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Discussion Forum

Construction Slang/Lingo

yojimbo2 | Posted in General Discussion on December 8, 2008 06:37am

A client gave me a hard time because I did not know what a bump stick was. I added a couple that I do know. Please contribute, as I would love to know way more.

Bump stick = a level

Holiday= while texturing a wall, if you miss a section, it is called a holiday.

tits= if something is “tits”, means that is near perfect.

“close enough for government work”, just what it sounds like.

“Perfection is the enemy of good”, if you are a cabinet maker and you get involved with rough framing, someone should mention this phrase to you.

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Replies

  1. ruffmike | Dec 08, 2008 07:09am | #1

    There have been a few of these threads.

    Being involved in projects as a drywall sub, here is one we hear when trying to meet an impossible schedule.

     "Harder faster cheaper deeper!"

                                Mike

        Small wheel turn by the fire and rod, big wheel turn by the grace of god.

    1. MikeSmith | Dec 08, 2008 07:26am | #3

      can't see it from quonset point

       

      trompe l'oile

       

      string and block

       

      hollywood side

       

      banjo

       

       

      Mike Hussein Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

      Edited 12/7/2008 11:28 pm ET by MikeSmith

      1. Darkaluke | Dec 09, 2008 04:10am | #53

        Ooo, la la!

        "trompe l'oile"?

        you really know how to charm a girl, doncha?

         

        Well, the sun rose... in so many colours it nearly broke my heart... Worked me over like a work of art...and I'm all part of that...

         

      2. brucet9 | Dec 10, 2008 07:09am | #98

        "can't see it from Quonset point"I assume that's a RI expression for "good enough"?My uncle always said, "It'll look good from a galloping horse."BruceT

  2. User avater
    jagwah | Dec 08, 2008 07:18am | #2

    whiskey stick= level

    In the old days the liquid in a level was alcohol.

    mouse= sash weight feeding tool

    butterfly=bookmatched shape of grain on paneling

    Then there's dikfer and hinway

     

     

     



    Edited 12/7/2008 11:19 pm by jagwah

  3. jej | Dec 08, 2008 08:34am | #4

    idiot = the boss

    1. KenHill3 | Dec 08, 2008 08:47am | #5

      Hittin' stick- hammerAdjustment tool- sledgeBFH- sledgeand the ever disrespectful-of-women..........BCH- a unit of measurement

      1. muffy1 | Dec 08, 2008 02:43pm | #7

        I thnk its RCH

        1. User avater
          lindenboy | Dec 08, 2008 06:22pm | #17

          Don't get confused,  a RCH is just a little bit more than a BCH (or just CH).  Very useful when cutting trim miters for someone."It depends on the situation..."

          1. Eldan | Dec 08, 2008 06:56pm | #20

            The CH I got, but what's the R or the B?

          2. User avater
            lindenboy | Dec 08, 2008 07:00pm | #21

            Red or Blonde.  Reds are always significantly coarser."It depends on the situation..."

          3. AitchKay | Dec 08, 2008 08:57pm | #22

            Nope. An RCH is DEFINITELY the smallest of the CHs.Aitchkay

          4. KenHill3 | Dec 08, 2008 09:58pm | #23

            Charlie Olsens- hammer dings

          5. AitchKay | Dec 08, 2008 10:10pm | #25

            That's a new one on me. But we did always call them "autographs." I used to joke that we should have our initials ground into the faces of our hammers so we'd know who to blame.Poor Charlie! He got blamed for every "C" and "O" monogram, even if he wasn't the one who left it.AitchKay

          6. KenHill3 | Dec 08, 2008 10:19pm | #26

            LOL!

             

            "It's not a piano."

             

            "Can't see it from MY house."  (hack phrase)

             

             

          7. habilis | Dec 08, 2008 10:29pm | #28

            Thought that was "Looks good from my house"

          8. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:52am | #44

            We'd say, "That'll look great from __________ !"

            Insert home town. 

          9. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2008 02:01am | #34

            Agreed.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

          10. User avater
            tkiser | Dec 09, 2008 03:04am | #35

            RCH=.007" I measured one, one time:) Plucked it out and  measured it with micrometer

          11. mhole | Dec 09, 2008 03:10am | #36

            I spit one out once and did the same thing - .007" right on the money.

          12. AitchKay | Dec 09, 2008 03:21am | #38

            I actually have a friend who tied a trout fly out of a few -- they weren't Rs, but they were definitely CHs.Never caught a single fish with it, though.If there's a moral to, or a lesson to be learned from, this story, it's certainly lost on me.AitchKay

          13. mhole | Dec 09, 2008 03:29am | #39

            Yeah, trout don't like the smell either...

          14. User avater
            Dam_inspector | Dec 13, 2008 02:44am | #133

            Smells like their mother, and they ain't eatin that!

          15. KenHill3 | Dec 13, 2008 03:39am | #134

            'It's an old Indian trick.'-Referring to a technique on the job that someone unknowing has asked about.

