Speedos(s)

[Derek Turner]

Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular) for what I'd call
a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like underpants, briefs,
panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always referred to in the plural
then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again
plural). However, a swimming costume is obviously singular so the AmE
usage makes sense, but is it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another
Pondian Difference?

[Peter T. Daniels]

The manufacturer is "Speedo"; presumably the garment gains its s out
of sympathy with all the other garments doing similar, albeit fuller,
jobs. But you can certainly say "Have you seen David in his new Speedo?
It might helg explain why Hugh puts up with all his neuroses." But I
think "Speedos" is more common than "Speedo."

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

On 2 Sep 2014 18:34:01 GMT, Derek Turner <frd...@cesmail.net> wrote:

>Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
>pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular) for what I'd call
>a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like underpants, briefs,
>panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always referred to in the plural
>then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again
>plural). However, a swimming costume is obviously singular

It is a single item, but see below.

> so the AmE
>usage makes sense, but is it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another
>Pondian Difference?

"Speedo" is a trademark.

The "s" may be attached because they are thought of as "a pair of
Speedos" in line with "a pair of swimming trunks/shorts", a "pair of
underpants/boxer-shorts", "a pair of trousers", etc.


--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

[Tony Cooper]

On 2 Sep 2014 18:34:01 GMT, Derek Turner <frd...@cesmail.net> wrote:

In my hearing, "bathing suit" is the most common AmE term. When we go
to the beach, it is mostly Europeans and South Americans who wear
Speedos (except in South Beach and Key West), and my usage might be
something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?". The plural
would be used only to describe more than one person in a Speedo.



--
Tony Cooper - Orlando FL

[Adam Funk]

On 2014-09-02, Derek Turner wrote:

> Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
> pleasure)

I'm not sure. I've read a few of his books & found them hilarious,
but on the few occasions I've heard him on the radio, I've found his
voice quite strange at least. I'm not sure whether I'd like it or not
in the long run.

I ought to start listening to his show for the humorous content,
though, & to see about the voice.

Garrison Keillor, OTOH, has IMO an amazingly pleasant & relaxing voice
--- I could listen to him talk about almost anything for quite a
while. (I know a priest whose voice falls into the same category,
although his accent is totally different.)


--
Everybody says sex is obscene. The only true obscenity
is war. --- Henry Miller

[Adam Funk]

On 2014-09-02, Tony Cooper wrote:

> On 2 Sep 2014 18:34:01 GMT, Derek Turner <frd...@cesmail.net> wrote:
>
>>Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
>>pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular) for what I'd call
>>a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like underpants, briefs,
>>panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always referred to in the plural
>>then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again
>>plural). However, a swimming costume is obviously singular so the AmE
>>usage makes sense, but is it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another
>>Pondian Difference?
>
> In my hearing, "bathing suit" is the most common AmE term. When we go

I think the main word in my active vocabulary is "swimsuit".

> to the beach, it is mostly Europeans and South Americans who wear
> Speedos (except in South Beach and Key West), and my usage might be
> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?". The plural
> would be used only to describe more than one person in a Speedo.

I think this usage is probably something Sedaris has picked up in the
UK, or at least is more likely to use under that influence.


--
In the 1970s, people began receiving utility bills for
-£999,999,996.32 and it became harder to sustain the
myth of the infallible electronic brain. (Verity Stob)

[Robert Bannister]

Well known in Australia. One of the more unpleasant sights in this
country is the frequent appearance of our Prime Minister in Speedos (or
a Speedo) when he's not wearing lycra.

--
Robert Bannister - 1940-71 SE England
1972-now W Australia

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Tuesday, September 2, 2014 6:42:45 PM UTC-4, Robert Bannister wrote:

> Well known in Australia. One of the more unpleasant sights in this
> country is the frequent appearance of our Prime Minister in Speedos (or
> a Speedo) when he's not wearing lycra.

Sheesh. And our fashion police were all over Obama last week for wearing
a tan suit during a serious announcement.

[Richard Yates]

Speedos I have seen barely fit one person...

[Peter Moylan]

If it weren't for him, the term budgie-smuggler probably wouldn't have
achieved such wide use.

Let's be tolerant, though. When he's out flashing his body he's taking a
rest from wrecking the country.

--
Peter Moylan http://www.pmoylan.org

[R H Draney]

Peter T. Daniels filted:

You think that's bad?...wait another couple of years for the daily pantsuit
report from Faux News on the wardrobe of Clinton 45....r


--
Me? Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.

