ralper

Seriously, I've always wondered why a dashboard is called a dashboard. I know why a gearbox is called a gearbox, and why a trunk is called a trunk, but I've never been able to figure out the derivation of the term dashboard. Does anyone know?

Are there any terms you want explained?

Barry in Wyoming

from www.ask.com

dashboard
Jeff Garringer: I am trying to determine the origin of the word DASHBOARD. Everyone knows what it is, but I can't find out how the word came to be. I know that it predates the auto. It was also used to describe the front splash plate on carriages, buggies, and the like.

Dennis DuGuay: Etymology: Middle English from 2 words #1 Dasshen meaning to splash or spatter #2 bord meaning a piece of sawed lumber. The dasshen bord was placed between the occupants in the wagon and the animal that was pulling the wagon to keep the animals urine, feces, or other liquids from the ground, being thrown back onto the occupants.

tomcatt

Rob, I googled on dashboard etymology and came across this:

Etymology: Middle English from 2 words #1 Dasshen meaning to splash or spatter #2 bord meaning a piece of sawed lumber. The dasshen bord was placed between the occupants in the wagon and the animal that was pulling the wagon to keep the animals urine, feces, or other liquids from the ground, being thrown back onto the occupants. It was used to describe the front splash plate on carriages, buggies, and the like.

Barry in Wyoming

Now I get to ask one.

Cockpit?

As in, "I love the SSM except for the weird cockpit."

tomcatt

Beat me by a minute Barry. Guess you're quicker on the trigger finger.

tomcatt

Cockpit Etymology.
Air Safety Week, April 1, 2002


The origin of the word "cockpit" extends back hundreds of years. Originally, the word was used to describe the pit or enclosed area where cockfights were conducted. As a name for the scene of such grisly matches, which were most probably conducted first in China, the word migrated west and in the 16th century the word appeared in English. By the 1700s, cockpit was used as a metaphor for any scene of combat, although in naval parlance the word was used to describe the area below decks on a man-o-war where the wounded were evacuated. World War I aviators adopted the word cockpit in 1914 to describe the cramped place where the pilot sits. It has enjoyed this common use since, to include the more capacious area of a large jetliner where, instead of conflict, aircrews coordinate their actions.

tomcatt

Came across this site...

Word Origins

matrix

You know...the cockpit in the SSM may look weird, but I would have loved to actually try it and see how it felt.

The other thing about the SSM I REALLY loved were the low headlights...that looked really good.



I am still amazed at how much of the SSM actually made it to the S2000.



If only they kept the 5 cylinder engine ....

matrix

Here is a better shot of the front end...

ralper

Thanks. Silly as it sounds dashboard was a term I always wondered about.