What do you call this?

[sparkwright]

Pattress is an odd word anyhow - isn't that what the wooden plinth behind toggle switches and old ceiling roses used to be called?

 

[sparkwright]

.

 

[ETAF]

not trade, but did a lot of electrical work in the 80's and always called the metal/plastic that set into a wall as back box's - otherwise Surface boxes.

 

[Jackrae]

Pattress is an odd word anyhow - isn't that what the wooden plinth behind toggle switches and old ceiling roses used to be called?

According to decent dictionaries, that's exactly what it is.

 

[ericmark]

But there are people (not too far from here) who describe the device with 3 rectangular holes as a “plug socket”. Whatever that is..,.,

a plug socket?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

Pattress is an odd word anyhow - isn't that what the wooden plinth behind toggle switches and old ceiling roses used to be called?

That is what I would have in mind if someone mentioned a pattress. The box in question looks like a sunk metal back box, for a cooker isolator.