Jo--
I surprised my friend Barbara by using the same term!
She, too, tried to be delicate in responding, undoubtedly
thinking I was strange indeed. We do have such terms as
"the stable yard" here. I have no idea how they came to
be called yards so commonly here; guess it's just that
language progression 'thang'(as Anna says). I have heard
people say "out on the lawn", too, but much less than
"out in the yard".
That reminds me of another difference that had been really
getting on my nerves: when people in the U.S. began to say
that they were waiting ON line, when to me they should still be saying IN line, at the bank or wherever! I believe
on line is what you-all say? To me it just sounded like
people here were being pretentious. I am hoping that with
the widening use of being "on-line" to the internet, that
my sensibilities will no longer be offended by "wanna-be's"
using it here.
