this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. The most popular seem to be lighthearted clever little truths, hidden in daily life.

Here are some examples to inspire your own showerthoughts:

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What we have called “motorcycles” should actually be called “enginecycles”. Also, the engine on enginecycles is a four-cycle engine.

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[–] MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io 26 points 23 hours ago (5 children)

Upvote for the main thought, but

  1. A gasoline engine is a type of motor. You are making a distinction without a difference. A motor is just something that produces mechanical motion. Motor. Motion. Motivate. All come from the same root as “move”
  2. An “engine” can be the whole apparatus that does the work, not merely the thing that provides the power, and could be powered by a water, beast, or even manually such as the cotton [en]gin[e]. A lot of that usage comes from pre WW2, but it survives in things like “train engine” (the vehicle that pushes or pulls a train) and “game engine” (the program architecture that manages the processing power provided by the computer to convert user interactions, game assets, etc. into something that we recognize as a game).
  3. It’s not a four-cycle engine. It is a four-stroke engine: each piston makes four strokes each complete engine cycle.
[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 8 points 14 hours ago (1 children)

It’s not a four-cycle engine. It is a four-stroke engine: each piston makes four strokes each complete engine cycle.

Akshually

“A four-stroke (also four-cycleengine

[–] redhorsejacket@lemmy.world 3 points 11 hours ago

Multiple decades on this earth, decent schooling, undergraduate degree in history, and yet today is the day I discover why the cotton gin is called that. Wild. Thank you for sharing.

[–] Admetus@sopuli.xyz 3 points 18 hours ago

I didn't know what to say but you nabbed it.

Also reminds me of the motor effect: electromagnetism causing motion. Perhaps that's why the name 'electric motor' became so dominant...

[–] funkajunk@lemmy.world 2 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago) (2 children)

Wow, you absolutely destroyed that kid

[–] baggachipz@sh.itjust.works 5 points 14 hours ago

Take that, me!

[–] MyTurtleSwimsUpsideDown@fedia.io 4 points 23 hours ago

I… I…

sometimes I underestimate the power of my own pedantry…

[–] Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe 1 points 23 hours ago

To your point, "engine" at one time referred specifically to an electrically driven device, and "motor" referred to something combustion driven.

Etymologically, engine means "mechanical device" and motor originates in Latin meaning "mover".

I do agree with OP that a 2 wheel contrivance with any kind of motor/engine is a motorcycle (motorized cycle) from a regulatory perspective, though I'd never call one a motorcycle.