I thought we had a thread on the importance of understanding communication, but I looked and looked and couldn't find it.

I found a perfect example today of how a superficial knowledge of words can cause great problems for society. Apparently a governmental worker, whose job is to answer Medicare questions, misunderstood what the phrase "trunk strength" means. So, whenever he got questions on whether Medicare paid for power wheelchairs, he explained that Medicare would only cover a power wheelchair if a beneficiary had enough space to stow it in his car's trunk!

One wonders how anyone with such a limited understanding of language (does it even make sense?!) could get that sort of job. Think of all the people who were denied power wheelchairs based on his stupidity, or vice versa.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kalleh,

Of course, that problem wouldn't arise over here. What you call a car's "trunk", we call a "boot".

That said, I wouldn't be surprised if someone, asked about a surgical boot, has asked what make of car it was for!

I find your "boots" and "bonnets" quite funny, actually. Are there any other parts of your cars that are also clothing names?

Apron; skirt; belt; glove (box); visor; lining; buckle.

Isn't the American word for a car's bonnet a hood? More clothing...

Yes, and for a while some cars wore bras, but no panties!

Tinman

Tinman, I don't know what kind of car you drive!

Besides hoods (you're right, arnie), we have glove compartments, too. I sure can't think of any others, though.

Surely, Tinman drives a rusty old car...

There's the windshield ~ windscreen difference. What do the British call running boards? (On older cars.) Or the bed of a truck (i.e., lorry)? And are turn signal (indicators) still called semaphores? (i.e., the bearers of meaning.) Or perhaps directional signals? My favorite automobile terminology are the German acronyms for car versus truck / lorry: PKW (Personenkraftwagen 'person automobile') ~ LKW (Lastkraftwagen 'load/burden automobile'); although one hears das Auto as well for 'car'.

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What do the British call running boards? (On older cars.) Or the bed of a truck (i.e., lorry)? And are turn signal (indicators) still called semaphores? (i.e., the bearers of meaning.)

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Um... Running boards and the bed of a truck. Indicators are variously called indicators, blinkers, winkers, and flashers. An old-style turn signal that appeared on some makes of car fifty-odd years ago was in the style of a semaphore arm that was raised to right-angles with the car body when the driver was about to make a turn. That may well have been called a semaphore; I don't remember.

Quote "...That may well have been called a semaphore; I don't remember..."

The proprietory term was "trafficators". The semaphore indicator came into being following UK legislation in the early 1930s that direction indicators had to make a "visible alteration to the profile of the vehicle". This was prompted by the introduction, in the late 20s and early 30s of a plethora of mechanical signalling devices, some of which were of remarkable complexity and potential confusion, of which the "traffic light" system fitted to Morris vehicles at that time was arguably the worst.

Um... Running boards and the bed of a truck.

Darn, I am sorry that there's no symmetry, or justice, to the US/UK language situation in reference to cars ... The first models of the VW bug to make it over to this country had a semaphore for indicating turns. But the first vehicle I saw it on was a tractor-trailer (or semi) from the late '40s or early '50s. I cannot remember what make it was, though it might've been a GMC, but I do remember a young me sitting in the driver's seat, when it was parked, and playing with the semaphore, and thinking it was mighty strange.

VW, being one of the first of the car manufacturers to consider the wants of their target markets rather than those of their production team, would have fitted semaphores if that was what their export target wanted. They certainly had them on UK Beetles (bugs); I know, I had a 1955 model for many years.

Well, this is fascinating to me! I have no recollection of ever seeing these things on cars, and have been searching online for some pictures. Very interesting! I had no idea there were ever semaphores on cars. Cool!

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
Tinman, I don't know what kind of car you drive!

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You mean you never heard of cars with bras? KHC is right; I drive a rusty old car ... without a bra ... or panties.

Tinman

Let me clarify: the car doesn't wear a bra or panties and neither do I.

My father's 1948 Renault 4CV had semaphores, as did his 1949 Fiat Topolino. Now you all know: eccentricity DOES run in families!

The change in the Law that permitted direction indicators that worked others than by making an alteration to the profile of the vehicle was not enacted in the UK until the early 1950s. VW changed their Beetle model in, I think, 1957.