Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Posted Jun 30, 2014 14:12 UTC (Mon) by mathstuf (subscriber, #69389)
In reply to: Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com) by nye
Parent article: Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Nope, not a steamroller (they're the same here: machine which rides on two large drums you can fill with water to flatten/compress surfaces). This[1] is a paver. It lays the asphalt down in the first place.

[1]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paver_(vehicle)

Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Posted Jun 30, 2014 14:17 UTC (Mon) by nye (subscriber, #51576) [Link] (2 responses)

No idea. I don't think that's something that's referred to frequently enough to be in most people's vocabulary. I'd probably call it 'one of those tarmac laying things' :-). It might be called a 'paver' here technically, although I'd be a little surprised as paving usually implies bricks or slabs or suchlike.

Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Posted Jun 30, 2014 14:50 UTC (Mon) by mathstuf (subscriber, #69389) [Link] (1 responses)

I imagine the difference comes from the British using "paver" stones for sidewalks whereas that's a rare thing here (usually they're bricks when concrete isn't used for sidewalks) and America calling it based on the "paver" machine which lays roads. And they're certainly not referred to often here either; just one of the random fact bubbles I'm familiar with :) .

BTW, there's another difference: "tarmac", to me, is only referred to as such at airports.

Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Posted Jul 1, 2014 8:24 UTC (Tue) by peter-b (guest, #66996) [Link]

In the UK:

Where I live, the "pavement" is the colloquial name for what's called the "footway" in official documents.

"The pavement is paved with paving stones."

"The road is paved with tarmac."

Steps to diversity in your open source group (Opensource.com)

Posted Jul 1, 2014 12:00 UTC (Tue) by Wol (subscriber, #4433) [Link]

> Nope, not a steamroller (they're the same here: machine which rides on two large drums you can fill with water to flatten/compress surfaces).

Except, in English, that is NOT a steamroller. I don't know what's that's called in English, I've never met one.

A steamroller was a steam engine with a cast-iron barrel as its front wheel and two huge cast-iron rear wheels. The name comes from the fact it was powered by steam (replace the front barrel and rear wheels with lighter wheels and it's known as a traction engine). Modern ones are, I suspect, diesel powered but I don't think they've changed much in appearance.

Cheers,
Wol