Pain in the English

Forum for the gray areas of the English language

Archive for the ‘Expression’ Category

“on the day”

Sunday, July 26th, 2009 by Mike Sheehan

Normally, I would say “Williams had 4 singles for the day,” but many sportscasters use “ON the day” instead. Does anyone know the origin of this use? The editor of an online baseball encyclopedia had no idea, so I’m not sure where to go for an answer.

on “condition”

Sunday, July 19th, 2009 by Tracy

I’m a new editor and am confused about the use of “condition”.
If it is used to describe a strict experimental condition, is only “on condition that” can be used, but not “under the conditions of”?
A senior editor tells me that the latter can not be used to describe experimental conditions, and if one really wants to use it, he/she should change the prep. into “on”. However, there is no such saying as “on the conditions that” in a dictionary(Longman).
Looking forward to correct explanation.

Peter thins them out

Friday, May 15th, 2009 by dyske

This Japanese program claims that Peter Pan regularly killed children when they grew too old. Here is the paragraph from the original book by James Matthew Barrie:

All wanted blood except the boys, who liked it as a rule, but to-night were out to greet their captain. The boys on the island vary, of course, in numbers, according as they get killed and so on; and when they seem to be growing up, which is against the rules, Peter thins them out; but at this time there were six of them, counting the twins as two.

The controversial phrase here is “thins them out”. How would you interpret it?

Cut on/off

Saturday, April 11th, 2009 by ally

Since I’ve moved to North Carolina I have heard many people say “Cut on/off” the power or lights or any electronic device, and I’m very curious as to why.

Green eyes

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009 by Eunice Ng

Could you please tell me what it means if someone calls you “green eyes”, but you don't actually have green eyes.

We're trying to figure out if it means envy/jealousy, being temperamental, or something else?

Please be advised….

Monday, December 1st, 2008 by Gidgegary

My local Public transport company has started delivering recorded messages on the train platform “Please be advised that patrons must wait till the train has come to a complete stop before crossing the yellow line”. I find this message completely grates on me, and I suffer it each time I wait on the train platform for my train.

“Please” is a polite request for me to take some form of action. I have a choice. I can comply with the request or I can refuse the request.

If an instruction is given to me with the precursor “Please be advised” then I am presented with a fait accompli and have no opportunity to decide whether I will comply with the request or not. It is not, in fact, a request in any form and does not provide the recipient with any capacity to dismiss or refuse the request. For this reason, I consider it to be manglish.

Can you confirm that “Please be advised” is manglish?

Let's you and me/I

Sunday, April 20th, 2008 by RFW

Is it correct to say “Let's you and I” or “Let's you and me”?

Big, red bull vs red, big bull

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008 by nick brock

Why is it more appropriate to say the big, red bull was running fast, rather than the red, big bull was running fast?

Try and

Tuesday, January 1st, 2008 by Dredsina

I'm wondering about the phrase, “try and.” (Used like this: “I'm going to try and stop him.”)

I know that it's technically grammatically correct, but is it okay to say it? Would it be better to say, “I'm going to try TO stop him” instead?

As it were

Wednesday, December 19th, 2007 by niskys

I've heard people say “as it were” quite often. It doesn't even sound wrong to me anymore. But shouldn't it really be “as it WAS” instead, for proper subject verb agreement?