Talc - Why do we call it that?

[Redeye]

This is something that has bothered me for years even though it's so mindless.

Why on earth do we call acetate or mylar trace film "talc" in the CF?  I'd love to know how that got started since there's no real connection to talc (foot powder)?

If anyone happens to know the origin of this I'm actually really curious.

 

[McG]

Prior to acetate & the Staedtler marker, Talc paper was used for map overlays. 

 

[Redeye]

Aha.  I've never heard of talc paper - off to Google I go, then!

I figured there was a simple explanation.  Now I'm not so curious!

 

[Old Sweat]

What we used to call talc was clear plastic, either stiff for use on map boards, or fairly flexible for use as overlays. We could draw on it with grease pencils and stadlers, but not with ball points. Pencils worked on some types. (This was also before the introduction of the felt tip.)

 

[Roy Harding]

What we used to call talc was clear plastic, either stiff for use on map boards, or fairly flexible for use as overlays. We could draw on it with grease pencils and stadlers, but not with ball points. Pencils worked on some types. (This was also before the introduction of the felt tip.)

And we used moistened paper towels or rags dipped into cigarette ashes to erase the grease pencil.

 

[Blackadder1916]

And we used moistened paper towels or rags dipped into cigarette ashes to erase the grease pencil.

Yes, but in the fd amb we were smart enough to 'borrow' a bottle of rubbing alcohol or acetone from med stores.

 

[Old Sweat]

Grease pencil could also be cleaned off talc by some stuff that I think we used to call type cleaner.

 

[Haggis]

"Back in the day" rolls of this transparent overlay film used to be infused with talcum powder to prevent the layers from sticking together.  Perhaps this is how the name came about?

 

[McG]

Surprisingly, talc has been used as an additive in the production of both plastic transparency sheets & paper.

 

[Franko]

Seems that there are a plethora of things in the CF that don't resemble the things that they are...talc is a great example.

How about chits? Where did Leagers come from? Harbours don't look like a body of water....buchshee, what the blazes?

Something to ponder.

Regards

 

[Fishbone Jones]

Buchshee or buckshee was originally (IIRC) Egyptian baksheesh, for gratuity or bribe,  and /or Persian bakhshish, for gift or present. It fits in with what we call buckshee - 'It's free'

 

[Michael OLeary]

Chit was also picked up by the British Army in India:

chit
"note," 1776, from Mahrati (Hindi) chitthi "letter, note," from Skt. chitra-s "distinctively marked."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/chit


And our usage for leager (laager) comes from the South African War:

Laager
Laa"ger\, n. [D., also leger. Cf. 2d Leaguer, Lair.] A camp, esp. one with an inclosure of travelers' wagons for temporary defense. [South Africa]

Wagons . . . can be readily formed into a laager, a camp, by being drawn into a circle, with the oxen placed inside and so kept safe from the attacks of wild beasts. --James Bryce.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/laager

 

[Bzzliteyr]

smarty pants...

 

[TrexLink]

'Harbour' can mean a body of water, but the important thing is that it is a sheltered or safe body of water. One can also 'harbour' something or somebody, the connotation being that of making or keeping safe. Given the strong naval ties to armoured terminology, an armoured harbour is a place which has been so chosen and arranged as to be as safe as possible.

 

[Hawk]

Are heated canned tomatoes for breakfast still called red lead in the Navy?


Hawk

 

[Harley Sailor]

Are heated canned tomatoes for breakfast still called red lead in the Navy?


Hawk

MMmmmmm they were 7 years ago when I last sailed.