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Why is “helicopter” commonly shortened to “helo” rather than “heli” ?
What’s really neat linguistically is that “helicopter” isn’t a compound of “heli” and “copter,” but rather “helico” (as in helix, helical) and “pter” (as in pterodactyl).
“Rebracketing” is when this happens (i.e., the split in the word is moved in colloquial language).
I would totally watch your TED talk
“helico” (as in helix, helical) and “pter” (as in pterodactyl)
Oh, yeah. For those people that keep insisting that the rotating wing is not an helix… go change the name!
In German it is the other way around, Helikopter gets shortened to heli
Yeah and cell phones are called handies, so shrug
Hmm, so if I move to Germany, my cell phones turn into handies? BRB, buying a lot of old cell phones.
Not 100% sure on this, but it may be due to ‘helo’ being more audibly distinct than ‘heli’ over a shitty garbled radio?
It could also be from different regional/national accents of English pronouncing helicopter as basically hee-lo-copter, sort of like how there are different pronunciations of Uranus or nuclear?
shitty garbled radio
Which is the standard method of communication aviation has somehow agreed on using “for safety reasons”.
Well, to expand on that theory, ‘helo’ would have originated almost entirely with the radio tech of 50s and 60s military.
A whole lot of lingo basically makes sense if you understand its origin, but when the term keeps being used for decades and decades, its removed from that context and doesn’t seem to make much sense in a modern context.
I guess it’s easier to say
Either because it comes across more clearly over comms, or someone flipped a coin.
But, it is called that outside of the military, sometimes…sort of.
Heliskiing would be a lot more interesting if it was a fuel-efficient way to return the helicopter to the airport down in the valley after flying something up to the mountain.
What? You mean other than bolting two snowboards to the bottom of each skid and not being a total bitch about it?
It isn’t
This is cute but i’m sure someone in the comments is about to say this is somehow bad for him or the owner is abusive or something.
JUST LET US HAVE THIS!
The helicopter depends on a specific rotor geometry to fly. By putting the helicopter’s weight on its rotors and bending them you risk severely damaging its mobility.
Yeah you can bet on the “tHiS iS HeLiCoPtEr AbUsE” morons arriving sooner or later
Should I also scritch the pieces of heli on the runway? There seem to be pieces…maybe I should call the vet
Definitely don’t scritch. It showing it’s belly means it trusts that it can show you the belly without worrying you’ll touch it.
Ah so they’re kind of like kitties, then? Do you get bunny kicks if you touch the belly?
The rail rotor will try and disembowel you just like a kitty when you try and rub its belly… so yes?
Not bunny kicks, but the dogpile. It thinks you need protecting, but doesn’t know it’s own strength.
Sort of, you get whirling rotor blades of death and mayhem.
At least this one’s fuel boom isn’t extended…
Velociraptor kicks…I’m not a cat person, but I have been called upon to catsit.
Once it shows signs of discomfort leave it alone to avoid trust issues
Keep away!
It’s a hunting technique: once you get too close they just jump on you to and crush you to squeeze out the juicy bits.
I like seeing the detail that they painted the bottom sky-blue, and the top ocean-blue. Easy ounce of stealth?
Enough stealth to avoid most visual observations outside of the rotor noise distance, perchance.
Is that a rotor sound? Nah probably just the wind.
Huh!?! What was that noise?.. Must be my imagination. Huh!?! What was that noise?..
!
If you’re in an aircraft yourself, no way are you hearing rotor noise.
Snoo snoo