          16. Rarebreed | Dec 13, 2008 03:50am | #135

            Hammer dings = California Rosettes

            Level = Whiskey Stick, 2', 4', 6' pry bar

            Runs in paint = Curtain or Sag

            Missing Paint = Holiday

            Big area missing pain = Vacation

            SWAG formula = Scientific Wild Arse Guess

            Brantley County Sawblade = One that is missing teeth

            and then of course..........

            Carpenter's Dream = Flat Chested Female

            Tomain (sp?) Wagon, Roach Coach = Lunch Truck

             Trust your neighbors, but brand your calves.

            TCW Specialists in Custom Remodeling.

          17. User avater
            CapnMac | Dec 13, 2008 07:17am | #139

            Tomain (sp?) Wagon, Roach Coach = Lunch Truck

            Ah, "Ptomaine" the old label for presumed alkaloid intoxicaion--now replaced by bacterial infection as a cause of food-borne illness.

            Locally, that vehicle is called the "Taco truck" or, occassionally, la troca de comida, or even just la troca.

            So, a person needs to know, "Cuando hace la taco troca aqui?" and "Donde es la troca?  Mui hambriento soy!" <g>Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)

          18. Rarebreed | Dec 17, 2008 08:26pm | #143

            I only got as far as Uno mas cervazas por favor Seniorita. lol Trust your neighbors, but brand your calves.

            TCW Specialists in Custom Remodeling.

          19. reinvent | Dec 09, 2008 04:20pm | #71

            I guess we should call you Blond........James Blond

          20. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2008 04:51pm | #74

            I doubt that it was .007, my octave "G" on my 12 string guitar is a 007..I've never( and don't want to) seen a hair that thick. That's just plain scary..was it a Rhino or a Hippo?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

          21. User avater
            jonblakemore | Dec 09, 2008 07:44pm | #77

            The "Physics Factbook" says that .007" is within the reasonable range, but at the upper end. 

            Jon Blakemore RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA

          22. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 09, 2008 08:02pm | #78

            LOL..see? And BLACK!

             Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

          23. square668 | Dec 09, 2008 10:36pm | #79

            Idiot Spoon = A shovel

             

          24. danman12 | Dec 09, 2008 11:37pm | #80

            dusties or white hats-drwywallers/rockers

            sparky-elec., brickie-mason

            The landscaper-Jose, his helper Hose "B"

            'were not building a church, just a house for the preacher....'

            'looks good from my house, unless it ISSSSS your house (or your neighbor)_

            quarters-hammer dings

            baord stretcher (the saw, to the new guy)

            spirit stick-level

            katty-whampus-all outta whack

            BFH, 'delicate trim tool', 'attitude adjuster', convincer, persuader, hooker

            spikes, clavos, bullets-------nails...

            the maid- a vacuum ('grab the maid', always confuses the new guy)

            'victorian level' ---  a level thats not so level no more, perfect for victorian remodels

            old faithful -- my carpenter mentor's Senco framin gun, the ONLY gun i know that drives spikes fully into double LVL's

             Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL

            QUOTES TO LIVE BY:  'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....'        'Anything worth doing is worth doing well'       "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"

          25. danman12 | Dec 09, 2008 11:43pm | #81

            flavor saver- mustache

            'earnin yer redwings', related to above, im sure you all can guess....

            dustpan - my old bosses 12" taping knife (that was a fun day....haha)

             

            and a good old quote "yer only as good as how well you can fix your mistakes"Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL

            QUOTES TO LIVE BY:  'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....'        'Anything worth doing is worth doing well'       "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"

          26. Piffin | Dec 10, 2008 12:28am | #84

            That spoon handle doesn't fit my hand, but I can help by holding the dummy end of the tape measure.
            What are all those cute little marks lined up there? 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          27. peteshlagor | Dec 09, 2008 03:55am | #46

            According to my research, theere's no such thing as a BCH.  Unless the B stands for black.  All the blondes I knew proved it.

             

          28. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:56am | #48

            yer wrong. 

          29. peteshlagor | Dec 09, 2008 03:59am | #49

            Yer research shows differently?

            Why are my blondes different from yours?

             

          30. mhole | Dec 09, 2008 04:02am | #50

            Age.

          31. peteshlagor | Dec 09, 2008 04:03am | #51

            Under?

             

          32. mhole | Dec 09, 2008 04:10am | #54

            Toes are pushin' the line.

            I gotta quit.

          33. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 04:03am | #52

            Perhaps my research has been more extensive...

            ;-)

            Or you haven't yet met a 'tru' blonde.

            Maybe yours didn't get as much sun?

            oh, man, where's this going? 

          34. Henley | Dec 09, 2008 04:11am | #55

            I can here by testify that BCH do exist.
            I suggest further field research.

          35. peteshlagor | Dec 09, 2008 04:14am | #56

            Wife frowns on that.

            I'll hafta take your word.

             

          36. AitchKay | Dec 09, 2008 04:34am | #57

            Aw, C'mon! It'll put hair in your teeth. Er, I mean, it'll put hair on your CHEST.Yeah, that's it. That's what I meant.AitchKay

          37. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 04:38am | #58

            You watch 'Curb your enthusiasm?' 

