# The rubber band has become loose/ has lost its elasticity



## English nerd

If a rubber band loses its elasticity, then what sounds natural:

This rubber band has lost its elasticity.
Or
This rubber band has become loose.

What sounds better and more natural: "elasticity/loose"?
Thank you)


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## Hermione Golightly

Usually when that happens, the band breaks because it's old. We can say the band has 'perished'. 'The band has lost its elasticity' is not wrong.


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## English nerd

And what about "the band has become loose." ?


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## Hermione Golightly

It's not a good way of describing what has happened to it. You could say 'This band won't stretch any more.'


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## velisarius

I'd talk about the elastic band being loose only if it was already stretched around something.

_This package I found is coming apart. Look, the elastic band is very loose. It must have perished; it's a very old package._


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## reno33

In the US, we'd tend to say something like:

*This rubber band has been stretched too much*.  (Although the above examples are  also used).


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## English nerd

reno33 said:


> This rubber band has been stretched too much


Is this used to mean that the band has "lost its elasticity" and has "perished"?



reno33 said:


> Although the above examples are also used).


In the US will "loose" be used only when it has been stretched around something or can it be used as a general statement, as well to express that the band has lost "its elasticity "?


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## reno33

English nerd said:


> Is* this used to mean that the band has "lost its elasticity" and has "perished"?*
> 
> *Yes.....if a rubber band has been stretched too much, it is implied that it has lost its elasticity.*
> 
> I*n the US will "loose" be used only when it has been stretched around something or can it be used as a general statement, as well to express that the band has lost "its elasticity "?*



*No, the term "loose" can be used as a general statement.  (Ex:  rubber bands, for example, can become "loose" by too much exposure to the sun). And yes, "stretched too much" implies that the elasticity has been lost.*


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## reno33

A related "caution".  In the US, online writers have a difficult time distinguishing between "loose" and "lose". I would say easily 50% of the time the wrong term is used.  If you're a non-native English speaker, be careful of this error. 

*(Note that they are neither spelled (spelt) nor pronounced the same.*

*Note---see my post #8 above:  the term "perished" is never used in the US to indicate loss of elasticity.*


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## velisarius

But would you say, reno, that a rubber band is "loose" when it isn't actually being used? Imagine you are looking for an elastic band and you find one that has been out in the sun for too long and has obviously lost its elasticity, would you still say that it's "loose", even before you tried to use it?


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## reno33

velisarius said:


> *But would you say, reno, that a rubber band is "loose" when it isn't actually being used? Imagine you are looking for an elastic band and you find one that has been out in the sun for too long and has obviously lost its elasticity, would you still say that it's "loose", even before you tried to use it?*



Well, that's a good question because I've never experienced such an event.  What we'd *actually* say, in AE is most likely is something like this:

*Assuming an unused rubber band just being removed from it's recepticle:*

*Oh, darn.....look.  This rubber band looks like it's really loose (meaning flaccid).* *We probably won't be able to use it.*

So to answer your question specifically, yes, in AE I believe "loose" would be acceptable in a case like this.  *In other words.....something can become loose not through "use" necessarily, but through "events" (like the sun overheating the recepticle"*


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## English nerd

So in the US, it can be used without actually using it, right? (Because it'd be obvious, I guess)



reno33 said:


> So to answer your question specifically, yes, in AE I believe "loose" would be acceptable in a case like this. *In other words.....something can become loose not through "use" necessarily, but through "events" (like the sun overheating the recepticle*


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## reno33

English nerd said:


> *So in the US, it can be used without actually using it, right?* (Because it'd be obvious, I guess)



*You mean, can it be called a "used rubber band" without actually having been used somehow??  
No, that's not correct. * 

*If you want to call it a "used rubber band"*, *it would actually in reality had to have been used by someone sometime.* *But it can be a "loose" rubber band without actually having been used.* 

*Bottom line*: *the rubber band can be both "loose" and "unused" at one and the same time !!!  At least in AE.*


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## Barque

Hermione Golightly said:


> You could say 'This band won't stretch any more.'


