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General => Chatter => Topic started by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 08:50:41 AM

Title: The etymology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 08:50:41 AM
It struck me as funny at the last BBB about the proliferation of some shortened phrases, which clearly have evolved over years and possibly come from reading online rather than spread through word of mouth - which makes pronunciation changes more likely.

Cubbie (pronounced cub-ee) used to refer to 20l and 25l plastic drums.  Presumably derived from the 20l drum's cubic nature and initially pronounced cube-ee, written cubie (or cubee - see chug's post below) and morphed into the pronunciation "cub-ee".  Despite the 25l drums very rectangular nature - nothing like a cube - they are still fondly referred to the same way.

Glick (pronounced that way too!) used for glycerol, which has a soft 'c' - the shortened version 'glyc' picking up a  hard 'k' at the end.

I'm sure there are others too.  Interesting how language evolves.

Edit: As pointed out by oilybloke below, entomology and etymology have very different meanings, and I picked the wrong one.  Thread title updated ;)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: julianf on August 16, 2013, 11:02:50 AM
Language is so strange - it seems to be the only thing where, if it were normalised to start with, it would then split into sub-groups.

This is the opposite of how most other standards work - usually there are many, which then get trimmed down into one.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Chug on August 16, 2013, 12:29:40 PM
There seems to be a split between those who say 'glick' and others who say 'gliss' and I always thought 'cubee' was written cubee, I've rarely seen it written as 'cubie' and only thought it related to 20L thin jobbies and not the harder 25L HDPE which seem to be referred to as 25L drums.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: nigelb on August 16, 2013, 12:57:29 PM
I'm with Chug on this...whenever I talk about cubie (cube-e) I'm refering to the thin 20lt containers in a cubed box.
A 25lt HDPE is a drum.
A 205lt "drum" of methanol is a barrel.

...and I too am one of those who describe my glycerol as glyc (glick). To be honest it was from Chug that I first heard it.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 01:07:18 PM
Definitely a mix - just search VOD for 25l cubee (or cubie) and you'll see them referred to that way - though I'm with you on just calling the 25l ones "drums", coz that's what they are ;)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: K.H on August 16, 2013, 05:21:07 PM
I call the 25,s carboys
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 05:31:46 PM
I've painted a face on one of mine and I call him Philip, he's my only friend.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Julian on August 16, 2013, 05:42:12 PM
Surely, by association, a drum must be cylindrical.

I'd call the typical KTC container ... thin plastic cuboid inner and cardboard outer a cubie (and spell it like that).

A carboy is a large glass bottle often in a steel frame, so I'm at a loss to know what to call the more robust 20/25 ltr containers.

Perhaps we should invent a name ... a Philip ... hmmm!
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 05:56:20 PM
Dictionary.com defines a drum as "a cylindrical box or receptacle, especially a large, metal one for storing or transporting liquids".

Carboy is "a large glass bottle protected by basketwork or a wooden box, used especially for holding corrosive liquids".

Jerry can might be closer but they're metal.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Julian on August 16, 2013, 05:58:33 PM
Philip can ... why should Jerry get all the glory?
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 06:00:47 PM
Quite agree.  I'm off to mix some methoxide in my 25l Philip can.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Chug on August 16, 2013, 06:02:25 PM
yeah, I always used to call them 5 gallon carboys too Keith, cant think when, or why,  I changed to drum though, weird!

strictly speaking it has to be cylindrical as stated by Julian to be a drum and carboys are usually thought of as glass in some form of protective frame/basket, so yeah we need another name and acronym for 25 litre hdpe containers, a quick search comes back with container or jerry can or drum as the regular choices.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: greasemonkey on August 16, 2013, 08:20:32 PM
I wonder just how many words I pronounce wrong. I never watch the telly, and rarely listen to the radio. Usually, the only place I get news and information from is the internet, or books. I'd be pretty sure I know words and their meanings, and have never heard them spoken.

It took me a long time to realise Glyc was short for glycerol, and be that time I had decided it was pronounced Glyk, and can't get it out of my head now.

I always associated a carboy with Cider brewing. I thought it was an old Herefordshire term, but obviously not.

Cubie I always called cubie, as in a cubic container of oil. As for the 25 litre HPDE drums, well they have always been five gallon drums to me.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Oilybloke on August 16, 2013, 08:51:27 PM
The forum pedant..........

Should be etymology. Entomology is the study of insects.

Oily.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: greasemonkey on August 16, 2013, 08:56:20 PM
The forum pedant..........

Should be etymology. Entomology is the study of insects.

Oily.

Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 16, 2013, 10:03:32 PM
No that was a genuine mistake :)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Head Womble on August 16, 2013, 10:29:42 PM
I've struggled when referring to the drums, bottles what ever you call them, that I've brought along to the BBB the last couple of years (the ones that contained Vince's cider).

What do you lot think is the best term for them ?

Or do I just call them Dave  ;)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Jamesrl on August 16, 2013, 10:53:44 PM
No that was a genuine mistake :)

Or just a Malapropism?
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Jamesrl on August 16, 2013, 10:57:26 PM
I've struggled when referring to the drums, bottles what ever you call them, that I've brought along to the BBB the last couple of years (the ones that contained Vince's cider).

What do you lot think is the best term for them ?

Or do I just call them Dave  ;)

You can't call'm Dave coz that's a tv channel y'nit.

