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Pet Peeves

• "Co-linear" aerials - the correct spelling is collinear (see dictionary).
  
  
• "DB-9" connectors - the correct term is DE-9. The first letter signifies that it is a D-subminiature connector, the second letter is the physical shell size (A is the common 15 pin size, B is 25 pin, C is 37 pin, D is 50 pin, and E is 9 pin.) See Wikipedia and this site.
  
  
• "UHF" connectors (PL259, SO239, etc) - these coaxial connectors are widely used, yet are not 50 ohm, nor are they very good for UHF, and nor are they even weatherproof! A better name would be a shielded banana plug. See Wikipedia and many other websites such as manufacturer's data.
  
  
• "Radome" - some use this word incorrectly to describe a long thin tube covering a long thin aerial. It is actually a combination of the words radar and dome and is a (hemi)spherically shaped cover for rotating dish aerials. See Wikipedia.
  
  
• "We" used to refer to only one person - you're talking to someone on ham radio and he/she says "We are just about to arrive at your place."
  So you go outside to welcome them and there is only one person in the car, and when you come back inside you tip one cup of coffee down the sink.
  
  
• "Morse Bigots". Hams who have passed a Morse examination and who sneeringly refer to non-morse qualified hams as "half-hams", "shack-on-a-belt hams" or similar belittling names.
  
  
• "Hi Hi". Hams who say "Hi Hi" in an expressionless monotone to seemingly indicate that they are laughing. (And yes, it originated when using morse code and was a way of telling the operator at the other end that you were laughing, by sending "Hee Hee" which became shortened.) I have even heard someone say "aitch eye".
  
  
• "Incorrect attributions". For example, falsely claiming that Edison invented the electric light bulb, which was in fact invented by Joseph Swan.