Fun Fact #342 Gas Guzzlers

 Fun Fact #342

Gas Guzzlers

The invention of the Otto Engine in 1876 presented the world powers of the time period with an interesting opportunity. Most countries at the time with large scale navies ran their boiler rooms off coal fires, which was heavy, dirty, difficult to load, and hard to find in foreign ports making it hard to refuel outside of friendly territory. Yet Otto’s engine could run off of simple heating oil (kerosene) which was available at nearly every port by the barrel load. Yet for Britain and Germany –early adopters of the technology– they just couldn't meet the demand domestically and sought ways to improve. 

One such way would be to take Kerosene’s waste product and refine it into Ligroin and later used it in Kerosene-Gasoline Hybrid engines being much more efficient. Yet they still didn't have enough fuel, becoming a minor factor in the rising tensions just before World War 1. Because of Gasoline’s importance, it would be called “Motor Spirit” in legal documents for the British commonwealths. This is also why fuel used in Aviation would be called “Aviation Spirit” or “Air Spirit” but this term only remains in legal use in Nigeria from what I could find.

In light of this I would like to know but found no answer to:

 Does mean if a can of Gas is above your head then it is technically in “High Spirits”? What if someone fuels up your car before driving a passenger somewhere, could you then say they were “Spirited Away”?

Image of a Gas truck from WW1: