Newspeak or More Dumbing Down of our Language

[k4kyv]

I'm not sure if it's technically correct, but to me "potential difference" implies a difference in levels of static DC potential, as, for example, when you have a +300v power supply and a +500v one in the same rig, so there is a potential difference of 200 volts between the two B+ (or +HT) lines. Another example would be the voltage across a charged capacitor.  Potential means the potential to do work,  but once the task begins, the voltage may change abruptly, as would happen when you use a charged capacitor to heat up a resistor or to ignite a flash.

You can have a potential difference in other things besides electricity.  Water levels, for example.

Many other electrical phenomena have mechanical analogues.  One common example is reactance. If you drive a nail into a solid, secured board backed up by a massive stud, the hammer is working into a purely resistive load and the board doesn't "react"; all the energy expended goes into driving the nail.  If, OTOH, you try to drive a nail into a board between two widely separated studs, the board will be springy, or highly reactive. When you hit the nail with the hammer, the board springs back.  Only a partial component of the energy goes into driving the nail. The board "reacts" or springs back; and some of the energy is reflected back to the hammer. If the board is too springy, none of the energy goes into driving the nail, it just springs back and no work was done other than to overcome a small amount of friction.  We call this a purely reactive load with (negligible) resistive component.

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

Voltage is an SI derived unit is described as an electric potential difference, electromotive force. Using base SI units a Volt is m²·kg·s^-3·A^-1

[Ed/KB1HYS]

Many other electrical phenomena have mechanical analogues.  One common example is reactance. If you drive a nail into a solid, secured board backed up by a massive stud, the hammer is working into a purely resistive load and the board doesn't "react"; all the energy expended goes into driving the nail.  If, OTOH, you try to drive a nail into a board between two widely separated studs, the board will be springy, or highly reactive. When you hit the nail with the hammer, the board springs back.  Only a partial component of the energy goes into driving the nail. The board "reacts" or springs back; and some of the energy is reflected back to the hammer. If the board is too springy, none of the energy goes into driving the nail, it just springs back and no work was done other than to overcome a small amount of friction.  We call this a purely reactive load with (negligible) resistive component.

Don, That is by far the absolute BEST analog of reactance that I have ever read.  That should be in the handbooks AC Theory section.

[steve_qix]

"Absolute Best"    I like it!

Functionality (not a word).

A real dumbed down phrase has come into use over the past few years, at least around here... "Real Feel" instead of "Wind Chill Factor".

And where the heck did Y-Fi come from for describing a local area wireless network??

[KF1Z]

WiFi never meant anything.....

People mistakenly think it meant "Wireless Fidelity".

A term which was only used as a "what-if" statement drawn on the bar napkin.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Functionality (not a word).

Its function is as a noun. Why do you believe it's not a word?

[k4kyv]

A real dumbed down phrase has come into use over the past few years, at least around here... "Real Feel" instead of "Wind Chill Factor".

Not that it's dumbed down, just a different term and quite descriptive: I pick up a radio station from Toronto from time to time, and the expression they use in their weather reports instead of "heat index" is "humidex".

[flintstone mop]

A real dumbed down phrase has come into use over the past few years, at least around here... "Real Feel" instead of "Wind Chill Factor".

Not that it's dumbed down, just a different term and quite descriptive: I pick up a radio station from Toronto from time to time, and the expression they use in their weather reports instead of "heat index" is "humidex".

A reasonably respected weather forecaster in Washington DC WRC TV4 used a term 'Humiture".
Fred

[Steve - WB3HUZ]

And Ethernet is neither ether nor net.

How about preplan, preboard, preheat, and prerecord, etc. Seems to me it's just plan, board, record.

It fell between the cracks. Really? Then it's on the floor. It should be fell into the cracks.

Hot water heater. Why heat it if it's already hot?

[WD8BIL]

I like that one, Huz! PREHEAT.....  As you axed, how can you preheat something before you heat it?

[WA3VJB]

You're right, Don. 
But the name Elmer isn't the cause of that.
It's the whole silly jargon thing that makes it murky what we do.

HAM radio ? Give me a break.  I loathe the term.

I try to use "radio hobbyist" or variations when I describe my activities to outsiders, and usually use the term "shortwave" since it's familiar and easy to grasp.

Boat anchors ?  Nah. That one does not work either.

I've got very little in common with contestors, Dog X-Ray people, CW ops, emergency whackers, packeteers, EchoLinkettes, but hope their parts of the hobby seem as interesting to outsiders as I hope our part can be.

It's those "Elmers" who have turned amateur radio into a faintly embarrassing  hobby. I recall some time ago, a message was posted on one of the CW mailing lists, in which the author said he never told a new acquaintance that he was a ham raidio operator; he always said his hobby was "amateur telegraphy".

[Opcom]

I like that one, Huz! PREHEAT.....  As you axed, how can you preheat something before you heat it?

The same words concept as you pre-ionize something such as the gas in the cavity of a TEA laser.

It's like priming the (whatever it is), like lighting the fuse, soft-start.

[W3SLK]

My pet peeve word is "irregardless". I bristle when ever I hear a person use that in a sentence.

[W2PFY]

Axe me a question and I'll axe one back.

[John Holotko]

. Now the "ize" tag is used on all sorts of words.

Including my call sign.