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Over the past eight years
we have collected over 800 job site
slang terms from our customers.
Here they are! Enjoy!
we have collected over 800 job site
slang terms from our customers.
Here they are! Enjoy!
quit/drag Up
wearing new work boots
code for checking out that hot chick on jobsite
no use complaining, just get it done
payday
- - - -
4" square box
lay off slip (blue) and final two paychecks
traveler who only travels to the two locals adjacent to his home local
useless electrician who knows somebody
telephone/cable worker
journeyman from the union hall on a 26 week work ticket
4 inch octagon box
4 11/16" square box
mason term for either a 3 peice or 5 piece crick level
4 11/16" metal box
hopefully working only 8 hours on Saturday when scheduled for 10 or 12
supervisor entering work area
9/16 wrench
apprentice carpenter ("don't know shit!")
A Waist Of Skin (heard by miners and ironworkers)
when your ajoining signal maintainer steals your overtime
truck driver
roll of duct tape
when a worker makes a huge deal out of nothing
6 or 8 inch level
anti seeze
when you just can't see your ass getting to work
leveling device used while bending offsets in conduit on a large table or cyclone type bender
grey haired apprentice
imaginary aerosol can that you send greenhands after
toilet seat cover
term used for unindentured (helper) whose name you don't remember
loop in the wire your trying to pull
piece of wood with a hole on top of a solid piece to keep scaffold from scratching the floor
what tinknockers call c clamps
anti shorts for mc cable
HVAC/R's
gossip
spart-bart
person didn't do an apprenticeship
non union labor that does what every the boss tell him to do = a company man
working out of town while continuing to resign at your own local
hard hat stickers
shelving used to store fasteners/consumables
a meal or platter served to a suckass, usually from the foreman
1-1/2 drive impact gun used by millwrights
temporary pipe coupling
wood shop
Brothers Against Travelling Suckasses
back door mother f**ker - one who bought their card without serving an apprenticeship
tie-off point that is portable and affixes to a steel beam
roofing mastic
electrician's flat screw driver that is used for everything (chisel, pry bar, etc.)
4-8-or 20lbs. sledge hammer
what iron workers call carpenters
broke, busted, no money until next paycheck
big f-ing Hammer
big f-ing hammer drill
big f***ing rock
big f**king round thing (Nuclear Reactor Containment Building)
conductor/trainman who opens the angle cock between the cars too quickly causing the locomotive to go in to an emergency brake application.
sawzall
large individual with no strength
a foreman (or higher up) who stands around or tries to hide and watches you work
tangle of tie wire, usually an attempt at an awkward tie by an apprentice
someone that shows up when all the hard work is done
chain block aka chain fall
when the load lifting block in your rigging or your crane is as high or as far as it can travel together
porta-potty, honey bucket, shitter
20# beater
portapotty
brother of apprenticeship
fictional item that you send cub drywall hanger to go find when he cuts the sheet too short again
badly done cable fitting leaving wire braid hanging out bottom of fitting
everything will be okay
to borrow someone else's tools
"Bend Over...Here It Comes Again!"(When the company screws you or when the union comes back from the bargaining table with a shitty contract.)
someone who works during spring & fall outages in the powerhouse boilers
prima-donna; a boiler dog who wants preferential treatment
ironworker
conduit that has been wasted
someone who doesn't go through an apprenticeship
work out of town
traveler
sideboom operator
shitty bricklayer
$$ from scrapped copper
person who travels with directional drilling crews
foreman
when someone misses work because of a hangover
dog leg in conduit offset
lubricant for grooved pipe fittings and gaskets
never-seez tread lube
reflective safety vest
hard hat
hardhat
hard hat
bricklayer
brown wide brim hardhat
shoppie/foreman that does not stand for the CBA
torpedo level
bulldozer operator's ability to run grade
any type of level (usually a torpedo level)
torpedo level or other larger levels
front endloader operator
something to tell your apprentice to get you (WARNING: smart ones just might come back with a 5 gallon mud bucket filled with 2 hole conduit straps! LOL)
IBEW logo
spud wrench
tinsnips for cutting heavy guage metal
screws
scrap copper
one handed cable cutters
failed a job site weld test
UPS driver
used by tinners to fasten standing seam roof panels
someone who did not go through the apprenticeship and bought their union book
tiny bit off its mark
truck that sucks shit out of the portopotty
another name for sheetrock tapers
drywall
useless guy who thinks he knows it all and is the best
railroad conductor
safety professional
carpenter
carpenter trying to do electrical work
something extremely good
small nail puller
Lineman
lineman
concrete workers aka alcoholics
channel lock pliers
someone who bought their card and did not serve an apprenticeship-usually a hack and always a suckass
electrician installing conduit in block wall
clear, magnified welding lense (for old farts)
large pipe slipped over the handle of a wrench used for leverage on a stubborn pipe or bolt.