[Guy Barry]

"Adam Funk" wrote in message news:2nkhdbx...@news.ducksburg.com...

>
>On 2014-09-02, Derek Turner wrote:
>
>> Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
>> pleasure)
>
>I'm not sure. I've read a few of his books & found them hilarious,
>but on the few occasions I've heard him on the radio, I've found his
>voice quite strange at least. I'm not sure whether I'd like it or not
>in the long run.
>
>I ought to start listening to his show for the humorous content,
>though, & to see about the voice.

Well you'd better hurry up, because there's only one episode left (next
Tuesday), although two earlier episodes are still available on iPlayer:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b011tzjy/episodes/guide#b03jywcs

--
Guy Barry

[Adam Funk]

Thanks for the heads-up.


--
"It is the role of librarians to keep government running in difficult
times," replied Dramoren. "Librarians are the last line of defence
against chaos." (McMullen 2001)

[Stan Brown]

On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:08:34 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:
> On 2014-09-02, Derek Turner wrote:
>
> > Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
> > pleasure)
>
> I'm not sure. I've read a few of his books & found them hilarious,
> but on the few occasions I've heard him on the radio, I've found his
> voice quite strange at least. I'm not sure whether I'd like it or not
> in the long run.
>

I liked his audiobook of /Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls/. His
voice didn't strike me as odd, for what that's worth.

--
"The difference between the /almost right/ word and the /right/ word
is ... the difference between the lightning-bug and the lightning."
--Mark Twain
Stan Brown, Tompkins County, NY, USA http://OakRoadSystems.com

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Wednesday, September 3, 2014 1:34:36 AM UTC-4, R H Draney wrote:
> Peter T. Daniels filted:
> >On Tuesday, September 2, 2014 6:42:45 PM UTC-4, Robert Bannister wrote:

> >> Well known in Australia. One of the more unpleasant sights in this
> >> country is the frequent appearance of our Prime Minister in Speedos (or
> >> a Speedo) when he's not wearing lycra.

Maybe he's an admirer of Vlad the Putin.

> >Sheesh. And our fashion police were all over Obama last week for wearing
> >a tan suit during a serious announcement.
>
> You think that's bad?...wait another couple of years for the daily pantsuit
> report from Faux News on the wardrobe of Clinton 45....r

The last time she was on Letterman she turned that one 'round on him
very neatly (though I don't remember how).

[Jerry Friedman]

On 9/2/14 12:34 PM, Derek Turner wrote:
> Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
> pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular) for what I'd call
> a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like underpants, briefs,
> panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always referred to in the plural
> then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again
> plural).

That must be for the kind that are as brief as Speedos.

> However, a swimming costume is obviously singular so the AmE
> usage makes sense, but is it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another
> Pondian Difference?

"Speedos" for one pair also exists in America. I remember one
discussion from a non-Internet forum in the '80s. A male college
student who participated in the forum was described by another
participant as delivering a "stripping telegram" for the birthday of a
female student, or something like that, and "stripping down to his
speedos" (presumably underwear, not a bathing suit). A Dutch woman
understood or pretended to understand "speedos" as "balls" and refused
to accept any other explanation. So I remember it was plural; I don't
remember whether anyone added to the confusion by using the word "pair".

--
Jerry Friedman

[Charles Bishop]

In article <MPG.2e70bbf89...@news.individual.net>,

Stan Brown <the_sta...@fastmail.fm> wrote:

> On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:08:34 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:
> > On 2014-09-02, Derek Turner wrote:
> >
> > > Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
> > > pleasure)
> >
> > I'm not sure. I've read a few of his books & found them hilarious,
> > but on the few occasions I've heard him on the radio, I've found his
> > voice quite strange at least. I'm not sure whether I'd like it or not
> > in the long run.
> >
>
> I liked his audiobook of /Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls/. His
> voice didn't strike me as odd, for what that's worth.

When I saw a photo of him accompanying the article on the trash truck
that was named for him, I was surprised by how old he was. I think I
expected him to look the same as when I first saw a photo of him,
probably 25 years ago.

--
charles

[Mike L]

On the other leg, I still have a pair of Speedos from the
not-too-distant fashion for baggies, and in which you could smuggle a
modest flock of budgies and even a cocky or two. Handy for kayaking.

--
Mike.

[Mike L]

Here's a contribution to the "pair" debate:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=641207405895548&set=vb.100000188828134&type=3

--
Mike.

