Showerthought: My 8-year-old nephew asked me why we call it 'mud' when it's not dirt

I was taping a bedroom in my sister's house in Bakersfield last weekend and my nephew was watching. He pointed at my pan and said, 'That's not mud, it's just white goop.' I told him it's just what we call it, but he kept asking why we don't call it 'wall paste' or something that makes sense. It actually made me stop and think about all the weird trade terms we use without question. What's the strangest name for a tool or material you've had to explain to someone?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannah_wells6h ago

Honestly my buddy had a client totally confused by the term "toe kick" for the space under kitchen cabinets. Tbh they thought it was some kind of safety bar you actually kick with your foot. It's funny how these terms just become normal to us in the trades.

lucasw845h ago

My uncle thought a "rough-in" for plumbing meant they'd leave jagged pipes sticking out of the wall, lmao.

david_reed225h ago

Wonder if that client would freak out hearing about a "deadman switch" on heavy equipment. Makes you realize how many trade terms sound straight up violent.