Would like clarification on a 'vert term

[midlife]

This has puzzled me since I was first aware of cars (circa 1905...).

When one says the top is down, does that mean it is in the stowed position and the passenger compartment is open to the air?  Or does it mean that it is down and latched to the windshield header?

When the top is up, does that mean it is latched to the windshield or in the stowed position?

 

[detritusmaximus]

Down is stowed....because when it rains at the drive-in, it's a scramble to put the top up!

Not that you have to worry about that anymore in Tuscon...not much anyway.

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

That one never puzzled me but this one does.
Why do we call it a driveway when we park in it and call the roads a parkway and we drive on them?

 

[Don C]

Ever seen what it costs to build a freeway? It's paid for by those state and federal taxes imbedded in the cost per gallon of fuel.

 

[1sostatic]

That one never puzzled me but this one does.
Why do we call it a driveway when we park in it and call the roads a parkway and we drive on them?

We in the UK have names for things that also dont make sense 

A Jumper ... why ?  ......does it jump - Am I to go jumping in it ????
- you guys call it a sweater...why? ... do you wanna sweat? ..become a big mobile stink?

I prefer some things you guys have with cars - I hate Bonnet and Boot ... I much prefer Hood and Trunk 
What we have though is Petrolium - or Petrol for short ... you call a liquid a Gas .... Oxygen, Nitrogen, Cyanide all colorless gases - a liquid is a liquid 

What I like best though is you guys cannot pronounce Jaguar ... we find that funny as hell  ! ! !    :classic_biggrin:

 

[Mister 4x4]

Why do they call them 'apartments,' if they're so close together?

Why is it called a 'hot water heater,' isn't the hot water already hot?

Just for fun, last week I put a humidifier and a de-humidifier in a room and let 'em fight it out.

"What I like best though is you guys cannot pronounce Jaguar ... we find that funny as hell  ! ! !    :classic_biggrin: "

Yeah... "Jag-yoo-Argh."  From the same people that can't pronounce "Aluminum."  (How in the Hell do you get "Al-yoo-min-ee-um" out of that, anyway?)  :rofl:

 

[RC92234]

1 hour ago, Mister 4x4 said:From the same people that can't pronounce "Aluminum."  (How in the Hell do you get "Al-yoo-min-ee-um" out of that, anyway?)  :rofl:

British spelling includes that elusive extra syllable: aluminium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

 

[1sostatic]

I actually love all the little differences -- it allows us to take the whizz outta each other - what fun ... you colonials eat Tom-may-toes whilst we eat Tom-aar-toes ...  :thumb:

 

[Mister 4x4]

British spelling includes that elusive extra syllable: aluminium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

Yeah, well the Danish discovered it, and you don't hear them mispronouncing it.  Just sayin'.   :whistling:

:rofl:

 

[1sostatic]

  :lollerz:  I'm going to pronounce all the other metals the same way  

Titanium becomes Titanoom 
Beryillium becomes Berylloom 
Palladium becomes Palladoom
Chromium becomes Chromoom
Indium becomes Indoom
Lithium becomes Lithoom
 

 

[mjseakan]

British spelling includes that elusive extra syllable: aluminium

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aluminium

How about adding a 'u' to color? Just plain silly.

 

[1sostatic]

How about adding a 'u' to color? Just plain silly.

Quite right  --- that was the French influence to Anglo Saxon -- I totally agree ... I like dropping the "u" 

..and that  also goes with "humor" :thumb:

and let's not forget that French is the sound of someone trying to speak and hurl up at the same time.

 

[ib4stangs]

When one says the top is down, does that mean it is in the stowed position

I prefer to use the term, "Topless"... it sounds better huh?

 

[Carolina_Mountain_Mustangs]

It has to be something in the water in the UK. My nephew moved to England gosh in the 70's or early 80's. Was a chef and ended up in Scotland at a hunting lodge. Then he started a couple restaurants for investors there. He talks like he has lived there all his life now. Even writes strange emails, lol. Has to be the water.
Of course I am in the south and yes I talk slow and have that southern draw. When I go to Africa I get some strange looks when I say something. When I worked with the Germans a lot one of them asked my why I changed how I talked when talking to them. You learn what other countries understand and change. I live in China for 17 months did not learn any Chinese but helped lots of the kids with their English. They hate Chinese, lol. 5,200 characters to learn NO WAY. All the road signs in China are now English and Chinese wonder where that is headed? I worked with several Brits so go use to their strange words, lol.