Hot water heater

Fisherman   Tuesday, February 24, 2004, 04:25 GMT
How American is this term?
Jim   Tuesday, February 24, 2004, 06:25 GMT
According to http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US1/REF/engtran.html in British English it's an "immersion tank". According to http://us2uk.tripod.com/dictionary.htm a "geyser". I'm Aussie and I guess I'd call it a "hot water tank" (notice how this term actually makes sense). My guess is that "hot water heater" is completely American ... and completely illogical too.
Fisherman   Tuesday, February 24, 2004, 21:22 GMT
Jim says ''I'm Aussie and I guess I'd call it a "hot water tank". So, ''You guess you would'',don't you have a hot water heater in your house? If not then you must take cold showers all the time.
Fisherman   Tuesday, February 24, 2004, 23:06 GMT
Yeah, I guess America has a lot of terms that are crazy and mmake no sense such as, ''hot water heater'', ''flashlight'', ''restroom'' etc. Well, ''flashlight'' does make sense because although they don't flash, flashlights give you light in a flash. But there's some of those crazy terms that everyone has, ''starfish'', ''hotdog'', ''rushhour'', ''jellyfish'', ''white and black people although their skin isn't truely white or black'', ''crawfish'' etc.
Jim   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 03:08 GMT
When it's hidden away under the house, years pass and nobody really has any occasion to refer to it. The poor heater slaves away and is never thanked. You don't have to talk aout it each time you use it. It's a bit like the thing in the park from which you drink. I can't even remember the last time I spoke of it.
Fisherman   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 03:14 GMT
My hot water heater is in my garage and I see it more often then you see yours, I guess. There are few basements in the area that I live in.
Jim   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 04:33 GMT
... but how often do you talk about your water heater?
Adam   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 10:45 GMT
"Starfish" makes sense. because it's a fish in the shape of a star.

"Jellyfish" makes sense in British English, because it is soft and wobbly like jelly (jelly is the british word for what Americans call Jell-O). "Jelly" to an American is what a Brit would call "jam."
Fisherman   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 19:55 GMT
Not, often, unless the water in my shower is cold.
Fisherman   Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 20:03 GMT
Adam, Who told you a starfish was a fish. It's not. My hot water tank needs to be replaced actually.
Fisherman   Thursday, February 26, 2004, 01:26 GMT
Starfish are echinoderms.
Jack   Thursday, February 26, 2004, 21:11 GMT
How do you pronounce ''echinoderms''?