Why is the word "tr*nny" so popular here? - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: analoggue
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 am
content: Being a trans EE student in the states, it really hurts every time I'm thoroughly enjoying one of dave's vids and out of nowhere such a hateful and vitriolic word gets thrown around so casually. As a word for transistor, I've never heard it used in the US, but is everyone aware of how awful it feels to be called something so dehumanizing? I'd like to believe that most people are well-intentioned and don't realize what kind of hurt it causes, and it seems so obvious to me, but is it purposeful? Don't mean to stir up drama but no other EE channel on youtube talks like that, and it really bothers me.

author: CopperCone
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:27:42 am
content: its also used for car transmission.who cares. its like complaining the enola gay's name should be changed since it delivered hot nuclear death. or renaming the fat man

author: hamster_nz
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:34:44 am
content: It's an unfortunate name space collision - 'tranny' is a just a 'pet name' for transistor radio, and also transistors, a bit like "teevee" for television. Definitely no malice intended. I don't think anybody puts one and one together.IMO I think it is something to do with Australia - all long words have to get shortened to minimize the chances of swallowing a gnat or a spider or maybe a kangaroo.

author: metrologist
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:44:44 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on December 05, 2017, 01:37:58 amOh Oh... you've excluded a few groups there...

author: imidis
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:50:32 am
content: I've never heard it used as an offensive word, but yeah it's been used for years to refer to transmissions for decades in north america.

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 01:56:20 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amWhy does it hurt? The two things have nothing to do with each other. I don't think gay women feel very offended when people talk about earthen and clay embankments that protect the lands from flooding, as they're not addressed. If the things were to be connected, the story of the boy who plugs a dyke with his finger suddenly has many new and unsettling dimensions.Obviously, common usage can remind you of unpleasant associations, and I imagine that can be though at times. Maybe seeing words used in a different context can help you normalize the word into something much more regular.

author: ez24
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:00:51 am
content: Quote from: imidis on December 05, 2017, 01:50:32 amIf someone said to me "I like my tranny", I would think they are talking about their car. I never paid attention to anyone calling a transistor "tranny".

author: xrunner
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:02:55 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amIn the context it was used it's certainly not offensive because it refers to a transistor.

author: marshallh
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:11:09 am
content: Yeah, I remember when I was in college too.Welcome to the forum btw.

author: BradC
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:28:59 am
content: I have these discussions with my Wife and her family quite a bit. She's from Scotland, and in the UK a number of the words we use out here are seen as taboo (such as Paki in reference to the Pakistanis, or niggerhead in reference to a small vertical outcrop of reef).I try not to use those words casually around the family, but they understand sometimes when you're in the heat of the moment they are going to come out. <shrug>As for tranny. My grandfather used it to refer to the pocket transistor radio he carried around to listen to the footy in his later years.Words only hurt if you let them.

author: johnboxall
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:36:50 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amTruly sorry to hear that. If you need a laugh - my name is John.In the USA that means a toilet or customer of a prostitute. Life goes on.

author: JoeO
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 02:50:33 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amYou need to toughen yourself up. The world is a hard place to get along in and you seem to be overly sensitive.Maybe you should avoid this forum if little things like this are triggers to you.

author: lowimpedance
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 03:20:53 am
content: ^ Indeed , try putting the context of the usage back in and accept there is no unsavory connotation.As well as a the other stated shortened associations it also can refer to a transformer of the electrical type, usually the 'mains' variety.Don't let it bother you so much.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 04:09:06 am
content: Quote from: metrologist on December 05, 2017, 01:44:44 amLGBTI... QXYZ...

author: CalMachine
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 04:39:20 am
content: Words are nothing more than just noises your mouth makes to convey meaning and intent. What was conveyed, other than that particular noise, that hurt your feelings?

