Need help with some stuff

Alright... my father is doing some kind of important work about a match factory and asked me to help out... though even I have some problems trying to correct what he's written:

1. Is there anything called the "Entente" power in English? (the allies during the 2nd world war) The word exist in Swedish, but I'm not sure about English.

2. Just wanted to be reassured about this one: It's called "100 tons" and not "100 ton", right?

3. My father has written "fire cock" at a lot of places which I guess means "fire post" ... is there such a word as fire cock, or did he just made it up? =P

4. Does the word "fireman" exist? Or should it just be firefighter?

5. Correct this sentence please, and I know... it doesn't make sense to me either =) :
"Fridays and Saturdays are paid 60% salary upon mean salary."

6. To make something lighter (the visual way)... is to be "lightening up" something, right?

7. Can you use the word "air-drum" for the ventilation thingey? Is there a better word?

8. What would you guess that a big revolving cylinder, used to polishing matches would be called in english... My father has written "polishdrum" ...Directly translated from swedish =)

[RonBee]

1. Is there anything called the "Entente" power in English? (the allies during the 2nd world war) The word exist in Swedish, but I'm not sure about English.

I think there was something called the entente cordiale (perhaps capitalized), but I don't think it had anything to do with World War 2. I think that alliance existed in an earlier period--perhaps in the eighteenth century.

2. Just wanted to be reassured about this one: It's called "100 tons" and not "100 ton", right?

That is right, altho you might say "100 ton" if you were going to use it as an adjective, thus: "It was a 100-ton ship."

3. My father has written "fire cock" at a lot of places which I guess means "fire post" ... is there such a word as fire cock, or did he just made it up? =P

Apparently, he did not make it up. :wink: I found the phrase (both hyphenated and not hyphenated) at a few websites. Apparently, it has something to do with fuel injection, but I am not sure.

• http://www.yakuk.com/L29CHECKLIST.doc -
  http://www.splav.org/en/civil/fire/tech.asp
  http://www.gdnhfs.com/en/profile.htm
  http://www.yakuk.co.uk/checklst6.doc
  http://www.rnaec.com/tech/frcs.htm
  http://www.yakuk.co.uk/aan.doc
  http://www.l39.com/download/Pre-purc...0checklist.pdf

4. Does the word "fireman" exist? Or should it just be firefighter?

The word fireman certainly does exist, but I think firefighter is becoming the more common usage.

5. Correct this sentence please, and I know... it doesn't make sense to me either =) :
"Fridays and Saturdays are paid 60% salary upon mean salary."

Perhaps:

• On Fridays and Saturdays they get paid 60% of their mean salary.

I'm not at all sure of that one, because I don't know what 60% of their mean salary is supposed to mean (It seems like a raw deal), but at least the days aren't getting the pay. :wink:

6. To make something lighter (the visual way)... is to be "lightening up" something, right?

Yes, I think you can use the phrase that way.

7. Can you use the word "air-drum" for the ventilation thingey? Is there a better word?

I think it can be used that way. These sites mention air drum filters: http://ms101.mysearch.com/jsp/GGmain...drum+filter%22

8. What would you guess that a big revolving cylinder, used to polishing matches would be called in english... My father has written "polishdrum" ...Directly translated from swedish =)

Your guess is as good as mine on that one. :wink:

[Tdol]

I'd guess as something like 'polishing drum'.