[CDB]

On 03/09/2014 9:17 AM, Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>>> Robert Bannister wrote:

>>>> Well known in Australia. One of the more unpleasant sights in
>>>> this country is the frequent appearance of our Prime Minister
>>>> in Speedos (or a Speedo) when he's not wearing lycra.

> Maybe he's an admirer of Vlad the Putin.

Chippy *and* cheesy.

[move along]

[Adam Funk]

On 2014-09-03, Stan Brown wrote:

> On Tue, 02 Sep 2014 21:08:34 +0100, Adam Funk wrote:
>> On 2014-09-02, Derek Turner wrote:
>>
>> > Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
>> > pleasure)
>>
>> I'm not sure. I've read a few of his books & found them hilarious,
>> but on the few occasions I've heard him on the radio, I've found his
>> voice quite strange at least. I'm not sure whether I'd like it or not
>> in the long run.
>>
>
> I liked his audiobook of /Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls/. His
> voice didn't strike me as odd, for what that's worth.

I listened to episode 4 yesterday & his voice sounded only slightly
strange & not annoying. I can't explain why I reacted differently
when I previously heard him.


--
You're the last hope for vaudeville.
--- Groucho Marx to Alice Cooper

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

Oh Em Gee!

[j...@mdfs.net]

Tony Cooper wrote:
> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".

That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.

jgh

[Dr Nick]

And in particular "a pair of boxer-shorts" is "a pair of boxers" and "a
pair of jockey shorts" is "a pair of jockeys".

[Peter Duncanson [BrE]]

Or even shrunken and squeezed into the car's speedometer.

[Mike L]

One knows exactly what's happening, but it's still weird, innit! Maybe
that's the real weirdness of the experience.

--
Mike.

[Mike L]

Apparently one of the ways the Pres of Ukraine winds up Tsar "Pinky"
Putin is by referring to him as "Lilliputin". He's sensitive about his
size, so no wonder he likes a bit of invasion now and then.
(Disclaimer: I speak as one who had a lot of sympathy with the
Russians at the beginning of this mess, and hasn't seen it all
evaporate.)

--
Mike.

[Robert Bannister]

With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
the tachometer.

[Robert Bannister]

I certainly felt they were within their rights in the Crimea, which they
took over from the Tatars a very long time ago, but eastern Ukraine is
rather different. The sizeable Russian minorities in former Soviet
countries could become an ever-increasing problem if Putin or later
Russian governments want them to.

[Steve Hayes]

On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
wrote:

>On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>
>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>
>With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>the tachometer.

I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
how fast you were going when the accident occurred.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

[Iskandar Baharuddin]

On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>
>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>
>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>> the tachometer.
>
> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>

That is a tachograph.

--
Salaam, Izzy

Ciri sa-bumi, cara sa-desa. (Sundanese proverb)
"People are pretty much the same around the world, but the way they do
things depends on where they come from."

[Steve Hayes]

On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
<bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:

>On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>
>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>
>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>> the tachometer.
>>
>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
>> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>
>That is a tachograph.

Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.

It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
"tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
to.

[Adam Funk]

On 2014-09-04, Peter Duncanson [BrE] wrote:

> On Thu, 4 Sep 2014 11:03:19 -0700 (PDT), j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>
>>Tony Cooper wrote:
>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>
>>That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>
>>jgh
>
> Or even shrunken and squeezed into the car's speedometer.

So what garments are "odos" & "tachos"?


--
I don't quite understand this worship of objectivity in
journalism. Now, just flat-out lying is different from being
subjective. --- Hunter S Thompson

[Peter T. Daniels]

On Friday, September 5, 2014 2:37:10 AM UTC-4, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
> >On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
> >> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote
> >>>> Tony Cooper wrote:

> >>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
> >>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
> >>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
> >>> the tachometer.
> >> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could
> >> tell how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
> >That is a tachograph.
>
> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
> to.

? These days every car has a tach, even automatic-transmission ones,
where it provides information that is of little to no use to the driver.

A tachometer does not indicate how fast the car is going, but at how many
revolutions per minute (rpm) the engine is turning.

What "boss" would want to know your engine's rpm?

Or do "tachometer/graph" have so different a meaning in SAE from AmE?

[CDB]

On 04/09/2014 6:27 PM, Mike L wrote:

> CDB <belle...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Peter T. Daniels wrote:
>>>>> Robert Bannister wrote:

>>>>>> Well known in Australia. One of the more unpleasant sights
>>>>>> in this country is the frequent appearance of our Prime
>>>>>> Minister in Speedos (or a Speedo) when he's not wearing
>>>>>> lycra.

