Why is it called a steamroller

Watch out boy, she'll chew it up Oh-oh here she comes Time for a steamroller! When you're cuddling with a girl and you roll onto her with a boner and try and get her to judge your dick size. I was trying to give that bitch a steamroller , but she just wasn't getting it and wouldn't tell me if i'm big or not. Homophones, Homographs, and Homonyms The same, but different. Ask the Editors 'Everyday' vs. What Is 'Semantic Bleaching'?

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It may not display this or other websites correctly. You should upgrade or use an alternative browser. Thread starter takiakos76 Start date Nov 19, The dictionary tells me that they mean the same; steam roller is used colloquially for road roller, but not in technical language.

How about everyday speach? Do you say "I saw a road roller today", or "I saw a steam roller today"? Even if it wasn't working with steam, which I presume is the usual case nowadays Hello, I have never heard or used "road roller". This typically only applies to the largest examples used for road-making.

This article concentrates on steam-powered rollers; see road roller for a description of motor eg diesel rollers. The majority of rollers were of the same basic configuration, with two large smooth wheels at the back and a single wide roll at the front. However, there was also a distinctive variant, the tandem , which had two wide rolls, one front, one rear see photo. This configuration is still used frequently for small motor road rollers for use on minor pavement and road repairs.

Another variation was the convertible : a combined engine which could be either a steam roller or a traction engine and could be changed from one form to the other in a relatively short time — i. Convertible engines were liked by local authorities since the same machine could be used for haulage in the winter and road-mending in the summer for example.

Although most steam roller designs are derived from traction engines , and were manufactured by the same companies, there are a number of features that set them apart.

The most obvious difference is in the wheels. All traction engines were built with large fabricated spoked steel wheels with wide rims. Those intended for road use would have continuous solid rubber 'tyres' bolted around the rims, to improve traction on tarmac. Engines intended for agricultural use would have a series of 'strakes' bolted diagonally across the rims like the tread on a modern pneumatic tractor tyre , and the wheels were typically wider to spread the load more evenly.

Steam rollers, on the other hand, had smooth rear wheels and a roller at the front.