You might think this mild madness would be limited to cars...,err : AUTOs,...mmmmh ok Chariots.  We've said " Got to go to store, but the Old Lady has my 'Wheels' !".

   Here in the U.S. it's been said, on and off, (to a Man; "...you go, GIRL !".
 
   That's, obvious direct disregard for correct speak.  A sort-of cultural understanding, that the use of 'girl' is by context just a habit or way of speech...not a literal label.

   But all this makes me wonder, now, what about 1700's horse and buggy.  Guess is, that 'buggy' could conceivably be short for something like 'lugger-trolly'...(crappy example, I know, lol).

[RJSV]

   Near to Years End, news media reviewing the year, ...but for a whole week, which consumes 1/51 th. or about 2 % of the year.
   I ALMOST prefer the whole infatuation with alcohol, up until New Year's Eve.
How about we make some good, during that last 2 % of 2023!

[mendip_discovery]

   Near to Years End, news media reviewing the year, ...but for a whole week, which consumes 1/51 th. or about 2 % of the year.
   I ALMOST prefer the whole infatuation with alcohol, up until New Year's Eve.
How about we make some good, during that last 2 % of 2023!

Issue I have is they often only remember recent stuff (up to filming) and not stuff that happened at the beginning of the year.

[vk6zgo]

The things under the bonnet have always been engines, AFAIK. And electric motors have always been motors. I think the distinction is that engines have moving parts whereas motors don't (other than the rotor, of course). But cars en bloc have been known as motors to chavs.

There are technical distinctions between “motors” and “engines” and “locomotives”.
Internal combustion engines are heat engines, as described by Carnot.
Locomotives contain their prime mover, such as steam heat engines or Diesel engines.
Locomotive-shaped objects without prime movers, using external electrical power, are often called “motors”.
Electrically powered rotating thingies are properly called motors, not engines.

Bus-like objects with IC engines which run on normal railway lines are mostly called "railmotors", whereas somewhat larger objects which perform the same function are "Railcars", whether IC engine powered or electrically powered.

[PlainName]

somewhat larger objects which perform the same function are "Railcars"

Over here we wouldn't use that but would understand it to be an American term for an unpowered carriage: 'railway carriage'.

[vk6zgo]

somewhat larger objects which perform the same function are "Railcars"

Over here we wouldn't use that but would understand it to be an American term for an unpowered carriage: 'railway carriage'.

It must be an Oz thing then, but "railcar" is only used here for powered carriages.

[TimFox]

Railcars are no longer common in the US, but were powered.
Some were modified automobiles, some were streamlined purpose-built units.
We never called passenger rolling stock “carriages”, just “cars”.

[PlainName]

Oh, we must have misunderstood things, then. Not exactly a surprise 

[TimFox]

It is very easy to misunderstand language usage in a different country.
For example, referring to the US Department of Transportation as the “Department of Transport”.

[paulca]

In a similar manner, people in the UK commonly called a "motor car" a "motor" when I first visited there in 1971.

That's mostly a low class London thing.

How would you explain the etymology of motorist and motorway ?

Motorsport, motorhome, motorboat, motoring ....

At least it's not automobile.

[eutectique]

At least it's not automobile.

A random Swede: Min bil är Volvo.

[Smoky]

What always has bugged me is why extension cords or any other type of electrical power cord is folded and twist-tied and not shipped in a "coil" shape.

I needed a small 18g extension cord in black and it came folded and tied. Since the insulating jacket is literally thicker than the copper wrapped inside, I needed to bring out my heat gun to straighten it.

I'd pay extra

[coppice]

What always has bugged me is why extension cords or any other type of electrical power cord is folded and twist-tied and not shipped in a "coil" shape.

I needed a small 18g extension cord in black and it came folded and tied. Since the insulating jacket is literally thicker than the copper wrapped inside, I needed to bring out my heat gun to straighten it.

I'd pay extra

Its so you can relax after unpacking the product, and occupy your hands trying to straighten out the folds in the cord. I think they warm those cables to soften them, and really get those folds properly formed, to maximise your unfolding pleasure.

[Smoky]

My other rant lately has been about Ebay.

Every time I try to search for an item on Ebay, many of the listing results don't match my search words

I just did a search using 3 specific words. Out of the 25 results that Ebay returned, only 4 listings had all of my search words in the title

Really

I'm getting shown items totally unrelated to what I'm looking for, why

EBAY, WHEN I PUT WORDS IN THE SEARCH BAR, I EXPECT TO SEE THOSE WORDS IN THE TITLE

[PlainName]

I expect to see them in the body of the listing. Titles are (relatively) short, so including all the likely search keywords is hopeless and restricting the search to the title would miss many items.

[Smoky]

When I search for "1968 Dodge Charger" I should not be getting "1970 Dodge Charger" listings.

[Smoky]

Look at this listing for example. This came up in the auto parts section when searching for 1968 Dodge Charger. It's a GM part!

The seller put in 1000's of keywords in the body of the listing:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/256377927380?hash=item3bb150b6d4:g:CIIAAOSw9cFlpW6k&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4PQHd2CSFxO4RwasFDL8hUtmrHufabaV9GVOHA348ORDacxTTo%2F65xyFnYm7B2IuaOe%2FOl57P1GHmsdeAB0MmIS5Ae53VN5XvC8GPDpYWZofsskWRJS3YhsZt3uKLaYQKsYGP9o7x3uUVhWr%2BmubJrtsHUnR1FAs%2BY3OsrpB7Dg%2F1dUXr8Vr%2B6SVSB0fai96SSytstT6y6hW4Zr2mrcoiBl6aEpBcPRAIA2%2FST%2FabbT03U%2FopCuFsm17jh6WQV31xhwkpNMxCueVDHLmPKnn2eauzFtDEyhdecMzE4wWn9K1%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5SLitOlYw

[PlainName]

Surely that's a seller issue, not an Ebay one.

Was this with the advanced search or the plain brainless one?

[Kim Christensen]

I'm getting shown items totally unrelated to what I'm looking for, why
EBAY, WHEN I PUT WORDS IN THE SEARCH BAR, I EXPECT TO SEE THOSE WORDS IN THE TITLE

Seems to be a problem with almost every search tool these days. It's getting harder and harder to filter out the unwanted crap.

[armandine2]

searching is hopeless - finding is miraculous (may be)

just had a peevish time after checking my DM16L calculators.

Longish story - a few years ago I ordered one new SwissMicros DM16L from a well known online retailer and received two used ones instead.  They were were a bit rubbish but at the time I thought better than one rubbish one. Today after watching Ben Eater's video where he tests his EEPROM Arduino programme and confirms 2's complement with his HP16C, I find my used versions are faulty using SET COMPL. A search online is hopeless - but I find there is a PX-16C kit to build 

[rdl]

Yeah, search these days is totally idiotic. I have no idea what they're actually trying to do. I mean, if I search for Joe Blow, I don't want to see any results that don't have those two words, consecutively and in that order, until you can't find any more like that, or even at all. Don't show me "Joe Smith was doing fine until somebody decided to blow up his car" on the first page of results.

[shapirus]

Yeah, search these days is totally idiotic.

Made to fit the majority of internet users, I guess.