>>> Maybe he's an admirer of Vlad the Putin.

>> Chippy *and* cheesy.

>> [move along]

> Apparently one of the ways the Pres of Ukraine winds up Tsar "Pinky"
> Putin is by referring to him as "Lilliputin". He's sensitive about
> his size, so no wonder he likes a bit of invasion now and then.
> (Disclaimer: I speak as one who had a lot of sympathy with the
> Russians at the beginning of this mess, and hasn't seen it all
> evaporate.)

AOL. They made vital contributions to our continued existence, even if
that wasn't their exact intention, and the damage they took then has
contributed to their present disarray. Ukraine-in-NATO was a red flag, STS.

Now that you mention his size, Putin does remind me, in the way he
carries himself, of a friend of my youth. He was small but very strong;
once, when an extremely large person agressed him in a pub, he picked
the man up bodily and threw him against a wall. No ensuing trouble: I
think the bully was too embarrassed to complain.

[charles]

In article <166d1a34-db6a-4d51...@googlegroups.com>, Peter

It might do.

A tachograph is a device that records vehicle movement (speed &
distance)over a period of time. It is used to check among other things,
that the driver is only working the legally permitted hours.

There's a good wiki page on the subject.

--
From KT24

Using a RISC OS computer running v5.18

[Robert Bannister]

On 5/09/2014 2:37 pm, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>
>> On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>>
>>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>>
>>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>>> the tachometer.
>>>
>>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
>>> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>>
>> That is a tachograph.
>
> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
>
> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
> to.
>
>

You might know it as "rev counter".

[Steve Hayes]

On Sat, 06 Sep 2014 07:45:09 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>

wrote:

>On 5/09/2014 2:37 pm, Steve Hayes wrote:
>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
>> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>>
>>> On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>>>
>>>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>>>> the tachometer.
>>>>
>>>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
>>>> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>>>
>>> That is a tachograph.
>>
>> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
>>
>> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
>> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
>> to.
>>
>>
>You might know it as "rev counter".

That's odd, then, because as tachograph records stops, starts and speeds.

[Mike L]

On Sat, 06 Sep 2014 04:57:24 +0200, Steve Hayes
<haye...@telkomsa.net> wrote:

>On Sat, 06 Sep 2014 07:45:09 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On 5/09/2014 2:37 pm, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
>>> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>>>>> the tachometer.
>>>>>
>>>>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
>>>>> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>>>>
>>>> That is a tachograph.
>>>
>>> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
>>>
>>> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
>>> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
>>> to.
>>>
>>>
>>You might know it as "rev counter".

= "Tachometer".

>
>That's odd, then, because as tachograph records stops, starts and speeds.

= "Tachygraph".

--
Mike.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Quite likely, since "tachygraphy" is an obsolete term for shorthand
-- i.e., fast writing.

[Steve Hayes]

That's not how I recall it, but it's 50 years since I drove a vehicle that had
one, so that could be it.

[Robert Bannister]

On 6/09/2014 10:57 am, Steve Hayes wrote:
> On Sat, 06 Sep 2014 07:45:09 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 5/09/2014 2:37 pm, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
>>> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>>>>> the tachometer.
>>>>>
>>>>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could tell
>>>>> how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>>>>
>>>> That is a tachograph.
>>>
>>> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
>>>
>>> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
>>> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be referring
>>> to.
>>>
>>>
>> You might know it as "rev counter".
>
> That's odd, then, because as tachograph records stops, starts and speeds.
>
>

I was discussing "tachometer".

[Steve Hayes]

On Tue, 09 Sep 2014 08:14:41 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>

Aye, but I confused that with a "tachograph", because I'd never heard of a
"tachometer" before. I'm sure that no one wears either when swimming, however.

[Snidely]

Adam Funk was thinking very hard :
> On 2014-09-02, Tony Cooper wrote:

>
>> On 2 Sep 2014 18:34:01 GMT, Derek Turner <frd...@cesmail.net> wrote:
>>
>>> Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4 (always a
>>> pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular) for what I'd call
>>> a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like underpants, briefs,
>>> panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always referred to in the plural
>>> then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again

>>> plural). However, a swimming costume is obviously singular so the AmE

>>> usage makes sense, but is it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another
>>> Pondian Difference?
>>

>> In my hearing, "bathing suit" is the most common AmE term. When we go
>
> I think the main word in my active vocabulary is "swimsuit".

