A nice little piece from Roger Cohen of the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/02/opini ... d=36849752
American or English?
- Slava
- Great Grand Panjandrum
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American or English?
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.
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- Great Grand Panjandrum
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Re: American or English?
Enjoyed it and a couple of dozen comments. I've encountered all or most of those through reading English authors. Still, I had a roommate from London in the late fifties and was more interested in his pronunciations, such as shedule for skedule. He's also the guy who asked me, while working on a Christmas sermon, whether we had the word "outhouse." I told him yes, but the meaning that first came to mind was an outdoor privy. His reply was, "I better not say Jesus was born in an outhouse." I agree. You can also wonder about my thoughts in reading history when I came across a privy counsel.
pl
Re: American or English?
In his second sentence, Mr Cohen mischaracterizes American English. He says "It can be as blunt as the shift from 'restroom' to 'toilet.'" It should be "bathroom" to "toilet." Living as I do in a place where the bath is only rarely forced into coexistence with the toilet, I resent this usurpation of this lovely word by yahoos as a means to avoid referring to excretory functions, particularly since euphemisms can only fail.
Re: American or English?
Well no matter what we talk about there's always someone to tell us how to do it.a privy counsel.
M. Tongue-firmly-in-cheek Bailey
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, Isa30:15
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Re: American or English?
As I understand it, French kings used to do their business while they were doing their "business" and that is why it was called the Privy Counsel. If I am wrong about this, please don't disillusion me.
It is dark at night, but the Sun will come up and then we can see.
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