Visualization exercise. As you read the following words, develop an image in your mind, as detailed as possible. Ready?
· dial anvil
· lift pillow manifold
· square to round fan tin
· TC harness (not to be confused with a TC reader)
What did you get? Flowers? Clothes from Melrose Ave.? A peculiar family ritual?
Me neither. And yet when a local company asked if I could translate, from English to French, a shipping list full of such things bound for Morocco I said, “No problem.” The Grand dictionnaire terminologique is an awesome specialty dictionary, but even they couldn’t come through. Google? Nope. Because guess what? Some of these are unique to the company, which manufactures them.
I considered just using the word for “doohickey,” perhaps varying that with “thingamajig” and “whatchamalcallit.” (For the record: “bidule,” “engin,” and “truc” will serve, in no particular order; that's bee-DOOL, on-JHAN, and trook, roughly, for those of you who believe that pronunciation is useful if you actually want to make yourself understood.) I was sent some photos, so that helped, although I’m still wondering if you can find that TC harness on Melrose.
