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I have an etymological question. The chap who supervised my ham tests insists that bugs have antennae and radios have aerials. I wonder if it is a US/UK thing?
by jimnotgym 8y ago
I have an etymological question. The chap who supervised my ham tests insists that bugs have antennae and radios have aerials. I wonder if it is a US/UK thing? He is British.
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoIt's always an aerial in the UK, where the radio was once called the wireless. I suspect the British chap being picky about transatlantic language exchange probably called them insects, not bugs. ;)
- jimnotgym 8y agoWell even funnier than that he said bugs and then corrected himself (although I am pretty sure the two words have a strict definition that means they are not interchangeable). He also used the word antenna lots of times too! Most ham textbooks in the UK use the term antenna, but common usage is definitely still aerial
- NeedMoreTea 8y agoWe'll definitely always use aerial for the TV or radio receiving thing on the roof, or the thing you pull out the back of the set. Seeing the sibling comment with a distinction, and yeah I have heard it occasionally for transmission capable. A 30 foot pole in the back yard might indeed get called antenna. We don't seem to use bugs as a catch all much any more, though it's coming back, and we always kept it for bed bugs. Not especially consistent - but few of these transatlantic complaints are!
- Sharlin 8y ago> I wonder if it is a US/UK thing? Primarily, yes. Though Wiktionary has the following usage note: > Some make a distinction between an antenna and an aerial, with the former used to indicate a rigid structure, and the latter consisting of a wire strung in the air. For those who do not make a distinction, antenna is more commonly used in the United States and aerial is more commonly used in the United Kingdom.