          38. AitchKay | Dec 09, 2008 04:43am | #59

            Sounds like a TV show or something...Aitchkay

          39. logcrafter | Dec 11, 2008 04:34am | #113

            best of my knowledge your right on.

          40. davem | Dec 11, 2008 05:34am | #114

            i've done some 50-50 paint jobs on cars and construction jobs. they look good at 50 mph from 50 feet away.

  4. Piffin | Dec 08, 2008 02:25pm | #6

    That level tool gets called a plumb stick here.

     

     

    Welcome to the
    Taunton University of
    Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
     where ...
    Excellence is its own reward!

    1. sawduster | Dec 08, 2008 10:26pm | #27

      a plumbar or level iron, depending on use

  5. dude | Dec 08, 2008 02:44pm | #8

    bubble stick  = level

    finishing hammer = sledge

    tack hammer = sledge

    its within a 1/64 so it will probally do , said when customer is listening to see their reactiion

    any  better than that and there would be a tax on it , said for the same reason as above

    1. dedubya | Dec 08, 2008 04:48pm | #9

      Smighter--3# hammer ( I still use the same smighter I bought in 74)

      E.F. Hutton--  8 to 16# sledge  hammers ( when E.F. talks everybody listens)

      Kitties-- someone who can't swing E.F.Huttons for any lenghth of time ( like me)

      acorn-- weird shaped rough stone that needs to be cut/trimed

       

  6. User avater
    Ted W. | Dec 08, 2008 04:54pm | #10

    I charge customers extra for making up words. Even more so if the "bump" my level. =)

    See my work at TedsCarpentry.com
    Buy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net

    If you haven't already done so, please update your profile. Since many issues are dependant on the region in which you work, we often look at your profile to see where you are writing from.

  7. User avater
    JDRHI | Dec 08, 2008 04:54pm | #11

    Mud.....can be either drywall compound or thinset depending upon the project at hand.

    Teco's= joist hangers (manufacturers name)

    Piffin screws+ drywall screws

     

    J. D. Reynolds

    Home Improvements

     

     

     


  8. CJM | Dec 08, 2008 05:10pm | #12

    The guy who demands respect but doesn't deserve it...
    we call him sir
    which is code for a**hole

  9. ChipTam | Dec 08, 2008 05:46pm | #13

    Kitty-wampus = not plumb or level.

  10. Righty_Tighty | Dec 08, 2008 06:16pm | #14

    I try to not let my levels bump around too much. Always heard bump stick refer to a cam shaft.

  11. mrfixitusa | Dec 08, 2008 06:17pm | #15

    I try to always have a Plumber's Friend handy

  12. wood4rd | Dec 08, 2008 06:18pm | #16

    rose buds = hammer dings

    board stretcher= newbie fetch

    adjuster or persuader = sledge hammer



    Edited 12/8/2008 12:55 pm by wood4rd

    1. Piffin | Dec 09, 2008 01:23am | #32

      "rose buds = hammer dings"sounds better than pecker tracks 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. Houghton123 | Dec 09, 2008 01:30am | #33

        hammer = Ford wrench (though I think this has died out except among old f*rts like me)

        1. Marson | Dec 09, 2008 03:19am | #37

          Can't fix it with a hammer? Get a bigger hammer.Ain't the queen's jewelry box.

  13. mrfixitusa | Dec 08, 2008 06:22pm | #18

    I worked for a guy one time who wanted every thing called by the correct & proper name

    Drill motor was the only term we could use

    I got a slap on the hand if I said "where's the drill?"

    1. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:46am | #42

      I got corrected on that once...

      "Drill" is actually the term for what most call a "drill bit."

      "Drill Motor" being the thing that drives the drill... 

      1. FNbenthayer | Dec 09, 2008 03:52am | #43

        Farmer tight 

         

         

         

        The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.- Fyodor Dostoyevski

        1. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:55am | #47

          Is that like, "Guttentight?"

            

        2. Piffin | Dec 09, 2008 08:09am | #66

          goos snug fit is a German VirginGuddenteight cha know 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          1. KFC | Dec 09, 2008 08:21am | #67

            "crooked as my ####"

            most lumber these days.

            k

          2. User avater
            Ted W. | Dec 09, 2008 08:27am | #68

            I worked with a German guy some years ago, and made up a joke "What's the German word for virgin?" A) Guttentight. Then the follow up was "What's the German word for drunken sl#t who is passed out?" A) Guttenoff

            Not very classy, I know, but we both got a good laugh out of it. See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net

            If you haven't already done so, please update your profile. Since many issues are dependant on the region in which you work, we often look at your profile to see where you are writing from.

    2. User avater
      intrepidcat | Dec 10, 2008 01:22am | #86

      you must have called him "sir" a lot.

       

        

      1. mrfixitusa | Dec 10, 2008 01:23am | #87

        lol

  14. habilis | Dec 08, 2008 06:48pm | #19

    sky hook -> tool loved by architects, which newbies are sent to fetch; "go ask the architect".

  15. smslaw | Dec 08, 2008 10:08pm | #24

    "close enough for government work", just what it sounds like.

    Ditto: "We ain't building no church."  A frequent utterance heard during my brief and undistiguished career as a framer.

