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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[–] Resol@lemmy.world 2 points 20 hours ago

Charging brick, or power adapter.

I can't think of a better term for these.

[–] Magnum@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 1 day 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.

[–] rarsamx@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 day ago

USB charger.

[–] A7thStone@lemmy.world 14 points 2 days ago
[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 16 points 2 days ago

USB charger

[–] Asidonhopo@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I refuse any moniker for these besides bricks

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It's only a brick if it's separated from both the outlet and the device it's powering by cables. Fight me.

[–] Asidonhopo@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)

🤔 you know I think you might be right. I'm going to continue calling it a brick it out of spite.

[–] rmuk@feddit.uk 2 points 1 day ago

Spite is one hell of a motivator. Being hunted by hyenas is another. There's probably others, too.

Isn't that in itself a moniker?

[–] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.cafe 28 points 2 days ago (1 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.

[–] null_dot@lemmy.dbzer0.com 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Power Adapter is too broad.

If someone asked me for one I wouldn't know what they wanted. It could be an international adapter, or a DC power supply, or one of these things.

[–] CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.cafe 3 points 1 day ago

That's totally fair, and I agree. People in my circles say power adapter or wall charger, or hell actually enough people also say HEY. I need a phone charger. Understood. 🤙🤙🤙

[–] BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 118 points 3 days ago (6 children)
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[–] kieron115@startrek.website 3 points 1 day ago (1 children)
[–] RealSpiderLane@lemmy.zip 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I recently got odd looks for saying exactly this. I swear that’s what everyone where I live (Ohio, USA) USED to call them.

[–] jerkface@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

Wall warts are large transformer blocks that don't have an AC cable but rather have an integrated plug. Yes this is a transformer that plugs straight into the wall, but it's tiny. It's at most a wall pimple.

[–] kieron115@startrek.website 3 points 1 day ago

wall pimple it is then

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 15 points 2 days ago

All of that minus dongles. Never dongles!

[–] Allero@lemmy.today 8 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Adapter or charger. Rarely - power brick.

[–] SCmSTR@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 days ago (1 children)

USB A/C adapter, or just "ac adapter".

[–] tamal3@lemmy.world 4 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

This is my actual answer, also "wall adapter," but I really liked Ginny's "argly bargy cable chargie."

[–] Phegan@lemmy.world 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Sam_Bass@lemmy.world 18 points 2 days ago

Clearly labeled power adapters

[–] svcg@lemmy.blahaj.zone 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

In England, we call those argy-bargy-cable-chargies.

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[–] mienshao@lemmy.world 184 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (5 children)

POWER ADAPTER

Mode: YF-W36-2U

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

Output: 5V=2.4A Total

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[–] Semjaza@lemmynsfw.com 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

USB adaptor

If context is unclear might add a "mains" or even "C" in the middle as needed.

[–] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 31 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days 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 2 days ago (7 children)

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

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[–] SoftestSapphic@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

Wall Adapter

[–] lightnsfw@reddthat.com 10 points 2 days ago

USB Charger

[–] wshrader@lemmy.today 13 points 2 days ago

“Charging block”

[–] Treczoks@lemmy.world 32 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] Leonixster@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Squares

The wonders of spanish

[–] wabafee@lemmy.world 2 points 1 day ago

Fire hazard

The Dingus. Wall wart. And a whole number of colorful names if I step on one with the prongs up, or roll my ankle on one in the dark!

[–] TropicalDingdong@lemmy.world 106 points 3 days ago (1 children)
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[–] SpaceCowboy@lemmy.ca 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

YF-W36-2U

Though sometimes like to be more specific and say something like "hey can you grab the blue YF-W36-2U for me?"

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[–] bigbabybilly@lemmy.world 57 points 3 days ago (5 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.

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[–] MattTheProgrammer@lemmy.world 11 points 2 days ago

I call those release the Epstein files

[–] papertowels@mander.xyz 4 points 2 days ago

Chargie boys.

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 15 points 2 days ago

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

[–] qaz@lemmy.world 5 points 2 days ago

Charging block

[–] Resplendent606@piefed.social 72 points 3 days ago (6 children)
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[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 day ago

USB charger brick.

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