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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833
old hand
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OP
old hand
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 833 |
I wuz t'inkin' aboot these two werds recently.
First of all, what does y'all prefer or use most often?
Second of all, how does y'all use each?
What I was thinking specifically, was of how to refer to each. If you're talking about a new activity, how do the prepositions, ahem, fall?
"I'm starting a new class in the fall"
and
"I'm starting a new class in autumn"
both sound right to me, whereas
"I'm starting a new class in fall"
and
"I'm starting a new class in the autumn"
both grate on my ear. What do y'all think?
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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 742 |
Well, this one's easy - I NEVER use "fall" for the season between Summer and Winter.
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065 |
I would say "I'm starting a new class in the autumn."
I never use fall to refer to the season.
Bingley
Bingley
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Same as sjm and Bingley.
I would almost certainly not say "... in autumn." I would use either "the autumn" or "this autumn."
PS I might drop the article if I used the phrase to start a sentence - "In autumn, when the leaves are red,/ I'm rarely seen to bare my head: In Spring, when leaves are turning green, My doffed hat shows my bare head's sheen./"
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Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 1,692 |
That puts it very well. In a nutshell. And a pretty little verse to exemplify the principle! 
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
Our cousins in the USA
Have words that only they would say ~
When autumn's glory drops as 'fall'
Keats' legions listen in appal!
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542 |
>Keats' legions listen in appal!
this USn is appalled that you've taken such a fall!
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 4,757 |
yeahbut® I wanted to spell it apple.. ;)
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Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 13,803 |
Gratuitous USn bashing aside, I would say:
"I'm starting a new class in the fall"
or
"I'm starting a new class in the autumn"
I would probably reserve the articleless "in fall/autumn" for speaking generically of the season and use the article when speaking of a specific fall/autumn.
In fall I like to jump into piles of leaves.
In the fall, I'll be covering the Ithaca Bombers fall baseball season.
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Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 7,210 |
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