    "Get mad at it."  Spoken to someone unable to drive a nail with two blows.

    1. Jed42 | Dec 09, 2008 05:24am | #60

      "Throw your purse at it Alice!"...to helper while trying to do...well...anything!

      Pretty darn good = as close to saying the "p" word as I am willing to get.

      "dddddt-ddddt", as in, "go get the "dddt-dddt" (Impact Driver).

       

       No Coffee No Workee!

      1. KFC | Dec 09, 2008 05:38am | #61

        axe: fire (as in, to give the axe to)

        I once had to tell a laborer he was fired (the boss was too lazy/ chikenspit to do it himself)

        me: "luis, the boss is going to axe you"

        luis: "axe me what?"

        true story, unfortunately.

        k

  16. Jay72 | Dec 09, 2008 12:08am | #29

    I indeed did have a cabinet maker who worked as a framer for me for a period of time and we had to constantly remind him that "cabinets go in the kitchen , this is rough framing" This term is now bandied about quite a bit on the site even when we are setting cabinets or hanging trim.

    1. reinvent | Dec 09, 2008 04:18pm | #70

      I worked with a crew that had an archy student who would pre drill all his framing with a tapered countersink bit and screw the studs to the floor. Could not belive the super let him do it.

      1. Waters | Dec 10, 2008 04:21am | #90

        Guy must be wetting his pants over a kreg jig... 

      2. brucet9 | Dec 10, 2008 07:27am | #101

        "...who would pre drill all his framing with a tapered countersink bit and screw the studs to the floor. Could not belive the super let him do it."That is hard to believe. I'd think he'd want the studs fastened to the sill plate,not the floor. :)BruceT

        1. reinvent | Dec 10, 2008 09:16am | #103

          Interior framing

          1. wood4rd | Dec 10, 2008 05:59pm | #104

            I once worked with a cranky old guy who in between yelling would say," We gotta dollar waiting on a dime"  if he was waiting for you.and if someone smacked their finger, " It'll quit hurting as soon as the pain goes away".

          2. brucet9 | Dec 11, 2008 12:08am | #109

            You must be kidding me, no?Interior framing here in SoCal all has a top and a bottom plate. I can't imagine lining the bottom of the wall if studs were not nailed to a bottom plate. It would make drywall and baseboard work more difficult too.BruceT

          3. Bing187 | Dec 11, 2008 02:02am | #110

            Hammer dings= dick dents, rosettes

            Copasthetic=  done correctly

            Broccoli= female type passerby

            Light/heavy ie; "thirty two and three eighths light=between 5/16 and 3/8

            Jet / plancher= soffit and fascia

            Roach coach= catering truck

            Hamn' egger= hack

            A "crimense" as in "Tap that down a crimense"

            boat lumber= twisted junk

            Holidays / mountain mural= runs in paint

             

             

             

             

             

          4. Shoemaker1 | Dec 11, 2008 02:45am | #111

            The owner of the condos is working with me on total gut job. she is a fiesty lass and good sense of humor. We now refer to a really nice smooth surface " don't know if it' been shaved or waxed?" Then we laugh and others think were nuts.

          5. brucet9 | Dec 11, 2008 04:02am | #112

            "Holidays / mountain mural= runs in paint"From my years in the paint industry, holidays were term for missed spots, not runs.BruceT

            Edited 12/10/2008 8:03 pm by brucet9

          6. habilis | Dec 11, 2008 09:20am | #121

            alligator, gatoring -> paint shrinking up due to lack of prep of old enamel paint. Heard when I worked in Gainesville; everything was gator this & gator that.

            Edited 12/11/2008 1:21 am ET by habilis

          7. waspohc | Dec 11, 2008 05:05pm | #122

            "Does a rooster eat with its pecker" is yes to a dumb question.--

            James Kidd

            http://www.carpenterconfidential.com

          8. mrfixitusa | Dec 11, 2008 05:14pm | #123

            Someone at the job site said "that will put some lead in your pencil" but I can't remember what they were talking about

          9. Piffin | Dec 18, 2008 01:29am | #148

            I lived in gainesville about '70-73 on and off. 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          10. habilis | Dec 18, 2008 03:01am | #149

            '78 - '85. Lot of old hippies. Had a great house on a lake in Hawthorne for 2 yrs @ $125/mnth. Raised two kids, bought & re-built a house on wrong side of the tracks worked as an electricians apprentice, framing carpenter, foreman, Butler buildings, side work, delivered the Sun, Auto trader, cleaned dojo, got degree, did research for cia, wife left 1st yr. grad school, child support, carpenter, asst. supe. Liked Gainesville. Came back to DC area -> project manager Architectural woodworking. Never did use degree.Ever meet Mike Mcquire, Bill Angle, Rosi,...
            Went through G'ville 2yrs. ago, stopped at Burrito Bros. - Gators were playing didn't get the burro I've been dreamin of all these yrs. Yeah, I guess I remember Gainesville.

            Edited 12/17/2008 7:04 pm ET by habilis

          11. User avater
            Matt | Dec 18, 2008 03:27am | #150

            Here is a few southern ones:

            Corking = calking

            Fascial = fascia

            Corn corners = quoin corners as in masonry work...

