David Looser wrote:

I've been trying to find out where the term "jack" in this context comes
from. The best I can manage is that originally it was "spring-jack", but
that doesn't help much. All that I can say for certain is that the term
dates from the very earliest days of telephone exchanges, before 1880, and
has *always* meant the socket part of the connector.

The OED is useful for etymology:

"Telegr., etc. A socket or receptacle having one or more pairs of terminals and designed so that
insertion of a suitable plug enables a device to be quickly introduced into a circuit.

1891 J. POOLE Pract. Telephone Handbk. vii. 128 The effect of inserting a plug in one of the jacks is
that the end of the plug lifts the line spring R from pin Y. 1905 PREECE & SIVEWRIGHT Telegraphy (new
ed.) xi. 233 The home sections and the multiple panels are made up of ‘jacks’, mounted in strips.
Ibid. 234 The ‘jacks’ consist of two springs of unequal length and a collar or socket. 1926 J. L.
PRITCHARD Broadcast Reception xi. 185 The last three jacks have filament controlling contacts by which
the insertion of the plug automatically lights the filaments. 1970 Toronto Daily Star 24 Sept. 38/2
(Advt.), Lloyd's AM/FM digital clock radio... Features..earphone jack and solid-state circuitry. 1971
R. THOMAS Backup Men xiii. 119 Is there another jack in this room?.. Can you get another phone and
plug it in?"

So you need to start with a copy of Poole's Practical Telephone Handbook.

--
Eiron.

"Eiron" wrote in message
...

So you need to start with a copy of Poole's Practical Telephone Handbook.

I have one thanks, a 1912 edition.

But I've just found this in "The History of the Telephone in the United
Kingdom", by Baldwin (1925)

quote
A further modification which was made somewhere about this time was in the
introduction of what was known in London as the " knife-jack."—It is
necessary here to explain that, during the latter part of the period in
which so-called slipper-jack equip*ment was employed, the meanings of the
terms " jack " and " plug " were not synonymous with those which they convey
to-day.

A jack was known as a slipper and a plug as a jack. This, of course, did not
apply to the plug of the Edison switchboard, which was always termed a "
peg." The term " slipper-jack," as then used to indicate the type of
equipment, meant, in present day parlance, equipment in which a jack was
used in conjunction with a plug.

unquote



So it would appear that, prir to 1880 the plug *was* called the "jack", and
the jack was called the "slipper". Why the terms changed is not explained.



David.

In article ,
Laurence Payne wrote:
On Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:15:04 +0100, "Dave Plowman (News)"
wrote:

Think Iain is referring to a point I made much earlier - that 'jack'
refers to a male. Jack of diamonds, jack rabbit, jack tar, etc. So by
inference to a plug - not socket.

Which just goes to show some inferences are wrong.

Give your explanation, then.

What, for "jack" being a socket? Haven't a clue what the etymology
is.

My feeling is it came from the other side of the pond.

But all the rabbits in the world won't make "jack" for a plug
correct usage.

Never heard someone refer to a mains socket as a plug? Is that correct
usage too?

Websters and Britannica agree.

Oxford says electrical connection.

If loose usage has grown up in some circles, fine. But let's admit it
IS loose usage.

Well I'm simply telling it as it is in my industry - which is perhaps the
heaviest user of such things. What they call things in the US or elsewhere
is up to them.

--
*Why isn't there mouse-flavoured cat food?

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

In article ,
David Looser wrote:
"Eiron" wrote in message
...

So you need to start with a copy of Poole's Practical Telephone
Handbook.

I have one thanks, a 1912 edition.

But I've just found this in "The History of the Telephone in the United
Kingdom", by Baldwin (1925)

quote A further modification which was made somewhere about this time
was in the introduction of what was known in London as the "
knife-jack."—It is necessary here to explain that, during the latter
part of the period in which so-called slipper-jack equip*ment was
employed, the meanings of the terms " jack " and " plug " were not
synonymous with those which they convey to-day.

A jack was known as a slipper and a plug as a jack. This, of course, did
not apply to the plug of the Edison switchboard, which was always
termed a " peg." The term " slipper-jack," as then used to indicate the
type of equipment, meant, in present day parlance, equipment in which a
jack was used in conjunction with a plug.

unquote



So it would appear that, prir to 1880 the plug *was* called the "jack",
and the jack was called the "slipper". Why the terms changed is not
explained.