aka rat
wife smiling at you on payday
zip tie
v-shaped hand dolly for moving pipe
pickle fork shaped pry bar used to hold rebar in place until tied
scaffold connector, system to tube
clanging of spud wrenches when an ironhead walks
Walmart
6010 welding rod
group of workers who don't do much of anything at work, leave early, talk all day.
master electrician who works on a job that doesn't recognize/pay extra for the credentials
when the next job starts
concrete worker/ finisher
a type of nail
copper pipe workers
small pneumatic chisel
dude who looks bad ass but inside he's just a weiner
that there ain't no pipefitter, he a counterfitter!
adjustable, quick release C-clamps, usually means a pair
hot chick that works in the trades - gets the crane to move
general contractor's trailer/office
crescent wrench being used as a hammer
term for worker that slips off every time you try to get him to work
ironworker whos always complaining
new apprentice "Completely Useless Bastard"
good looking woman hanging around
throwing ass gaskets, toilet paper and other debris into the shitter to avoid smurf kisses
Brother Ironworker
cigarette
installer of network cabling
not energized, no electricity flowing
achieving a high level of accuracy in measurement
when your pack of cigarettes get smashed
a equipment greaser
Dispatcher
slow walking your foreman
diagonal cutting pliers
"Do I look like I give a f**k?"
woman that's a "10"
lunch pail
excavator, usually the stick holder
a broom
pipeline worker
mechanical trench digger
glob of metal hanging of a pipeweld
toilet paper put down on front of toilet seat so your junk dont touch anything nasty
wrap it up for the day
turn to the left or right in an offset in electrical conduit
when one of the two bends in an offset are not in line with each other
hand made brackets tacked to pipe to align a joint to be welded
channel locks
scaffold frame connector
lunch bucket
a person who works in someone else's local, but is still on another local's books.
sledge hammer with a cut down handle usually used for laying rail In a tunnel
quitting a union job
bag of personal tools to take home when quitting
quit or ask to get closer to home or a better job
the first snow of the year
sweat
wanting to quit a job.
blueprints
reflective safety vest
so young you barely made it out of the old mans loins..
Take a crap
HVAC duct installer
wormy worker who chastises others for standing up to the man
open ended pipe welded to a piping system solely as a support
blocks of wood
temporary support
a single tube repair in a boiler
payday
what you yell out when the safety man is approaching
cheater pipe
anti short bushing used in installation of flexible metal conduit.
bathroom exhaust fan
kisser of the bosses ass
scrap copper
scrape material $$$
telecom tech
one foot extention cord
oxy-acetylene torch
second most dangerous person on a job next to a first year appretice thinks he/she knows EVERYTHING
channel lock pliers - tongue and groove pliers
millwright doing fitters work
ten four acknowledgement
operator who trys doing finisher laborer and teamster work
work boots made in USA showing the American flag on them
steamfitter
lineman electrician
imaginary object, flex doesn't need a bender, thus the name flex
fictional item that you send a greenhorn A&P mechanic on a mission to find
hypocrite journeyman who acts like one of the guys until he makes foreman than he's a company man
flatbed trailer
f*#ing lazy union bastards
f*#ing Magic (when you fixed an electrical problem but you don't know what you did or how you did it!)
the f-ing new guy
F**king New Guy
sweat
knee pads
condition of acting like a boss when you are not
two door front opening job box
foreman
foreman
another word for grad-all
f-ing out of towners
found on train
common 4" x 4" junction box
electrical toner
sheetrock square
apprentice electrician who forgets to ground himself first day
f-ing ratty organized guy
formerly a rat organized guy
two light emergency pack
any type of adapter to connect two different items together.