            Thing is, some of these guys who use these terms, I'm not sure know they are not correct...

             

             

             

             

          12. user-110904 | Dec 18, 2008 06:03am | #151

            I have heard most of those posted but:

            slantandickular is one of my favs

          13. Sawyer | Dec 18, 2008 07:39am | #152

            Hammer ding = Union label

             

             

          14. Piffin | Dec 18, 2008 07:22pm | #157

            dang! That is the most concise personal history I have ever read 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          15. habilis | Dec 18, 2008 09:24pm | #159

            Simple; when you leave out the color...Piffin, thought of you last week. Not sure how to tell you. Was skimming Peter Korn's "Woodworking Basics"; on page 28 he promotes the idea of keeping dw screws on hand for mock-ups, jigs and fixtures. And, gasp, it's published by Taunton.Happy Holidays,Pete O'Day
            Homo Habilis Construction - Two million years of experience wrapped up in one small company.

            Edited 12/18/2008 1:29 pm ET by habilis

  17. lettusbee | Dec 09, 2008 12:25am | #30

    As we were pulling 2x2 corner trim from a house, the carp on the escalara commented that it was "handshake"

    I said Huh?

    "The trim is handshake"

    What?

    "Finger jointed"

    Oh... Yeah... Handshake

     

     

    Nail gun - Pistola

    Nails - Bullets, Clavos

    Compressor - Pump

     

     

    1. Dan612 | Dec 09, 2008 12:48am | #31

      "He hammers like lightning. . . never hits the same spot twice"

       

        

  18. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:43am | #40

    "Norski"

    Meaning bad or otherwise inadequate construction methods.

    I worked with some new guys this summer.  We tore apart a place scabbed onto several times and found awful, awful stuff.  Like the ledger for the new kitchen floor just nailed right to the 2nd layer of siding, and panel right over that inside... 

    Every time we'd open something up, Kris would say, "Oh.. NORSKI!"

    What the?

    "Well that might be how they do it up in Junction City!" (a scandanavian hotbed mini tourist trap, replete with it's own summer fest full of abelskeevers and flags and whatnot...)

    As we worked, the talk was always, "JA, JA"  Like, is it plumb, "YA?"  ---  "YA!"  Go!  Pow, pow...

    So I went back to WI for family vaca middle of the job and stopped in Stoughton, where my mother lives--married to 5th gen Norweigan, living on the land his family homesteaded... 

    Picked up a NW flag for the wife (from Junction City...) and a whole handful of 5cent buttons that read "NORSKI" and "I <HEART> NORSKI" and, best of all, "NORSK, OF COURSE!"

    And handed 'em out to the crew.

    Very funny--but suppose gotta be there...

     

    1. AitchKay | Dec 09, 2008 03:46am | #41

      Ya, you betcha! Nail away!AitchKay

      1. Waters | Dec 09, 2008 03:54am | #45

        There's something stupidly funny about 3 guys all holding up a sheet of plywood saying "Ya!?"

        "Yah.."

         

        "Ja!"

        "Jah..."

        bangbangbangbang... 

      2. User avater
        Sphere | Dec 09, 2008 02:10pm | #69

        Ok,  a few homemade words from when I was roofing with Dale.

        Popriveter= Riv-o-later

        Decrorative elements of a cornice= Ornamenative, or Decramental.

        Impact driver= the Drive-a-lizer

        As far as the CH debate, I've seen all the colors, In MY research, the B was for black..which some are as thick as pencil lead and akin to wire wool. Red inbetween the fine golden fleece of Blond.Brown can go anywhere on the scale, it's the blue, purple and green that USED to be blond you gotta watch out for, they are attached to impulsive and tempermental individuals. Often willing to try anything once, twice if they like it, and three times if they live. Piercings and Tatts are more than likely around the corner.

        Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

        Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

         

        They kill Prophets, for Profits.

         

         

        Edited 12/9/2008 6:36 am ET by Sphere

        1. AitchKay | Dec 09, 2008 04:54pm | #75

          If I didn't know better, I'd say this place was frequented by a bunch of construction workers...AitchKay

          1. wood4rd | Dec 09, 2008 07:07pm | #76

              Yeah, we had a job one time where the homeowners had a nice golden retreiver they named "country".  I'm not going to tell you what the kids called country when they called him.  I think mom and dad might have regretted giving the dog that name.  Im going back to the tool department now. :)

        2. Piffin | Dec 10, 2008 12:23am | #82

          "Piercings and Tatts are more than likely around the corner."I never did like those women with corners. Like mine round and soft, regardless of hair colour 

           

          Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 10, 2008 12:28am | #83

            Figure-ativly speaking..(G)Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

          2. Piffin | Dec 10, 2008 12:38am | #85

            Now that we are done with talking about little kitty cats, let's speak of birds.A crow's foot is the V-shape mark I make to indicate how long to cut it.A bird's mouth is the notch we cut in the bottom end of a rafter.Feathers are shims of one kind or another.A bird's eye view is a 3D drawing of what we are building here - or a rooftop view of the neighbor lady sunning herself on the other side of the fence.Which brings us right back to....Meow 

             

            Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

          3. mhole | Dec 10, 2008 04:34am | #93

            You stirred my memory.