Moi aussi.

>
>> to the beach, it is mostly Europeans and South Americans who wear
>> Speedos (except in South Beach and Key West), and my usage might be
>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?". The plural
>> would be used only to describe more than one person in a Speedo.
>
> I think this usage is probably something Sedaris has picked up in the
> UK, or at least is more likely to use under that influence.

I think I have regularly heard of beefcake types posing in Speedos, so
I would use the plural for "that guy over in the <x>". I would use
the singular when I was explicilty referring to the company or its
brand.

Oh, and usage "Speedos" tends to ramp up around the time of the Summer
Olympics, although they no longer have a lock on supplying the teams.

/dps

--
"That's a good sort of hectic, innit?"

" Very much so, and I'd recommend the haggis wontons."
-njm

[Snidely]

Steve Hayes scribbled something on Thursday the 9/4/2014:

> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 13:22:57 +0800, Iskandar Baharuddin
> <bren...@iinet.net.au> wrote:
>
>> On 05/09/14 12:59 PM, Steve Hayes wrote:
>>> On Fri, 05 Sep 2014 08:13:37 +0800, Robert Bannister <rob...@clubtelco.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On 5/09/2014 2:03 am, j...@mdfs.net wrote:
>>>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>>>>>> something like "See that guy over there in the Speedo?".
>>>>>
>>>>> That sounds like he's in some sort of sports car.
>>>>
>>>> With cars, the "speedo" has always been the speedometer or even, rarely,
>>>> the tachometer.
>>>
>>> I thought the tachometer had a recording device in it, so the boss could
>>> tell how fast you were going when the accident occurred.
>>>
>> That is a tachograph.
>
> Yes, I realised that just after I'd posted it.
>
> It was just that I hadn't heard the word "tachometer" before, only
> "tachograph", but so long ago that that is what I thought it must be
> referring to.

To me, tachometer only describes how often the pistons are bouncing.
Ok, indirectly, because it is the RPM of the crankshaft. But the
tachometer can be showing a very high rate of activity when the car is
standing still.

The main computer of many cars these days has "black box" capabilites,
although it might not be in an orange case. Speed, throttle settings,
brake pressure, wheel slip sensors, air temperature, and more available
to the insurance company adjuster.

One of the Insurance Companies Over Here has a product called
"Snapshot" which helps you prove you are as careful a driver as you say
you are, and so reduce your rates. I don't know whether it merely
makes a duplicate record of the same things the main computer is
recording, or whether it has independent ways of measuring (inertial
acceleration sensors, GPS, or counts the number of wi-fi access ports
in range per second).

Your smart phone also has accelerometers that can provide interesting
information, even your GPS is off (which is not fully true in these
days of cellular emergency calls (9-1-1 in the US, with special
requirements applied to mobile devices)).


/dps

--
But happiness cannot be pursued; it must ensue. One must have a reason
to 'be happy.'"
Viktor Frankl

[Robert Bannister]

On 12/09/2014 3:58 pm, Snidely wrote:
> Adam Funk was thinking very hard :
>> On 2014-09-02, Tony Cooper wrote:
>>
>>> On 2 Sep 2014 18:34:01 GMT, Derek Turner <frd...@cesmail.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Listening to David Sedaris reading his own work on BBC Radio 4
>>>> (always a pleasure) I was struck by his use of 'Speedo' (singular)
>>>> for what I'd call a pair of swimming trunks. In BrE, because like
>>>> underpants, briefs, panties, knickers and trousers trunks are always
>>>> referred to in the plural then we use 'Speedos'. The Australians
>>>> call them 'budgie-smugglers' (again plural). However, a swimming
>>>> costume is obviously singular so the AmE usage makes sense, but is
>>>> it uniquely AmE? and have I spotted yet another Pondian Difference?
>>>
>>> In my hearing, "bathing suit" is the most common AmE term. When we go
>>
>> I think the main word in my active vocabulary is "swimsuit".

I have only heard that in reference to women's swimming costumes. When I
was young in England, men wore "trunks".

[Robert Bannister]

On 12/09/2014 4:10 pm, Snidely wrote:

> To me, tachometer only describes how often the pistons are bouncing. Ok,
> indirectly, because it is the RPM of the crankshaft. But the tachometer
> can be showing a very high rate of activity when the car is standing still.

Surely that is important so the idiot sitting at the wheel realises that
overrevving the engine while idling does more damage than annoy the
neighbours.