Technical misnomers, ambiguous or plain incorrect terms in general usage.

[rsjsouza]

Quite common in Brazil were the following:
- Naming "CPU" the entire desktop box;
- Using Hertz as the unit for inductance (opposed to Henries)
- Calling inductors as "RF shock" (choque de RF)
- Using lightbulbs' units as "candles" (velas) instead of Watts

There are others I don't recall.

[Bassman59]

I hate hearing the phrases......   "AC Current", or "DC Current"..... 
'AC' means 'Alternating Current', so 'AC Current' means "Alternating Current Current"  Aarrgh....

That's like PAT testing - Portable Appliance Testing testing

 I'll be right back, I need to get some money from the ATM machine.....

Ah you mean a Automated Teller Machine, Machine

And you only get money from it after you enter your Personal Identification Number Number.

[MK14]

I hate hearing the phrases......   "AC Current", or "DC Current"..... 
'AC' means 'Alternating Current', so 'AC Current' means "Alternating Current Current"  Aarrgh....

That's like PAT testing - Portable Appliance Testing testing

 I'll be right back, I need to get some money from the ATM machine.....

Ah you mean a Automated Teller Machine, Machine

And you only get money from it after you enter your Personal Identification Number Number.

And it verifies that PIN number, by using an IC circuit (Integrated Circuit Circuit).

The circuit is built on a PCB board (Printed Circuit Board board).

The PCB was probably designed on a PC Computer (Personal Computer Computer), which was originally based on an IBM Machine (International Business Machine Machine).

Anyway, Enough Enough Enough of This This, PUN PUN like thing.   

[Circlotron]

"second harmonic" and higher implies that there is a first harmonic which in reality is the fundamental

[vk6zgo]

"second harmonic" and higher implies that there is a first harmonic which in reality is the fundamental

It is consistent with the use "a to the second power" for "a x a " where "a" is only multiplied by itself once, not twice.
Ambiguous, but correct!

[Bassman59]

I hate hearing the phrases......   "AC Current", or "DC Current"..... 
'AC' means 'Alternating Current', so 'AC Current' means "Alternating Current Current"  Aarrgh....

That's like PAT testing - Portable Appliance Testing testing

 I'll be right back, I need to get some money from the ATM machine.....

Ah you mean a Automated Teller Machine, Machine

And you only get money from it after you enter your Personal Identification Number Number.

And it verifies that PIN number, by using an IC circuit (Integrated Circuit Circuit).

The circuit is built on a PCB board (Printed Circuit Board board).

The PCB was probably designed on a PC Computer (Personal Computer Computer), which was originally based on an IBM Machine (International Business Machine Machine).

Anyway, Enough Enough Enough of This This, PUN PUN like thing.   

You forgot that the computer uses an LCD Display (Liquid Crystal Display Display)!

[MK14]

You forgot that the computer uses an LCD Display (Liquid Crystal Display Display)!

You forgot that the LCD Display, uses RAM memory to work.
RAM memory = Random access memory memory!

[Neilm]

You forgot that the LCD Display, uses RAM memory to work.
RAM memory = Random access memory memory!

People cover their food with tomato tomato sauce. (Tomato Ketchup)

[Cyberdragon]

In the days of PC-DOS or MS-DOS, the command line was the application COMMAND.COM, not the Disk Operating System itself; although in a world without process isolation such distinctions can appear blurred.
In more recent times, the command line is not even a part of DOS, but a client of the NT kernel like everything else. Despite this, the icon for the command prompt on various versions of Windows has the letters "D O S" in it.

The latter makes the term "DOS prompt" quite reasonable, even if it's more of a descriptive convention than an official name.

A bit like the way Engineers persist in calling a tuned LC circuit a "tank circuit", although that meaning has just about died out in the rest of the Technical community.

Ahem...

It's usually just "tank", "X tank, or "oscillator tuning circuit".

If you dare say "tuned LC circuit", your ambiguity will get the response

"A resonator or filter?"