author: chriswebb
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 05:08:58 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amThen why did you bring it up? The context of the words is more important than the specific words themselves. You need to be mindful that it is entirely your choice to be offended by others. People cannot make that choice for you. And when the context doesn't justify your offense, then you need to you re-evaluate your thinking because the problem is solely yours.To quote Stephen Fry: "It's now very common to hear people say, 'I'm rather offended by that.' As if that gives them certain rights. It's actually nothing more... than a whine. 'I find that offensive.' It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. 'I am offended by that.' Well, so *bleep* what."Taking that quote into account and knowing that precisely 0% offense was intended by the use of the word "tranny," I think you need to be honest with yourself and us about why you are really posting.

author: Psi
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 05:18:13 am
content: Be offended by the intention not the word. Words are meaningless unless we give them meaning and different people give words various meanings.

author: CatalinaWOW
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 05:33:48 am
content: Even more on context. This site originates in Australia. The speaker is Australian. He speaks Australian. Which is a different language from British or American or any of the other dialects of English.There are any number of words which are inoffensive in one or more of these dialects that are offensive in another. So in addition to the usage for something totally unrelated to your sexual history it is another language. Gives you an opportunity to show the understanding of another culture that you would appreciate having relative to your own situation.Finally, I have friends in the LGBT community who actually take pride in owning the pejorative descriptions. I assume that you are not ashamed of your sexuality. Why would you by hurt by something that describes how you are? Among the words that apply to me are giant, redneck, conservative, geek and brainiac. That is an incomplete list of words that are used pejoratively by many.Even when they are applied with an intention to hurt I don't find them offensive because I know who and what I am and am not ashamed of it.

author: Falcon69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 05:55:18 am
content: I don't find anything wrong with calling a transistor a 'Tranny' or a car transmission a 'Tranny', or anything else that starts with 'tran'. It's just short for it. Like Bob is short for Robert, or 'TV' short for Television.On another note, I can see this thread getting locked soon.

author: Falcon69
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 05:59:51 am
content: <------ Serious Troll

author: Mr. Scram
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:12:19 am
content: Quote from: sleemanj on December 05, 2017, 05:59:05 amThe fact that it's a first post and OP was here only 7 minutes afterwards raises suspicions. I could be wrong, but we just had free scope guy too.

author: HalFET
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:20:13 am
content: Quote from: Falcon69 on December 05, 2017, 05:55:18 amWe had a professor who used words like this for every componentTranny, Schottky became Schotty (with the necessary Scotty jokes attached - e.g. this one won't fix your reactor/reactance), ground was a pitchfork, dropped the s from switch when a pitchfork was near to it, etc.PC level of those lectures was sub zero, but they were a lot of fun since it absolutely wasn't prepared.

author: JPortici
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:35:36 am
content: tranny -> transistortranny -> transformeryou know, words can have different meaningssomebody dig up the article of that guy that proposes to abolish the "master-slave" concept in chip communication

author: daqq
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:36:33 am
content: Could someone please publish a list of English words that we can use without offending anyone at all? It should be a simple task considering that there are so few of them these days...QuoteNot that exactly, but similar:https://code.djangoproject.com/ticket/22667

author: jonovid
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:43:22 am
content: if your lifestyle hurts feelings , heart or maybe your lungsmaybe it's time to quit. snowflake political correctness is BS

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 06:53:45 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amYou are assuming intent. Its not a "hateful"word, thewaywords are used can be hateful tho!Also, INB4 this thread is locked. I give it another 12 hours.

author: HalFET
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 07:13:02 am
content: Quote from: iampoor on December 05, 2017, 06:53:45 amI give it until someone draws a "tranny spectrum" with a transistor on the left, transformer in the centre, and drag queen/transvestite at the right.But there are loads of words like this in every language. For example, in Dutch we have "Chinees Vrijwilliger", or Chinese volunteer in English. Just means that person has been "volunteered" against his wishes by someone else. Is it offensive to Chinese people, yes, but at this point it's such a common expression that you're no longer able to remove it from the language. And honestly, should the non-racist use be banned simply because one idiot uses it intentionally to insult someone? The road to hell is paved with good intentions...