            The neighbor or any other "sight" that should be seen.

            When I was building houses, most of our action was in subdivisions.

            Instead of being a bunch whistlers or no class drones, we came up with...

            WHAT TIME IS IT?

            The front door of the house we were working on was 12 O'clock.

            If anyone saw scenery the call (yell) was  WHAT TIME IS IT?

            The answer DON'T KNOW!!

            Person who saw would call out the time of the clock to look based on the front door being 12 O'clock.

            EG.

            SIX O"CLOCK !  If subject was in the ajoining back yard.

            Still have flashbacks ( and a giggle to myself) when anyone asks me what time it is.

    2. brucet9 | Dec 10, 2008 07:17am | #99

      I had a Norwegian ski buddy who used to say that they have no insanity problems in Norway. They just send 'em all to Sweden where they go into politics.BruceT

    3. Tyr | Dec 18, 2008 11:25am | #156

      "Call 'er Jake" Wet 'er down Bunk Roll trussesSimilar to Gov't Work Tape/Finish Rock Banded lumber Place and swing upright for decking Match 'em up and winThings are not always what they seem; the first appearance deceives many; the intelligence of a few perceives what has been carefully hidden.... Roman Poet Phaedrus 15BC–50AD

  19. mrfixitusa | Dec 09, 2008 06:10am | #62

    one of my first jobs in construction was running a mexican back hoe

    It was good exercise but not really developing any construction skills

    1. reinvent | Dec 09, 2008 04:28pm | #72

      I would think pimp n would improve the business side of construction skills.

    2. brucet9 | Dec 10, 2008 07:22am | #100

      "...a mexican back hoe..."An old neighbor once told me that his car had Mexican steering...manuel. :)BruceT

  20. OldGuy | Dec 09, 2008 07:50am | #63

    shiners or smiles = hammer marks

    1. KFC | Dec 09, 2008 08:03am | #64

      i learned shiners were nails in sheathing that missed the stud/rafter.

      the inspector'd look at the framing, and they'd be there, shinin'.  i was taught to pound them back out, even if the nailing was sufficient to pass.  didn't want the BI axing no questions.

      k

    2. User avater
      Ted W. | Dec 09, 2008 08:07am | #65

      Common phrase: "It ain't the Taj Mahal"

       

      My response: "But it could be!"See my work at TedsCarpentry.comBuy Cheap Tools! BuildersTools.net

      If you haven't already done so, please update your profile. Since many issues are dependant on the region in which you work, we often look at your profile to see where you are writing from.

  21. RedfordHenry | Dec 09, 2008 04:44pm | #73

    New tools don't come along often, but the impact driver is one that we use nearly every day (didn't even know about them 2 yrs ago).  "Please hand me the impact driver" just takes to long to say.  We've been favoring "gimme the zip gun"

     

    1. Waters | Dec 10, 2008 04:22am | #91

      I call it the g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g-g- .............  g-g-g

      (Impact driver) 

    2. Marson | Dec 11, 2008 05:41am | #115

      Yeah, we couldn't adapt to "impact driver". We call 'em "Ratatats".

      1. DonK | Dec 11, 2008 05:58am | #116

        "Stiffer'n a wedding deck" = Something Really hard.

        Zozo = Sawzall

        1. danno7x | Dec 11, 2008 06:18am | #118

          That one and "harder than woodpecker lips"

          A schosch (?) some type of small measurement- can vary widely depending on the situation

          on wack - opposite of off wack

          warsher - washer "I know how to spell it man w-a-s-h -- warsh"

          That's just a few all from the same guy - man I miss him.  He was from Indiana, thought he was a rare breed until he invited me to a BBQ with some of his family and friends from Indiana, guess that's how they grow em there.  Ill try to recall more I always wanted to make a desk calendar with a different saying from him for each day, that's how many he had.  Man I miss him.

          1. danno7x | Dec 11, 2008 06:29am | #119

            Bevel-lator  -- Bevel square

          2. User avater
            Jeff_Clarke | Dec 11, 2008 08:09am | #120

            'Skosh' meaning a small bit, from the Japanese word skoshi.

            'Mexican solder' - duct tape

            'Chimley' - well you know ...

            Jeff

          3. Jed42 | Dec 11, 2008 11:38pm | #126

            "inch monster" as in, "The inch monster got me!"...when you hold your tape on the inch for a more precise measurement and then forget to add the inch to the measurement....ooooooooooohhhhhh I HATE that!

             No Coffee No Workee!

          4. Henley | Dec 12, 2008 12:10am | #127

            Yeah, and I seem to have an inch and a half gremlin too!

          5. waspohc | Dec 12, 2008 12:44am | #128

            I always thought that a ch was reserved for trim carps.--

            James Kidd

            http://www.carpenterconfidential.com

          6. Henley | Dec 12, 2008 12:49am | #129

            Well as we have pointed out, there ch and then there are CH!

