Why does the UK call gasoline petroleum? Every context I've ever heard it used in, including technical, petroleum is crude oil, which DEFINITELY doesn't go in your car.
We don't - we call it petrol, because it's similar to petroleum but isn't it.
Tbh 'gas' is the weird one, it's a liquid.
gasoline
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline#Etymology
'The term is thought to have been influenced by the trademark "Cazeline" or "Gazeline"', then becoming 'gasolene' before ending up as 'gasoline', shortened as 'gas'.
Re:All the arguments against EVs are wrong
by mattlondon on Sunday May 14, 2023 @01:28PM
(#35939600)
Well equally why does the US call the liquid you put in your car gas? :)
No one calls it petroleum - petrol is what anyone on the street would call it. Diesel is different and just called diesel. I don't know why or how this started - guessing some old thing that wasn't-quite-right but which stuck around regardless
Fair point, it is also confusing, but gas and gas are two different words. One is a phase of matter and the other is a shortened form of gasoline, much like petrol/petroleum. However, gasoline does actually go in the fuel tank of your car.
Gas as in petroleum. In the UK, this was caused initially by a constraint on having enough drivers for the trucks, which lead into a few local shortages. The fear came into that and people rushed to fill their tank. The system being not sized for this, this ended up creating actual shortage with a positive feedback loop.
Similar issue in France: strikes were happening leading to local constraints, which was then amplified by people rushing to fill their tanks. In both cases, the situation comes back to normal after a few weeks.
This is the toilet paper shortage, or the bank run, all over again.
For both in the UK I don't think there were "shortages" where it wasn't available. Both just shoot up in price (like they always do at the merest hint of supply shortages or whalesale cost increases ..)