New Mexico - "Socket Wrench" = Ratchet

[desertdog256]

Socket wrench was what my dad called it.

 

[nine4gmc]

Even Pittsburg is hip.

 

[pepsican]

^ "set consists of: 1 Reversible Ratchet" not "reversible socket wrench". Thats all I'm saying.

 

[jl4c]

^ "set consists of: 1 Reversible Ratchet" not "reversible socket wrench". Thats all I'm saying.

You really still playing at this?

 

[icthruu74]

At least socket wrench gives you some clue. My dad always asked for the doohickey, thingamagig, or just "hand me that" while pointing to a pile of random tools.

 

[leg17]

SHEEEESH!!!

I got to go polish my HF free screwdrivers so I can do a comprehensive scientific comparison to Snap-On. Then do a survey to find out if a 3~7/8" long allen wrench is a handy as a 4" long one.

 

[four.cycle]

You really still playing at this?

Apparently, yes.
The question is not "what is the correct term?". The question is "does the other guy understand what you're talking about?"
I've cited several examples above which clearly show that what we commonly refer to as a "ratchet" also has about a half a dozen other names (again, all of which are correct.)
If you believe you can single-handedly bring about a change in the English language (again, one that remains to this day in a state of flux), or its vaguely-defined rules of usage, I wish you luck.

 

[four.cycle]

... and why is a hex key an "Allen wrench"? Why not a "Holo-Krome wrench"?

Why is an automotive thermostat housing a "water outlet" or a "gooseneck"?

Why is a "fitch" a "sash brush"?

A guy could do this all day long.

If you are able to communicate with another person and they are able to understand the meaning of what you're saying, what difference does it make?

There is no Académie française for the English language! Get over it already.

 

[pepsican]

Come on now, all I did was point out that the sets people linked to prove socket wrench is a industry term do say ratchet in the list of what they come with. I'm not judging or correcting anyone for what they want to call it on their own. As I said in #40 it fits perfectly if the socket is also attached.

 

[four.cycle]

Well, you can do it however you want to do it, but trying to effect a change on the usage of a term in the English language is a quixotic effort.

But anyway you want to do it is just groovy with me.

 

[jl4c]

.... course neither have I.

 

[four.cycle]

you could always compromise and call it a "ratchet wrench", like Walden Worcester did:

 

[tdellenburg]

Damn, I thought I sat around bored on my day off...

 

[Hornman]

I grew up in SE New Mexico and was deep into the car culture. I had friends at dealerships and independent garages and all my friends were fledgling wrench twisters. We ALL called them Socket Wrenches. Of course, that was in the 60's. Most of the posters on this thread probably weren't alive then.

 

[Moparman390]

This is still going on, wow. Look, I'm in Illinois like the OP, I've heard them called ratchets and socket wrenches, they are interchangeable terms in common use that mean the same thing. If you want to get technical a ratchet would be a ratcheting socket wrench where a non-ratcheting socket wrench would be a breaker bar. Socket wrench could also be used as the general term for any wrench that uses sockets, ratcheting or not. This all brings up the age old question though: Who cares?