COLD DARK ROOM

[JoesMum]

Have you considered switching to leather pants? They're all craze in Denmark...

Now here in the UK, pants are underwear. Jeans are a form of trousers.

I have not considered leather underwear, nor have I considered leather trousers. I am really too old and the wrong shape to carry off leather trousers successfully

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Do you think it might be useful or helpful to start a thread on English Language topics, in the Everything Else section of the TFO? What do you think?

I'm thinking maybe it would give members, regardless if their proficiency with English, someplace to ask questions and sort out what words to use... or even to help figure out what word someone was intending to use when they posted a message.

Especially with voice-to-text applications and chronic autocorrect frustrations (that's putting it mildly)... Then there's also different flavors (flavours) of English, depending on where you live or where you learned the language. Different words have different meanings, spellings, pronunciations, etc.

We've had some interesting conversations here in the CDR about sayings and idioms, or traditions like crossing thumbs and crossing fingers.

Do you think a thread for that would be a good thing? What would be a good title for it?

 

[EllieMay]

Oh!!!! Guess what??? Yesterday I received a Christmas card all the way from Germany... and it had “a little something extra” inside.. THANK YOU Sabine!! @Bee62 I especially love the glittering Tortoise stickers on the envelope [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Now here in the UK, pants are underwear. Jeans are a form of trousers.

I have not considered leather underwear, nor have I considered leather trousers. I am really too old and the wrong shape to carry off leather trousers successfully

That was one of the very English Language topics I was thinking about! It was only after I moved to the UK that I realized why clothing catalogs always used the term trousers instead of pants!

 

[EllieMay]

Now here in the UK, pants are underwear. Jeans are a form of trousers.

I have not considered leather underwear, nor have I considered leather trousers. I am really too old and the wrong shape to carry off leather trousers successfully

I think you can use leather to “shape yourself” LMAO... I certainly am not brave enough to try it but I would be most interested in your results should you decide to play fashion model!!![emoji23][emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]. It might start a new trend for us all[emoji6]

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Other things that get lost in translation between different English speakers...

Counting to 2 on your fingers. Americans are used to making a V with the forefinger (pointer or index finger) and middle fingers, but it's as offensive and jarring in the UK as it would be for someone in the U.S. to count to 1 using only their middle finger.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but a number of countries start counting with 1 being the thumb, and 2 is the thumb and forefinger (pointer or index finger).

 

[JoesMum]

That was one of the very English Language topics I was thinking about! It was only after I moved to the UK that I realized why clothing catalogs always used the term trousers instead of pants!

The one that crossed my mind the other day was purse. Yvonne mentioned her purse.

Here in the UK a purse is what you put your loose change in. It may also accommodate bank notes and cards, but it will always have a section for coins.

A wallet is a holder for bank notes (Again it may accommodate bank cards)

Typically men use wallets and have their coins loose in their trouser pockets.

We ladies don’t get proper pockets (or any at all) in our clothes so use a purse and put that in ... a bag - eg handbag, shoulder bag

 

[Pastel Tortie]

In the UK, if the ground outside your house has grass or vegetative ground cover, it's a Garden. A front yard or back yard would be all concrete.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

The one that crossed my mind the other day was purse. Yvonne mentioned her purse.

Here in the UK a purse is what you put your loose change in. It may also accommodate bank notes and cards, but it will always have a section for coins.

A wallet is a holder for bank notes (Again it may accommodate bank cards)

Typically men use wallets and have their coins loose in their trouser pockets.

We ladies don’t get proper pockets (or any at all) in our clothes so use a purse and put that in ... a bag - eg handbag, shoulder bag

Whereas in the U.S., a handbag is synonymous with a purse... Unless someone is referring to a coin purse, which more closely matches the British definition.

 

[JoesMum]

We've had some interesting conversations here in the CDR about sayings and idioms, or traditions like crossing thumbs and crossing fingers.

Do you think a thread for that would be a good thing? What would be a good title for it?

