We always called it duct tape, and it was a vital resource at work. Every piece of machinery had duct tape on it somewhere. When we replaced the 40-year-old machines with modern computerized equipment, there was duct tape on it within the first week. The only thing that lacked it was the bailer duct.
I’ve never heard the term “jerry rigged”, I’d think it was a slur, being historically an offensive term for a German.
I’ve been curious about American fast food chains abroad, but I’ve never gone in. I’m usually visiting a place for only a day or three and I just don’t want to waste one of my finite meals there on that.
sorry to hear that, hoping you feel better!
I’m taking life my the horns on a Vegan diet, I had a bite of turkey tho and a long pepperoni stick on Christmas tho.
I love the Vegan cashew products!
Are there any chat rooms on this site? or forums with back to back ressponders? I’m just looking to meet friends online…!
“Jerry rigged” is unrelated to the derogatory term “Jerry” for a German. The history is:
“Jury rigged” is the oldest term, with an OED quotation from 1788. It comes from a nautical term “jury” meaning “put together for temporary use”.
“Jerry built” appeared by 1842. Its etymology is unknown.
“Jerry rigged” appeared by 1890. It’s probably a variant of “jury rigged”, influenced by “jerry built”.
“Jerry” as a derogatory term for “German” appeared in the First World War around 1915, so much too late to the origin of “jerry rigged” or “jerry built”.
For a while, I was driving a tractor that was literally held together with duct tape and baling twine.
(Somewhat more elegant repairs have since been made. But those worked, for a while; and might be used again.)
I don’t often eat at fast food places here in the USA; I certainly wouldn’t bother eating at a USA-type fast food place in another country. But I haven’t been to another country in a long time.
I’ve heard, and probably occasionally said, jerry-rigged. I hadn’t thought about the derivation. Wiki does seem to think it’s derogatory, but doesn’t say to whom. But apparently jury-rigged is the original, and not pejorative. Will have to try to adjust vocabulary.
To be honest the first time I encountered the “-rigged” term, it began with a different and much more overtly offensive word.
When I grew up, the usage was always “jury rigged”. I basically never heard “jerry rigged”, and it just sounds wrong to me.
On the other hand, there was a story of a guy in some machine shop hereabouts who was offended by the use of “jig” because he thought it sounded racist, so he got the shop to usedifferent terminology. Not sure if there is any truth to that.
Hence my unfounded worry about “jerry”. The “jerry built” explanation sounds spot on. I will withdraw.
I had to try the McDonalds McLobster roll while in Nova Scotia.
It was very good, and I don’t even like lobster.
mmm
I live outside of the US and do go to American fast food chains abroad. Since I moved out of the US I have rarely been to McDonalds or Burger King in the US, as they are already here. I tried Subway here once. Never again, and I rarely went to Subway in the U.S. There’s a KFC near me, but I stopped going to KFC before I moved out of the US.
I prefer Five Guys over McDonalds or Burger King, but there are none near me. I had a 30 minute layover in Milano train station some months ago, and I chose Five Guys over McDonalds. If I had been there longer, I would have gotten pizza.
If I am in the US and decide to go for fast food, I tend towards Wendy’s or Ivars, both of which aren’t in Switzerland.
If I want something for breakfast, I generlly try to find a local bakery. Starbucks is the fallback option.
We don’t go to fast food places at home. We sure don’t check them out while traveling. It does sort of remind you that although you are immersed in fine dining while vacationing, the people who live there have normal lives.
Same. But i do like to check out supermarkets when i travel. Last time i was in Paris, i was shocked at the number of familiar brands i saw. Not just packaged goods like “Nabisco”, but even "Driscoll’s’ branded fresh berries. A lot of the actual products were different, though. Even the berries, which were sourced from Spain instead of somewhere in the Americas (varies seasonally, of course) and were obviously different cultivars from what they sell in my supermarket.
Welcome, WinterWind!
On a semester abroad in London, I went to the nearest Wendy’s once or twice, because I just had a craving for an American-style cheeseburger.
Q: What did no redneck ever say?
A: “I can’t fix that with duck tape.”
Without duct tape we’d never have been blessed by “The Red Green Show.”
We love going to local supermarkets!! My first trip to Sint Maarten, we were picking up groceries on our first day. I had my wallet out at the checkout and remember getting more and more nervous looking at the screen. It was a huge number. Then the cashier saw I was holding US dollars and she changed the display. It changed from 585 florins to $67.00.
On the French side we go crazy buying bottles of wine. A French wine that would be $85 dollars at home, is 14 Euros.
And grocery stores have amazing things. I’ve purchases Reindeer Paté, for example.
You may want to pop into the MMP (Monday Morning Post). It’s a weekly thread where folks yak about anything and everything. It’s probably the closest thing we have to a real-time chat room. We’re a pretty friendly bunch. You will be heartily welcomed.
Elsewhere on the boards we do like to keep things on-topic - which this post is not, so I’ll shut up now.
I blew my hair dry.