Showerthought: I keep seeing people call a snowmobile track a 'tread' like a tank

I was at the Iron River trailhead last weekend and heard three different guys say they needed to fix their 'tread' after a rough ride. It's a track, not a tread, and using the wrong word makes it harder to find the right parts online. Has anyone else noticed this mix-up or is it just my area?

3 comments

3 Comments

wendy_ross711mo ago

Three different guys at Iron River all said "tread"? I mean, that's not just a slip of the tongue, that's a whole different word. It makes me wonder if they're getting it from ATV or dirt bike talk, where you have tire treads. But a snowmobile track is a totally different part, it's like a big rubber belt. Calling it the wrong thing would absolutely send you to the wrong aisle at the parts store.

davis.iris2mo ago

Is it just a regional slang thing or are people actually confused?

vera_brown402mo ago

My cousin in Boston says "soda" while my friend in Atlanta calls it all "coke". It feels like a lot of regional terms are fading because of the internet, mixing everyone up. You get this weird middle ground where nobody's sure what's right anymore.