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Comment by mnw21cam | Hacker News Reader

Note: This web page is about electric torches. Might be good to change the title?

As a native-born American, I would have no problem with a headline from The Guardian talking about the basics of using a torch. I would briefly wonder if they're referring to the electric things that make light, or the flamey things you hold in your hand, and shortly after conclude that of course they mean "flashlight".

But unlike "torch" as far as I know "flashlight" has a single meaning. Were you truly confused by the headline, or just being pedantic?

Well, the title of the page is "Basic Flashlight Tutorial", so it matches as-is.

Of course, Electric Torch is UK terminology (may be used elsewhere that I'm unaware of) However, Flashlight is used in the US/Canada.

Electric Torch sounds awesome, like something from a D&D guide. I'm going to try to use that next time I ask my wife where the flashlight is. On an iPhone in the UK is the flashlight button labelled electric torch?

We call them personalTelephones here, old chap.

You call the Flashlight app, "personalTelephones"?

iPhones => personalTelephones

i => personal

Phones => Telephones

It's a joke based on British formal speech

I get that. They were responding to what they call the Flashlight App on the iPhone.

My Android has a button labelled "Torch". It doesn't set itself on fire when I toggle it, so I'm happy enough.

No-one here says 'Electric Torch' (especially not with Caps). They say 'torch' and, as far as I'm aware, 'flashlight' is a perfectly valid term for what this article refers to, so perhaps the GP is being humorous.

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