[crashryan]

You're right, Panther. That's supposed to be the joke: the guy scammed them with a non-working motor. When he was called out he pretended the motor was fine but would only work with "petrol." And this being a comic, both Merton and his dad were too dense to realize they were being played for suckers.

Link to the book: Meet Merton 1

[The Australian Panther]

D'OH!

[Captain Audio]

The English also called Kerosen "Parafin".
In the USA Parafin is a type of wax.

[paw broon]

Paraffin??? I'll give you paraffin:-
https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofScotland/James-Paraffin-Young/

[Robb_K]

The English also called Kerosen "Parafin".
In the USA Parafin is a type of wax.

What is "kerosen"?  Is it the raw form of kerosene?  I've never seen that term.  I thought that paraffin was the UK term for the US/Canadian term: kerosene.

[Captain Audio]

The English also called Kerosen "Parafin".
In the USA Parafin is a type of wax.

What is "kerosen"?  Is it the raw form of kerosene?  I've never seen that term.  I thought that paraffin was the UK term for the US/Canadian term: kerosene.

Thats how you type Kerosene with cat hair under the keys.

[crashryan]

Not a comic goes by without offering a rabbit hole to crawl down. Following Paw's fascinating article about James Young, I came across this bit of interesting trivia in Wikipedia's entry on kerosene:

Kerosene is often used in the entertainment industry for fire performances, such as fire breathing, fire juggling or poi, and fire dancing. Because of its low flame temperature when burnt in free air, the risk is lower should the performer come in contact with the flame. Kerosene is generally not recommended as fuel for indoor fire dancing, as it produces an unpleasant (to some) odor, which becomes poisonous in sufficient concentration. Ethanol was sometimes used instead, but the flames it produces look less impressive, and its lower flash point poses a high risk.

[Captain Audio]

Kerosene is also the basis for diesel fuel and jet fuel.