Swale
Drainage engineering term, practical field definition
(noun) A depression in the ground that carries water runoff.
Fun terms
500 pieces of shop floor, site and apprentice slang. The language that never makes it into a catalogue.
Fun terms are quoted from Urban Dictionary, where a lot of trade slang gets written down first. Each entry links back to the original and credits its author. These are how people talk, not what belongs in a specification.
swarf
Sharp metal shards from cutting, practical shop floor hazard
commonly found in most engineering practices. swarf is a small, thin, sharp shard of metal. which flies off of material as you cut it.
Synchro
Industrial/engineering term for shaft position sensor device
transforms an angular position of the shaft into an electric signal.
tablet
Technical term for design/CAD equipment used in industry
Short for "Digitizing tablet". A flat, thin plastic tray-like object that connects to a computer via USB ports and can control the computer mouse with the included stylus. Quite useful for drawing/graphic designing.
tacking
Naval/maritime trade term, precise and useful
When a sailboat switches back and forth, alternating which side of the boat is facing the wind. Tacking allows a boat to make progress in whichever direction the skipper wishes to go.
tailgate
Security workplace term for unauthorized building entry method
To folllow closely behind an individual authorized with a security scan pass to enter an area or building so as to gain unauthorized entrance
talk shop
Genuine workplace phrase for discussing work with colleagues
When two or more people discuss a common interest, job, or hobby.
tamp
Legitimate pipe-smoking tool, used in trades
a small metal tool used to pack down tobacco and clean a briar pipe.
tamping
Mining/blasting term with clear technical explanation
To bury an explosive device underground so it deals more damage to the surrounding area. Commonly used in strip mining. Equated to letting off a firecracker in your closed fist as opposed to your open palm.
Tappet
Engine part and workplace slang for distracted person
Moving part of an engine that rattles when loose resulting in engine failure. Slang usage as someone who's tappets are slightly loose (not quite with it - a.k.a someone who is a few sandwiches short of a picnic) South African...
tartan paint
Classic workplace prank, tradesperson humor
A fictional item that is used to send new people in the workplace on a wild goose chase.
TDD
Software engineering methodology, professional standard
Test-driven development - an offshoot of extreme programming that requires a test harness that demonstrates whether code works as expected as soon as it is written.
tee
Golf term: ball ready on tee, workplace sports reference
Meaning to get something prepared or ready Referring to a ball on a golf tee - ready/prepared for you to swing
temp
Workplace term for temporary worker or agency
1. temporary 2. a temporary employment agency 3. a temporary employee 4. a temporary employer
thinning
Loctician slang for hair condition during styling
Thinning is a term used when describing a loc that is about to fall apart or is becoming very thin at a certain part of the loc.
third rail
Essential subway/rail infrastructure vocabulary
An additional rail usually found in subway systems, running parallel to the existing tracks, and sometimes slightly elevated. The third rail carries a live electric current which is used to power the subway trains.
Throughput
Workplace jargon for vague blame-shifting metric
When the desired outcome does not meet THE BOSS' intent. An imaginary term that applies to everything and nothing. Easy term used in shifting blame to a subordinate.
tickover
Engine idle speed term, useful for mechanics and technicians
When a petrol engine runs on closed throttle in neutral gear(in case of closed combusting engines)
tight-assed
Workplace idiom for obsessive attention to minor details
be tight-arsed or tight-assed(British & Australian, very informal, American, very informal) to be worried about small details that are not important. Cambridge International Dictionary of Idioms © Cambridge University Press 1998
Timing Belt
Core automotive repair vocabulary, explains real mechanic challenge
noun: A timing belt, or cam belt (informal usage), is a part of an internal combustion engine that controls the timing of the engine's valves. The belt itself is one of man's most painstaking automotive repairs as it requires 5-8...
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