Quote:
Originally Posted by terrybull
I think Rambo1152 has it. This is from Google and seems likely to me.
The word “flat” can mean (according to the Google dictionary) “lacking interest or emotion; dull and lifeless.” This definition fits pretty well, in a figurative sense, with a flat battery. ... But an American would be more likely to say they have a “dead battery”
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I read a lot of US forums and they frequently talk about "bad" components where we would say "faulty", "duff" or "U/S". It still makes me titter after having seen it hundreds of times. I imagine a capacitor sitting on the naughty step.
But yes, I think if "flat battery" is derived from "dull" or "lifeless", then that's spot on isn't it? I mean, a 'flat battery' is not the same as a 'dead battery', as the former is capable of being re-charged, revived. Whereas a truly dead battery is not. Saying that, people do refer to a dead battery when they mean a flat one. That's just one of those things though.
