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For me, if I ever say IEC mains lead I get a blank expression. C13 even more so.

"Kettle lead" (Which is notched to indicate it can take a higher temperature and most of cables aren't that, they will be the c13 type), and their face lights up and a cable will be handed to me.

Just one of those things that's wrong, but it's not worth being pedantic over it, imo.

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Given the paucity of electric kettles in the USA, I wonder how that term became so widespread.

Ironically in Europe where the IEC cables were familiar from kettles, they've largely been superceded by cables hardwired into a base pad onto which the kettle is set.

British English, most likely.

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