[Beamin]

I saw this on this forum (of all places) and the people rather then admit they were wrong doubled down since I had less posts (BTW post count is indirectly proportional to number of girl friends you have ever had) with the most bullshit naming convention worse then mixing sailing terms with SI.


I saw a video where they called the anode the cathode. Cations: +, pos. charged species in solution flow to the cathode the negative end of the battery. Always. They tried to say "Nut  ungh!!!! When you are charging the battery the anode and cathodes switch using color changing ink on paper data sheets and trough a script on web pages that some how knows what context you are using them in. Never in all my years of learning I paid for did the anode and cathode change flavor like a neutrino. Because you were talking about the device charging and then charging back. Do you have any idea how confusing that would be when talking about rapidly charging and discharging a battery?

[MK14]

You forgot that the LCD Display, uses RAM memory to work.
RAM memory = Random access memory memory!

People cover their food with tomato tomato sauce. (Tomato Ketchup)

So, that is why you can't put Tomato Ketchup on KFC Chicken pieces.
Because it would mean..
Tomato Tomato sauce on Kentucky Fried Chicken Chicken

[AG6QR]

I'll throw in a few:

• "Momentarily":  I hear a flight attendant say, "Please raise your seat backs and tray tables; we'll be landing momentarily."   This makes me wonder why the pilot chose my flight to try touch-and-go landing practice.
• "Quantum": In science circles, it means the absolute tiniest possible change in the state of something.  Those who never took a modern physics class often use it to mean "really big".
• "Exponential": This has a precise mathematical meaning, but the mathematically illiterate tend to use it as a synonym for "big".  Perhaps they do this after they've grown tired of using the word "quantum".
  

[Leiothrix]

"Exponential"

To make it worse someone will state something about "exponential growth".  If you reply with "no, geometric" you get a blank look.

[AG6QR]

To bring it back to electronics, why do we use the terms "AC" and "DC" when we're talking about voltage?.  Instead of 240VAC, shouldn't we use the term 240AV (240 Alternating Volts)?  If an ammeter has AC and DC settings, shouldn't a voltmeter have AV and DV settings?

I am fully aware that this convention is so well-established that it will never change, and I'm not seriously advocating for a change.  Just pointing out that even the technical community does not always use terms in the most logically consistent manner.

[Circlotron]

That band should rename itself AV⚡️DV.

[AndyC_772]

You forgot that the LCD Display, uses RAM memory to work.
RAM memory = Random access memory memory!

People cover their food with tomato tomato sauce. (Tomato Ketchup)

That's a reasonable disambiguation, though. If you've not already discovered mushroom ketchup, your pies, stews and sauces are missing out. (No tomatoes included!)

[GlennSprigg]

Ok... And this is a BIG one, that's 'pissed' me off since I was a 1st year
elect apprentice way back in the 1970's, that's never changed!!!......

So called 'CONVENTIONAL' current flow, (+ve to -ve) from the 'very' old days of ignorance!!
Even today, with the likes of DIODES & TRANSISTORS, they show an 'ARROW' pointing in the
direction of 'conventional' flow....  , even though today we UNDERSTAND about 'Electron' flow.

So their confusing and silly 'explanation' to me back then, was that.....
"Yes, we know how Electrons travel, and their charge, but you need to think of 'current'
flow as the MOVEMENT OF POSITIVE HOLES, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION "....
Even my young brain then, said, "Give me a break" !!!!!  The biggest electrical lie ever told.
Why can't we simply accept the failings of the past, and change ??  (So much confusion caused).

[vk6zgo]

In the days of PC-DOS or MS-DOS, the command line was the application COMMAND.COM, not the Disk Operating System itself; although in a world without process isolation such distinctions can appear blurred.
In more recent times, the command line is not even a part of DOS, but a client of the NT kernel like everything else. Despite this, the icon for the command prompt on various versions of Windows has the letters "D O S" in it.

The latter makes the term "DOS prompt" quite reasonable, even if it's more of a descriptive convention than an official name.

A bit like the way Engineers persist in calling a tuned LC circuit a "tank circuit", although that meaning has just about died out in the rest of the Technical community.

