shorthand terms & descriptions

[Donnie]

Hi team, this ole dog isn't getting a full grip on all the shorthand / descriptions
that are being used on here..I would like for someone or any of you to boost me up a notch or two:
MOD
Military style bumper
civie
bitsa
home market headlite
and anything else that you think I need to know...............
Fear not offending me as I was born in outer Slobovia on a cold winter morning, and they say that my mom dropped me on my head when I was a baby,,,,,,,maybe that's why I have a few of these wonders, and love them dearly........I can fix 'em, just can't speak colonial idiom.............

[greenmeanie]

Donnie,
Series dictionary 101:
MOD = Ministry of defense. Her majesty's equivalent to the DoD here.
Military style bumper = has the over riders that give the front bumper that higher two layer style. There is also a military rear cross member which is straight instead of having the tapered ends like a civvy one. You can also get a removeable gearbox crossmember on a military chassis.
Civvy = not military. Civilian.
Bitsa = Bits of this and bits of that. A truck featuring bits from several years of series or even other manufacturers.
Home market headlights are the ones in the breakfast and not in the front of the wings like a SIII.

Cheers
Gregor

[smactek]

Outstanding bit of info greenmeanie, I also thank you. The headlight one I never would have guessed. I have read a couple other slangs also, Dizzy = Distributor, Boot & Bonnet.

[TeriAnn]

Home market headlights are the ones in the breakfast and not in the front of the wings like a SIII.

I guess that includes all '67 & earlier LRs sold world wide and all early Jeeps as well? I have never heard that term applied to the radiator bulkhead before.

One thing some people tend to forget is that MoD vehicle were built to contract. Some had military frames and some had civilian frames.

People on this forum use a combination of English terms and American slang, some of which I have to guess at as well

If you are interested in some English terms here are some of the most common ones"

Propshaft = drive shaft
Bonnet = hood
wing = front fender
bulkhead = firewall or any metal wall that goes from side to side. i.e. radiator bulkhead or behind the seat bulkhead
windscreen = windshield
Scuttle = sheet metal between hood and windscreen
Scuttle vent = air vents located in the scuttle area
Rear scuttle = sheet metal between the passenger area and trunk lid
cubby box = glove box
Instrument panel = dash board
cockpit = passenger area
hood = removable soft top
hood sticks = soft top hoops
boot = trunk
Tyre = tire
Tarmac = pavement
gearbox = transmission
petrol = gas
paraffin = kerosene
motor caravan = RV
caravan = travel trailer
spanner = wrench
MoD = British ministry of Defense
fixed head coupe = 2 door hard top car
Drop head coupe = convertable
roadster = sports car that does not have a fixed head version
Saloon = four door hard top car
lorry = commercial truck
colour = color
centre = center
catalogue = catalog
Dynamo = generator

That should be enough to get you going and understand the British terms likely to be used in British car related forums. You are on your own for some of the American slang terms.

[greenmeanie]

I guess that includes all '67 & earlier LRs sold world wide and all early Jeeps as well? I have never heard that term applied to the radiator bulkhead before.

My understanding is the US DOT requirements drove the change from the breakfast mounted lights to the wing mounted lights. This reulted in the interim bugeye, the the late IIA's and then the IIIs. The wing mounted lights were sold in the US for a couple of years before they made it back to the home UK market. Hence the terminology. I can't say I've heard it more than a couple of times myself.

Further terminology:
Mole grips = Vice grips
Malcy it = Hit something very hard like big Malcolm over there.
Meths = rubbing alcohol with purple dye and interesting flavour. I had an interesting time in Home Depot asking for meths when I first came to the US.
Tilt = canvas cover.
Artic = Articulated truck = 18 wheeler.
Motorway = freeway.
Pavement = sidewalk
Hit the anchors = apply the brakes.

Cheers
Gregor

[yorker]

My understanding is the US DOT requirements drove the change from the breakfast mounted lights to the wing mounted lights.

That is funny I always heard it was Australian regulations that required that change. If it was a US regulation why didn't Jeep have to change? I guess their fenders don't obscure the headlights, maybe that is why.

[thixon]

Meths = rubbing alcohol with purple dye and interesting flavour. I had an interesting time in Home Depot asking for meths when I first came to the US.

I would have paid to have seen that.

[SafeAirOne]

As long as folks are explaining stuff, maybe someone can clue me in on this:

In the UK-published Rover magazines, such as "Land Rover Monthly" and "Land Rover World" many articles refer to the "near side" and "off-side" (N/S and O/S) instead of a simple "left side" and "right side". I have yet to crack the code on which is which...

[galen216]

Near side would be the side that the driver is on and far side is the passenger side. Imagine the description as though sitting in the driver's seat. Of course this means nothing in a land full of LHD and RHD vehicles.

[Les Parker]

N/S and O/S

My understaning was that :-

N/S Near side to kerb (Left hand of veh.)
O/S Off-side to kerb (Right hand of veh.)


Of course, this would only apply to Right Hand Drive veh.s though !!

[SafeAirOne]

My understaning was that :-

N/S Near side to kerb (Left hand of veh.)
O/S Off-side to kerb (Right hand of veh.)

Of course, this would only apply to Right Hand Drive veh.s though !!

Near side would be the side that the driver is on and far side is the passenger side. Imagine the description as though sitting in the driver's seat. Of course this means nothing in a land full of LHD and RHD vehicles.

OK...many people would think that those two explanations contradict each other but I can make lemonade out of lemons--My Rover is a right hand drive AND I drive it around in America so MY driver's side IS next to the kerb. Therefore, the near-side!

[Paul Rossmann]

Just to keep things confusing; 'near side" and "far side" are polo terms and refer to the side that the mallet is held in which generally means right and left. I dont know if one is allowed to hold the mallet in the "wrong" hand. I have heard the term used for curb side referring to cars. Therefore "near side" would mean drivers side for right hand drive at least. The rest is all Brittish to me.

[Les Parker]

0-54 in 11 mins

Did you have a tail wind that day and on a downhill gradient?
Seems like a swift time trial.

[Leslie]

Just to keep things confusing; 'near side" and "far side" are polo terms and refer to the side that the mallet is held in which generally means right and left. I dont know if one is allowed to hold the mallet in the "wrong" hand. I have heard the term used for curb side referring to cars. Therefore "near side" would mean drivers side for right hand drive at least. The rest is all Brittish to me.

Close....

It's not polo terms, it's horsemenship terminology....

When you mount a horse, you approach and mount on the horse's left side, which is thus the near side.

This is an OLD tradition. Back into, if not before, the Crusades.

Reason being, as most people are right-handed, swords were worn on the left hip. With a sword on your left hip, it's possible to mount the horse from the left side since you're kicking your right leg over the horse to the offside. If you tried to mount the horse from the right side, with a sword on, you have to get the sword to swing up and over the horse along with your leg, without getting tangled.

In Europe and North America, unless a horse has been specifically broken to be mounted from either side, you should always assume you're to mount it from the nearside, the horse's left.

Since automobiles are, horseless carriages, and were predominately born out of carriagemakers' works, the nearside/offside terminology carried through....

FWIW....

[SafeAirOne]

Did you have a tail wind that day and on a downhill gradient?
Seems like a swift time trial.

Calm wind and perfectly flat ground--On windier days, I wouldn't be able to break 50mph on the way to work, but I'd hit 60 on the way home!

It's not polo terms, it's horsemenship terminology....

When you mount a horse, you approach and mount on the horse's left side, which is thus the near side.

I say, this is certainly the most convincing answer yet. Until I hear a "convincing-er" answer, I declare the left side of my 109 to be the near side and the right side to be the off-side!