Ah, ya foiled me, you flightless, flippered fiend! Rebus: A rebus is an allusional device that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. You're welcome, all!
Well, since you got the foil out, maybe you want to try some highlights? Rebus... from the Latin: Non verbis, sed rebus (not by words, but by things)
Puppy dog Kitty cat Tuna fish "and in the breaking news tonight, police are reporting that two armed gunman broke into a locked warehouse where..."
Initially, it is just a water heater. Then, as you use it, the temperature of the hot water drops below a certain level causing the thermostat to turn on the elements thus heating the hot water again. So, unless you use up all the hot water, it is a hot water heater. I drive my wife crazy with "hose pipe."
That the best explanation I've ever been given, but I still think it's incorrect...The water temp in the tank drops because of the introduction of the cold/tap water to refill the tank...So you are actually heating the cold water which is being introduced into the tank to a specific temp when you refill the tank and replace the hot water which you used, more than reheating hot water in the tank, that is just incidental to the outside water being heated.. I just love stuff like this hose pipe and zink(sink) are two others I grew up with... My wife gets me with "fixin": As in fixin to go to the store,go on vacation,clean the house,work in the yard, the list goes on and on...
My former agency CD who hailed from Texas used to say that & many other colloquialisms from that thar' region... "I'm a-fixin' on goin' to Home Depot to rangle up some SEE'-ment."
We Texans have some colorful expressions it is true! I have sometimes slipped into some of my native colloquialisms with parishioners here in Michigan only to be met by blank stares as if they had just heard a foreign language, like the time I told em they needed to "re-lick the cat" (do it over till it's right). I could heard crickets in their mouths!
I just saw a car ad, describing some new safety feature which would "prevent accidents BEFORE they happen." Is there some other time when that is possible?
"I amn't not don't want no any" (my 9th grade English teacher when asked by a student if she'd like a "chaw of this here ta'baccer") "Myron, you are one dumb moron..." (my grandmother complimenting a neighbor)
