Re: The Illuminating Question

["Huber, Mike" <mrhuber -at- SOFTWARE -dot- ROCKWELL -dot- COM>]

There are also localization issues for certain terminologies for this
procedure.

It is sometimes stated as "flip off the light." Unfortunately, in some U.S.
regions, the phrase to "flip off" means to display the middle finger in an
insulting fashion. Thus, the instruction "flip off the light" has prompted
some individuals to attempt to insult the lamp in question. This action
typically has no effect.

---
Office:
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Scott McClare [SMTP:smcclare -at- DY4 -dot- COM]
> Sent: Monday, July 13, 1998 10:51 AM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      FW: The Illuminating Question
>
        ...
> A former boss mandated "to come on" and "to go off" for lights in
> technical documentation, for example, "when you press the CAPS LOCK key,
> the CAPS LOCK LED comes on," or "Pull the plug. The POWER LED goes off."
>
> He had been hired into the computer hardware industry from the aircraft
> maintenance industry, so he retained many of the rules used by the
> controlled English in that industry; in this case, not using the same
> word as a noun and verb ("the light lit") or a Latinism ("the lamp
> extinguished").
>
> Yes, it could be said that a light "going off" could be ambiguous, but
> luckily the context is so different that inexperienced users need not
> duck under their desks when their POWER LED goes off.
>