I think this is what I'd say. Or: _It doesn't stretch._

Something I think I've heard: _It's lost its stretch._


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## You little ripper!

Barque said:


> I think this is what I'd say. Or: _It doesn't stretch._
> 
> Something I think I've heard: _It's lost its stretch._


Don’t forget the ‘sexy’, Barque! 

Why Do Rubber Bands Lose Their Elasticity? » Science ABC

Their predictable stretch and elastic embrace help to keep things secure, but nothing lasts forever, and you’ve surely noticed that over time, rubber bands start to lose their sexy stretch. Eventually, they’re just useless rings of worn-out rubber, or they snap under certain conditions.​


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## Barque

ewie said:


> _This elastic band has lost its twang. _[everyday]


Sounds like a good start to a nursery rhyme.

_This elastic band has lost its twang
All on a summer's day.
This elastic band has lost its whang
All on a summer's day.
This elastic band has lost all heart
All on a summer's day.
It has perished after doing its part 
All on a summer's day._


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## English nerd

reno33 said:


> You mean, can it be called a "used rubber band" without actually having been used somehow??
> No, that's not correct



No, that's not what I meant.  I meant  that can "loose" be used of that rubber band hasn't been stretched around the hair, only to realize that the rubberband has lost its stretch and elasticity.


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## Barque

English nerd said:


> I meant that can "loose" be used of that rubber band hasn't been stretched around the hair, only to realize that the rubberband has lost its stretch and elasticity.


Sorry, but I don't understand your question. I suspect you mean "has" and not "hasn't" but it'd be better if you clarified.


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## English nerd

Let me put it more clearly...

Can "loose" be used when we haven't stretched it around the hair?


velisarius said:


> would you still say that it's "loose", even before you tried to use it?


So can "loose" be used when you just look at the rubber band and decide that it has lost its stretch without actually  putting   it on?

P.S. Corrected the typo.


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## PaulQ

English nerd said:


> So can "loose" be used when you just look at the rubber band and decide that it has lost its stretch without actually putting it on?


No.


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## Barque

English nerd said:


> So can "loose" be used when you just look at the rubber band and decide that it has lost its stretch without actually put it on?


You could say: _It looks like it'd be too loose. _"Looks" can mean "feels" too here, or "seems".


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## velisarius

If I opened a drawer and found a heap of elastic/rubber bands inside, I might say "There are some loose rubber bands in here", meaning that they are not in a packet. They are loose, like _loose change_, or _loose sweets_.


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## PaulQ

English nerd said:


> So can "loose" be used when you just look at the rubber band and decide that it has lost its stretch without actually put it on?


Loose is not correct if you intend to indicate that the rubber band is perished. *Loose *and *perished *are not synonyms.


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## English nerd

I actually want it to mean that it won't stretch, not exactly "pershied", as I know that it wouldn't snap, it won't just tie my hair together properly because it has lost its elasticity......


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## English nerd

So will "loose" be wrong? 
Well, it's kind of two opinions going on here.......


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## Eric Chengdu

reno33 said:


> "stretched too much" implies that the elasticity has been lost.


It seems "stretched too much" *not necessarily* implies that the elasticity has been lost.  Good-qulity rubber is very elastic and stretchy, it will regain its shape unless it breaks, although it's stretched too much.


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## reno33

Eric Chengdu said:


> *It seems "stretched too much" not necessarily implies that the elasticity has been lost.  Good-qulity rubber is very elastic and stretchy, it will regain its shape unless it breaks, although it's stretched too much*.



*"Perish" the thought.*


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## English nerd

And @reno33 , will you use "loose" without actually trying on the rubberband, and just looking at it and holding it in your hands and deciding that it'll be loose because it has become loose as it has lost its elasticity......
So what do you think?


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## kentix

I would say it has become stiff or brittle. If it has lost its elasticity then it won't stretch and if you try to stretch it then it breaks because it's brittle.

["Perished" amuses me. Is it used anywhere else for ordinary minor household goods ?]


