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Apologies, I spent too much time around loggers. I'd hate to be under a tree that sheds politicians and bankers :)

When talking about watercooled VWs, it refers to this jack: http://www.quickcashauto.com/How-To-Articles/images/Jack.jpg

The term seems to be used for all sorts of things.

In Australia, and I had the same thought, that 'widowmaker' referred to a spider.

Or any number of dangerous mammals. ;)

In Australia here, and I knew exactly what he meant.

I guess it just depends on whether you've done much tree-work. (I'm ex-SES in an area with lots of National Parks/State Recreation Areas)

Widowmaker was also the name used for the hammer drills used in the Australian goldfields. The dust from the drilled rock got into the miners lungs and killed them prematurely.

We still have trees, here...