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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
Not to be confused with 'old gaffer' which means something else.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
This does refer to a dining table, Pook. "Busing" the table means removing the dirty dishes and wiping it down. At some fast food restaurants, they expect you to bus your own table, but some not, and some just take care of it if you don't. I think a portion of the tip usually goes to the bus persons. Fairly important, but thankless job, much like teaching.... :0) Thanks for filling in my ignorance. Here that is just done by the waiter and is called 'cleaning up' or 'clearing the table.'
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
hence, gaffer('s) tape.
Yes, but don't confuse gaffer's tape with duct tape. Gaffer's tape doesn't pull the paint off of walls. They usually come in different colors, too.
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 1,067 |
hence, gaffer('s) tape.
Yes, but don't confuse gaffer's tape with duct tape. Gaffer's tape doesn't pull the paint off of walls. An interesting little idiomatic use of "of" there - I like idioms that involve prepositions, particles or other small words, they are so randomly, redundantly free radical. There is no logical reason for them to be there other than accustomed usage. In the sentence in question, "off walls" means the same thing. Or "from walls" would do as well. My favourite English idiom of this type is that you "chop a tree down and then you chop it up." Why not just chop it? Anyone have any other favourite examples?
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Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,290 |
prepositions
Yes, I love particles of all sorts. Those parts left over after the heroic task of dividing the lexicon up into lexical classes (or parts of speech) and usually consigned to the grammarian's ragbag. It's a murky part of grammar where verbal particles, prepositions, and adverbs start to swap functions and engage in little syntactic orgies.
Favorites of mine include: "That is nonsense up with which I shall not put." and "What did you bring that book that you know I don't like to be read to out of up for?"
Ceci n'est pas un seing.
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