Alan Myers wrote:
You do have to learn British English to read these. I'm still trying to
decide what "closeting" the gearbox and "cosseting" the transmission mean in
American.
Perhaps if you could type out a sentence or two with these words, an exact
translation by us speakers of 'ancyent englishe' will be forthcoming? Re
"cosseting" the transmission. To cosset is a transitive verb meaning to
'pet' or 'pamper.'
If you are the sort of person who violently drops the clutch in first gear
at 5000+ plus rpm and snatch gearchanges in an attempt to beat the
synchromesh on up and down changes, you are not "cosseting it" but abusing
it.
To 'closet' is a little more difficult. In common usage, it means different
things in American English and British English. In American, it means a
cupboard or small storage space. In English, it is a contraction of 'water
closet' - the 'ancyent terme' for a water closet or toilet - and quite why
you would want to work on a gearbox in there perplexes me! My personal
activities in such a location are reading, thinking - and occasionally
bursting into song. There's not a lot of room for any other activity. It
also means 'to conceal within a small space' - ergo, don't forget to replace
the transmission tunnel?
I am confident Mr Hargreaves Mawson, Mr William Davis, Mr. Graham Stretch -
and the undersigned, will be only too pleased to "clarify waters that may
appear to be a little muddy to the unaware."
Gentlemen, are we in accord?
Jonmac
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