[Talk-GB] Life Ring - British English

[David Earl]

On 16/06/2014 12:04, Brad Rogers wrote:
> On Mon, 16 Jun 2014 11:05:34 +0200
> Andreas Goss <andig88 at t-online.de> wrote:
>
> Hello Andreas,
>
>> Is life ring how it is commonly referred to in British English. Just
>
> Always been referred to as lifebelts wherever I've been in England.
>
> Lifebuoy immediately makes me think of soap.
>


OED...
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lifebelt   n.  (a) a belt or jacket of buoyant or inflatable material, 
worn to support the body in water;  (b) a (usually rigid) buoyant ring 
used to support the body in water; cf. lifebuoy n.

lifebuoy   n. a (usually rigid) buoyant ring or other device used to 
support the body in water; = buoy n. 1b.

life ring   n. chiefly N. Amer. = lifebelt n. (b).
----------------

In other words 'life ring' is an americanism. lifebelt is something you 
wear and can also be used synonymously with lifebuoy, the thing you find 
on promenades and ships that you throw to someone.

David