[TowerTalk] Re: TowerTalk Digest, Vol 4, Issue 26 - There are words and then there are W-O-R-D-S

W1GOR W1GOR at Maine.RR.Com
Fri Apr 11 15:24:23 EDT 2003


During my career as a Communications Design Engineer (RF) at the Long Island
Rail Road, I've heard some misinterpretation and misuse of technical terms,
the likes of which are interesting... for example:

Radio Tech:  "Do you want that circuit hooked up with wahre...?

Me:  Wahre..?   No, I'd prefer it 'WIRED' with 'WIRE'..!

Radio Tech:  "Okay, straight wahre, or quard..?"

Me:  "quard.."?

Radio Tech:  "Yeah, you know...that stuff we do phone lines with...
QUARD..!"

Me:  "What the hell is QUARD...?"

Radio Tech:  "Oh, come on now... Dontcha know what Quard is... WOW, you're
some Engineer..!"

Me:  "Alright, please explain what QUARD is.."

Radio Tech:  "Jeeez, QUARD is that WAHRE thet has RED, GREEN, YELLAH, 'an
BLACK in it...!"

Me: (ready to slap my forehead)... "Do you mean QUAD...?"

Radio Tech: "Yep, you got it now... QUARD..!"

Me: (exasperated)  "Yeah, that kind of wire..."

Radio Tech:  "Fine, thet's wot I'll use...plain ole QUARD..."

Me:  "Fine with me, so let's get this circuit on the air, okay..?"

Radio Tech:  "Can ya gimme that there little GERB to put on the end of the
QUARD...

Me: "GERB...?" (oh s**t, here we go again...)

...and so it goes...!

73, Larry - W1GOR




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