Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:
> On 27/08/2022 10:57, NY wrote:
>>
>> I'm sure the origins of the fire-brigade jargon are lost in the mists of
>> time.
>
> When I meet odd terminology I tend to start with an open mind to the
> possibility that there may be very good reasons for it which aren't
> necessarily apparent. Another example of that is why in the forces if a
> radio message is unclear you ask the sender to "say again" rather than
> "repeat".
>

That one's also in the railway rule book, and I seem to have adopted it for
everyday use too.

Anna Noyd-Dryver

On 28/08/2022 14:52, Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
> Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:
>> On 27/08/2022 10:57, NY wrote:
>>>
>>> I'm sure the origins of the fire-brigade jargon are lost in the mists of
>>> time.
>>
>> When I meet odd terminology I tend to start with an open mind to the
>> possibility that there may be very good reasons for it which aren't
>> necessarily apparent. Another example of that is why in the forces if a
>> radio message is unclear you ask the sender to "say again" rather than
>> "repeat".
>>
>
> That one's also in the railway rule book, and I seem to have adopted it for
> everyday use too.
>

I also use other terminology, especially on the phone such as:-
"Standby"
"xxxx hours"
"understood"
"affirmative"
"negative"

Its surprising how many people's spelling is so poor they don't know the
spellings for the NATO phonetic alphabet. Using something like "alpha
yankee figure seven" sometimes ends up as "AYF7"

<martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
> On 28/08/2022 14:52, Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
>> Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:
>>> On 27/08/2022 10:57, NY wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I'm sure the origins of the fire-brigade jargon are lost in the mists of
>>>> time.
>>>
>>> When I meet odd terminology I tend to start with an open mind to the
>>> possibility that there may be very good reasons for it which aren't
>>> necessarily apparent. Another example of that is why in the forces if a
>>> radio message is unclear you ask the sender to "say again" rather than
>>> "repeat".
>>>
>>
>> That one's also in the railway rule book, and I seem to have adopted it for
>> everyday use too.
>>
>
> I also use other terminology, especially on the phone such as:-
> "Standby"
> "xxxx hours"
> "understood"
> "affirmative"
> "negative"
>
> Its surprising how many people's spelling is so poor they don't know the
> spellings for the NATO phonetic alphabet. Using something like "alpha
> yankee figure seven" sometimes ends up as "AYF7"

I don’t think standard aviation communications would use “figure” in that
context, just “alpha yankee seven”.

Sam

--
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On 30/08/2022 17:08, Sam Wilson wrote:
> <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
>> On 28/08/2022 14:52, Anna Noyd-Dryver wrote:
>>> Robin <rbw@outlook.com> wrote:
>>>> On 27/08/2022 10:57, NY wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> I'm sure the origins of the fire-brigade jargon are lost in the mists of
>>>>> time.
>>>>
>>>> When I meet odd terminology I tend to start with an open mind to the
>>>> possibility that there may be very good reasons for it which aren't
>>>> necessarily apparent. Another example of that is why in the forces if a
>>>> radio message is unclear you ask the sender to "say again" rather than
>>>> "repeat".
>>>>
>>>
>>> That one's also in the railway rule book, and I seem to have adopted it for
>>> everyday use too.
>>>
>>
>> I also use other terminology, especially on the phone such as:-
>> "Standby"
>> "xxxx hours"
>> "understood"
>> "affirmative"
>> "negative"
>>
>> Its surprising how many people's spelling is so poor they don't know the
>> spellings for the NATO phonetic alphabet. Using something like "alpha
>> yankee figure seven" sometimes ends up as "AYF7"
>
> I don’t think standard aviation communications would use “figure” in that
> context, just “alpha yankee seven”.
>
> Sam
>

Using the IMO system it would be "alpha yankee setteseven"
https://www.adducation.info/how-to-improve-your-knowledge/phonetic-alphabet-list/

--
Colin

On 30/08/2022 19:26, ColinR wrote:
> Using the IMO system it would be "alpha yankee setteseven"

> https://www.adducation.info/how-to-improve-your-knowledge/phonetic-alphabet-list/

I have heard plenty of vessels, of a range of nationalities, on Marine
VHF and never heard SETTESEVEN etc used (or used anywhere else).

The previous comment on using "FIGURE", I would have expected it to be
"FIGURES" rather like a teletype and probably only if there was going to
be a lot of figures.