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## london calling

kentix said:


> I would say it has become stiff or brittle. If it has lost its elasticity then it won't stretch and if you try to stretch it then it breaks because it's brittle.
> 
> ["Perished" amuses me. Is it used anywhere else for ordinary minor household goods ?]


Yes, if it has lost its elasticity it has become stiff or brittle. 

Oxford dictionaries :

_Perish_
2 (of rubber, food, etc.) lose its normal qualities; rot or decay.

_‘an abandoned tyre whose rubber had perished’_

More example sentences

_‘Some argue that organic fruit and vegetables perish quickly, but there's no need to waste food that has reached the end of its shelf life.’_
_‘Except the dry leaves, they leave all vegetation to grow and perish in the field itself to enrich the soil.’_
_‘It's worth jacking the car up and having a look at the brake lines (which carry fluid to the brakes), in particular the flexible rubber hoses which can crack and perish.’_
_‘Since you're looking for foods that don't perish too fast and can be eaten without silverware, I suggest plant-based foods for lunches.’_
_‘Oh, how foolish we are to labor for the bread that perishes.’_
_‘Leaks due to cracked or perished rubber make accurate measurement of blood pressure difficult because the fall in mercury cannot be controlled.’_
_‘The tree's bright green foliage contrasted with the swing, whose wood had long perished, cut off from its source of life, and was now numb to the world.’_


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## Eric Chengdu

kentix said:


> I would say it has become stiff or brittle


The worse case scenario is *it has dried out.* I think.* *Is it possible for the rubber bands to "dry rot"?


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## reno33

Readers should be aware that the word "perish" is used sparingly in AE and is actually eschewed in favor of other words such as "rot"  and "decay".  (So is the word "eschew" by the way.....which, like "perish" is considered "effete" and pretentious) - to the point that using "perish" in the same breath as "rubber band" could easily evoke titters if not guffaws from your audience, large or small.


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## kentix

I honestly thought it was a joke at first. I smiled before I realized it was meant in a straightforward way. I imagined a little rubber band funeral.


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## london calling

Eric Chengdu said:


> Is it possible for the rubber bands to "dry rot"?


Definitely not.


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## london calling

Perished Rubber Bands - Materials - Materials Library: instituteofmaking.org.uk

For our American friends:

Perished Rubber Bands



_________

Over time, rubber loses its ability to stretch, becoming hard and brittle. This process of perishing occurs because exposure of the rubber to light and air induces chemical changes in the polyisoprene over time.


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## English nerd

But can "loose" be used?


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## bennymix

reno33 said:


> Well, that's a good question because I've never experienced such an event.  What we'd *actually* say, in AE is most likely is something like this:
> 
> *Assuming an unused rubber band just being removed from it's recepticle:*
> 
> *Oh, darn.....look.  This rubber band looks like it's really loose (meaning flaccid).* *We probably won't be able to use it.*
> 
> So to answer your question specifically, yes, in AE I believe "loose" would be acceptable in a case like this.  *In other words.....something can become loose not through "use" necessarily, but through "events" (like the sun overheating the recepticle"*



I agree with Velisarius, here, and disagree with Reno:   A band is not 'loose' (AE) unless it's on/around something.    After all, a stretched-out band might be usable on a larger item where it's NOT loose.


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## reno33

[QUOTE="london calling, post: 18187648, member: 223018] *Perished Rubber Bands - Materials - Materials Library: instituteofmaking.org.uk*
_*For our American friends:    Perished Rubber Bands*

*View attachment 30168Over time, rubber loses its ability to stretch, becoming hard and brittle. This process of perishing occurs because exposure of the rubber to light and air induces chemical changes in the polyisoprene over time.*[/QUOTE]_

*I must say, there's something indecorous and scabrous about your attached picture.  I kinda have to cover my eyes when I look at it.....it's sort of "blinding".  But ok, you use "perish" with rubber bands in GB.  All I'm saying is, we in the USA don't. (and never will).*


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## london calling

bennymix said:


> I agree with Velisarius, here, and disagree with Reno:   A band is not 'loose' (AE) unless it's on/around something.    After all, a stretched-out band might be usable on a larger item where it's NOT loose.


