I was composing a post to another forum, which is composed of mainly American English speakers. About backing up computer data, I originally used the phrase 'belt and braces' when it occurred to me that readers might not know what I was talking about so I rephrased it to 'extra-careful'.

I know that what we in the UK call 'braces' are called 'suspenders' in the USA, with 'suspenders' used over here to keep up one's socks. The teeth-straightening appliances are usually called 'orthodontic braces' or similar.

Would American members recognise 'belt and braces'?

I know about the UK/US English distinction between braces/suspenders and suspenders/garters, so I know what the referents are, but I've not heard this idiom before. We sometimes talk about somebody who wears both suspenders and a belt, but I don't think the connotation is one of cautiousness, but rather of fruitless redundancy. But, that's just me: others with different connotations will no doubt chime in.

There is an overtone of fruitless redundancy in the phrase, but basically it means "ultra-cautious" as I said. After all, there are lots of horror stories about backups found to have failed at the very time they're needed so it's a wise precaution to use redundant backups in some instances. People who wore a belt and braces in real life would probably be sniggered at but there's not really any mockery in the phrase.

Redundant and extra-cautious.

Many years ago, when I was working in a local jewelry plating room, one of the other employees was a large man with an enormous belly. I was young and skinny and he outweighed me by at least a hundred pounds. A favorite ploy when we were horsing around waiting for work was to sneak up behind him and wait for him to scratch his bald head. Then we'd grab his arm in an arm lock and he would break the hold easily since he was so much stronger than we were.
One day, I crept up behind him and locked his arm above his head. On this day, I must have been incredibly strong because he had to reach over and grab with his other hand to break my hold. When he did, he sucked in a big breath and his pants fell down to his ankles. Not a problem, except at just that moment several women from the front office came around the corner on an inspection trip. They saw more on that inspection than they expected. I think he could have used braces and belts on that day.

I understand the UK usage, but how many on either side of the pond would recognize galluses? Should I have used it as a Bluffung Game word?

Or spats?

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Would American members recognise 'belt and braces'?

I've never heard it. However, once I hear that braces mean "suspenders," I can completely understand the connotation.

As an aside, I am on the east coast at a meeting and ran into someone from New York. I absolutely thought he was from England. Before this, I hadn't realized how close the accents are.

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how many on either side of the pond would recognize galluses?

Never heard of them.

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Or spats?

I would, but I suspect not many younger than me know of them. Don't forget PG Wodehouse's opus Young men in spats.

I doubt spats would be much good at holding one's trousers up. The term, I believe, is still alive and well in the UK to denote coverings for aircraft and caravan (travel trailer) wheels.

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The term, I believe, is still alive and well in the UK to denote coverings for aircraft and caravan (travel trailer) wheels.

Yes, I have heard the term used for the wheel coverings on the German WW2 Ju87 Stuka dive bomber - I can't recall it being used elsewhere, but wouldn't be surprised.

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wheel coverings on the German WW2 Ju87 Stuka dive bomber

A number of planes in the '30s had them -- the Japanese "Val" for one. Curtiss had a racer that featured them. But I don't think there are too many men using them today, although I have been in many spats with my wife.

She spat on you when she was spitting mad?

WRT airplanes, in the USA "wheel pants" is the common term. Odd that spats and pants don't mean the same otherwise.