          7. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 11, 2008 05:59pm | #125

            You mean harder than chinese arithmatic?Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

      2. KFC | Dec 11, 2008 05:58am | #117

        has no one mentioned "pinche" yet?!?

        k

        pinche gabachos

  22. spike999250 | Dec 10, 2008 02:02am | #88

    Dead on nuts=perfect.  Get his phone number and call him later= Less talking, more working.     It must be still growing, The old Union Carpenters say this when the youngsters miss the nail.

    1. Doobz26 | Dec 10, 2008 04:50am | #96

      Vasectomy = Dead Nuts = perfect

      Machinist = Guy who is trying to cut to the thousandth of an inch. 

      1. MSLiechty | Dec 10, 2008 06:49am | #97

        Don't forget teh mailbox=  you taken too long to finish.

        Ride him like a bike= whats I do to new apprenctices to speed them up.

         

        what ever you do just hurry!, or hurry every chance you get!

         

        ML

         

         

  23. mrfixitusa | Dec 10, 2008 03:09am | #89

    "georgia chrome"

    "oklahoma credit card"

    I heard an elderly carpenter say "that guy was missing more fingers than a Nebraska farmer"

    1. AitchKay | Dec 10, 2008 04:34am | #92

      I worked with a guy once who was DEFINITELY half-a-bubble off!AitchKay

      1. AitchKay | Dec 10, 2008 04:34am | #94

        His elevator did not go all the way up.Aitchkay

        1. AitchKay | Dec 10, 2008 04:35am | #95

          And his porch light had been out for a couple of years.Aitchkay

    2. brucet9 | Dec 10, 2008 07:53am | #102

      "oklahoma credit card"My Nebraska father in law calls flip-flops "Oklahoma safety shoes"BruceT

  24. ted | Dec 10, 2008 06:31pm | #105

    Let me see if I can remember some of them from my early years:

    Plumb stick

    Suh-wheat (as in sweet)

    sca-folding (scaffolding)

    scrib as in scribe

    shootin blanks (empty nailer)

    burn an inch (don't use the hook on the tape measure)

    mud master (taper guy)

    On the fat or thin side (on the weak or strong side of a measuring increment)

    roof goop (black asphalt roofing cement)

    Spooge (anything gooey)

    Shoot a line (Chalk or laser)

    And finally, No one wants to be known as a hack that cobbles things together together.

    1. user-253667 | Dec 10, 2008 08:01pm | #106

      Blind man would be glad to see it.....  Good enough, not quite perfect.

      1. sawduster | Dec 10, 2008 08:52pm | #107

        In SF, about a very good carpenter: "He's a good mechanic."

        1. Henley | Dec 10, 2008 09:19pm | #108

          I worked with an old stone mason, who by lunch
          had always nipped a little to hard on his flask. At about one o'clock everything became a "GodDamnit".

          "Hand me the "GodDamnit." "Anybody seen my GodDamnit?"

          1. User avater
            Sphere | Dec 11, 2008 05:57pm | #124

            Growing up witha  single mom, I thought that was my first name

            "Goddammit Duane"

            But my brother had it worster..he was "Sonofabitch Louie"

            If she only knew what she was saying.

            BTW, RIP, Louis, I miss you.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

            Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

             

            They kill Prophets, for Profits.

             

             

          2. skipj | Dec 18, 2008 07:40am | #153

            Three finger Louis?

  25. mrfixitusa | Dec 13, 2008 12:00am | #130

    I stopped and used the restroom in a gas station - convenience store and saw that they had "rough rider" brand of condoms in the bathroom vending machine.

    Just thought it was a funny name.

    1. AitchKay | Dec 13, 2008 01:59am | #131

      Yeah, and on the receiving end of that, you've got those gals who look like they've been "rode hard, and put away wet!"But it would have been wetter still, without those "Rough Rider" condoms.AitchKay

      1. mrfixitusa | Dec 13, 2008 02:23am | #132

        lol

  26. WHILEWEREATIT | Dec 13, 2008 04:44am | #136

    Paint run or sag=Flow indicator

    1. WonderWoman | Dec 13, 2008 05:22am | #137

      Indrections- what you refer to if you can't figure it out.

      1. mrfixitusa | Dec 13, 2008 05:24am | #138

        I saw a t shirt that said "real men don't read directions":)

  27. bruce22 | Dec 13, 2008 07:52am | #140

    From my good friend Dave, plumber=turd chaser.

    no offense to our plumber friends.

    1. User avater
      Jeff_Clarke | Dec 13, 2008 04:50pm | #141

      Not to mention, in that vein, 'spooge'.   If you don't know, don't ask.

      Jeff

  28. habilis | Dec 13, 2008 06:54pm | #142

    Manana -> if you don't know ask ask the next guy you see at home depot

  29. notatexan | Dec 17, 2008 09:06pm | #144

    Heard this one from a Scottsman in England: 

    On the Pi$$,      meaning not level or square.

    1. user-253667 | Dec 17, 2008 09:15pm | #145

      Derived generally from drunkenness

      1. User avater
        bstcrpntr | Dec 17, 2008 11:58pm | #146

        Dad used to say, "We're not building a watch, just the band!" whenever we were framing something.