f***king the dog - screwing over the boss
"when something can't be fixed its F-ed Up Beyond All Repair"
f**kin' junior journeyman
blueprints or a resemblance to some sort of plan
f*#k you idiot
job foreman
lunch truck
lockable box used to store company and/or personal tools
worm that has worked for only one contractor ever
union member who rants on-and-on about union politics and rules
the roach coach
cutting torch
truck driver
2 x 3 device box
to get some ass into what you are doing
watch while I f#*k this up!
failing drug test
usually means general foreman; in this case it means general f#%k stick
so you can see when you have your head up your ass
Lineman
screw gun
welder who thinks he is the best
premadonna welder; usually a pipefitter
usually a pipefitter - 'cause they're that good
shovel
no good for anything but fetching
channel locks
rungs of a ladder on the side of a freight car or locomotive.
larger multi conductor feeder cable
beater screwdriver
mechanic only good at greasing shit
when nothing on a job seems to go right
early for lunch, knocking off
person that is inexperienced
wew to the trades
what railroad conductors and engineers call their luggage/equipment bags
railroad conductor
line groundsman
short piece of pipe used for measuring
food truck
food truck guy that comes at break and lunch
pipe trade term for the measurement of how far a pipe penetrates the fitting "Are you sure you added the guzinta when calling out that measurement?"
non-union travelling tradesmen
some one who thinks he's good at his trade, but IS NOT
way of pointing out a good looking woman without being obvious
foreman that's always on your case - for no reason
HVAC technician
low voltage/communications technician
slow, no skills, off the list worker; usually rides the list until big jobs come up
workers who work exclusively out of the union hall
good union member (opposite of a shoppie)
new apprenticeship ironworker who gets the break orders
sheetmetal worker with no finesse
leather gloves
gloves
tough, mean, hard to get along with
lag bolt
bar
poorly tied knot that can only be untied using a hatchet
A campaign of hate against a small crew with perks
being a certified welder in the ironworkers local
type of gang box with an upper door that is supported above your head
blow torch
when someone is bitchin about the cold and needs to start working with the tools
energizing equipment
step ladder/extension ladder
large pneumatic chisel
imaginary tool you send your greenhand after
job johnnie
hand tool for bending conduit
hitting a wedge or bull pin hard and fast
yelled at someone who is love tapping a wedge or bull pin/drift pin, when they should be hitting it with all they've got.
overweight operator
excavator operator
boss in area
what you yell when safety man or customer rep is driving up onto job site
locomotive engineer
pipeline payday
porta potty
person who cleans port-a-potties
welding tent
southern boomer
flyable porta potty
water tight conduit
PVC conduit bender
box built with lightbulbs used to heat meals over several hours
warns track workers that a train is coming
electrician who is only good at residential work
someone that is always talking to the big bosses
pipe cutting/beveling tool
jelly filled underground cable - usually copper or fiber telecom
ID IOT (test to see if your foreman knows what he's doing)
non-contact voltage tester
a bucket
journeyman that did not go through the apprentice program
ironworker; a term normally used by tinknockers
8" Thorogood soft toe wedge style work boots
rodbuster
ironworker
carpenter wannabe ironworker
insulator
junior journeyman ...someone with less than three years in the field as a journeyman
trouble on a job that is gonna seriously screw up the progress
Just A F**king Apprentice
just another fing apprentice
undefined amount or quantity that everyone knows how much it is
idiot
apprentice in training
just enough experience to pass
jelly filled splicing connector for telecom cable pairs
knee pads
needle gun
village (jobsite) idiot
to screw up something or somthing being fabricated wrong
used for leverage to lift and move heavy equipment
electrical current
hydraulic crane
someone who bypasses the referral system and goes in front of other members
apprentice
rodbuster pliers and dikes
lineman's pliers
impact drill
wrench made to be hit with a hammer
knife
little red thing (anti-short) for mc cable
someone spendig more time appearing busy, than doing actual work
laborer who thinks they're an operator
laborer that's related to the company that just drives around the yard all day while we're all in the ditch
person who thinks he is an electrician, carpenter, plumber, iron worker or tin knocker
laborer
refrigeration technician
insulator
sheetmetal worker who covers large storage tanks
laborer who does carpenters work
when the boss/shop buys lunch for the crew = layoff's are coming.
