OT: The vagaries of English [Was: Re: calibre ebook project?
On 25.09.18 20:19, Brian wrote:
> On Tue 25 Sep 2018 at 14:08:23 -0500, Nicholas Geovanis wrote:
>
> > Brian wrote: Note to non-English speakers....natural English politeness
> > will get you a nod of the head but there will be incomprehension
> > in the mind
> >
> > That also works with Americans who are native English speakers, that same
> > mute incomprehension. I think that works with Australians too...... :-)
>
> Americans? Are you referring to the ones who live in Patagonia?
>
> Are Australians native English speakers?
That depends. Youth less so¹, I find, but those of us who had the benefit
of schoolteachers who were educated prior to WWII retain a certain
mastery of English - even realising that it once had a grammar.
But back to coaches; here they are only sports coaches. Any other
connotation will whistle over the head of an Aussie, unless you put
"stage-" in front, to trigger recollection of wild west movies.
¹ Now the young resort to a tautological pidgin indistinguishable from
A-mayorkhan, complete with major disregard for singular/plural and many
other grammatical niceties. (I thought Socrates had made a similar
complaint, but it was more general, it seems.)
Erik
Reply to: