fireplug

[Beverly Flanigan]

My southern Ohio informant (again) says fireplug is so well known that many
people, including her insurance man, just ask "You got a plug nearby?"  But
when a contractor asked her "How many plugs you want on your house?" she
was puzzled.  He meant the outside things she calls spickets (vs. faucets
inside); she had never heard plugs used for these outside hose
attachments.  One more:  For her, a tap is a public water source, like a
pipe with a knob that might be found in a park or a cemetery (not a
drinking fountain or 'bubbler').

At 09:05 AM 2/5/2004 -0600, you wrote:
>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
> >