Chico sealing compound
"It's all good!" (Leave it right where it is.)
worthless apprentice
second plus generation union member
railroad worker term who is a useless worker
useless worker
let a tack weld cool before releasing the steel
heavy equipment operator advice to other trades trying to run equipment
heavy equipment operator
union organizer (ouch!)
sheet metal worker
9" side cutting pliers
Sent an apprentice to get a bucket of liquid wheels while your in the middle of moving switch gear
jig saw
exaggerated term for when your on the road working and hating it
lazy, worthless individual
person who does nothing all day
what you send your apprentice to grab - it can take a very long time
7018 welding wire (low hydrogen)
electrician
journeyman ironworker
person that is useless and lazy on a project.
your partners foot when used to hold something down or in place until you can tie it or weld it.
guy that walks around with a cup of coffee and does nothing all day
Respirator
back door electrician that did not go through the apprenticeship
an apprentice - all trades
railroad worker term of a worker who sits on their ass
hands so strong they're as good as channellocks
shovel
metatarsal boots
newbie ironworker's first on-the-job balancing act; looks drunk
tell your greenhorn apprentice to get one. He'll say "what's a matterdaddy?" Nothin sonny.
name for person whose real name you've forgotten
leather tool apron
using your hands to beat on something rather than a hammer
millwright
many millwrights
unskilled millwright
pipefitter service guys
welder
linemans Hooks
millwright's honing stone
scrap copper
a friction jack used in fencing and in the automotive collision repair trade
pipe Dope
liquid nails adhesive
putty used to seal electrical pipe/fittings
payday: gotta pay this mother f**ker and that mother f**ker
grease or lubricating oil
new apprenticeship that has all the newest "cool" tools
train car designated for removing muck, or earth from a mine or tunnel
shovel
laborers on a concrete crew
pipefitter fab bench
drywall finisher who is fixing extremely crooked section
carpenters and laborers on a footing crew
shovel
someone that walks around the job carrying his coffee mug around not doing shit
cheater pipe
man with no backbone, does whatever the company wants; company man
flexible non metallic tubing
foreman that came in backdoor
Newly organized brother
Newly organized worm
jobsite security metal detector
carpenter; a term normally used by ironworkers
inside wireman
needle gun
Anti-Sieze
to overtighten bolts, able clamps, screws, etc.
no f**king good
what you say to pipefitter with an IQ of 60
9 inch lineman's pliers
short piece of conduit (24" or less)
a small level device used by electricians to bend offsets correctly
newly organized brother
toilette paper
leaving early; catching a ride on the "noon balloon".
to get paid double time to work through lunch
going out for lunch and not coming back
the end of a wire pushed through conduit
lunch box
an all stop condition at a nuclear power plant when plans change or project put on hold
nuke plant outage worker
travelling the nuclear plant shut-down curcuit
ironworker
jobsite goofball
a job the requires serious focus and discipline, Oakley Jupiter Squared http://www.ebuyaccessories.com
Old Dirty Basterd
operating engineer
grey haired and outta their time since way-back-when
kisses ass to keep the job
large hydraulic conduit bender
only thinks of himself
operating engineer (newbie)
"On The Money" measurement; perfect
finished your apprenticeship
when a power plant goes out of service for maintenance, or(nuke)refueling
shutup and stick it up your butt and pack sand around it
cordeless impact driver
Pb blaster
label for a sorry-ass worker who gets paid for full time but only works part time
grooved pipe lube
leather gloves
junction box on a motor where the leads are
plumber
hammer
6-12 inches away "we are just a peter length short"
pure f**king magic
pine-handle operator
something you send your first year apprentice to look for - knowing it will never be found
port-o-potty on a no-phone allowed job
porta potty
on-site suck up
the guy who always borrows money for the lunch truck
large gauge wire cutter or lopper
teriyaki chicken stick off the roach coach
pile driver
person who gets misc. for welders
well-meaning but useless co-worker
what carpenter's call ironworkers
SMWIA union dues receipt
thread lube/sealing compound (Gasoila)
bad pipelayer
lubricant used to pulled wire through conduit
imaginary object that you make the 1st year appr. spend 8 hours looking for on his first day on the job.
pipefitter
know it all pipefitter
pipefitter know it all
the invert or bottom of the tunnel
brown wide brim hard hat (a 'bridge' hat)
drug test
pain in the ass
problems on a PLA (project labor agreement) job
plumber that comes a jobsite to do fitter work
level
torpedo level
set straight in his thinking, in tune with reality
plumber
pocket level/torpedo level
jack hammer
make shitty work look good
duct sealant
spud wrench
callout for everyone to check out the hot chick on job
getingt fired
knee pads
fictional item that you send a greenhorn A&P mechanic to go look for
laborers shoveling/moving concrete
quit/drag Up
retire
pucker up mother f**ker and kiss my ass
channellock pliers - 440s 460s 480s, etc.
apprentice ironworker
apprentice
new apprentice
young apprentice
short piece of pipe
medium voltage cable insulation
management or safety people
hammer
acts like a foreman to keep guys working, also a suckass
foreman (responsible for pushing the men to get the work done)
worker who stands around doing nothing
worthless labor that's only a quarter of a good one
someone left in charge when the Foreman has to leave early or is going to take a few days off
scrap copper wire
large gauge wire cutters/loppers
1) n: same as pusher 2) v: to forcibly push a job forward, often wrecklessly
to be in a hurry and rush things, which usually leads to errors and mistakes
shop rocket/suck pump
non-union on union jobsite
non-union contractor
another name for wal-mart
Ironworkers
transmission lineman highline worker
someone who wont shut up
impact wrench
work that's done shitty; looks like crap; no craftsmanship, as if a non union RAT did it
a wrap for large pipe
red Insert for MC wire
downhilling a pipe weld with 5P welding rod
someone angered to the point that production is severely slowed
a pair of Red Wing boots
refrigeration mechanic
painter
someone knowledgeable in too many trades; forgets trades' lingo; forgets what color hard hat to wear to the job
separate tinsnips - one cuts to the right and the other to the left
working a full week.
messed up bend on a piece of tubing that gets thrown in the river to hide the evidence
coffee/lunch truck
food truck
working out of town in another local, or a traveler
type of feeder cable, typically used in industrial applications
PVC coated rigid conduit
cement mason
drywall installer
retired on duty
experienced ironworker or rodbuster foreman
welder that insists on saving half used welding rods
pliers to tie rebar
someone who is trying to weld but it aint happening
ironworker who works in the rebar trade
HVAC installer term for duct tape
time to go, end of work for the day
"run off mother f**ker"
weld inspector
romex
residential upgrade
new guy who kisses up to foreman/contractor
to operate heavy equipment proficently, safely and productively
person who rushes through a job right for the unemployment line/union hall. ("No running allowed"-is my motto)
apprentice
plant safety man that is just a wholeless suckhole
stumble around guy [they dont accomplish anything]
crybaby apprentice
knee pads
tunnel worker
person who loafs around for full 8 hour shift
hangover shits
sawzall
union worker who crosses a picket line
non-union worker on a union job
acomplished scaffold erector
Carpenter
a case of the red ass
getting laid off out of turn (usually after calling out a shoppie or a suckass for being a worm)
communications worker (aka sparky)
what all trades call carpenters
what all carpenters call all the other trades
worker that stands around with his/her arms crossed looking at everybody else working
when someone attaches cables to rope to be pulled in conduit
where we eat lunch and get dressed
millwright
taper that makes carpenters shitty drywall look perfect
aircraft covered in bird feces
porta-potty
Plumber
plumber
another term for the sewage ejector in a building
porta potty in the summer sun
when a device or other object has stopped working
toilet paper
apprentice
painters who hang sheetrock.
job gone bad
pipeline access road
person who sucks up to the Man
temporary detour around pipeline right-of-way
ramset gun
a steady Eddie, the guy whos been with the shop so long hes never seen the hall
someone who works in the fab shop that could make it in the field
a person who busts there ass for the shop and gets jobs done quickly (a hero more or less)
person who tries to make the contractor money so they continue to get work
shop steward
union worker who works for the same contractor all the time
knee pads
lineman's pliers
type of electronically controlled conduit bender
8 lb sledge hammer
"say it with a check!"
