DIYbanter - View Single Post - Advice please - 3 way light switches

mm wrote:
On Mon, 16 Jan 2006 12:02:15 GMT, (Beachcomber)
wrote:

Three way (and four way) switches are mis-named but no-one ever
bothered to change the term for a better understanding of common
electrical use. A three way switch is more correctly termed a Single
Pole Double Throw switch (SPDT). Why then, is it called a three
way switch? Because it has three terminal screws on it?! Very
strange.

LOL. Good point.

'm sure whoever called it "3-way" first knew exactly how it worked. I
wonder what he was thinking.

Or if maybe he said something that made more sense and the words got
garbled along the way. I heard on the radio that "Ina Godda Da Veeda"
was meant to be called "In the Garden of Eden". (Does anyone know if
that is true?)

Another mis-named electrical device.... The Current Tap.

Beachcomber

I've wondered about that. This site has a good answer:
http://www.act-solutions.com/kingery06.htm
Richard