        Carpenters dream - woman walking by who was flat as a board and needs a good screw.

        Get the broom - take a look and see whats walking by. Hand me the broom means hand me the broom. Takes new guys awhile, but they end up catching on.

        Im not in a hurry but I'm waiting on ya.  I say this to people that walk to slow on a job when they are helping me, or to lumber yards that are running behind on delivery when I call them.October 17th, 2009

        Jeremy and Lisa

        Was there ever any doubt?

        1. habilis | Dec 18, 2008 01:04am | #147

          Got a quarter waitin' on a nickle.

  30. skipj | Dec 18, 2008 07:47am | #154

    San Fransisco sneakers=knee pads

    1. habilis | Dec 18, 2008 09:14am | #155

      Engineering 101: If it shouldn't move, you need duct tape. If it should move, you need WD-40

    2. danman12 | Dec 20, 2008 10:35pm | #160

      PRomotion Boots - knee pads!!!!!!!Dan Lynn, Dan Lynn Construction, Joliet, IL

      QUOTES TO LIVE BY:  'The bitterness of poor quality lasts far longer than the sweet taste of a low price....'        'Anything worth doing is worth doing well'       "If it was easy......ANYBODY could do it"

  31. mrfixitusa | Dec 18, 2008 08:04pm | #158

    "Make mine a double"

  32. mrfixitusa | Dec 29, 2008 09:57pm | #161

    Ever heard of a "jury stick" ?

    1. mrfixitusa | Dec 30, 2008 06:37pm | #162

      It's what you use when you're laying tile on a wall or you are installing siding and it shows where your joints are going to fall at the windows, doors, etc.

  33. mrfixitusa | Dec 30, 2008 10:06pm | #163

    I'm working on a water heater and I went into HD plumbing dept and asked for a 1/2 nipple

    Maybe it's just me but it just feels awkward saying that

    1. AitchKay | Dec 30, 2008 10:28pm | #164

      I had to set a bunch of threaded rod in Epcon epoxy, but I didn't have the required small-diameter bottle brush to clean out the hammer-drilled holes.Then I had a bright idea: there was a kid's store right across the street -- Lego table, Thomas the Tank Engine table, etc -- and I knew they had nursing supplies, too.So I ran over and asked the gal if she had any nipple brushes. She brightened up immediately!I actually think she was disappointed to find out what I really wanted.Funny thing was, I started wishing for whatever she was thinking of!...I did have some Collins Clamps in the truck, but she was more of a freshman, not a grad student...Aitchkay

      1. mrfixitusa | Dec 30, 2008 10:34pm | #165

        lol

    2. brucet9 | Dec 31, 2008 01:45am | #166

      You would have laughed yourself silly if you had been with me one day in HD when I asked the female "associate" in the plumbing section, "do you have brass nipples?" She looked at me for a moment , decided that I didn't realize what I'd said, and started to laugh.BruceT

      1. mrfixitusa | Dec 31, 2008 01:50am | #167

        see what I mean

    3. Piffin | Jan 01, 2009 09:17am | #168

      Think that's uncomfortable? Try asking for a bullprick for your jackhammer when it's a gurl behind the counter. 

       

      Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

      1. mrfixitusa | Jan 01, 2009 03:32pm | #169

        LoL

    4. MisterT | Jan 01, 2009 04:56pm | #171

      You went to HD and asked somebody somehing???!!!Turn in your man card....
      .
      "After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
      .
      .
      .
      If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???

      1. MisterT | Jan 01, 2009 04:59pm | #172

        How we gonna do that??? ==> J-channel and spooge!!Whatever makes it harder!This Quality chit is a pain in the arse!!.
        .
        "After the laws of Physics, everything else is opinion" -Neil deGrasse Tyson
        .
        .
        .
        If Pasta and Antipasta meet is it the end of the Universe???

      2. mrfixitusa | Jan 01, 2009 05:14pm | #173

        lol

      3. mrfixitusa | Jan 01, 2009 06:52pm | #174

        I overheard some people talking about me and they said "he's a real piece of work"I guess they were complimenting me about something

  34. Jer | Jan 01, 2009 04:35pm | #170

    Plus= the measurement plus a thirty second
    heavy= measurement plus a sixteenth
    proud= either of the above or if something is too long

    Shy= minus a thirty second
    light= minus a sixteenth

    The toe= shoe molding

    holidays = skips in paint

    buggers or snots= in plastering the high marks on the brown coat
    rod = in plastering, the screed. This can be used as a verb as well.

    CH= No explanation needed. But for classification we would just yell out the type. "cut a red one shy", or a "plus a blackie" etc.

    wondersaw = sawzall

    bubble stick = level

    bubblenuts = the decorator

    pencilneck or the retard = the architect. If he was a good guy and worked well with you it was a sign of respect to call him "The mister/misses" or by their name with Mr., Mrs., or Miss in front of it.

    "I'm burnin' daylight" = hurry up

    wiz-banged = something that got damaged

    incoming = babe alert

    Willie Wonka = A room that is neither level, plumb, or square. Usually in very old settled houses.

    Chiz-lee later just called the "lee" = chisel

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