imaginary tools that you send a first year looking for
equipment that comes as a package on a metal frame
hard hat
ironworker
hardhat
imaginary tool used to hang pipe (you send your apprentice to look for)
same thing as a pipe stretcher
electrician who does quality work, but its not pleasing to the eye
ironworker's tape measure
carpenter
slow/useless worker
knock out set
worthless worker who happens to have man boobs
short handled 10 lb sledgehammer
useless apprentice
someone who is faster then a snail and slower then a turtle
first time new equipment is heated up
cutting torch
porta potty
when the blue water in the porta-potty splashes your ass
situation normal all f**cked up
someone who complains the most about getting screwed
so f@#king good at what you do
plan on leaving at lunch/noon or sooner usually day before a holiday weekend
another name for a torpedo level
electrician
avionics technician
electrician running conduit
welder
electrician
hang up on a call in to take a new call
sprinklerfitter
black shit in sprinkler pipe
crushed or damaged
Canadian version of WD-40
Union worker who works for the same contractor all the time
ironworker - usually connector
stupid truck driver
greenhorn firefighter who when told to "hit the hydrant" jumps out of the truck and literally starts hitting the hydrant
C clamp vise grips
shop steward
shop steward that doesn't see anything wrong
Carpenter
operating engineer
young guy more worried about telling how many jobs he's been, showing off helmet stickers
electrode holder
to instigate
kiss-ass who lets the boss know who is taking too long of a break
organized member who didn't serve apprenticeship
a piece of pipe, wood, or conduit with markings on it used when making the same measurement over and over ex. Laying out hangers
wanna-a-be foreman; someone working with their tools who thinks they are the boss
person pretending to be a foreman but isn't
utility lineman
lineman
derogatory term used when boss says or does something arbitrary to mess up your workplace
union worker who never turns down overtime
shop rocket
blueprint (usually followed by FUBAR)
wireman that travels his entire career
top rated pipefitter journeyman
all other trades (says the IRONWORKER)
Scientific Wild Ass Guess
when your sweat/juice all runs down into your pants and underwear...that's having swamp ass
pipeline laborer
sledge hammer
hammer
project manager or general contractor (a suit)
plug used to prevent apprentices from dropping shit down boiler tubes being prepped
metatarsal boots
the person taping sheetrock joints
"Do you have any tape on you?"
porta-potty (UK version of blue lagoon)
carpenters doing weather protection
tele/data technician
telecommunictions/data worker
shmuck who shows up for work without the proper gear on
carpenter
apprentice
job foreman
anything that you don't know the name for
lineman on a pole
locomotive engineer
Locomotive Engineer
adjustible wrench
voltage tester
a person who's a traveller, trying to become a book-one member in a local that is not his home local
rookie electrician getting zapped multiple times
women foreman on the jobsite
"Take It Like A Man!" (Used after getting screwed by the company or the union.)
overtime
porta potty
sheetmetal worker
what Ironworkers call tinners
HVAC/R service guy
sheetmetal worker
sheet metal workers
sheet metal worker general foreman
sheet metal worker who insulates duct when work is slow
trade member that does the work of another trade and doesn't care
The only Mexican that can speak English that works as a translator for the jobsite.
crane operator
what you say to your tool buddy when your guys are jaggin with each other or worthless person
union president
foreman on the tower or lead help
finished your apprenticeship
top floor ironworker (anything over 20 floors)
when the ironworkers connect the last beam of a building
finishing a brick/block wall
gotta take a dump as soon as possible
I just shit on myself
railroad track department employee
laborer who won't leave the lull
an exstension cord
out of town workers - "travelers"
aviation radar technician
Greenlee 555 conduit bender
junk pile of trashed conduit that was bent wrong
madison hangers
Mathey Dearman hand crank pipe beveler
plumber/pipefitter
plumber
vent pipe in porta john
pipefitter/plumber
trade newbie
mobile cart used to pull spools of BX from
when two hardhats clunk together
no head room when lifting load
union draftsman/planner
hand truck
hammer
upside down asshole
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