Is it a fuel gage or a fuel gauge ?

Q1: Is it a fuel gage or a fuel gauge on your dashboard? Likewise ... Q2: Do you measure fuel pressure with a pressure gage or a pressure gauge?

I'm confused.

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didn't help at all (they mix the two). Please advise if you know the answer.

Thanks, Alora

Reply to
Alora Duncan
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"Gauge" is correct. "Gage", like "flammable", is a fabricated wordoid created on the assumption, not entirely without merit, that people are too stupid to read, understand and pronounce the properly-spelled word ("inflammable", in the latter case.)

General Motors puts a "Check Gages" light on some of their instrument clusters. Shame on them.

DS

Reply to
Daniel J Stern

Looks to me like an alternate spelling.

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Reply to
Ray Haddad

Gage and gauge are alternates. I prefer gauge.

Reply to
Larry Smith

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A wise man observed that restrooms now only have a symbol on their doors, no more "MEN" or "WOMEN". He thought, until recently, this was simply a courtesy for foreigners.

Ed

Reply to
Ed Price

Probably gage is American, like lite or labor and others. They seem to drop letters.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Alora Duncan wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Ray Haddad goes:

Alternative, surely?

Reply to
Alan Hope

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Reply to
Mike Walsh

No, they're not. "Gage" is a real word, but has nothing to do with gauges of the type used to indicate fuel level, tire pressure, oil pressure, engine temperature, charging system activity, and so forth.

"Gauge" is correct.

DS

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

From webster.com -

Main Entry: gage (3) - variant of GAUGE

There are other definitions for gage that are different than the definition for gauge. However, there are also a bunch of definitions for gauge that are different than "an instrument with a graduated scale or dial for measuring or indicating quantity."

The English language is not static and trying to claim that what was false yesterday won't be true tommorrow is a futile excercise. I'll bet you that gauge and gage have been used interchangeably for many years. Only a overly picky English major would make an issue out of this.

Regards,

Ed White

Mike Walsh wrote:

with "gauge"

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Reply to
C. E. White

Merriam-Webster says:

Reply to
Thomas Tornblom

Lots of people say "Nucular" and "Febyuary" and write "Guage", too.

That means they're used interchangeably with "Nuclear", "February" and "Gauge", but it doesn't mean they're correct.

Throwing one's hands up and saying "No point using the right word (spelling, pronunciation)...English isn't static" is the fastest possible route to pointing and grunting.

DS

Reply to
Daniel J. Stern

It is not a question of using the "right" word. All my dictionaries say gage is an alternate spelling for gauge. I assume since you are such a stickler for spelling, you also use colour and aluminium (instead of color and aluminum)? Letters disappeared from those words as well - at least in the US. How often have you been confused when someone used the alternate spelling of gauge? Was the context so fuzzy that you thought they were talking about offering combat when you saw "gage"?

Being pretentious about which recognized alternate spelling of a word is "correct" smacks of snobbery. Personally I make enough typographical error that I am not comfortable throwing language stones at others.

Regards,

Ed White

Reply to
C. E. White

Daniel,

First of all, as charmingly quixotic as your manning of the barricades might be if you were more graceful about it, you are arguing from false premises. You might be able to sell you twaddle in France, but there is no Academy of the English language.

That said, you are also wrong on the facts. My 1856 edition of Merriam-Webster (the oldest resource I have handy) defines the noun gage in several ways. Please consider the following excerpts:

"3. A measure, or rule of measuring; a standard. [See Gauge]."

"7. The position of one vessel with respect to another. The _weather-gage_ denotes a position to the windward; and the _lee-gage_ a position to the leeward. --Totten. "A _sliding-gage_; a tool used by mathematical instrument makers, for measuring and setting off distances. --Encyc. _"Rain-gage;_ an instrument for measuring the quantity of water which falls from the clouds at a given place.v--Brande. "_Sea-gage_ ... "_Tide-gage_ ... "_Wind-gage_ ..."

For the verb gage:

"3. To measure; to take or ascertain the contents of a vessel, cask, or ship; written also Gauge."

Now I will grant you that the OED does not show _any_ reference to this spelling as having the same meaning as gauge. But in American spelling, it is clear that at one time gage was actually preferred in some uses.

I know I've encountered it in engineering documentation for decades, with no sense that the choice was sloppy, ignorant, or unintentional.

Reply to
Dick Margulis

Interesting, Ed. I have never thought to check whether those letters appeared in the British variant of English or disappeared from the British to form the American words.

For example, British 'centre' is an adaptation of French. Might be that 'colour', 'vapour' , etc are affectations by the British.

We have used the spelling 'sulfur' for at least 40-50 years, whilst (:>) the British still use 'sulphur'.

Reply to
Larry Smith

Actually, the OED does list it, at least in the online version.

There are entries "gauge, gage, n." and "gauge, gage, v.1" which are the relevant entries for this discussion. A use of "gage" is documented in

1580 and many times since then, in the examples. Based on their examples, I think you could argue that "gage" has given way to "gauge" over the centuries, not vice-versa.
Reply to
Matthew Hunt

Thanks for the update. I was looking at the Compact OED and just checked under gage, not under gauge. Mea culpa.

Reply to
Dick Margulis

This is car talk. It's "alternator."

HTH

Pastorio

Reply to
Bob Pastorio

"C. E. White" wrote in message

Likewise with "who" vs "whom". Because the proletariat never learned logical language rules (he/she/who vs him/her/whom), the rest of us have to presently weed through hundreds of incorrect usages to obtain the secret formula.

If my quick search serves me correctly, I can throw down the (a) gauntlet (gantlet) by stating the engine/tech/hobby afficianados seem to vastly prefer: gage === a measure of gauge === an instrument

At least it seems that way from a quick google search which found a car dictionary willing to put forth the distinction:

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suggesting "gage" for (wire) sizes and "gauge" for instruments. While rec.crafts.metalworking backed them up:
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And rec.boats.paddle covered gages & gauges:
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Even rec.audio.high-end covers the gauge/gage topic:
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And rec.motorcycle (those boys know the vast difference between "riding" a bike vs "driving it):
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But, it seems mostly the AUTOMOTIVE groups hash out the distinction, specifically with respect to General Motors gage gauge faux pas
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Even generic "rec.tech" motorheads cover gage, guage, & gauge:
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?selm=35F2E85E.E0A57A3%40uclink4.berkeley.edu&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain Also, it was covered in rec.autos.makers.ford.explorer, e.g., at:
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And at rec.autos, e.g.,
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In summary, the dictionaries can't seem to get it straight; but, it seems that most motorheads go with "fuel gauge" and "american wire gage" and even "gage how much" for their troubles

Thanks to all for your helpful opinations :)

-- Alora Duncan

Reply to
Alora Duncan

Interesting post, and I'm impressed you did all that research; but it's the sort of essay where you want to be doubly sure you've spelled everything correctly that you intended to spell correctly. Word >>>>aficionados

Reply to
Dick Margulis

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