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English language (monolingual) [PRO] Tech/Engineering - Physics / biography
English term or phrase:clocks
Hi, I have a doubt about how to interpret “clocks” in the following passage, for which I already asked your help some time ago for a different, but in a sense, connected problem (abandoned machines and motors…) Do you think it would be too "daring” to interpret “clocks” as “odometers" given the context? The passage refers to the early twenties in America. Thank you very much for your help! ******
From age four, Feynman’s parents essentially locked him out of the house, behind which was a junkyard. The young Feynman would tinker with abandoned machines and motors, and eventually began to fix *** clocks ***.
Explanation: You wouldn't be "daring" to interpret this as meaning "odometers", just wrong! Cars do have clocks. See the American video below about how to repair classic car clocks.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:21:31 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
From the text posted, it isn't even clear whether the clocks are from cars and though the "motors" in "abandoned machines and motors" are probably cars, they might be motors from other machinery. Tinkering with "abandoned machines and motors" in the junkyard might simply have led on to an interest in fixing clocks that had nothing directly to do with the junkyard.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:35:06 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The Asker's text is about the physicist, Richard Feynman.
"https://phys.org › Physics › Quantum Physics Oct 18, 2013 - (Phys.org) —Amongst the late Richard Feynman's many prolific and profound contributions to quantum mechanics, the eponymous Feynman clock is perhaps one of the more innovative. Conceived as a solution to the problem of ..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:40:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
http://physicsdatabase.com/2014/07/20/10-fun-facts-you-proba... "When the young Richard Feynman got bored in the remote New Mexico desert, where he was working on the Manhattan project, he found another hobby — cracking safes. Eventually he became so good, he could open nearly every cabinet containing secret documents."
So, even if Daryo can't fix a clock, Feynman probably could.
Thank you so much, Ms Finch, for your help and your links!
I've learned a lot with this question: I didn't know there were so many differences between British and American English... maybe a little, tiny doubt still remains, because "odometers" are sometimes associated with Feynamn's name - https://www.google.it/search?q=feynman+%2B+odometers&ei=6VqxWrakLcL_UOLLtZgC&start=10&sa=N&biw=875&bih=408 - but, considering my limited context, I agree with you that it's safer to interpret it as "clocks". 4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer
thank you so much for your help. I also think it's safer and probably more reasonable to understand it as "clocks". However, I've found many links relating "odometers and clocks" to Feynman's name: unfortunately I don't have the time, but above all the expertise, to read them... Maybe a little, tiny doubt remains, but considering the limited context I have, I'll go for "clocks". thank
Despite modern use of the word 'clock' in relation to cars, like "what's she got on the clock?" etc., I remain to be convinced that this usage would have been common at the period this is talking about. Nor have I ever heard the physical device referred to in itself as 'a clock'. Furthermore, I don't think a kid would even think to attempt to repair an odometer — since such an instrument on all non-moving vehicles is going to be reading 'zero' anyway (unless it's really broken!), how would a kid even know if it needed fixing or not? Beside, after having tried the first one, he'd have realized it is not the kind of device that you can really fix yourself... unlike a (time) clock, which has lots of fascinating cogs and things that you can (sort of!) see how it works.
Regarding the link between the two clauses: I think the writer is implying something about the progression of complexity in Feynman’s skills. He started merely “tinkering” with (implied) simple machines and motors and evolved to “fixing” (implied) more complicated clocks.
probably you're right, but what made me think of "odometers" or "car clocks" is the presence of "and eventually he began to fix clocks"... : I thought there may be a link between the previous sentence and the next one...
It seems, however, that "clock as odometer" is not so common in the USa and,as far as I know, Feynman is American. it may be, though, that the use of clock as odometer was common in the past
I would have to think twice about this. Here in Ireland "fixing a clock" in this context could be interpreted as (fraudulently) "fixing" or rolling back an odometer. And yes, the term "clocking a car" is used and would be understood by most native speakers. And lots of auto mechanics would refer to the odometer as a "clock". I think that given the context it could be interpreted like that.
thank you for the link! it's really amusing! Actually, in my text, the information about Feynman is from an "oral" source and maybe is not so accurate...
