To add to the confusion, in UK english Kerosene is a synonym for Paraffin, but Paraffin is a *group* of compounds, so named because of their lack (par) of affin(ity) for other substances. A group can't be a synonym for a single instance thus the two terms are not mutually interchangable. Paraffin ranges from wax to near-gases at room temperatures. Kerosene, or what Aussies call Kero' is liquid, but volatile at room temperature. Paraffin also includes substances taken as a laxative. Hence the joke in 'three men in a boat' about not taking Paraffin in a boat again, unless prone to a sore tummy (they spill the stove fuel all over the food). If you go asking for Paraffin in the UK, be specific about what its for! You get one kind in small glass bottles at the chemist (== pharmacist) and the other kind dyed blue or pink in metal cans from the ironmongers. Don't get me started on what a monger is, thats a whole another can of worms. and why does an Iron monger sell patently non-iron fluids? Dero's Drink Kero. I suspect this is much like Bums drinking Drano. Metho is both better and worse, it does get you drunk, but it is methanol and so leads to blindness. not all Kerosene is methanol. Mind you, the smell of somebody who has been drinking meths I would walk a country mile to avoid. Ah, memories of childhood. Its amazing how a bit of social engineering like legalizing off-racecourse gambling cast an entire generation of pre- and post-WWII spivs on the dustheap, hence the volumes of metho-drinkers walking the streets of Edinburgh who used to be bookies runners. Paraffin lamps, and diesel or 'oil' engines which use non-sparkplug ingnition often need pre-heating. It used to be a common sight to see somebody using metho to light a blowlamp (the metho heats the tube to vapourize the paraffin, so it will ignite at the jet), then use the blowlamp to pre-heat the heavy oil in the oil-engine, then manually turn the engine to start the cycle. Oil engines run slow, like donkey engines in a texas oilfield, one thump a second or less! Talk about a three stage bootstrap. -George -- George Michaelson | APNIC Email: ggm@apnic.net | PO Box 2131 Milton QLD 4064 Phone: +61 7 3367 0490 | Australia Fax: +61 7 3367 0482 | http://www.apnic.net