Gun terms that get misused or misspelled

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My uncle and cousins (deep southwest Texas) call Hoppe's, WD 40, whatever they are using "cleanin' earl". So I've been calling it that for at least 60 years.

The saying "buy one get one free" really jerks my chain. If you have to buy something to get something then it ain't free. Maybe 2 for the price of 1 but definitely not free.
 
So I re-read through this thread, realizing that I'd neglected to mention my objection to the term "shottie." Not sure exactly why, but it's simply an expression that garners the same response from me as fingernails scraping across a chalkboard (remember those?) or the palm of a hand rubbing a balloon... and instantly creates a loss of credibility for the person using that term. Guess we can include the terms "Mossy" (for Mossberg), "Remy" (for Remington) and "Winnie" (for Winchester) as well. As Sleepy Joe would say, "C'mon, man!" Let's expend a tad bit of extra effort and a half-second more to type out the full name, people.

Wheelgun, don't have an issue with that term. It's been in common use for the most part since semi-auto pistols became the most commonly-used handguns. As for the apostrophe in "Colt's?" If you add the words pistol(s) or revolver(s) after the word Colt's, you're good to go.

Mispronunciations of foreign names and words, as I mentioned earlier, don't bother me (excepting when people can't figure out Leupold) nearly so much as some of the slang terms (especially those that originated from gangland/the streets) such as "fo-tays," "nines." "trey eights," etc. When supposedly gun-savvy folks on forums start using street language (or, for that matter, some Millenial or Gen-Z internet/text abbreviations and acronyms such as "LOL" in every post or comment, and some of the others) it's tougher for us oldsters to take them seriously.

Of course, since I became active on the internet, I've often been accused of being:
Grammar police.gif
 
This may be due to teachers in schools no longer giving basic "sounding out" and other basic English lessons. That's assuming the kid works in school, and completes homework.

After which, the student should learn how to approach new and complicated words without making simple mistakes (letter sound relationships). Foreign languages can be fun to pronounce (words) unless you ignore them, or decide they are difficult without trying.

-From a former member of Grammer Police.
 
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A recticle is not derived from the rectum but is rather a reticle and Anshultz rifles are an invention of the internet.

Luger is a trademark, originally the gun that was created by German American Hugo Borchardt and Georg Luger was called the Parabellum, model designations had the year of adoption in it, like P.08 or the Swiss version; the 06/29.

The term Mannlicher for a full stocked rifle is a terrible misnomer. Ferdinand Ritter von Mannlicher had nothing to do with the development of full stocked rifles, was rather born a couple centuries too late for that.
 
I am deeply offended by misuse of the - admittedly complicated - English language.
I must agree with beeenbag about communication. If one conveys the concept and idea, communication - oral or written - is accomplished. However, I've been told "It's over there" and while I can usually identify the 'it' part, sometimes the 'there' is a bit confusing. And the phrase is worse in writing when the message is "it's over their".

One also notes upon reflection of all the non-English terms associated with firearms. The various non English words in conjunction with a caliber designation like 'corto', 'kurz'. I am at least annoyed by those who refuse to even acknowledge the use of languages other than English in use by inhabitants of that particular language group.

My personal gripes are use of 'pistol' to mean any handgun. Use of 'clip' to mean magazine or en bloc device. 'Bullet' to refer to loaded cartridge instead of projectile. Use of "boo-lot' is annoying, but Who-tee-who uses it as a motto, so...

The use of 'stripper' clip is rather widespread, but in both U. S. and British use, the physical device is 'charger' clip.

A big annoyance to me is when someone asks the 'grain' of a loaded cartridge.

There are other words. Yes, I'm rather picky and no doubt a grammar NAZI. Perhaps I just paid attention in school.
 
Im Pa dutch. Some of the elder dutch used say things different. My mom still still says wolks wagon vs volks wagon as an example.

That's because she's saying it correctly. Words used in English that originally came from another language are supposed to be pronounced as they are in that language.
Volkswagen is a German word, and is pronounced
" Wolks VA gen". To further confuse us "Englisch" "Wolk" in German means 'cloud' , and is pronounced 'Volk'.
This is why Sabot is "say bo" and my Trap gun is a (Ljutic) LOO-tic, not a laj-OO-toc.
Now go figure on the English words Pontefract and Worcestershire.
;)

Its pronounced just like its spelled. Like most of the world's languages, everything in German is written the same way it sounds.

Yes. The way it sounds in German; not necessarily the same as the way it sounds in English.

Not quite true.

I.e. Bespaßen.

That is a result of changing from Gothic Script in print to being able to type a character for double s (eszett). Ironically, it exists only as a lower case letter. (because it always follows a vowel.) For instances where all caps is required, the above word would be BESPASSEN.

The gun term misuse I find hilarious is (example) "My Perazzi [pronounced 'Perahtzee', by the way) shoots 110/0."
Shotgun point of impact is generally expressed as a ratio of shot hitting above the point of aim over shot hitting below the point of aim. 70/30 would be 70% of the shot hitting over where the bead aimed (and yes you do aim a shotgun when pattern testing) and 30% hitting below that point.
That shotgun that shoots "110/0" can't put more than 100% of the shot above the POA. It's physically impossible. But what it can do is put the pattern center X number of inches above the POA, and that's how it should be expressed when all of the shot hits above the POA. So that 110/0 gun would put the POI 18" above the POA (at 30-40 yards)
 
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I made a trip to New Orleans one time. I was afraid to try to pronounce anything down there. I had a lady give me directions to a store and she pronounced the names and then translated them into West Texan for me. :D

Like Bodark for Bois D'Arc? :D


GUY-sell-ah.

Geissele.
It's "GUYS-lee," not "ji-ZELL."
See above.

Leupold.
It's "LOO-pold," not "LEE-uh-pold."

Actually, it's LOY-poldt. Leupold is a German name, and 'eu' is pronounced 'oy' in German. as in 'Oy-ro' for Euro.

Ja, meine Oma war meine Führerin.
 
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Its pronounced just like its spelled. Like most of the world's languages, everything in German is written the same way it sounds.

I don't know about that, I juggle usually around in between three languages in a regular week and found phonetics and pronunciation to differ quite a bit in each. Especially the English language is a mystery to me. The word "lead" has more than one way to pronounce it, the difference in between Arkansas and Kansas is another one.
Endless discussions have taken place on the gun forums about the proper pronunciation of Walther, Anschütz, and Heckler & Koch and many people that do NOT speak German suddenly became linguists and experts in German.
 
Interesting thread. I don’t get too worried about how folks identify gun stuff or mispronounce names and such.

The gun term I hear and see get misused is “best”.

I hear it all the time. Usually goes like this:

“What’s the best caliber to use deer hunting?”

or

“What’s the best powder to load 9MM 124 grains?”

or

“What’s the best pistol to conceal carry?”

As if there is a single “best” answer…
 
Not quite true.

I.e. Bespaßen.

Yes quite true.

Yes. The way it sounds in German; not necessarily the same as the way it sounds in English
Well, duh.

I don't know about that.

I do.

Endless discussions have taken place on the gun forums about the proper pronunciation of Walther, Anschütz, and Heckler & Koch and many people that do NOT speak German suddenly became linguists and experts in German.

Well, I've forgotten most of it now, but I learned enough to get into trouble, just not enough to get out of trouble....


To get back on track: some of y'all's peeves....

"Magazine" vs "clip?" "Caliber" vs "cartridge?" Silly arguments over regional accents and pronunciation? Silly arguments over common misspellings?

Get a life already....
 
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