Fortochka

[Steve Marder]

On 2 Feb 2011 10:49:25 –0500, Richard Robin wrote:

> In the U.S. we actually used to have форточки, not in apartments, but in
> cars manufactured before air conditioning became standard equipment.
>Until
> the mid–1960s, I guess, cars had a little triangular window on driver's
> side. We always called that the vent window. Does that work?

Several points:

1. As to the timing, my memory would place such triangular windows around
the mid-50s, when wraparound windows came into vogue. The configuration of
such wraparounds meant that they cut into the space otherwise partially
occupied by the triangular windows.

2. So far as I can recall, the triangular windows were not only on the
driver's side, but on the passenger side as well. As a matter of fact, I
believe they could also be on the rear driver and passenger windows.

3. As to the names themselves, "vent window" was certainly the commonest
term used, although simply "vent" would suffice when the context was
clear. In addition, "wing window," "wing vent," and "fly window" are also
terms I can recall being used. Some of these terms may have had their own
geographical spheres of usage, and car manufacturers themselves may have
preferred one term over another. I'm certainly not an expert in such
matters!

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