# Eddy



## swedgen (Mar 29, 2011)

What is the origin of the term eddy? Havin a heated debate with coworkers and wife. 


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## jrplefty (Jul 30, 2014)

The application of the word eddy to the whitewater world comes directly from fluid dynamics. 

I can't say for sure that he coined the term, but Osborne Reynolds was one of the first scientists to conduct experiments that visualized turbulent fluid flow in the late 1800's, hence the Reynolds number, which is used to determine at what point fluid flow will become turbulent based on specific physical properties.


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## mattman (Jan 30, 2015)

It is also named after the slowest guide on the river, in this case, Eddy.


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## COcfs (Apr 25, 2015)

From Middle English eddy, from Old English edēa (< ed- "turning" + ēa "water"), equivalent to ed- +‎ ea.


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## rtsideup (Mar 29, 2009)

Thanks for droppin' the knowledge. 
I learned somthing today.
Never realized that Eddy was the slow guy.


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## raymo (Aug 10, 2008)

The word eddy in river slang means potty stop, safety stop, beer stop, smoke stop, photo stop, rest stop, scenic stop, collect my shit stop, flip my boat back over stop, where the hell am I stop. Oh stop!!!


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## RiverHippie (Jan 14, 2015)

And this whole time I thought it was because of Eddie Vedder...


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