I agree with Veli too.


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## london calling

reno33 said:


> [QUOTE="london calling, post: 18187648, member: 223018"*]But ok, you use "perish" with rubber bands in GB.  All I'm saying is, we in the USA don't. (and never will).*


Nobody's asking you to. You  say a lot of things on the other side of the pond that I'd never say, even on pain of death.

That said, I think we all agree that this could have been written by any native speaker of English, whichever brand they happen to speak:

_Over time, rubber loses its ability to stretch, becoming hard and brittle.  _


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## bennymix

There is another wrinkle, here.   I have a jar of  _loose rubber bands_.   That is, they are not in use.   Nothing to do with elasticity.
Similarly,   "The machine go jammed up because of a loose rubber band."   Here, the band ends up where it's not supposed to be.

PS:   Applying 'perished' to rotten bands seems (AE) unduly dramatic and weird.


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## reno33

london calling said:


> *Nobody's asking you to. You  say a lot of things on the other side of the pond that I'd never say, even on pain of death.  That said, I think we all agree that this could have been written by any native speaker of English, whichever brand they happen to speak:*
> 
> _*Over time, rubber loses its ability to stretch, becoming hard and brittle. *_



Totally agree with that.  Your sentence beginning with "*Over time....*" could easily grace the pages of a Chemistry book in both GB and the US, no doubt.  What you would not find in a US book is:  *"**Over time, rubber becomes hard and brittle and  perishes."*


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## london calling

I get that. Merriam-Webster says it's 'Chiefly British'.


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## kentix

I think loose can describe a new rubber band that is wrapped around something too small for it, so you have to double it up or triple it up.

But an old, brittle rubber band I would call the opposite of loose, it's stiff.


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## bennymix




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## london calling

I'm sure you don't say this in the States but the Brits (and Newzealanders) do. Obviously it's very colloquial.

It's lost its ping!

Source: Familydiary.co.nz. Ping. I quote:

_Other real-life examples of oxidation include plastic that has become brittle and powdery with age and sunlight and a rubber band that has lost its ‘ping’. _


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## london calling

reno33 said:


> * To me it sounds, schizoid, demented and frightening.  *


I think that's a very rude comment to make.


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## English nerd

So in a nutshell "loose" won't be used, it might mean that the rubberband is too big for that particular thing, though it might still be elastic. "Stiff", "can't be stretched" and "stiff" can be used.

And "perish" only in Britain  and in NZ.

Right???


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## Barque

English nerd said:


> And "perish" only in Britain and in NZ.


You've misunderstood London Calling's post #47. She was talking about "It's lost its ping" when she said it's used in Britain and New Zealand.

"Ping" is a made up word, to describe the sound/feel of a stretched rubber band snapping back from a stretched state.


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## English nerd

Though, won't "become loose" imply that I wasn't loose in the past but now it has become loose because it has lost its elasticity?

The rubber band has become loose.  (It wasn't loose, it has become loose now.. See it's not "the rubber band is loose", it is " the rubber band has become loose." )


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## velisarius

I regard the verb "perish", in the context of a material that looses its characteristic suppleness and stretch, as a technical term that is also in common use by laymen (so no mental images of funerals for elastic bands).

(I find more and more plastic and elastic items prematurely perishing on me nowadays, whereas their more sturdy predecessors used to soldier on for years and years. This is no accident of course.)


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## bennymix

velisarius said:


> I regard the verb "perish", in the context of a material that looses its characteristic suppleness and stretch, as a technical term that is also in common use by laymen (so no mental images of funerals for elastic bands).
> 
> (I find more and more plastic and elastic items prematurely perishing on me nowadays, whereas their more sturdy predecessors used to soldier on for years and years. This is no accident of course.)



We (AE, CE) sometimes say the verb 'perish' for fruits and vegetables;  that's because we commonly say they are _perishable_.

I also think of over-written romance novels.  "Her thoughts of a wedding perished with the news that he was married."

