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From: John Ames <commodorejohn@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc,alt.usage.english
Subject: Steamrollers (was Re: GNU)
Date: Thu, 2 Apr 2026 14:27:07 -0700
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On Thu, 02 Apr 2026 20:29:56 +0100
Aidan Kehoe <kehoea@parhasard.net> wrote:

> > We certainly had machines we called *steamrollers* in the same
> > period of mine. But I don't think that they were powered by steam
> > engines.  
> 
> My memory was that actual steamrollers were used very late compared
> to other steam-powered vehicles, and Wikipedia suggests this is true:

It's interesting how these things go. It's such an unquestioned piece
of linguistic drift that it honestly threw me for a loop when I learned
that the Japanese use "road roller" instead - I'd love to know the
etymological history there.