It is called a Traffic Light!

[foozball3000]

I am so tired of people referring to a Traffic Light as a Robot (In english and Afrikaans)
It's not a robot, as it doesn't move! (Unless some drunk student makes it move with his car)

 

[Sackboy]

Local English dude. It always has been. Rather lets' complain about the Americanisms like "line" instead of "queue" etc..

 

[foozball3000]

Local English dude. It always has been. Rather lets' complain about the Americanisms like "line" instead of "queue" etc..

One fight at a time...

 

[hj2k_x]

Local English dude. It always has been. Rather lets' complain about the Americanisms like "line" instead of "queue" etc..

That is not really an Americanism...

 

[Ou grote]

It is a Robot

 

[foozball3000]

a mechanism that can move automatically

I've never seen one move. It just switches lights. My car can do that, does that make it a robot?

 

[Sackboy]

I've never seen one move. It just switches lights. My car can do that, does that make it a robot?

Moving robots are quite a new thing.

 

[redarrow]

I've never seen one move. It just switches lights. My car can do that, does that make it a robot?

But your car doesn't automatically switch it's lights based on certain conditions?

...

1 a: a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (as walking or talking) of a human being ; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized b: an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically
2: a device that automatically performs complicated often repetitive tasks
3: a mechanism guided by automatic controls

It fits both points one and two..

They are robots!!

 

[foozball3000]

But your car doesn't automatically switch it's lights based on certain conditions?



It fits both points one and two..

They are robots!!

Um, no... but most new cars do.

2ndly... They already have a name. It's called a traffic light.
Do you call everything that fits that criteria a robot?
(PC.. DVD machine.. Wife.. Satellite.. UPS.. )

 

[ads]

Robot is the South African English word for traffic light. You'll find it in the South African Concise Oxford.

It was first used on 24 January 1930 in The Star, according to the Oxford Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles. That makes it about as old as the term traffic light, and effectively of equal standing.

Now go home pommie, or yank, or whatever you are.

 

[foozball3000]

Robot is the South African English word for traffic light. You'll find it in the South African Concise Oxford.

It was first used on 24 January 1930 in The Star, according to the Oxford Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles. That makes it about as old as the term traffic light, and effectively of equal standing.

Now go home pommie, or yank, or whatever you are.

Our department of education says that it's fine to pronounce laboratory as Lab-re-tory. Does that make it right?

Ek is 100% Suid Afrikaans.

 

[Cyberdude]

And is it also a mobile instead of a cell phone?

 

[foozball3000]

And is it also a mobile instead of a cell phone?

Cell phone = Cellular Telephone. Cell phone is a perfectly accepted (Afkorting).
Calling it a mobile is

 

[Sackboy]

That is not really an Americanism...

Explain ...

 

[Devill]

I am so tired of people referring to a Traffic Light as a Robot (In english and Afrikaans)
It's not a robot, as it doesn't move! (Unless some drunk student makes it move with his car)

Seriously, why not and supply a better reason then the ones you have

But your car doesn't automatically switch it's lights based on certain conditions?



It fits both points one and two..

They are robots!!

Robot is the South African English word for traffic light. You'll find it in the South African Concise Oxford.

It was first used on 24 January 1930 in The Star, according to the Oxford Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles. That makes it about as old as the term traffic light, and effectively of equal standing.

Now go home pommie, or yank, or whatever you are.

+2 (one to each)

It can be called a robot. Nothing wrong with it.

Bil(l)tong het niks uit te waai met 'n rekening of 'n knyptang nie

 

[butc8]

Robot FTW

 

[foozball3000]

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&q=robot&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2
no traffic lights appear in the thumbnails...

 

[ToxicBunny]

Ektually, if you limit your search to the geographic region the phrase is used in.. I get a result on the 2nd page of image search

http://images.google.co.za/images?as_st=y&hl=en&q=robot+site:co.za&sa=N&start=21&ndsp=21

 

[foozball3000]

Since when are news papers right about anything? Especially language and grammar!?

 

[Dixie]

I'm with the OP on this one - calling Traffic Lights, Robots, drives me nuts!!

"...and at the 2nd Robot, turn left"

"What!? You mean Traffic Light, right?"

"er...yes, sorry"

Yes even in Afrikaans: Robot ≠ Verkeerslig

Why would we have words like "Traffic Light" and Verkeerslig?