Rubber items, esp. rubber bands, not so much!


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## london calling

Barque said:


> You've misunderstood London Calling's post #47. She was talking about "It's lost its ping" when she said it's used in Britain and New Zealand.
> .


Indeed. That said, I wouldn't be surprised if the Aussies and the Kiwis use 'perish' the same way we do.


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## reno33

[QUOTE="london calling, post: 18187734, member: 223018"*]I think that's a very rude comment to make.*[/QUOTE]

Well, I apologize  No rudeness or offense was intended.  To clear the deck, I will now delete the relevant post.


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## Hermione Golightly

*



			To me it sounds, schizoid, demented and frightening.  In a universe where a measly rubber brand can perish, is there anything that cannot "perish"??  To me, the usage actually boggles the mind.
		
Click to expand...

*To that, I'd say 'Perish the thought!' except there is none. It is the correct word for rubber that is useless and well ... dead.


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## LVRBC

English nerd said:


> Though, won't "become loose" imply that I wasn't loose in the past but now it has become loose because it has lost its elasticity?
> 
> The rubber band has become loose.  (It wasn't loose, it has become loose now.. See it's not "the rubber band is loose", it is " the rubber band has become loose." )


When rubber bands lose their elasticity, they do not usually become loose, but rather stay the same size until someone tries to stretch them, at which point they break.


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## Eric Chengdu

Barque said:


> "It's lost its ping"





Barque said:


> This elastic band has lost its twang


In relation to the rubber band, "ping" and "twang" are used to discribe the same thing? Thanks


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## bennymix

LVRBC said:


> When rubber bands lose their elasticity, they do not usually become loose, but rather stay the same size until someone tries to stretch them, at which point they break.




Good point.  "loose" applied to a decaying, stiff, or inelastic rubber band seems questionable (AE).


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## Barque

Eric Chengdu said:


> In relation to the rubber band, "ping" and "twang" are used to discribe the same thing?


Yes - the sound/feel when a band snaps back after you stretch it.


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## JulianStuart

I am quite happy using perish to describe the process of aging of rubber bands as they become cracked and/or brittle. Some will slowly lose their ability to shrink back to their original size after being repeatedly stretched or sustained in a stretch. For me, a word to describe that state is “slack”, rather than “loose”.


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## Eric Chengdu

Barque said:


> Yes - the sound/feel when a band snaps back after you stretch it.


Thank you very much, Barque


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## PaulQ

English nerd said:


> I actually want it to mean that it won't stretch, not exactly "pershied" perished, as I know that it wouldn't snap, it won't just tie my hair together properly because it has lost its elasticity......


How else does an elastic band lose its elasticity, other than by perishing? Whether a rubber band (even a new one) snaps or not depends entirely on how much force is applied.

You seem to have misunderstood "to perish": in this context it roughly means "to degrade".


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## Eric Chengdu

English nerd said:


> I actually want it to mean that it won't stretch, not exactly "perished", as I know that it wouldn't snap, it won't just tie my hair together properly because it has lost its elasticity......


I think English Nerd might talk about other possible situations, in which those rubber bands behave more like plastic ones. I've encountered the similar situation several times. I got those rubber bands from a local market at a very cheap price, they looked and felt like any other rubber bands on the outside. when you use them for small items, they have no much difference from "normal ones". I mean it still can shrink back to its original size if you don't apply too much force. But when you use them for big enough items, you'll be surprised to find that they are so "ductile" that they can be stretched into thin "threads" like plastic or wire and even don't break. They can't go back to its original length anymore and are several times longer and thiner than they were after taking them off. like English Nerd said, they won't snap and stretch anymore and lose its elasticity completely, so you can't use them to tie hair or anything, they turn out to be some "thin plastic thread". I guess the rubber manufacturer must have added exccesive recycled plastic to cut costs. That happened almost ten years ago, since then I've never used rubber bands of that quality.


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## kentix

PaulQ said:


> How else does an elastic band lose its elasticity, other than by perishing?


It seems to do it over here without perishing.

