Plastics

[snowleopard]

I haven't bought a mag for years but with all the talk in the news about getting rid of plastic, I wondered whether PBO still insists on referring to it as 'Plastics'.

 

[macd]

I haven't bought a mag for years but with all the talk in the news about getting rid of plastic, I wondered whether PBO still insists on referring to it as 'Plastics'.

Unless I'm missing your point (and I haven't seen PBO for years), 'plastics' is perfectly correct -- in the same way you'd use 'metals' to refer in general to...er, metals. Or is the upper case bothering you?

 

[snowleopard]

Aside from technical publications, no one has used the pedantic term 'plastics' in the last 40 years, apart from PBO. I was just wondering whether they were still swimming against the tide.

 

[fredrussell]

Aside from technical publications, no one has used the pedantic term 'plastics' in the last 40 years, apart from PBO. I was just wondering whether they were still swimming against the tide.

Not only do I use the plural, I pronounce it ‘plarstics’ because I’m frightfully posh. I’ve got the red trousers and everything.

 

[macd]

Aside from technical publications, no one has used the pedantic term 'plastics' in the last 40 years, apart from PBO.

Either I've been asleep since 1978, or you're wrong. What else would you use as a collective term for the diverse array of substances which are called 'plastic'? 'Stuff' is perhaps a little too general. As suggested, 'metals', 'oils', etc use the same format. No-one thinks them pedantic.

 

[prv]

Unless I'm missing your point (and I haven't seen PBO for years), 'plastics' is perfectly correct -- in the same way you'd use 'metals' to refer in general to...er, metals. Or is the upper case bothering you?

But you wouldn't say "the de luxe version of the Snurble Grip-Thribley has the bottom trunnion made of metals" - at least not unless it was specifically several different types of metal combined. The usage SnowLeopard is complaining about would say "whereas the standard version's trunnion is made of plastics" even though it's a single type of ABS, glass-filled nylon, or whatever.

Pete

 

[VicS]

Either I've been asleep since 1978, or you're wrong. What else would you use as a collective term for the diverse array of substances which are called 'plastic'? 'Stuff' is perhaps a little too general. As suggested, 'metals', 'oils', etc use the same format. No-one thinks them pedantic.

I think what SL is complaining about is that PBO sill use the word "plastics" as the singular noun. As in, " polyethylene is a plastics" whereas we would now say " .... a plastic" .

The word "plastic" was previously only an adjective describing a particular mechanical property of an object or material.

 

[solent clown]

The word "plastic" was previously only an adjective describing a particular mechanical property of an object or material.

Dont forget the reason we try to stay mentally active as we advance in years, The Plastic brain.

 

[prv]

Dont forget the reason we try to stay mentally active as we advance in years, The Plastic brain.

And plastic surgery - though I suppose this has got a little confused in the public consciousness by silicone breasts

Pete

 

[James_Calvert]

I haven't bought a mag for years but with all the talk in the news about getting rid of plastic, I wondered whether PBO still insists on referring to it as 'Plastics'.

Are you referring to the new fangled term for resinglass?

Only in PBO of course...

 

[andrewbarker]

.........or Polymer??

 

[macd]

Thank you prv & Vic. I'm now left wondering why such clarity was beyond the OP.