On 30/08/2022 19:43, MB wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 19:26, ColinR wrote:
>> Using the IMO system it would be "alpha yankee setteseven"
>
>> https://www.adducation.info/how-to-improve-your-knowledge/phonetic-alphabet-list/
>>
>
>
> I have heard plenty of vessels, of a range of nationalities, on Marine
> VHF and never heard SETTESEVEN etc used (or used anywhere else).
>
> The previous comment on using "FIGURE", I would have expected it to be
> "FIGURES" rather like a teletype and probably only if there was going to
> be a lot of figures.
>
>

Totally agree - and I served some 28 years as a deck officer. But this
code is there in the case where there is no language compatability
between ships. These days that is very rare!

--
Colin

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 19:26, ColinR wrote:
>> Using the IMO system it would be "alpha yankee setteseven"
>
>> https://www.adducation.info/how-to-improve-your-knowledge/phonetic-alphabet-list/
>
>
> I have heard plenty of vessels, of a range of nationalities, on Marine
> VHF and never heard SETTESEVEN etc used (or used anywhere else).
>
> The previous comment on using "FIGURE", I would have expected it to be
> "FIGURES" rather like a teletype and probably only if there was going to
> be a lot of figures.

Aircraft flight numbers and registrations, US civil registrations at least,
often have up to 4 digits, and registrations potentially 5. After many
hours of watching VASaviation and other channels on YouTube I’ve never come
across anyone saying “figures”. Maybe 4 or 5 isn’t lots, or maybe everyone
understands enough context to know that digits are coming.

Sam

--
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Spit the dummy to reply

On 31/08/2022 14:30, Sam Wilson wrote:
> Aircraft flight numbers and registrations, US civil registrations at least,
> often have up to 4 digits, and registrations potentially 5. After many
> hours of watching VASaviation and other channels on YouTube I’ve never come
> across anyone saying “figures”. Maybe 4 or 5 isn’t lots, or maybe everyone
> understands enough context to know that digits are coming.

Probably more a military usage.

Common Military Prowords:
FIGURES: Used to signal that numbers will follow.

It is probably for when there are lots of number as in met reports.

I did wonder if the might end with "LETTERS" if on a Teletype but can't
see any indication of that.

On 30/08/2022 19:26, ColinR wrote:
> On 30/08/2022 17:08, Sam Wilson wrote:
>> <martin.coffee@round-midnight.org.uk> wrote:
>>> Its surprising how many people's spelling is so poor they don't know the
>>> spellings for the NATO phonetic alphabet.  Using something like "alpha
>>> yankee figure seven" sometimes ends up as "AYF7"
>>
>> I don’t think standard aviation communications would use “figure” in that
>> context, just “alpha yankee seven”.

I have used the phonetic alphabet for a long time if I need to spell out
a non-obvious word or give my postcode on the phone. Nowadays, a lot of
call handlers seem to understand and even welcome it, but you get the
odd one who thinks I'm taking the piss. I had one phone call where the
woman I was talking to used her own alphabet when she was confirming
something to me - and it was made up entirely of animal names: Anteater
Bear Cat Duck Elephant...

On 31/08/2022 15:49, NY wrote:
> and it was made up entirely of animal names: Anteater
> Bear Cat Duck Elephant...

Could be worse - "A" for Horses, "B" for Honey etc

MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 31/08/2022 15:49, NY wrote:
>> and it was made up entirely of animal names: Anteater
>> Bear Cat Duck Elephant...
>
> Could be worse - "A" for Horses, "B" for Honey etc

A for Aegis
B for Bdellium
C for Cthonian
D for Djibouti
…

Sam

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MB <MB@nospam.net> wrote:
> On 31/08/2022 15:49, NY wrote:
>> and it was made up entirely of animal names: Anteater
>> Bear Cat Duck Elephant...
>
> Could be worse - "A" for Horses, "B" for Honey etc

A for Aegis
B for Bdellium
C for Cthonian
D for Djibouti
…

Sam

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"MB" <MB@nospam.net> wrote in message news:teo416$1s2ie$2@dont-email.me...
> On 31/08/2022 15:49, NY wrote:
>> and it was made up entirely of animal names: Anteater
>> Bear Cat Duck Elephant...
>
> Could be worse - "A" for Horses, "B" for Honey etc

I think it's usually "B for Lamb" or "B for Pork" (as in "beef or
lamb/pork").

It's surprisingly difficult when you are put on the spot to think of another
word that begins with the letter that you want, when the phonetic alphabet
word is the one that springs to mind and you have to force your brain to
think of something else.

I remember having to give my address over the phone to a woman in the USA
who sounded from her accent as if English was not her first language
(probably Hispanic). I had to tell her the word "Chestnut" as in the name of
our road. She could not understand the word, even after I spelled it first
in letters and then in the phonetic alphabet. The letter eventually arrived,
addressed to Cheftnet Avenue.

She also had great difficulty in accepting that UK postcodes are not a
sequence of digits, but include letters as well. But that's "the world stops
at the US shores" syndrome ;-)