Ahem...

It's usually just "tank", "X tank, or "oscillator tuning circuit".

Such circuits are also used in amplifiers, so the last choice isn't always right.

If you dare say "tuned LC circuit", your ambiguity will get the amplifier"A resonator or filter?"

If you want ambiguity, a "tank" can also be a thing you keep liquid in, a military vehicle, or a term describing a sporting team throwing a game.("tanking")

[Cyberdragon]

Context is important.

Because even if you say "tank circuit" it could mean the pipes that carry hydraulic fluid back to the reservoir.

Even if you say "oscillator tuning circuit" you could mean the DC drive to a VCO.

[Circlotron]

Ok... And this is a BIG one, that's 'pissed' me off since I was a 1st year
elect apprentice way back in the 1970's, that's never changed!!!......

So called 'CONVENTIONAL' current flow, (+ve to -ve) from the 'very' old days of ignorance!!
Even today, with the likes of DIODES & TRANSISTORS, they show an 'ARROW' pointing in the
direction of 'conventional' flow....  , even though today we UNDERSTAND about 'Electron' flow.

So their confusing and silly 'explanation' to me back then, was that.....
"Yes, we know how Electrons travel, and their charge, but you need to think of 'current'
flow as the MOVEMENT OF POSITIVE HOLES, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION "....
Even my young brain then, said, "Give me a break" !!!!!  The biggest electrical lie ever told.
Why can't we simply accept the failings of the past, and change ??  (So much confusion caused).

It’s like saying you don’t drive to work, your parking space goes to your home. Why it takes so much energy and expense simply to move an empty space, I will never know.

[Nominal Animal]

The biggest electrical lie ever told.

No, that would be the Electric Sun stuff.

[NiHaoMike]

Ok... And this is a BIG one, that's 'pissed' me off since I was a 1st year
elect apprentice way back in the 1970's, that's never changed!!!......

So called 'CONVENTIONAL' current flow, (+ve to -ve) from the 'very' old days of ignorance!!
Even today, with the likes of DIODES & TRANSISTORS, they show an 'ARROW' pointing in the
direction of 'conventional' flow....  , even though today we UNDERSTAND about 'Electron' flow.

So their confusing and silly 'explanation' to me back then, was that.....
"Yes, we know how Electrons travel, and their charge, but you need to think of 'current'
flow as the MOVEMENT OF POSITIVE HOLES, IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION "....
Even my young brain then, said, "Give me a break" !!!!!  The biggest electrical lie ever told.
Why can't we simply accept the failings of the past, and change ??  (So much confusion caused).

If you look at the MOSFET symbol, the arrow does point in the direction of electron flow. (Albeit MOSFETs are frequently used to conduct current going in the other direction, as synchronous rectifiers.)

And while not engineering, Native Americans are still often incorrectly called "Indians", thanks to history. They say the point of learning history is to avoid repeating mistakes...

It’s like saying you don’t drive to work, your parking space goes to your home. Why it takes so much energy and expense simply to move an empty space, I will never know.

That obviously would be moving the stuff that's making the space not empty.

[AG6QR]

"Entreé" as used in the US - the word means entrance. Hence, it is the appetizer and not the main course.

"Panini" is the Italian word for "sandwiches".  Plural.  It's incorrect to say "I'd like to order a panini".  If you only want one, you want a panino.  Except that, in English, when we borrow a word from another language, we don't always take it to mean what it meant in the original language.

"Manufactured" comes from Latin that literally means "hand made".  But somewhere along the line, as it was used in English over the centuries, it transformed to mean something closer to "mass produced by machine".

Even an incorrect usage, if it persists long enough, can become a standard part of English.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Even an incorrect usage, if it persists long enough, can become a standard part of English.

True enough but in this case it's only US (and partly Canadian) English that uses it this way. I put this in the same bucket as blackbird, robin, titmouse and buzzard.

[JohnnyMalaria]

Pronouncing Moog as Moo-g instead of Moh-g