(Still up on me boot)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: willbuild on August 16, 2013, 11:11:20 PM
a barrel has a been a international measure for 45 gallons for 100's of years
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: photoman290 on August 17, 2013, 11:39:35 AM
a barrel has a been a international measure for 45 gallons for 100's of years

until the french decided it should be 205 litres.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: willbuild on August 17, 2013, 08:41:48 PM
think it might of been us spaniards.better to lose 205 lts to the english than 206lts when you sank are galleons :'(
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Oilybloke on August 18, 2013, 04:51:48 AM
a barrel has a been a international measure for 45 gallons for 100's of years
I used to be a rep for a brewery (I was paid to go out & get hammered) and my sales were judged by barrellage, a barrel being 36 gallons.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: thewormman on August 18, 2013, 01:23:24 PM


Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?

Now that is funny  :)


Or do I just call them Dave  ;)

You cant do that I will think Ive suddenly become popular  :-\
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Head Womble on August 18, 2013, 09:00:57 PM


Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?

Now that is funny  :)


Or do I just call them Dave  ;)

You cant do that I will think Ive suddenly become popular  :-\

OK I'll call them Bob.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: julesandtash on August 18, 2013, 10:37:25 PM
I use the following terms
KTC thin plastic 20 litre things that come in a cardboard box -  cubies (pronounced queue-bees)
20 litre steel containers that oil comes in and normally have lots of holes spiked in the top by chefs - tins
20 and 25 litre HDPE containers that chemicals tend to come in - polys (pronounced pol-ees)
205 litre metal containers that methanol comes in - drums
1000 litre plastic things inside steel cages - IBCs
Dark waste stuff that comes out of the bottom of the bio processor - Glyc (pronounced Gliss or Glike)

Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Julian on August 18, 2013, 11:50:37 PM
I use the following terms
KTC thin plastic 20 litre things that come in a cardboard box -  cubies (pronounced queue-bees)
20 litre steel containers that oil comes in and normally have lots of holes spiked in the top by chefs - tins
20 and 25 litre HDPE containers that chemicals tend to come in - polys (pronounced pol-ees)
205 litre metal containers that methanol comes in - drums
1000 litre plastic things inside steel cages - IBCs
Dark waste stuff that comes out of the bottom of the bio processor - Glyc (pronounced Gliss or Glike)

Agree with most of that Jules.

I think the 20 ltr cylindrical metal containers could be called drums but perhaps qualified as "20 ltr drums".  Tins, to me, have always contained baked beans and are found in the larder.

Like the name polys, but how about polycons as an abbreviation of polyethylene container?

Can't condone the use of glyc (lower case g ... we established a little while back that chemical names should not be capitalised).  It smacks of text speak, the use of which is pure laziness and should be a capital offence.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 19, 2013, 10:14:48 AM
It smacks of text speak, the use of which is pure laziness and should be a capital offence.

It's OK though if you put a smiley after it :)
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Keef on August 19, 2013, 10:33:45 AM
Like the name polys, but how about polycons as an abbreviation of polyethylene container?

Does that make all the ones that I've thrown away polygons?  ;D
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: photoman290 on August 19, 2013, 10:57:20 AM


Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?

Now that is funny  :)


Or do I just call them Dave  ;)

You cant do that I will think Ive suddenly become popular  :-\

OK I'll call them Bob.

no you cant do that. i might be confused with a oil drum. how about calling them liquid containers?
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Tony on August 19, 2013, 11:09:40 AM
I think the 20 ltr cylindrical metal containers could be called drums but perhaps qualified as "20 ltr drums".  Tins, to me, have always contained baked beans and are found in the larder.

Totally agree.

Like the name polys, but how about polycons as an abbreviation of polyethylene container?

Poly is a bit vague though (polyethylene or polygon?).  Seems to suggests multiple angles.  As they are all right angled containers, I'd call them 25l rectilinear polycons.  Repocon for short to make sure no-one has a clue what I'm on about.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Head Womble on August 19, 2013, 05:09:32 PM


Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?

Now that is funny  :)


Or do I just call them Dave  ;)

You cant do that I will think Ive suddenly become popular  :-\

OK I'll call them Bob.

no you cant do that. i might be confused with a oil drum. how about calling them liquid containers?

Looks like I'll have to call them by their comersail name of Nalgene 10, 20 and 45L polypropylene screw top containers,
it's just a bit of a mouthfull.
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: greasemonkey on August 19, 2013, 06:11:16 PM

[/quote]

Looks like I'll have to call them by their comersail name of Nalgene 10, 20 and 45L polypropylene screw top containers,
it's just a bit of a mouthfull.
[/quote]

They are Nalgene??
Nalgene make seriously expensive plastic water bottles, for hill walking and climbing and the like.
They are virtually indestructible, and the plastic doesn't taint the water.
I wonder would it be possible to melt one down and make a water bottle out of it?
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: greasemonkey on August 19, 2013, 06:12:58 PM


Now that really is comical. ;D ;D ;D
I wonder did Tony put the wrong word as a Red Heron, or was it a mistake?

Now that is funny  :)

Wondered how long it would be before someone noticed that.  ;D
Title: Re: The entomology of the words cubbie and glick
Post by: Head Womble on August 19, 2013, 06:49:48 PM


Looks like I'll have to call them by their comersail name of Nalgene 10, 20 and 45L polypropylene screw top containers,
it's just a bit of a mouthfull.
[/quote]

They are Nalgene??
Nalgene make seriously expensive plastic water bottles, for hill walking and climbing and the like.
They are virtually indestructible, and the plastic doesn't taint the water.
I wonder would it be possible to melt one down and make a water bottle out of it?
[/quote]

They're seriously expensive chemical containers, £134 for the 45L ones,
needless to say I'm don't pay anything close to that,
well, I don't pay anything for them.