Alpo Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 What are Brits talking about when they use the word PLY? Alistair MacLean book, so of course they're speaking English, not American. He covers the windows with ply, so that no one can look in and see what he is doing. I kind of had the impression that ply was tape. But covering the windows with tape would take a hell of a lot of tape, so that's most likely not it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Possibly he’s talking about covering the windows with plywood. Sounds like how Brits shorten words. Cat Brules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 plywood ...... 3ply, 5ply, 7ply, flooring ply, structural ply, marine ply, form ply ........ take your pick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 I believe it means that he covered the windows with multiple layers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted February 21, 2020 Author Share Posted February 21, 2020 You break into somebody's office, to search it, and you brought pieces of plywood along to cover the windows so no one can see you? No I don't think plywood is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallaby Jack, SASS #44062 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Alpo it's written in a novel; you know fiction, .........not necessarilly truth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Without seeing the book and how it’s written, I’ll pass on speculating again. Cat Brules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Sorry Alpo, my co-worker from England is on vacation at the moment, else I would be able to ask what "ply" means in the Queen's English. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 “ply” means plywood. The Brits like to make contractions of words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 My guess is toilet paper. It's often called 1 ply, 2 ply, etc. I can see it being shortened to ply. Did he also mention a loo roll or bog roll while in the office? It would make sense for covering the windows and it might be something he found inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 21 hours ago, Alpo said: What are Brits talking about when they use the word PLY? Alistair MacLean book, so of course they're speaking English, not American. He covers the windows with ply, so that no one can look in and see what he is doing. I kind of had the impression that ply was tape. But covering the windows with tape would take a hell of a lot of tape, so that's most likely not it. Could you perhaps give the actual quote? Perhaps along with a sentence or two before and after? According to dictionaries I checked, including Cambridge and Oxford, a ply is a layer or strand. It can be a layer of pretty much anything, wood, paper, plastic, etc... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 Here there was no need for glowing red lights, stealth and secrecy: there was no one who was going to question Johnny Harlow’s right to be inside his own transporter. Nevertheless, he took the precaution of locking the door from the inside and leaving the key half-turned in the lock so that it couldn’t be opened from the outside. Then he used ply to mask the windows so that he couldn’t be seen from outside: only then did he make for the tool-rack on the side and select the implements he wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 16 minutes ago, Alpo said: Here there was no need for glowing red lights, stealth and secrecy: there was no one who was going to question Johnny Harlow’s right to be inside his own transporter. Nevertheless, he took the precaution of locking the door from the inside and leaving the key half-turned in the lock so that it couldn’t be opened from the outside. Then he used ply to mask the windows so that he couldn’t be seen from outside: only then did he make for the tool-rack on the side and select the implements he wanted. Makes me wonder if it was something along the lines of a poly sheeting that was meant. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Major Crimes Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 If someone says Ply here in Aust the first thing we think of is Plywood. ply2 noun (plural ply) [countable] a unit for measuring the thickness of thread, rope, plywood etc, based on the number of threads or layers that it has a sweater in four-ply yarn ply• It is effective whether you use delicate fine yarns or a simple four ply.• Today, it is more usual to replace the base with marine ply.• Economically, thinner ply is preferable, but needs strengthening to prevent curved steps.From Longman Business Dictionary Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 It's not so unreasonable that it was plywood. He might have put it there for this express purpose. To keep people from peeking inside. He's clearly given it all some thought if he knew that turning the key halfway would prevent anyone from working the lock. What is a transporter? None of that makes sense if it's a car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted February 22, 2020 Author Share Posted February 22, 2020 He is a race car driver. A transporter is an 18-wheeler that carries race cars and spare parts and a portable garage from one track to the other. The head mechanic was smuggling heroin all over Europe. Hiding it in the transporter. He had already searched two other transporters. In those he had used red lights, and was sneaky, because they belonged to other racing teams. But in this case it was the transporter for his own team, so he just walked up and unlocked the door and went in. Now you don't have to read the book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ramblin Gambler Posted February 22, 2020 Share Posted February 22, 2020 Now I'm going to ask about why it had windows! And plywood sounds even more plausible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 Ferrari Owens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DocWard Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Yes, now plywood sounds more feasible. I was thinking of a building. I would imagine plywood and other boards could be of use in one, and available Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cat Brules Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Since he was in his own transporter truck, it stands to reason that he already had these plywood window “blockers” pre-cut and stashed in the truck. Cat Brules Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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