this post was submitted on 08 Sep 2025
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No seriously, I always get blank stares when I ask people, I've called them wall chargers or power bricks, my friend called them plug chargers, my fiancee calls them dongles. What do you call these around your house, like when you're asking someone if they've seen any (______)'s

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[–] mienshao@lemmy.world 184 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

POWER ADAPTER

Mode: YF-W36-2U

Input: 100-240v~50/60Hz 0.35A

Output: 5V=2.4A Total

[–] StarvingMartist@sh.itjust.works 63 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

*Hey babe do we have any YF-W36-2U?"

"Sorry hon only 2E"

"Dammit"

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[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 119 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] Neverclear@lemmy.dbzer0.com 14 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)
[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 18 points 3 weeks ago

Simple. "USB Power Adapter".

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[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 106 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] Resplendent606@piefed.social 72 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] TriflingToad@sh.itjust.works 12 points 3 weeks ago (4 children)

I second bricks. If it matters I'm in the southern US

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[–] bigbabybilly@lemmy.world 57 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

Wall wart, but nobody knows what the fuck I’m talking about. “charger plug” is what those anround me expect to hear. So, that’s what I call them.

[–] gruvn@sh.itjust.works 22 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I also use "wall wart". I also don't know anyone else who calls them that.

[–] JetpackJackson@feddit.org 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] OboTheHobo@ttrpg.network 55 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Power brick, power adapter, or USB charger are what come to mind for me.

I gotta say I disagree heavily with your fiancee on dongles. IMO dongles are adapters for data of some kind, not just power from the wall. But to each their own I guess.

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[–] Hello_there@fedia.io 42 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] squirrel@discuss.tchncs.de 35 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

We call them Handyladegeräte, and I think that's beautiful

[–] bobagem@sh.itjust.works 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Had to check that out.

Handy = mobile phone
lade[n] = charge
geräte = devices

https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Handy
https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/Ladeger%C3%A4t

[–] ValiantDust@feddit.org 10 points 3 weeks ago

I sometimes also use Netzteil.

(Literally: Net thing. The net is the power grid)

[–] garth@sh.itjust.works 34 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (4 children)
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[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 32 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] wiccan2@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

Phone charger

But in the case of the ones in the pic, fire hazzard

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[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 31 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (1 children)

Charger block/brick. I'm definitrly siding with you; "dongle" is a bit of a stretch for these.

[–] Fogle@lemmy.ca 24 points 3 weeks ago (7 children)

It's not a stretch it's wrong. It's not a dongle at all

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[–] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.cafe 28 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

As it says on the device, power adapter. But if you wanted to be more specific, you could call it a USB power adapter.

Wall charger should also get the message across.

Take your fiancée to the hospital & check for stroke. Dongles...are something entirely different. Always.

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[–] andrewta@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

I’m reading through the comments and pretty much I’ve heard them called all of them and I’ve called them most of them

Except a wall wart

[–] Forgottengoldfish@lemmy.world 20 points 3 weeks ago

USB power adapter

[–] ch00f@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

Fire hazards

[–] triptrapper@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

AC adapters

[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 18 points 3 weeks ago

Clearly labeled power adapters

[–] monogram@feddit.nl 17 points 3 weeks ago

As a european, with safer plugs, a fire hazard.

[–] TonyTonyChopper@mander.xyz 16 points 3 weeks ago (3 children)

AC/DC-inator

Full Bridge Rectifier

"no not an iPhone charger, I need USB C"

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[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 16 points 3 weeks ago

USB charger

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 3 weeks ago

I think I'd call them "bad USB chargers"

[–] alphacyberranger@sh.itjust.works 15 points 3 weeks ago

Brick or Charger

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 15 points 3 weeks ago

All of that minus dongles. Never dongles!

[–] A7thStone@lemmy.world 14 points 3 weeks ago
[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)
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[–] wshrader@lemmy.today 13 points 3 weeks ago

“Charging block”

[–] mechoman444@lemmy.world 13 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

My favorite has always been "wall wart"

[–] taiyang@lemmy.world 12 points 3 weeks ago (1 children)

I don't know, but now I'm calling them wall warts because this community corrupts us, lol.

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[–] MattTheProgrammer@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

I call those release the Epstein files

[–] Magnum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 3 weeks ago

This is a wall plugged charger with USB A -> please stop calling it dongle. I am sure we can at least agree, that dongle is factually wrong.

[–] Toneswirly@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Phone Charger/Wall Charger

[–] grasshopper_mouse@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Charging block/brick

[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 11 points 3 weeks ago

Wall Adapter

[–] Zorsith@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 3 weeks ago
[–] ilinamorato@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

"Brick," or "charger brick." Sometimes "AC adapter."

[–] mrgoosmoos@lemmy.ca 10 points 3 weeks ago

usb charger / usb wall plug / usb power adapter

drop the 'usb' when the context makes it obvious

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 10 points 3 weeks ago

USB Charger

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 10 points 3 weeks ago (2 children)

If the transformer is in the same housing at the plug with a separate cable (as shown): wall wart.

If the DC cable is attached, it's a charger.

If it's housed in its own case, it's a power brick.

If there's no transformer it's a power lead, unless it's rated for over 10A, then it's a power cable.

Dongles are peripherals that are housed in the same casing as the host connector. Anyone who thinks they can power a device with a dongle is a dangerous sociopath.

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[–] OfCourseNot@fedia.io 10 points 3 weeks ago

I call them '..a brick, a power brick.. a charger, no, the part you plug..'. Lmao, I carry one of these, whatever its cursed name is, with me literally everywhere I go so I don't have to ask for the thing. I feel you sib.

See also: portable USB memory.

Edit: unless you need another thing! A power bank? 'This?' Taking out a brick. A usb-c cable? 'What?' Phone charger? 'This?' No, the cable.. thanks.. sorry this is usb-a I'm gonna need the brick as well.. 'the what?' Smh.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

All of these work except "dongle". a dongle had a specific purpose in my day, some high end software wouldnt work without the dongle (a USB, serial or parallel device) plugged into the computer. Was an anti piracy device.

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