UK / USA Tool Terminology Translator

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. :)

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

same

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..

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

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

has

uncommon,

receptacle

Note

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

hermaphroditic ?

These sorts of interboard cheap and cheerfull basic connectors often in reddish brown housings would generically be called "Harwin"

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

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.

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 =

Dave

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

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

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

Mark Zenier snipped-for-privacy@eskimo.com Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

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).

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

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.

SOP #1

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

GPO (general power outlet)

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 :)

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

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'.

Harwin is simply a connector manufacturer which started in the UK in

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.

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

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