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#16611 01/25/01 09:41 PM
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Faldage Offline OP
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wow mentions: "When it's black it's done!"
and adds "When the smoke detector goes off, it's ready."

Sounds like the logical extreme of my "When you can smell it, it's ready."


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I believe the nail has been hit squarely on the head already... There is no such thing as (or at least standard of) formality that is specifically US's...

... yer 'Merican aintcha (Is that the M word?)...

Let the stink on the monkey fade! You ain't gonna get it to shake a tower...


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Let the stink on the monkey fade! You ain't gonna get it to shake a tower

What about the stink on the funky maid? And could you get her to take a shower?


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Faldage declared, stoutly no doubt: I have come to think that this while/whilst thing is just another case of the Anglophon()es twitting the poor US'ns. They don't come clean here I'mo go back to using the "M" word.

I don't think it is a dig at Americans, personally. "Whilst" may have once been the formal initial "While", but now it is rarely used in anything I read which has been written recently. I suspect that it's a word which is simply falling into obsolescence as words will. One English teacher I had at school once said that it was a word frequently used by those whose grasp of the language was less than firm to convince their readers that this was not the case.

I don't know if this is true or not, and I couldn't find anything to confirm or deny his view.



The idiot also known as Capfka ...
#16615 01/26/01 12:56 PM
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jmh Offline
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I think each country has its share of obsolete terms. I wasn't aware until this thread that whilst was obsolete, any more so than most people in the USA would think that there was anything strange about the word "gotten".

Even the word "folks" is really only in general use in the sense of "old folks" I always found "that's all folks" at the end of cartoons designed for children a little strange.

I will happily say to the children, "just stay in the car whilst I pop into the post office". Whilst I wouldn't say, as has been discussed:
"I could whilst away the hours
conferrin' with the flowers
consultin' with the rain." if only had a brain!



#16616 01/26/01 12:58 PM
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jmh Offline
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I'd call a monkey wrench a monkey wrench but a spanner a spanner.

By the way - how does anyone kill Dr Black with a spanner in Cluedo whilst in the conservatory if you don't have spanners! Solve that one!!!


#16617 01/26/01 01:03 PM
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But our Game of Clue-- there isn't a spanner-- there is a wrench! and nobody in US does anything "whilst" any where!

But watch out for the maid, she was seen carrying a large candle stick in the parlor!


#16618 01/26/01 01:23 PM
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jmh Offline
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>a large candle stick in the parlor!

Is there really a parlour (or are you joking?), now that really is an archaic term, next time you'll be telling me that you put your clothes in a closet!



#16619 01/26/01 02:03 PM
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yes, there is a parlor (Parlour) and while that is a bit old fashioned-- it is a term still used by grandparents-- and in formal houses. (i have a living room-- if i had a larger house, i might have a family room, or rec room, and a living room, but my nana had a Front parlor.) and my ex's grandmother had a parlor too. so my kids got used to calling great grandma's living room a parlor-- (for a while my daughter thought a parlor was a living room with out a tv!)

and yes, i do keep my clothes in closets! I wish i had more closets! I have an armoire-- but it doesn't have space for hang things-- it has shelves and drawers. I am a clothes horse so i have lots of clothes-- i also have a shoe cubby-- a small cabinet just for storing shoes (36 pairs) Where else would i have my clothes?


#16620 01/26/01 02:36 PM
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Faldage Offline OP
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Jo contibutes: "just stay in the car whilst I pop into the post office"

Which is getting to the point of my question. Thank you, Jo. Now, would you say "just stay in the car while I pop into the post office"? If not, why not?

PS
As those of you who are at all interested at this point already know Ænigma thinks whilst is a whim.


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