Featured Terms
Electrical Slang
What do a "bug" and a "cherry" have in common?
They are both electrical slang terms!
Curious about what these and other slang terms mean?
Scroll through our collection of slang terminology used in the electrical industry!
Whether you are an electrician, contractor, or just someone trying to understand what your local electrician is jabbering about, use the glossary to learn trade slang and electrical jargon.
Baffled by a term you just overheard?
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3/25/2019
Termed "double sided tape," this has the sticky stuff on both sides and is used to attach lightweight items that will later be screwed into place. It is more for alignment and ease of final installment than for permanent installation when used in the electrical industry.
3/25/2019
This is an attachment for an existing bender set that allows the user to make offset bends from 0" to 3" in 1/2" and 3/4" conduit in one motion. It reams both the inside and the outside of the conduit at the same time which is necessary to comply with NEC 348-11. The term 'No-Dog' comes from the term 'Dog Leg' which is a kink in the conduit. So a No-Dog bend is a bend where the conduit doesn't get bent.
3/25/2019
These devices detect the presence of voltage without direct contact with the wire. One style (Greenlee 1010 or Fluke 1ACA1) looks like a pen and you touch the tip to a possible power source such as a wire or outlet and if the tip glows red, you know there is some level of voltage present. An upgraded version of the Greenlee 1010 Volt Tick called the 1112 includes a flashlight. The other style is an audible detector that chirps as you get closer to the load, detects a higher and lower voltage range, detects both hot & neutral, and detects if breakers are powered.
3/25/2019
Service Entrance cable which picks up where the utility service drop leaves off. Typically, it connects at the top of the service mast with utility rated bug nuts and runs down to the meter base. From the meter, it is usually used to enter the building and connect to the distribution panel. Sometimes you may see it used on branch circuits as permitted by the National Electrical Code.
"They can rope an entire house in one day."
3/25/2019
When used with AC cable or Greenfield, Anti-Short ® bushings protect the wires from being chafed by the roughs end of the armor at the point of connection. NEC article 333-9 requires their use on AC (armored cable). They are placed between the outer metal armor and the conductors forming a protective shield at the point where the wire is bent during final connection. In the trade, they are referred to simply by their sizes 0 through 8 depending on the size of the cable or Greenfield.
3/25/2019
Basket type pulling grip where wire mesh tightens over wire when pulled.
