Was typing up the usual phrase, but suddenly hit a critical punctuation problem. How many rats nested on my engine? Should it be rat's nest or rats' nest? I note most people have a bet each way and use rats nest.

Where did the expression first come from? In desperation I simply removed the offending object.

 

what's a rats nest?

thanks, i know im a noob

 

It's the vacuum cluster **** with controlling solenoids. All emissions stuff

 

Don't worry. Punctuation is not a strong point in this forum; slang is. I think that the vacuum solenoid-mess is considered a rat's nest due to at first glance, the vacuum tubes are a gathered-mess of chaos/order.
Dang tree huggers make a big deal out of something to the point of making a mess. =)

 

There is only one rat living in there.... so it's "rat's nest"

 

rat's nest, there is one crazy mass of tubes, hence, one nest.

 

I would say rat's nest as it is singular and describes a cluster of objects in seeming disarray.

 

maybe cause someone found rats nesting on top of it ??


ever think of that eh eh eh

 

 

As far as the origin of the term, we started out calling it "the plate of spaghetti" but it just didn't have that ring to it....

 

Never have much of a problem with the punctuation, just with the experimental spelling on the forum.

 

WUT DO U MAAN DA AXPERIEMNTAL SP3LNG ON TEH FORUM??!!? WTF LOL

(to be able to type like this, even if you're an old fart, do what I do and go to

http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files...ranslator.html

 

Paul, I do believe that Carlos's old fart comment was directed toward you... lol

 

You may be right, but the pitch was so weak it never even rolled to the plate.