UKC

For over 50 years the snaplink used in climbing has been known in Britain as a "Karabiner or Carabiner",  or "Krab or Crab" for short. The expression "Biner" originated in the USA and is now being used by some British climbers.

Karabiner is actually a German word which we have adopted.  For some reason the French word for it "Mousqueton" never caught on in the UK.

I am curious to know why some British climbers are using an American slang term when we have our own?

This is not a criticism, just curiosity. So if you are British and using the American term rather than the traditional British (German) one can you explain why?

The development of languages is fascinating, and reasons for it are equally interesting. 

Can you really not think of a reason why language might hop geographical boundaries? Whilst posting on an internet forum...?

I was reading a US forum, where they were exchanging swear words they had learned from UK TV shows...

Isn't it the same as all the lingo used in climbing? What the hell does 'send' a route mean? I climb routes, I've never instructed a route to go anywhere as it is a piece of rock and isn't able to move at my request. Nobody I climb with uses these odd words.

Not to mention spelling it with a C.

And V grades. That one I can sort of understand though, given that Font grades, French route grades and British tech grades all look so similar, even though they've evolved rather far in different directions from their common origin. Although personally I find having three similar looking grading systems that mean completely different things esoterically charming. And why get into al that stupid looking and equally confusing nonsense with "VB-", V0+" etc when the Font scale has perfectly good easy grades? But I digress.

Apparently there is an expression in American climbing "Dirt me!" which means "lower me off"- I really can't see that catching on here........

Personally I find it all a bit of a goat rodeo.

That's bollocks, wanker!

I much prefer "biner" 

Both words show the military origin. Karaninerhaken was a springed hook to attach a shortened rifle or Carbine to a saddle or bandolier for cavalry use. Mousqueton also refers to a long arm, anglicised as Musket.

If you use the US term, you can't be very childish and chuck some to your mate then say they caught krabs...

(Sorry...)

And when did "gear" become "kit" it was always gear that you bought from gear shops!

Kit was what you took to school for gym lessons

Pack up your troubles...

And when did "protection" become "gear"? It used to be "runners" which referred to putting a sling and krab around any convenient spike, flake, chock stone or tree. That was before most climbers carried anything else until nuts arrived generally on the scene whereby you carried your own "protection". Prior to nuts coming onto the market some pioneers carried pebbles or engineering nuts in their pockets to construct a "runner" or "protection".

I'm British, I say biner and I had no idea it was a Yank word. I'm a bit embarrassed, I'm always tutting at people for saying "skedule" and "movie".

As for why I started calling it biner, I mustve been climbing with someone who called it that before I ever heard it called krab.