I’m in two minds. It wouldn’t stop the chat in here. It’s how we get to know each other and it’s the joy of a chat between a few friends that we share customs and language differences.

Having another thread to follow would become too onerous and I would probably end up not participating in it. My other concern is that it would turn into a “Grammar Police” thread with people arguing over what was actually correct use of language.

 

[JoesMum]

Back on the subject of Christmas

 

[Momof4]

It should be THAN... as in GREATER THAN, MORE THAN, or LESS THAN. THAN is used for COMPARISONS.

THEN rhymes with WHEN, which is TIME related, or CONDITION related. IF is usually tied to THEN or WHEN.

Does that help?

Sorry to use so many capital letters, but it's so much faster than stringing together formatting codes for italics...or bold... Which for me, refers to a mud turtle!

Yes, it totally helps!!!

Thank you!!!!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Another one is with periods and commas for denoting amounts, especially of money. This is more relevant with other countries like Germany. 1,00 is not not necessarily a typo.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I’m in two minds. It wouldn’t stop the chat in here. It’s how we get to know each other and it’s the joy of a chat between a few friends that we share customs and language differences.

Having another thread to follow would become too onerous and I would probably end up not participating in it. My other concern is that it would turn into a “Grammar Police” thread with people arguing over what was actually correct use of language.

I understand that, on both counts. No Grammar Police... although I would like to make assistance available if needed or desired by members whose first language isn't English.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Maybe such a thread could be titled "What does this mean?" perhaps with a "(Not a Grammar Police thread)" tacked on?

CDR regulars wouldn't have to participate or follow both threads, but when a relevant topic comes up, I might be willing to address it (the short version) in the other thread.

 

[Cheryl Hills]

Now here in the UK, pants are underwear. Jeans are a form of trousers.

I have not considered leather underwear, nor have I considered leather trousers. I am really too old and the wrong shape to carry off leather trousers successfully

That is just so weird to hear!

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Maybe such a thread could be titled "What does this mean?" perhaps with a "(Not a Grammar Police thread)" tacked on?

CDR regulars wouldn't have to participate or follow both threads, but when a relevant topic comes up, I might be willing to address it (the short version) in the other thread.

I don't think it should address punctuation, though, unless it comes down to a genuine communication gap issue. Too much about punctuation is debatable to begin with.

You can get 10 individuals together, each having earned a Ph.D. in English. We'll make them all American, for the purposes of this exercise. Give them a long block of text, composed entirely of complete, correct sentences, all flowing well and related to the same subject... It's a long coherent narrative without any paragraph breaks. Working separately, have each of them insert paragraph breaks where appropriate (as determined by the individual) to make the narrative more readable.

You will get 10 different versions, no two exactly alike. None of them will be wrong, because this is entirely subjective. They may have their own opinions, but they can agree to disagree. This a minor issue.

However, some disputes can be outright brutal and would likely need to be exiled to a Grammar Police Debatable Issues thread:
* Subject-verb agreement
* Commas
* Apostrophes and showing possession

 

[JoesMum]

That is just so weird to hear!

We consider your use of the word weird

 

[Yvonne G]

The one that crossed my mind the other day was purse. Yvonne mentioned her purse.

Here in the UK a purse is what you put your loose change in. It may also accommodate bank notes and cards, but it will always have a section for coins.

A wallet is a holder for bank notes (Again it may accommodate bank cards)

Typically men use wallets and have their coins loose in their trouser pockets.

We ladies don’t get proper pockets (or any at all) in our clothes so use a purse and put that in ... a bag - eg handbag, shoulder bag

pocket book?

 

[Bee62]

Oh!!!! Guess what??? Yesterday I received a Christmas card all the way from Germany... and it had “a little something extra” inside.. THANK YOU Sabine!! @Bee62 I especially love the glittering Tortoise stickers on the envelope [emoji16][emoji16][emoji16]

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyy!
My Christmas Card arrived. Hopefully the German dandelion seeds grow in Texas to much more bigger dandelion plants Good luck !