Slang or not?

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Jraef

Jraef

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San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA
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Electrical Engineer
The one that got me in trouble a few years ago was using the term "pecker head" when speaking about a motor connection box during a class I taught on solid state motor control. There were women in the audience and one filed a complaint to the seminar producer about my using "sexually charged language". I had to explain it afterward and they wanted me to prove origins of the term. That was like trying to prove who invented the wheel! But ultimately, I was able to show how prevalent that term is in the electrical industry. She was from Michigan (I think), she claimed to have never heard that before.
 
O

One-eyed Jack

Senior Member
Location
Scotland Neck, NC
Jraef said:
The one that got me in trouble a few years ago was using the term "pecker head" when speaking about a motor connection box during a class I taught on solid state motor control. There were women in the audience and one filed a complaint to the seminar producer about my using "sexually charged language". I had to explain it afterward and they wanted me to prove origins of the term. That was like trying to prove who invented the wheel! But ultimately, I was able to show how prevalent that term is in the electrical industry. She was from Michigan (I think), she claimed to have never heard that before.
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I never did like that term because all the guys that I heard use it really did not know one end of a split bolt from another . Yes it is prevalent in the industry and in motor books ,etc. The motor shop guys just did not use it so it never caught on in this area. I guess we are just far enough off the beaten path that a pecker head is just that.:D That lady must have moved from here.
 
Split Bolt

Split Bolt

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Location
Northern Virginia
In my experience, "monkey #@%$" or "baby #@%$" was Yellow 77 wire pulling lube! (or that real old green stuff that came in buckets that I haven't seen in 25 years!) Larry Fine will be able to tell you what a "pie pan box" or a "tomic connector" is. I cut my teeth in Richmond, VA and never heard those terms again after moving away from there!:)
 
76nemo

76nemo

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Location
Ogdensburg, NY
Jraef said:
The one that got me in trouble a few years ago was using the term "pecker head" when speaking about a motor connection box during a class I taught on solid state motor control. There were women in the audience and one filed a complaint to the seminar producer about my using "sexually charged language". I had to explain it afterward and they wanted me to prove origins of the term. That was like trying to prove who invented the wheel! But ultimately, I was able to show how prevalent that term is in the electrical industry. She was from Michigan (I think), she claimed to have never heard that before.
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Happened to me a couple of weeks ago after we modified a machine. I took the original cover off and stored it clearly labeled as that certain motors peckerhead. Head engineer, (electronics engineer) asks if I had an odd sense of humour:grin:

A dummy looking buck trying to explain to a 60 yr. old engineer wth a peckerhead cover was:roll:


Funny ch*t:grin:
 
Z

zbang

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Roughly 5346 miles from Earls Court
Been thinking about this for awhile, and recalling the first time I asked a supplier for a "1900 box" (a 2-gang handy box to them). We all use trade slang/jargon, but how many people know the "real" names for some of those items? Take the humble "RJ-45".... there is no such thing as an "RJ-45" connector. An "RJ-45" is an 8-position-8-pin modular phone connector with a specific arrangement of telco leads on it. Rearrange the leads and it's now an RJ-31. Connect TP ethernet and it's not an RJ anything. Doesn't matter much if you're just pulling the wire, but it does to a comms engineer.

I don't have any problem with folks using whatever term they want for something (peckerhead, monkey &&^%, smurf tube, etc), but if they don't know the "real" or manufacturer's name, or they can't actually explain what it is, they're at the disadvatage if I don't know what they're talking about. (Oh, a 1900 box? That's an old part number for it. Smurf tube? That blue flex conduit stuff. Bee (*$$&? yellow77 pulling lube. etc etc)
 
480sparky

480sparky

Senior Member
Location
Iowegia
zbang said:
..........a 1900 box? That's an old part number for it.........
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old_1900prices-1.jpg

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ohmhead

ohmhead

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Location
ORLANDO FLA
zog said:
Back in the Navy we had this huge can of "monkey S&%t", one day it finally ran out and I was told to go order more, of course nothing in the supply system under that name, I asked everyone what it was really called and no one knew it by any other name, even went to 3 other subs to ask thier people, no one knew, Took me 2 days to get my order placed for Duct Seal.
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Well Zog just wondering which ship you were on and what year . Were you a electrician in the Navy ?
 
USMC1302

USMC1302

Senior Member
Location
NW Indiana
Ohmhead, I'm sure I've been called that, but not by a Squid! I, being a jarhead, was fortunate to have been on the MARDET of the Iowa BB-61(great ship) and got to ride on the USS Permit (old sub)
 
G

gar

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Location
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Occupation
EE
100717-1631 EST

USMC:

Did you ever encounter heavy seas on the Iowa?

I was on the Wisconsin (BB-64) in the North Atlantic and we took waves about 40 ft over the bow. We did not pitch much, just went thru the waves. However, we rolled about +/- 28 degrees. These wave peaks roughly reached the top of the conning tower, and our main battery fire control radar antenna was mounted on top of it. The several days in these heavy seas were rather exciting. I had access to highest hatch in the super structure and thus I could see us plow thru the waves.

Later we had problems with this system and I isolated the problem to the antenna. This employed a motor driven spark gap commutated switch for selection of what sector of the antenna was connected. I setup a small test antenna, a diode detector from spare parts, and an oscilloscope to monitor the radiated transmitter output. From the scope it was possible to see improper operation of the switch. In turn we found water and salt in the rotary switch box. Looking back it is likely the heavy seas were the source of this problem.

.
 
USMC1302

USMC1302

Senior Member
Location
NW Indiana
Gar:
I never really encountered any sea conditions on the Iowa, unless you count the times we fired full broadsides. I have some great aerial photos of that cruise. Basically a show of force tour around South America and the Carribean. Great ship, great crew and we(Marines) got along great. I did hear that the Navy had to call on some old salts to help train the newbies.The fire control "computers" were amazing. We were retrofitted with as much of the latest technology they could fit, but in 1984, I was still awed by the history and "old way"of doing things. When you can shoot a volkswagon bug 23 miles, people notice.
 
ohmhead

ohmhead

Senior Member
Location
ORLANDO FLA
USMC1302 said:
Ohmhead, I'm sure I've been called that, but not by a Squid! I, being a jarhead, was fortunate to have been on the MARDET of the Iowa BB-61(great ship) and got to ride on the USS Permit (old sub)
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Well we had lots of Marines on our ship but we out numbered you guys there were 6000 on our ship USN-68 NIMITZ .

And we had lots of heavy seas that hit us we went thur it the Navy does not go around it we go thur it 1973 /1977 .
 
USMC1302

USMC1302

Senior Member
Location
NW Indiana
Ohmhead:
Ever watch Victory at Sea? Showed some pretty nasty sea conditions. Wanted sea duty on the Carl Vinson after Okinawa, but they gave me Parris Island and sand fleas instead. What did you do on the carrier? Still remember reporting aboard ship and some seaman called me "shipmate". I said you talkin' to me??
 
ohmhead

ohmhead

Senior Member
Location
ORLANDO FLA
USMC1302 said:
Ohmhead:
Ever watch Victory at Sea? Showed some pretty nasty sea conditions. Wanted sea duty on the Carl Vinson after Okinawa, but they gave me Parris Island and sand fleas instead. What did you do on the carrier? Still remember reporting aboard ship and some seaman called me "shipmate". I said you talkin' to me??
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Well i was a EM2 electricians mate and original plank owner i was on it the first time out . We had VMFA 333 SHAMROCKS MARINES and MARDET MARINE DETACHMENT on ship board security .
 
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