Feynman biography www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/Biographies/Feynman.html Biography of Richard Feynman (1918-1988) ... After their marriage Lucille and Melville Feynman moved into a Manhattan apartment and, in the following year, their first child Richard was born. ... In particular he wired circuits with light bulbs, he invented a burglar alarm, and he took radios apart to repair damaged circuits.
“Odometer fraud, also referred to as "busting miles" (United States) or "clocking" (UK and Ireland), is the illegal practice of rolling back odometers to make it appear that vehicles have lower mileage than they actually do.”
To be honest, I’ve never heard of “busting miles,” either. I think the only phrase for odometer fraud I’ve heard in the US is the clunky “roll back the odometer.”
so you use "clock" in the sense of "odometer"? actually, some dictionaries say that it's an informal use, but they don't say it's specifically British...
by the way, thanks for sharing your experience: I'm also discovering so many nuances!!
your hypothesis about a "specialist" use is interesting... unfortunately, there is no other hint in the book, which is actually a book on parenting!! The only hint is the junkyard, where there were machines and probably cars, as well... But it was useful to ask this question, because I haven't thought that cars have clocks, too! My problem was that in Italian "orologi" may lead the reader to think of "watches"... But probably the presence of "motors and machines" just before, may help to understand it as "clocks"... Thanks for your contribution!
I've been Googling, and it does appear to be UK rather than US usage. I'm a Brit living in the States, so when I tell people my car has nearly 200,000 miles on the clock, it must take them a moment to work out what I'm talking about. Also, in the UK to clock a car means to fraudulently turn back the odometer. What do you call that in American English? I've been living here for eleven years, and I'm still learning about the differences between US and UK English. There are thousands.
That M-W definition is quite interesting. Perhaps there are some groups (auto mechanics?) who would refer to an odometer as a clock, or perhaps such usage was common at the time your piece is set (early 20's). I don't think it's common usage these days among ordinary people, though. Is there anything else in your text that would lead you to believe the passage is referring to odometers specifically? If not, I personally think it's safer to interpret "clocks" as devices for measuring the passage of time.
I think it would be too daring to interpret "clocks" to mean "odometers," at least in the limited context you've given. I personally have never heard of an odometer being referred to as a clock in the US.
Automatic update in 00:
Answers
8 mins confidence: peer agreement (net): +5
clocks
Explanation: You wouldn't be "daring" to interpret this as meaning "odometers", just wrong! Cars do have clocks. See the American video below about how to repair classic car clocks.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:21:31 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
From the text posted, it isn't even clear whether the clocks are from cars and though the "motors" in "abandoned machines and motors" are probably cars, they might be motors from other machinery. Tinkering with "abandoned machines and motors" in the junkyard might simply have led on to an interest in fixing clocks that had nothing directly to do with the junkyard.
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:35:06 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
The Asker's text is about the physicist, Richard Feynman.
"https://phys.org › Physics › Quantum Physics Oct 18, 2013 - (Phys.org) —Amongst the late Richard Feynman's many prolific and profound contributions to quantum mechanics, the eponymous Feynman clock is perhaps one of the more innovative. Conceived as a solution to the problem of ..."
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 4 hrs (2018-03-16 19:40:34 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
http://physicsdatabase.com/2014/07/20/10-fun-facts-you-proba... "When the young Richard Feynman got bored in the remote New Mexico desert, where he was working on the Manhattan project, he found another hobby — cracking safes. Eventually he became so good, he could open nearly every cabinet containing secret documents."
So, even if Daryo can't fix a clock, Feynman probably could.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyHFaNxmn3g
B D Finch France Local time: 01:44 Native speaker of: English PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Thank you so much, Ms Finch, for your help and your links!
I've learned a lot with this question: I didn't know there were so many differences between British and American English... maybe a little, tiny doubt still remains, because "odometers" are sometimes associated with Feynamn's name - https://www.google.it/search?q=feynman+%2B+odometers&ei=6VqxWrakLcL_UOLLtZgC&start=10&sa=N&biw=875&bih=408 - but, considering my limited context, I agree with you that it's safer to interpret it as "clocks".
Notes to answerer
Asker: Hi, but maybe I'm not the only one to be wrong....
I've found this in Merriam Websters
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clock (but, of course, dictionaries can be wrong, as well"
Asker: clock: 2 : a registering device usually with a dial; specifically : odometer