Why Is It Called A TV "Set"? — Non Aviation Forum

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Why Is It Called A TV "Set"?

Lax From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2290 posts, RR: 4
Posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1528 times:

Why do we all refer to that box in the living room which emits images as a television "set"??

It's not a "set", it's a single individual item.

Same can be said of "Crystal Set" or "Ham Radio Set" I suppose.

And then there's another common household item that many times seems to get pluralized for no apparent reason ...... "Bathroom Scales". It's only ONE scale; so why the pluralization?

Food For Thought......Just make sure you wash down this useless/trivial information with a couple of good & cold brewskies!! Smile/happy/getting dizzy

Heaven help us all!! Smile Smile Smile

7 replies: All unread, jump to last

SEVEN_FIFTY7 From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 957 posts, RR: 5
Reply 1, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 6 hours ago) and read 1488 times:

I've never heard of a bathroom scale being pluralized.

Everyone I know has always just referred to it as a "bathroom scale." Are you sure that isn't just a local thing where you're from?

Trickijedi From United States of America, joined May 2001, 3266 posts, RR: 6
Reply 2, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1474 times:

The reason it's called a TV set is because once we turn it on, we "set" our asses down and don't want to get up. Just kidding. Smile

I've wondered about that myself.

Its better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than be in the air wishing you were on the ground. Fly safe!

Mcringring From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 3, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 1469 times:

does anyone actually call it a "tv set?"

tv works fine for me. but it makes me crazy when people call it the TEEE-vee. Pissed

Transactoid From Canada, joined Mar 2001, 788 posts, RR: 0
Reply 4, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 4 hours ago) and read 1458 times:

never heard bathroom scale pluralized before.

Lax From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2290 posts, RR: 4
Reply 5, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1441 times:

Aw, come now, kids of the corn! Smile

Haven't you heard anyone (maybe whiling watching a show on your TV "Set" Smile

) refer to "getting on the bathroom scales" ... when, in fact of course, they're only stepping on ONE scale instrument. Or maybe there's something inherent to the word "scale" that automatically makes it plural. Beats me.

Are there actually MULTIPLE scaling devices inside a bathroom scale? Perhaps this is it!

Anybody make scales for a living??

TWAL1011 From United States of America, joined Nov 2003, 192 posts, RR: 2
Reply 6, posted (10 years 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 1445 times:

Here's the explanation that I got:

The term rolls over from the old days of radio. Basically, the collection of parts to make up a radio were refered to as a set (radio set). The name just kind of stuck.

Hope that helps.

Lax From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 2290 posts, RR: 4
Reply 7, posted (10 years 3 weeks 3 days 4 hours ago) and read 1405 times:

Thanks, TransWorldLockheedTri-StarFanJet!! Smile

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