OT-Proper terminology

[Otto]

I reference the thread discussing new/old/big/little/original/plain Vaqueros, and submit the following for discussion:

".30-30"

"gunpowder"

"bullet/cartridge/shell"

"pistol/revolver"

"Colt .45"

"caliber/chambering"

"gas/fuel"

"motor/engine"

"Soldier" as opposed to "Sailor", "Marine", "Servicemember", etc.

Feel free to submit your own.

[J Miller]

Oh hell, why not?

Magazine/clip

J e

[Otto]

Oh hell, why not?

Magazine/clip

J e

Man, I can't believe I forgot that one!

[Chuck 100 yd]

OK ??

[TedH]

Personally, I don't see what all the noise is about. If you know what a person is talking about, who cares if it's "proper"?

[Otto]

OK ??

Well, I have noticed that the issue of improper or disputed terminology comes up from time to time in different threads, so I thought it might be interesting to start a list of such. I guess not. Oh well.

Personally, I don't see what all the noise is about. If you know what a person is talking about, who cares if it's "proper"?

I both agree and disagree. I frequently use the wrong terminology, and my given audience usually understands what I mean. There is a point, though, at which language becomes useless if each individual essentially creates his own dictionary.

I wasn't trying to stir up anything, I just thought it might be an interesting topic of conversation.

[Ben_Rumson]

recoil/kick
checked/checkering
sawed off/ sawn off

[pokey]

I frequently use the wrong terminology, and my given audience usually understands what I mean.

i do it on purpose sometimes, just to see if "my audience" is paying attention.

[Old Savage]

What it says on the gun is correct.

[Mac in Mo]

What about going to the other extreme. For example, one of our police firearms instructors used terms such as "now you deploy your artificial illumination device" instead of "grab your flashlight". He also talked this way in normal conversation, believe or not. Kevin

[Noah Zark]

I can let a lot of things pass, but when I hear or see someone refer to bullets as "tips" or "bullet tips" it's like fingernails on a blackboard to me.

"Got any tips for the 30-30?"

"Yes, buy one, either Marlin or Winchester, and use the 170 grain loading for best effect."

Noah

[Gobblerforge]

Muzzle / Crown.
That one gets to me all the time.
Gobbler

[jdad]

.....it has a "hexagon" barrel.

[Hobie]

Well, I speak or spoke a couple of different languages. I've worked with many English as second language speakers. I'm pretty tolerant of jargon drift. However, I attempt to use the correct terminology. I imagine that when I go to the doctor, auto-mechanic, tailor, or government office ( ) I'm going to get their terminology/jargon wrong but I expect that they'll help me. I do try to pay attention and learn as I go and self-correct.

There are some folks who can't wait to correct others. Some of those people are less than tactful. Then on the other side are some who will always take offense at being corrected and will act as if you've accused their mother of participating in some back-alley profession.

Pronouncing some of these words, many of them NOT of English origin is quite fun, too. Makarov, Sako, and so forth are often mis-pronounced. Some gun writers periodically get a pay-check by writing about this.

However, I have to admit that JDAD is right, hexagon barrel is one of my pet peeves.

[awp101]

I can let a lot of things pass, but when I hear or see someone refer to bullets as "tips" or "bullet tips" it's like fingernails on a blackboard to me.

"Got any tips for the 30-30?"

"Yes, buy one, either Marlin or Winchester, and use the 170 grain loading for best effect."

Mags/clips gets me. Especially "banana clips".

More of a spelling issue but another that grinds on me is muzzle break or muzzel break. It's muzzle brake! If your muzzle breaks you've got some serious issues. If your muzzel breaks, well I don't know what that means but it don't sound good!

[Chuck 100 yd]

OK ,I will go along with ya. Bullets not HEADS !!

[BenT]

Then you can get into regional diolec. Such as hillside versus sidehill.

[mikld]

Cases/casings? Not really sure about this one but I always thought casings holds sausage, and cases hold powder & boolits.

[Iron_Marshal]

handloading / reloading

[Sarge]

Personally, I don't see what all the noise is about. If you know what a person is talking about, who cares if it's "proper"?

Same here. As long as I can understand the meaning, I'm OK with it. This is after all America or it was the last time I checked.

When I find unintelligible gibberish, I ignore it.

[Stump Buster]

Varmints/varmits

plinking/plunking

grip stocks handle panels slabs


and one I see misused the most...

Quite used for Quiet

[gak]

In general agreement about letting most slide. Unintentionally bad grammar or spelling is tedious, hear vs here, sed vs said, than vs then, etc., especially when the rest of the gent's/gal's sentense (:-)) proves they should have known!

Here's another one, caliber vs cartridge (when the "other" is the proper for the context)... not so much irritating but technically incorrect--most responders are gentle enough on these folks, but some get carried away. But, I've done this sort of thing before as most of us have, so there's a bit of ...glass houses.

[Ben_Rumson]

Some folks have a knack for language and spelling, others don't...Some of the ones that aren't good at spelling and care about it, have learned to use spell check. I kinda enjoy the folks that don't use spell check, from the standpoint of enjoying their creativity at making a word or just plain old hammering the language.

[pharmseller]

Antoine de Saint Exupéry said that "Words are the source of all misunderstandings."

I like to be correct. Like the man said, it's not a clip, it's a magazine. There's a big difference and no, I'm not being anal about it. When someone uses the wrong term (especially if I think they know the difference) I get confused. Does that rifle function with a clip rather than a magazine?

See, there's a lot about A LOT that I don't know, so using incorrect terminology can be very confusing to me. I compare what I hear to what know and if the two conflict, well that makes me conflicted.

P

[awp101]

Does that rifle function with a clip rather than a magazine?

It does if it's an M1 Garand!