Flimsy vs. Slight
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Flimsy
The flimsy, officially known as the Petrol, Oil and Water can, was a World War II fuel container used by the British Army. They held 4 imperial gallons (18 l; 4.8 US gal) of fuel, which allowed them to be moved by a single person.The flimsy was well known for leaking; when used in the North African Campaign, some flimsies leaked 20%, and in some cases over 50% of the fuel they carried over a journey. One quartermaster reported that his 70,000 imperial gallons (320,000 l; 84,000 US gal) of fuel had been reduced to just 30,000 over the journey - and was informed that even this was a "good effort".The problem with the containers was the crimped or soldered seams, which easily split during transportation, especially over the rocky desert terrain in North Africa. Containers were stacked on top of each other during shipping, and the upper layers crushed those below, resulting in fuel flowing freely in the bilges, with the resulting poisoning and fire risks.The favoured use by soldiers for the flimsy was as a small stove which could be used to heat meals and tea for the crews. A soldier would cut the flimsy in half, fill the bottom half with petrol-soaked sand and balance the other half on top, filled with water. This was known as a Benghazi Boiler or Benghazi Burner, after the embattled town of Benghazi.Both 4 gallon flimsies and the original 2 gallon cans were replaced by the jerrycan, copied from the much better German design of fuel container. This happened gradually from late 1940, first from captured stock of German jerrycans, then with British-made copies.
Flimsy (adjective)
Likely to bend or break under pressure.
"weak|shaky|flexible|fragile"
"robust|strong|sturdy"
"He expected the flimsy structure to collapse at any moment."
Flimsy (adjective)
Weak; ill-founded.
"weak|feeble|unconvincing"
"well-founded|substantiated"
"a flimsy excuse"
Flimsy (noun)
Thin typing paper used to make multiple copies.
Flimsy (noun)
A service certificate
Flimsy (noun)
Skimpy underwear.
Flimsy (noun)
A banknote.
Slight (adjective)
Small in amount, gentle, or weak; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe.
"a slight (i.e. feeble) effort;"
"a slight (i.e. not deep) impression;"
"a slight (i.e. not convincing) argument;"
"a slight (i.e. not thorough) examination;"
"a slight (i.e. not severe) pain;"
"in the slight future (i.e. the very near future)"
Slight (adjective)
Not stout or heavy; slender.
"a slight but graceful woman"
Slight (adjective)
Even, smooth or level; still (of the sea).
"A slight stone"
"The sea was slight and calm"
Slight (adjective)
Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.
"author=w|Samuel Butler|title=Hudibras|year=1859|section=Canto 1, lines 781-784|passage=But no beast ever was so slight,For man, as for his god, to fight;They have more wit, alas! and knowThemselves and us better than so."
Slight (adjective)
Bad, of poor quality (as goods).
"A gullible chapman was fooled into buying really slight goods."
Slight (adjective)
Slighting; treating with disdain.
Slight (verb)
To treat as slight or not worthy of attention; to make light of.
Slight (verb)
To give lesser weight or importance to.
Slight (verb)
To treat with disdain or neglect, usually out of prejudice, hatred, or jealousy; to ignore disrespectfully.
Slight (verb)
To act negligently or carelessly.
Slight (verb)
To render no longer defensible by full or partial demolition.
Slight (verb)
To make even or level.
Slight (verb)
To throw heedlessly.
Slight (noun)
The act of slighting; a deliberate act of neglect or discourtesy.
Slight (noun)
Sleight.
Flimsy (adjective)
Weak; feeble; limp; slight; vain; without strength or solidity; of loose and unsubstantial structure; without reason or plausibility; as, a flimsy argument, excuse, objection.
Flimsy (noun)
Thin or transfer paper.
Flimsy (noun)
A bank note.
Slight (noun)
Sleight.
Slight (noun)
The act of slighting; the manifestation of a moderate degree of contempt, as by neglect or oversight; neglect; indignity.
Slight
To overthrow; to demolish.
Slight
To make even or level.
Slight
To throw heedlessly.
Slight
To disregard, as of little value and unworthy of notice; to make light of; as, to slight the divine commands.
Slight (adjective)
Not decidedly marked; not forcible; inconsiderable; unimportant; insignificant; not severe; weak; gentle; - applied in a great variety of circumstances; as, a slight (i. e., feeble) effort; a slight (i. e., perishable) structure; a slight (i. e., not deep) impression; a slight (i. e., not convincing) argument; a slight (i. e., not thorough) examination; slight (i. e., not severe) pain, and the like.
Slight (adjective)
Not stout or heavy; slender.
Slight (adjective)
Foolish; silly; weak in intellect.
Slight (adverb)
Slightly.
Flimsy (noun)
a thin strong light-weight translucent paper used especially for making carbon copies
Flimsy (adjective)
lacking solidity or strength;
"a flimsy table"
"flimsy construction"
"a fragile link with the past"
Flimsy (adjective)
having little substance or significance;
"a flimsy excuse"
"slight evidence"
"a tenuous argument"
"a thin plot"
Flimsy (adjective)
very thin and insubstantial;
"thin paper"
"flimsy voile"
"light summer dresses"
Flimsy (adjective)
resembling cardboard especially in flimsiness;
"apartments with cardboard walls"
Slight (noun)
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
Slight (verb)
pay no attention to, disrespect;
"She cold-shouldered her ex-fiance"
Slight (adjective)
having little substance or significance;
"a flimsy excuse"
"slight evidence"
"a tenuous argument"
"a thin plot"
Slight (adjective)
almost no or (with `a') at least some; very little;
"there's slight chance that it will work"
"there's a slight chance it will work"
Slight (adjective)
being of delicate or slender build;
"she was slender as a willow shoot is slender"
"a slim girl with straight blonde hair"
"watched her slight figure cross the street"
Flimsy Illustrations
