Klarinet Archive - Posting 000299.txt from 2004/03

From: "Fred Wilson" <fred.wilson@------.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] English and American
Date: Fri, 5 Mar 2004 10:59:23 -0500

The point is that it has no cultural basis in the States. It is a logical
use of words, to be sure. No reason I know of exists why it is funny or
wrong. But since it is not used in the State, and is ubiquitous in England
it takes some getting used to. There is nothing in the world wrong in
distinguishing coach from bus - but when looking for transportation in the
UK one had better know the difference, a difference that does not exist in
the States. It is amusing because, I think, we Americans are laughing at our
ineptness in deciphering the cultural use of words in ways we do not
understand. My all time favorite UK-ism is "roundabout" which I did not
understand before driving in the UK and still enter with great trepidation.
Perhaps they make all the sense in the world - still it's representative of
the cultural differences that makes language less powerful to communicate.

Fred Wilson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Fasel" <jhf@------.gov>
To: <klarinet@------.org>
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2004 9:35 AM
Subject: Re: [kl] English and American

> I keep hearing other Americans being amused by "Mind the gap",
> and I must say, I don't get it. This strikes me as perfectly
> good usage in anybody's variety of English. How else would
> you say it? I suppose it could be "Watch the gap", but that's
> not really as good, is it? You're meant not just to look at
> the gap, but to be mindful of it. Is there something unusual
> about my American English?
>
> Cheers,
> --Joe
> On 2004.03.05 08:20, Fred Wilson wrote:
> > ... And then there's "Mind the Gap!"
> > which made sense to me only after taking the "tube" all over London.
>
> Joseph H. Fasel, Ph.D. email: jhf@------.gov
> Systems Planning and Analysis phone: +1 505 667 7158
> University of California fax: +1 505 667 2960
> Los Alamos National Laboratory post: D-2 MS F609; Los Alamos, NM
87545
>
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