In article ,
"Mike Lyle" writes:
|
| Since paraffin is a soild (isn't it) and gas is a gas I don't get
| it.
|
| Not at any civilised temperature, it isn't. It is a liquid. You
| are thinking of paraffin wax. Also don't confuse (liquid) paraffin
| with liquid paraffin :-)
|
| No, it's a divided-by-a-common-language thing. Brit laymen use the
| word "paraffin" for _kerosene_. Not as bad (from our pov) as the
| French, who call it "pétrole"!

Actually, I use the terms 'paraffin' and 'kerosene' as synonyms.
Both are abbreviations (for p. oil and k. oil) and the use of
paraffin in that sense predates the use of kerosene (by only a
few years, true).


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.