US/UK linguistics

[Colin the Bear]

Cue..... a billiards bat.

Queue ... to wait in line

Pool......American billiards.

 

[aldevis]

Pool......American billiards.

Do the play swimming?

 

[aldevis]

"people cueing outside the shop"

This form actually comes from some manager's memo when I worked in Virgin.

 

[ProfJames]

I must check my fanny pack for my my salary check

 

[llamedos]

We had a young man who had grown up in Zimbabwe staying with us and, when I asked him if he would like a cup of tea, he said "Yes, I'll have one just now." I gave it to him a few minutes later and he looked at me gone out. A few weeks later we went to visit his mother and after the usual greetings she said "I'll make a pot of tea just now." It appeared about half an hour later! You learn something new every day.

While we are on the subject of language, one little thing that for some reason grates my gears is "train station". Doubtless this is one of my personal little foibles as "bus station" seems quite normal but "station" on its own leaves me in no doubt that it refers to the place where trains arrive and depart without the need for further qualification. Or perhaps it's just an age thing.

End of gripe.

Dave

 

[kevgermany]

Sure?
"A society progressing on the path of civilization" is wrong?

This forum sometimes is ROFLing me.

You're right. I think the original objection was against it being used as a transitive verb, whereas it's intransitive. But in his indignation, TV overlooked the intransitive use.

E.g.
Transitive/incorrect:
The civil servant progressed the application for a tax rebate.

Intransitive/correct:
The tax rebate application progressed normally.

 

[kevgermany]

We had a young man who had grown up in Zimbabwe staying with us and, when I asked him if he would like a cup of tea, he said "Yes, I'll have one just now." I gave it to him a few minutes later and he looked at me gone out. A few weeks later we went to visit his mother and after the usual greetings she said "I'll make a pot of tea just now." It appeared about half an hour later! You learn something new every day.

While we are on the subject of language, one little thing that for some reason grates my gears is "train station". Doubtless this is one of my personal little foibles as "bus station" seems quite normal but "station" on its own leaves me in no doubt that it refers to the place where trains arrive and depart without the need for further qualification. Or perhaps it's just an age thing.

End of gripe.

Dave

Same in SA.
Just now = later
Now now = straight away.

And bum means to scrounge or cadge. As in 'May I bum a lift with you?'. Gets interesting when smokers use the same verb and fag to scrounge a cigarette.

Agree on station/train station, but railway station is acceptable.

 

[BigMartin]

While we are on the subject of language, one little thing that for some reason grates my gears is "train station". Doubtless this is one of my personal little foibles as "bus station" seems quite normal but "station" on its own leaves me in no doubt that it refers to the place where trains arrive and depart without the need for further qualification.

And if you need to make the distinction it's not a train station over here, it's a railway station. (And definitely not a railroad station).

Or perhaps it's just an age thing.

Almost certainly .

 

[ProfJames]

It's a train station in this part of the UK! But I agree that it is an age thing

 

[Jeanette]

Sure?
"A society progressing on the path of civilization" is wrong?

This forum sometimes is ROFLing me.

But only out of fondness

Jx

 

[Ivan]

On the second to last train I took they repeatedly announced the next 'Station stop'

I was glad that on my most recent train excursion down the same track they'd gone back to announcing the next 'Station' on the grounds that stopping there was a given

 

[ProfJames]

At Twickenham train station the little cafe has a sign when closed that reads....."Shut........Happens"

 

[Targa]

On the subject of trains, I went on one into town on Wednesday for the first time since the sixties.
It didn't have a steam engine.

 

[U CAN CALL ME AL]

Be careful what you ask for at the chemist:-


Durex (disambiguation)

• Durex is a brand of condoms made by a UK-based company.
  
  It could also refer to:
  
  • A popular brand of adhesive tape manufactured in parts of Latin America and the USA by 3M

 

[Tenor Viol]

You're right. I think the original objection was against it being used as a transitive verb, whereas it's intransitive. But in his indignation, TV overlooked the intransitive use.

E.g.
Transitive/incorrect:
The civil servant progressed the application for a tax rebate.

Intransitive/correct:
The tax rebate application progressed normally.

Thanks, I'd overlooked that.

 

[Ads]

One thing the Americans do in wording which is really irritating is Apostophising Plurals .. I can`t believe that Jeanette did it in the Mountain bike thread .

 

[Pete Thomas]

It isn't just American's

 

[AlistairD]

to boldly split infinitives..... definitely an American thing which seems to be gaining prevalence over here.

Always reminds me of Treking.

A

 

[Ads]

to boldly split infinitives..... definitely an American thing which seems to be gaining prevalence over here.

I thought Poets and playwrites did it first, it sounds like a poetic / Shakespeare kinda thing anyway

 

[ProfJames]

Be careful what you ask for at the chemist:-


Durex (disambiguation)

• Durex is a brand of condoms made by a UK-based company.
  
  It could also refer to:
  • A popular brand of adhesive tape manufactured in parts of Latin America and the USA by 3M

No wonder I have children in those countries! I must check what they give me in the chemists when I am there again!