What Do You Call It -- Those colorful devices at many Intersections???

[Rothman]

The colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"

That's what my grandmother always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.

I'm not so sure that it is a Wisconsin thing, having lived there myself.

[CtrlAltDel]

The colloquial term for them in Wisconsin is "stop and go lights"

That's what my grandmother always called them. I thought it was an old-fashioned thing, not a Wisconsin thing, but now I know.

I'm not so sure that it is a Wisconsin thing, having lived there myself.

Oh. Well, maybe now I don't know.

[kphoger]

No, people in Wisconsin call them a 'bubbler', except they pronounce it 'pellow'.

[Big John]

^^We can drink to that.

[Scott5114]

When they turn yellow at the exact wrong moment: "little fucking piece of shit"

Fun fact, each lens in a stoplight housing is at least a foot across.

So the technically correct terminology is just "fucking piece of shit".

[freebrickproductions]

When they turn yellow at the exact wrong moment: "little fucking piece of shit"

Fun fact, each lens in a stoplight housing is at least a foot across.

So the technically correct terminology is just "fucking piece of shit".

Depends, there are still a good few 8 inch signals out there, especially in New York City.

[paulthemapguy]

"Lights" is a bad term to use, because "light" can refer to a device providing illumination rather than a device giving information on whether it is safe to proceed. A device providing illumination is referred to as a "lamp", or a "luminaire" if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights and the infrastructure supporting them should always be called "signals" for the sake of accuracy and concision. If you want to get more detailed and describe heads, indications, or sections, use the words for heads, indications, or sections.

[kphoger]

... if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights ... should always be called "signals" ...

Removed excess wording for clarity. 

[GaryV]

if you want to be pretentious.

What if you wanted to be pedantic?
 

[Big John]

if you want to be pretentious.

What if you wanted to be pedantic?
 

I would correct the minor errors.

[paulthemapguy]

... if you want to be pretentious. The sets of red-yellow-green lights ... should always be called "signals" ...

Removed excess wording for clarity. 

eat shit.

[Molandfreak]

If they have a flashing yellow arrow sequence, they're traffic lights. If they don't, they're stoplights.