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 07:23:55 am
content: Today it seems that no matter what word you say, someone will be offended.(guess black, white, yellow and red wires soon will be abandoned...)Get over it and don't be so thin-skinned

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 07:39:27 am
content: I'm guessing the OP was a troll all along.

author: iampoor
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 07:41:56 am
content: Quote from: cgroen on December 05, 2017, 07:23:55 amDont you mean thinly insulated?We need neutral wires! Oh wait...those are white...this will surely offend someone.

author: cgroen
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 07:43:27 am
content: Quote from: iampoor on December 05, 2017, 07:41:56 am

author: Specmaster
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 08:02:21 am
content: Quote from: hamster_nz on December 05, 2017, 01:34:44 amOver here in the UK it's used to reference a transformer. Fact is that to avoid possibility of offending people new words would be needed for transistors, transformers etc that could not be shortened or construed by anyone anywhere in the world as being offensive. An impossible task, people should not be so touchy about word's but instead concentrate on the context in which the word is used.Sent from my SM-J510FN using Tapatalk

author: Marco
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 08:12:43 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on December 05, 2017, 07:39:27 am1 post by the account would suggest so.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 08:20:05 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amHey, I don't care how you feel, I don't care if you're offended. It doesn't give you rights or the privilege to get special treatment.Show your schematic or get lost.I start to understand now why that kind of Humans are not wanted in the Army.

author: Halcyon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:17:41 am
content: Quote from: Galenbo on December 05, 2017, 08:20:05 amTo be fair, "those kind of humans" (I presume you mean transgender people) are no more "abnormal" or sensitive than you and I. I know several and they are great people. You'll occasionally come across those who are hyper-sensitive or have a different view of the world, but that's no reason to pigeon-hole everyone.Also, I'm not sure what kind of army you run there, but nothing can be further from the truth in Australia. There have been some high-ranking officers who are trans, gay, lesbian etc... who have made great contributions, most people in the Australian Army, Navy and Air Force couldn't care less about who you are or what your personal life involves. The same can be said for our Police, Fire and Ambulance services.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:21:28 am
content: Your representation is exactly how I see them too.But still, the kind of opening posts like this, makes me start to understand why they are not wanted in the Army.I do not understand your pigeon-hole expression, piece by piece translation gives nothing in my language.

author: Zero999
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:26:22 am
content: Quote from: Halcyon on December 05, 2017, 09:17:41 amThis is one of the problems many minority groups face: a small minority of them are overly sensitive, which reinforces stereotypes.

author: Galenbo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:31:47 am
content: Quote from: Hero999 on December 05, 2017, 09:26:22 amCould it be that minority groups are undermined on purpose this way ?In my neighborhood, the gays I know for example are hard working people who pay attention to their savings and property,while the ones I see on television cry for the right to put feathers in their ass, and want other people's money to pay for their hobbies.

author: igendel
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:33:49 am
content: Well not exactly the same kind of issue, but in Israel, the word "Pin" - outside of technical contexts - usually means "penis", so when talking about ICs one is bound to get some immature giggles from the audience

author: NivagSwerdna
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:38:45 am
content: Triggered

author: Simon
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:43:52 am
content: OK, OK, this ends here. The complaint is about a word that is used as short hand for a number of things. It's a pointless discussion here on what is a world wide stage where same words have different meanings to different people based on country before we start to look at the subject matter under discussion. Here we discuss electronics and in that context a "tranny" is always shorthand for transistor the same as "pot" is short hand for potentiometer and not drugs. If people can't understand context then they should not begin a discussion.

author: EEVblog
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: December 05, 2017, 09:44:15 am
content: Quote from: analoggue on December 05, 2017, 01:23:56 amCongratulations, you just learned something. Words are used in many different contexts in many different parts of the world.You'll just have to deal with that.You knowvery wellthat I'm not talking about trans people, so why get upset about it?There are many trans people on this forum and in my viewership who don't have a problem with it because they,like you,know very wellI am not talking about trans people.You'll live a much better and happier life if you stop taking things so personally (and in this case, completely incorrectly and out of context)