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.
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9/10/2026
This has been known since the turn of the century as the AT&T standard strand clamp or guy clamp. It is made from hot dipped galvanized rolled steel and will hold any size guy strand from 1/4" to 1/2" diameter.
9/10/2026
Originally invented by Anaconda in 1947, Sealtite® is the Trade name for flexible, liquid-tight conduit. It can be found in applications as mundane as an air conditioning whip all the way to nuclear power plants. In its many forms, it is essentially a flexible metal core (much like Greenfield) covered by a moisture resistant covering. The typical construction for general use in electrical construction is a crush resistant core made from high-grade galvanized steel with smooth bore for easy wire fishing. The PVC jacket covers the core to provide protection from moisture, dirt, and abrasion. This product can also be ordered in a low smoke, low toxic version for Transit Authority work.
9/10/2026
Sleeve type heavy-duty anchor that comes with a variety of head types. The installation base does not have to be solid like is necessary for the Wedge Type Anchor. Can be used in concrete, brick, block or stone.
9/10/2026
This electrical box is slightly larger than the standard 1900 or 4" box. Called a 5" box because of its 4-11/16" size, it is used for a wide variety of applications where heaver cables are needed or bulky wiring devices require a higher volume box. The part number shown below is only one of many configurations and you need to ask for the size of the knockout (determined by the conduit size) and if the user wants a standard (1-1/2") or a deep (2 1/8") box. This electrical box is usually called a 1900 box because that was the original part number from Bossert almost a hundred years ago. Called a 4" box because of its 4" width, it is the most common box used when a simple switchbox isn't big enough. The part number shown below is only one of many configurations and you need to ask for the size of the knockout (determined by the conduit size) and if the user wants a small (1-1/4"), a standard (1-1/2") or a deep (2 1/8") box. The user also has to specify how it will be mounted: stud ears, etc.
9/10/2026
When fishing tape, it is often beneficial to have the fish tip be flexible to get around sharp bends or ridges created at fitting junctions. The tape leader looks like a tightly coiled spring with an attachment at one end to hold the fish line and a screw at the other to attach to the fish.
9/10/2026
Connects two pieces of threaded rigid conduit when one piece can't be turned. Comes in aluminum, steel, malleable iron and zinc/die-cast construction in sizes from 1/2" to 5" If the same thing needs to be done for non-threaded pipe, you would use a threadless compression coupling.
