fireplug

[Richard A. Spears]

I wanted to add that a hydrant was more generic than a fireplug.
There is a type of fire hydrant that looks like a four-inch pipe, rising out
of
the ground for about 24 inches, terminating in two, 90-degree turns with a
water outlet
on each of them.  These, and other similar, heavier bronze or steel fire
hydrants were not
called fireplugs in my recollection. A similar connection built into the
wall of a building
was also called a fire hydrant, even though these connections were used to
pump water
into the building's sprinkler system.

R. Spears

----- Original Message -----
From: "Richard A. Spears" <RASpears.pipo at XEMAPS.COM>; "Richard A. Spears"
<RASpears.pipo at XEMAPS.COM>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>; <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 9:05 AM
Subject: Re: fireplug


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Richard A. Spears" <RASpears.pipo at XEMAPS.COM>
> Subject:      Re: fireplug
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
> I recall hearing both from the 1940s onward in the Kansas City area.
>
> _Hydrant_ was any outdoor faucet, but not a decorative indoor fixture.
> _Water Hydrant_ was an outdoor faucet you could drink from, i.e., a
drinking
> fountain.
> _Fire Hydrant_  was/is a hydrant for fire fighting.
> _Fireplug_  was/is the funny squat thing that some people call a  _fire
> hydrant_.
>
> I viewed _hydrant_ as an older usage and the one most likely to be used by
> teachers
> and grandparents.
>
> R. Spears
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Luanne von Schneidemesser" <lvonschn at WISC.EDU>; "Luanne von
> Schneidemesser" <lvonschn at WISC.EDU>
> To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>; <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2004 3:24 PM
> Subject: fireplug
>
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail
> header -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Luanne von Schneidemesser <lvonschn at WISC.EDU>
> > Subject:      fireplug
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > Anyone know if fireplug (=fire hydrant) is regional?  If so, where?  A
> > woman originally from Ohio says she uses it (and people laugh at her).
We
> > didn't ask about this when interviewing for DARE.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
> > Luanne
> >
>