The word (dry) rot is used. Here's an article that describes the technical side of rubber going bad and why it's not dry rot but is still thought of as rot. It would be said about car tires and large items like that. I'm not sure it would be said about rubber bands. We don't stress like that over rubber bands, which is why "perish" sounds melodramatic to us. If we can't even say they're rotten, imagine trying to say they have gone to the great beyond. We use perish for fruit because bad fruit looks like a decaying body. A bad tire, and even less so, a bad rubber band, doesn't.
https://www.polymersolutions.com/blog/why-does-rubber-dry-rot/


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## PaulQ

kentix said:


> The word (dry) rot is used.


In BE, rubber always perishes. (Tyres, too).

Dry rot is what a British house might suffer from - it is a fungus that attacks wood. *Rot* also implies a fungal attack of some sort. 
OED 
*Perish:*
5. intransitive.
* a. Of an object or substance: to decay, deteriorate, or rot; to fall into ruin or disrepair. Also: to be destroyed or devastated.*
▸ a1382   Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1969) Jer. xlviii. 8   Pershen shul valeis, & wastid shul ben wilde feldis.
1857   J. Ruskin Polit. Econ. Art ii. 120   Giotto's frescos at Assisi are perishing..for want of decent care.
1883   J. A. Symonds Shakspere's Predecessors (1900) vii. 197   They [sc. the plays] perished in thumbed MSS..before arriving at the honours of the press.

BE also uses '*perishing*' as a mild oath; it is similar in meaning to "rotten" -> "What's that perishing (=slightly milder than "damn") dog doing in my chair!"


kentix said:


> which is why "perish" sounds melodramatic to us.


When you say it like that, it does sound melodramatic


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## English nerd

And last question...
You're assuming the rubber bands made of cloth (elastic  cloth) right (towel rubber bands)? Because  that's what I mean.
Actually I thought you might  be assuming only the "rubber " rubber bands.....





And not this one:


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## Barque

English nerd said:


> You're assuming the rubber bands made of cloth (elastic cloth) right (towel rubber bands)?


The term "rubber band" usually (as far as I know) refers to bands made of only rubber - the sort shown in your last picture - and used for such things as keeping a map tightly rolled or to close the neck of a plastic bag. 

I'd call the ones with elasticated cloth that women use to tie their hair, _hairbands_. But I'm no expert.


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## velisarius

I agree with Barque. A strip of stretchable fabric used as a hairband isn't a 'rubber band'.


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## PaulQ

English nerd said:


> Because that's what I mean.


It would have helped to mention that earlier... 
They are [ponytail] elastic hairbands.


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## kentix

Yes, those could be loose and floppy because the rubber is inside the cloth. The rubber can break down and lose its elasticity but is contained inside the cloth. So there is still a loop, but it's not an elastic loop, because it's simply cloth now and not cloth with functional rubber pulling it tight.


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## English nerd

A does "loose" sound natural with "hair ties" or " ponytail hair bands"?
That is:
It has become loose.

Maybe it should be : "it has lost its shape", "it has lost its stretch", "it has lost its elasticity" ,"it won't stretch" or "it has stretched out too much".
So what do you think?
Thank you
And sorry for the misunderstanding......


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## Myridon

"Loose" still means just "not tight."  You seem to want to force it to mean "it used to be capable of being tight but it is no longer capable of becoming tight".
If you say "My hair tie is loose.", then I will just think that you put it on loosely or perhaps it has stretched a bit.   It doesn't indicate that the hair tie has lost its elasticity.


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## Packard

Eric Chengdu said:


> The worse case scenario is *it has dried out.* I think.**Is it possible for the rubber bands to "dry rot"?


Rubber is a natural product harvested from trees.  In its natural state it lacks sufficient elasticity for many applications so the manufacturer adds oils and plasticisers to improve the elasticity.  The "dry rot" is caused by the breaking down of those added ingredients by oxidation and exposure to sunlight.  

While I would say, "The rubberband has lost its elasticity", I would not be surprised to hear, "The rubberband has lost its snap."


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