>Date: Sat, 31 Oct 1998 12:38:44 -0500
>From: Denton Taylor <denton@xxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [OM] Wrenches
>
>>>A spanner wrench is a clever redundancy to say the same thing twice. Much
>like the term "ink pen". Just more fine examples how we are great nations
>kept apart by a common language <vbg>>>
>
>I don't think that is really true, as there are several types of wrenches:
>socket wrenches, pipe wrenches, crescent wrenches, box wrenches, spanner
>wrenches, etc etc...
>
>Denton
>
Denton,
Don't forget monkey wrenches and the feeling when you sell an OM (cam
wrench) or a Zuiko (bokeh wrench).
We use the term "spanner" instead of wrench over here so the above humour
may not travel :-)
However if you are thinking about putting "a spanner in the works"
(euphemism for screwing up badly in the UK, origins unknown) then "let's be
careful out there" (understatement).
>From the Collins English Gem Dictionary:
Wrench: - violent twist; tool for twisting or screwing
Spanner:- tool for gripping the nut of a screw (sounds nasty).
Feeling wrenchled,
All the best,
Clive http://clive.bel-epa.com
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