Kevin's Watch

Iolanthe wrote:...was stood in a queue...

Ahem.

I'm always amused by that particularly British construction...

--A

Avatar wrote:

Iolanthe wrote:...was stood in a queue...

Ahem.

I'm always amused by that particularly British construction...

--A

So what do non-British people do? Just barge in? Being in a queue can be very interesting. You get to talk to all kinds of people you might never have met otherwise.

Yesterday the tennis was rained off and John Inverdale was talking to John Mcenroe and Tracy Austin. Mac wanted to know why Andy Murray wasn't playing on centre court where play was continuing under the roof. John Inverdale explained that would have been unfair - the British have to take the hardest road to success - or words to that effect. That perfectly explains the paradox of being fair. If everyone was "fair" that's OK - but we seem to insist on fairness when others don't.

Iolanthe wrote:

Avatar wrote:

Iolanthe wrote:...was stood in a queue...

Ahem.

I'm always amused by that particularly British construction...

--A

So what do non-British people do? Just barge in? Being in a queue can be very interesting. You get to talk to all kinds of people you might never have met otherwise.

No, it's the phrasing. An American would say, "We were (standing) in line and..."

Ah, the old vocabulary problem again. If we stand in a line we queue and if we walk in a line we do a "crocodile". or at least we did when I was at school.

As Ali said...

I'm not sure that being stood in a queue, (or being sat on a chair) is grammatically correct...

Does Lincoln count as the North? It's the sort of phrasing that I tend to associate with Geordies for some reason...

--A

Avatar wrote:As Ali said...

I'm not sure that being stood in a queue, (or being sat on a chair) is grammatically correct...

Does Lincoln count as the North? It's the sort of phrasing that I tend to associate with Geordies for some reason...

--A

Lincoln is usually described as "East Midlands", nowhere near Geordy country. We are surrounded by Yorkshire (north), Nottinghamshire, Rutland and Leicestershire (west) and Northamptonshire, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, south/southwest. East is the sea. But actually I am originally an Essex girl. As I've lived in Lincolnshire almost 40 years I count as an adopted Yellowbelly. Standing in a queue is universal here, unless anyone else knows differently (and yes, I know that isn't grammatical either).

Standing in a queue is universal, but being stood in one isn't.

--A

What about being stood up in a queue?

Entirely different.

--A

Colloquialisms. Hylda Baker would have said "I was stood standing" in a queue. (She was an English comedienne).

"I was having a bath" - the bath is the thing that holds the water - I suppose it would be more correct to say "I was bathing" or "I was in the bath".

Isn't language wonderful

And they claim we all speak the same one. (American: "I was taking a bath." Altho "I was in the bath" works, too. And for most of us, it would probably be, "I was taking a shower." )

I'm not sure that the showering/bathing example is a good one for Poms

(I'm allowed to say that coz I was born there so, strictly speaking, I don't shower either.)

Excuse me boy, I shower regularly

Yes Mum. Sorry Mum.

P.S. Since you is my internet mother, I should probably let you know that the doctor's words to my parents at the moment of my birth were: "It's a girl!"
(That and, "No, you can't exchange it for a Volvo.")

Yes, I know, Shaun is a boy's name and Shaun's a boy sheep. As soon as Shirley instigates a coup and takes over the show, I'll rename myself.

No need for red cheeks Iolanthe, it's a very understandable conclusion to draw and doesn't worry me in the slightest, just thought I'd clue you in before someone else did!

Now go and have a shower.

I should be more observant, but first impressions stuck - I saw Shaun not Eh-brand. Now I have to adjust to having an internet daughter which is a whole differrent kettle of fish. Give me time

<has known girls named Shawn (maybe it's an American thing ) >

Probably, given some of the things the yanks call their children.

Yeah Iolanthe...I made the same assumption at first.

--A

aliantha wrote:<has known girls named Shawn (maybe it's an American thing ) >

Yep and then there's Sean Young. (She's American too though I think, so maybe it is an American thing!)

Avatar wrote:Yeah Iolanthe...I made the same assumption at first.

Well at least she got my age right baldie

We now return this thread to its original broadcast......