On 09/10/2019 13:49, T i m wrote:
On Wed, 9 Oct 2019 12:17:46 +0100, Robin wrote:

snip

And the way telephone lines are terminated with a line jack unit.

And that all may be so, but isn't necessarily taking into account the
UK usage of the term in general usage (not just telephones, where a
round plug hasn't been used (domestically) for *years* (if ever?)).

You seem now to be claiming that a "jack" refers only to /round/ sockets
and plugs.

Only if you can only consider things in black and white?

I am suggesting that the convention around the sort of things this
post was about (headphones etc) use a 'jack plug / socket' in the way
most people would consider the use of the term.

And that we don't have line jacks on phone lines. On that
please read on.

"In the UK, the terms jack plug and jack socket are commonly used for
the respective male and female phone connectors."

In contrast with:

"In the US, a stationary (more fixed) electrical connector is called a
jack.[3][4] The terms phone plug and phone jack are sometimes used to
refer to different genders of phone connectors,"

Like I said, 'here in the UK' (in 2019 ... ;-)

https://cpc.farnell.com/search?st=3.5mm%20jack%20plug
https://cpc.farnell.com/search?st=3.5mm%20jack%20socket



Since you seem to think a couple of entries from CPC carry more weight
than the OED

Again, only if you are taking my offerings out of context.

please have a look at

https://www.cablemonkey.co.uk/voice-...ack-units.html

Yup, specifics around telephony and probably historic from the days of
A G Bell. ;-)

snip

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dic...y/english/jack

I offer this more in hope than expectation.

As well you might (when seen in context). ;-)

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ima...version=5.0.48

When BT or any of the BB customer service personnel are talking a
domestic subscriber though a phone fault / issue do you think they
refer to 'jacks' or 'plugs and sockets', when getting the person to
'unplug' say a filter and plug a phone back in directly?

How a BT engineer (or someone trapped in the 1800's g) might talk to
another is a different matter because they will often be using
historic terms and / or terms specific to their trade.

To be clear, I'm not suggesting for one second that some people don't
refer to some connectors in ways that most people don't (and that
doing so is wrong). Just that most people don't and especially in this
country. ;-)

For 'most people' a plug is the male part (eg. 13A plug) and the
socket the receptacle it plugs into. This is very obvious with things
like the std UK 13A plug as it has very obvious prongs that suggest
the 'male' part or 'plug'.

However, there are many connectors that may have a physical male
electrical part that is contained in a female mechanical part, that
can lead to some confusion.

Then you have the 'genderless' (hermaphroditic) connectors, like the
Anderson Powerpole range.


You cited a couple of CPC entries in support of your claim. Now you
dismiss a plethora of counter-examples. I see no point in further
comment, save that I am reminded some think "jack" (meaning "socket")
was the source of "jacksie" (as in "talking out of his jacksie").

--
Robin
reply-to address is (intended to be) valid