KEEP ACROSS - Wordsmith.org

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I objected to the BBC World service using the phrase "keep across the latest economic indicators" in a programme trail, as I know not the term "keep across".

They claim "While this is very much a conversational and colloquial turn of phrase it is a common one and its meaning is clear in the context in which it is used"

What do those here think?

Apologies if I have transgressed any local norms. My first post here.

Cheers

Scribbler

>>its meaning is clear in the context in which it is used"<<

Not to me.

Welcome, Scribbler!

Welcome aBoard, scribbler101. I cannot call you Scribbler: that name belongs to one whom I suppose will ne'er grace this forum again, but who has my heart forever.

I've not heard 'keep across' either; from "the context" I'd guess that it equates to keep abreast of.

Quote:

>>its meaning is clear in the context in which it is used"<<

Not to me. Welcome, Scribbler!

Perhaps if we had more of the context.

> Keep across

I don't really get it - there are plenty of other ways of saying 'up-to-date', are there not?

The only explanation for 'keep across' that I can think of is that if you are on the 'cutting-edge' you are logically 'across' the boundaries of the latest indocators and news. But is that really logical?

keeping across the cutting edge sounds a bit risky to me.

Hi all - thanks for the replies. The context is that I heard it on BBC world service and thought it odd there!

See email discussion below:-

Dear Steve

That's it - "keep across".

Not a phrase I am aware of. Can you cite examples of its usage? Surely "keep up with" is the normal usage?

Its meaning is clear in context. But so would be any word you put in its place. "If you'd like to elephant the latest economic indicators".

I googled "keep across" and got only 805 usages; mostly related to castles, storage, or crossings. There were a few usages as yours, but not from any authoritative source - saving one from the BBC!

Best

Steve

-----Original Message-----
From: Steve Martin [mailto:steve.martin@bbc.co.uk]
Sent: 05 September 2006 10:00
To: stephen_l_phillips@talk21.com
Subject: Language on the BBC

Dear Stephen,

Thank you for your email which has been passed to me.

I have listened to the promotional trail you mention and the phrase used is "keep across the latest economic indicators".

While this is very much a conversational and colloquial turn of phrase it is a common one and its meaning is clear in the context in which it is used.

I don't agree that it has no place on the BBC although I accept it may not be the most elegant language we might have chosen.

Yours sincerely,

Steve.

Steve Martin
On air editor,
BBC World Service

-----Original Message-----
From: Letters Worldservice
Sent: 30 August 2006 11:28
To: Jonathan Reding; Steve Martin
Subject: FW:

Regards
Audience Relations
BBC World Service

-----Original Message-----
From: stephen_l_phillips@talk21.com [mailto:stephen_l_phillips@talk21.com]
Sent: 28 August 2006 02:11
To: Letters Worldservice
Subject:

To BBC World Service

Name Stephen Phillips
Email stephen_l_phillips@talk21.com
Comments I have just (02:00 BST 28/8/6) - and previously - heard
a trail for bbc online asking me if I would like to "get across" economic information.

The phrase "get across" does not form part of standard English; or of any variant I am aware of. Where do you get it from any why do you seek to promulgate it to your listeners; many of whom are seeking to inprove their comprehension of our language?

Regards

Stephen Phillips
Tickbox YES

Quote:

The phrase "get across" does not form part of standard English; or of any variant I am aware of. Where do you get it from any why do you seek to promulgate it to your listeners; many of whom are seeking to inprove their comprehension of our language?

so the original use was "get across"?
as in "Our message will be very hard to get across."

that's really a pretty common usage. and, I suppose, once you've gotten your message across, it then becomes a matter of keeping it across.

> that's really a pretty common usage. and, I suppose, once you've gotten your message across, it then becomes a matter of keeping it across.

Oh, now I get it, keep across.

It's a bit of a mixture of 'keep abreast' and 'get across', huh.

Regarding the BBC World Service: As much as I enjoy it, they should really have some more native speakers on I think, or at least people with a better command of the language. Of course it's good in a way that they are so inclusive and I welcome the fact that they have relaxed former RP standards, but I'm beginning to think of it as a foreign language channel. "Dis iz da Bee Bee See".