Good stuff. ;-)


David.

--
*Forget the Joneses, I keep us up with the Simpsons.

Dave Plowman London SW
To e-mail, change noise into sound.

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message
In article
, Arny
Krueger wrote:
What does *everybody* in *every* studio call a what you
find in a field of TRS female connectors AKA patch bay?
A jack.

In the UK double ender.


That's what a patch cord is called.

Us funny guys in the US tend to call patch cords "patch cords". ;-)

Never jack. The only time I've known jack used on
its own is as a verb 'jack that out' etc when using a
break jack.

Interesting.

"Arny Krueger" wrote in message
...
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in
message
In article
, Arny
Krueger wrote:
What does *everybody* in *every* studio call a what you
find in a field of TRS female connectors AKA patch bay?
A jack.

In the UK double ender.


That's what a patch cord is called.

Us funny guys in the US tend to call patch cords "patch cords". ;-)

Never jack. The only time I've known jack used on
its own is as a verb 'jack that out' etc when using a
break jack.

Interesting.


It is?

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
David Looser wrote:
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
...


Do you play cards, David?
Which sex is the Jack of Diamonds?

Pardon?

Think Iain is referring to a point I made much earlier - that 'jack'
refers to a male. Jack of diamonds, jack rabbit, jack tar, etc. So by
inference to a plug - not socket.

Dave. I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone
can mean the socket when they use the word Jack.


Iain

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Iain Churches" wrote in message
...

"David Looser" wrote in message
...

You've just contradicted yourself in the same post! At first you agreed
with Dave that TRS means a *B-gauge* (316) plug, and only a B-gauge
plug. And then you said that trainees are taught to call a "stereo" (aka
A-gauge) plug "TRS".

Which is the real answer?

I am not familiar with your "A" and "B" types David.

Then you haven't been following the thread, as I've explained the
difference several times; "A" type is the "stereo" jack, and "B" type the
"GPO" one.

Everyone knows
that a patch bay jack is the old BBC type or Bantam, and most jacks
for other uses, DI's, guitars to amps, electric pianos, sythesisers,
instrument
FX modules etc etc are either T+S or TRS

The TRS can however be used for stereo (as in headpone monitoring)
but also for blanced mono (much more common) For that reason,
it is known as the TRS and not stereo jack (except, I am told in
PA applications!!!)


But to Dave "TRS" means the "GPO" style. You've been claiming that you and
He are at one over this, when in fact you use the term "TRS" for the "A"
type, whilst he uses it for the "B" type!

OK. It is commnon practice in recording studios to refer to the console
patch bay cords just as patch cords. They may be the GPO type or
Bantam. The type with the larger bll at the end, we know as TRS or
T+S.

If someone used the term "jack cord", I would take this to mean a
patch bay cord, as mentioned above.

Studios probably use a lot more ancially equipment, music amps,
electric pianos, syths etc than normally seen in broadcast, and so
we probbly use more TS and TRS (large tip) jack plugs.

If someone referred to a "jack cable" (i.e. for guitar to amp) then
I would take this to mean one with a T+S plug at both ends.

Iain

"tony sayer" wrote in message
...
In article , Iain Churches
scribeth thus

"David Looser" wrote in message
...
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
David Looser wrote:
In pro recording TRS means a 6.3mm (quarter inch jack plug)

But WHICH quarter inch jack plug?, there are two incompatible types.
Do
you use the term indiscriminately for both? If so how do you
discrminate between them?

The type 316. A stereo one is called a stereo jack. Mono one mono.
Bantam
bantam.


That's your take on it, but is it Iain's?

Yes

It certainly isn't everyones's,
The so-called "stereo" plug, often used for balanced mono, is also known
as a "TRS" plug in some quarters.

Studio trainees are taught NOT to call it a stereo plug.
TRS is a much more appropriate description

Iain




Trainees ?, is anybody being taken on nowadays?..

I don't know the situation in the UK

Iain

"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote in message
...
In article ,
Arny Krueger wrote:
What does *everybody* in *every* studio call a what you find in a field
of TRS female connnectors AKA patch bay? A jack.

In the UK double ender. That's what a patch cord is called. Never jack.
The only time I've known jack used on its own is as a verb 'jack that out'
etc when using a break jack.

I think Arny is talking about the patch bay female. I have never ever
heard this referred to as a jack, always as a jack socket or patch bay
socket.

Iain