I've always used the term "flash" to apply to those thin bits of metal or plastic that squeeze out between the two halves of a casting mould and stick to the casting itself along the parting line. Definately not a burr which is a result of a failure to get a clean cut, usually caused by a very thin piece of the job bending out of the way rather than being cut by the tool.

I've only ever heard "fash" being used by a worried Scots person.

Rod

My OED gives one meaning of "fash" as:

"A rough edge or ridge left on nails, cast bullets, etc"

It gives a second meaning as:

"A fringe; anything resembling a fringe".

It defines "burr" as:

A rough ridge or edge left on metal or other substance after cutting, punching, etc.; e.g. the roughness produced on a copper-plate by the graver; the rough neck left on a bullet in casting; the ridge produced on paper, etc., by puncture.

Edited By Peter Greene 🇨🇦 on 30/03/2023 21:28:31

I read right through the 'fash' thinking it was a simple typo for 'flash'. I notice the spellcheck is flagging fash.

Here's another one for you:

is your granite surface-plate, (or come to that, kitchen work-top) should you have one, really granite?

Assuming it is genuine stone, not some sort of composite material made to resemble that.

One of #2 son's practice maths GCSE exam papers gave one equation with 2 unknowns, and he was meant to solve it. The maths teacher would not have it that there were an infinite number of solutions, because 'the exam board wouldn't have got it wrong'. I could give other examples of silly exam questions, but I've bored you enough already.

And we always called rough edges from cutting 'rags', but I have seen drawings with 'frase all edges'. 

Edited By duncan webster on 30/03/2023 23:59:49

Edited By duncan webster on 31/03/2023 00:01:54

.

Given the petrology of natural granite [i.e. a sort of composite material]

… that might reasonably be seen as a trick question.

MichaelG.

Hi, I only ever heard it called flash. Below shows what my universal dictionary definition of the word fash is.

Regards Nick.

If it was me then I would call it a burr because everyone knows what a burr is so I can’t see the examiner marking down for that .

Dell

I have a friend who for years worked for one of the examination boards assessing the quality of the marking and adjudicating on disputes. He told me of one student when presented with a right angled triangle with two side lengths given and the other labelled x with the question find x, had drawn an arrow pointing to x with the words ‘here it is’. They awarded the marks to the student on the basis that he had answered the question which was badly written. I should have said find the value of x.

As to burr, flash and fash, these are descriptive terms and probably have been established by general use very likely with local variants although I suspect fash is a little odd. As mentioned it’s Scot’s dialect for fuss although I guess burrs can cause a lot of fuss. Not something I would worry about greatly. It’s not as if it’s the same as defining a tangent where tangent has a very specific meaning. Once the casting is fettled the flash is gone and I suspect there are a few more variations on fettled too.

regards Martin

OED has the old meaning of "A rough edge or ridge left on nails, cast bullets, etc. "

FASH

This reminded me of the Scottish radio wind ups. Hector Brocklebank of HB Fash – Google it

Martin