tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post7306209125724801358..comments2024-03-28T16:11:36.465+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: cheerslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-88669941778749634482023-07-10T02:33:21.886+01:002023-07-10T02:33:21.886+01:00I'm noticing that no one seems to have mention...I'm noticing that no one seems to have mentioned the term "Cash register" for the check-out counter/till. I've mostly heard "(cash) register" for that, myself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-69448250256942852292013-12-16T07:42:41.104+00:002013-12-16T07:42:41.104+00:00I think it's strange that some Americans cring...I think it's strange that some Americans cringe when they hear other Americans say "cheers." I'm an American and I think it's a perfectly good word for us to use. Why should it be considered pretentious? I think a lot of Americans who are very aware of, and/or have an appreciation for other countries have an "excuse me for being American" complex. The British and the Americans adopt slang and colloquialisms from each other regularly. That's one of the nice/fun things about sharing a language with each other. So, I'll keep using "cheers," even if it makes some of my compatriots cringe. I think they'll eventually get over it.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17977850911975198843noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-24911199844128360402011-04-09T00:57:25.587+01:002011-04-09T00:57:25.587+01:00In South Africa, minibus taxis have become more co...In South Africa, minibus taxis have become more common than buses, and don't have pre-set stops the way buses do. <br /><br />Passengers typically say, "Thank you driver," to indicate that they're ready to get out. Some also say it when they're literally getting out, but usually it's one or the other (or neither).Beckynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27416716619821565512009-12-23T20:54:42.207+00:002009-12-23T20:54:42.207+00:00Well, that explains why my boss in the UK (we'...Well, that explains why my boss in the UK (we're a very international company. I'm in New Jersey) ends our conference calls with "Cheers. Bye."<br /><br />I knew only the "goodbye" meaning of "Cheers", not the "thank you" one.<br /><br />Regarding bus/coach in the US, I know multiple bus companies/services with "coach" in their name, though I don't think it has to do with distance. The most prominent where I live is "Coach USA" (though it's a subsidiary of the Stagecoach Group, a UK company), which provides medium-distance services (commuter services between New York and points in New Jersey and Pennsylvania). They also run the more long distance Megabus service, which, curiously, doesn't have "coach" in its name (even in the UK). On the other hand, the "colonial coach" is a very short distance bus service which never leaves the towns of Morris and Morristown.Boris Zakharinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560756640621720539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-76442860430844573572008-10-12T11:40:00.000+01:002008-10-12T11:40:00.000+01:00I'm from the UK. I spent five weeks in Washington...I'm from the UK. I spent five weeks in Washington DC a few years ago. I came back remarking on how polite everyone was in the street. I wondered if this might be because people in the US typically spend less time as pedestrians, and so are less "hardened" to casual pavement encounters. This might explain why New Yorkers have a brusquer reputation as pedestrians.<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, where food was being served, I was quite surprised to hear conversations such as:<BR/>- How would you like your coffee?<BR/>- Black.<BR/>Even the most unregenerate British chav would find it almost impossible to say anything but "Black, please" there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-27570927614961753212008-08-16T23:58:00.000+01:002008-08-16T23:58:00.000+01:00(I have come very late to this discussion by virtu...(I have come very late to this discussion by virtue of the fact that I searched the blog for excuse me/sorry!)<BR/><BR/>I distinctly remember feeling affronted the first time someone who bumped into me in the supermarket in New Jersey said "Excuse me!" As an Australia, saying "Excuse me!" after the bumping-into had occurred would be more of a sarcastic thing said by the person NOT responsible for the bumping, implying that the bumpER had no manners because they didn't say sorry! Hence my angst in NJ supermarkets...Mrs Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05655632448285928588noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-58742364335720826392008-06-19T20:07:00.000+01:002008-06-19T20:07:00.000+01:00The practice of thanking bus drivers varies region...The practice of thanking bus drivers varies regionally within Britain, and I don't think it is merely a matter of the layout of the vehicles. I remember being surprised when I encountered it on coming to the south of England, and it seems I am not alone. In the novel <I>A Bowl of Cherries</I> by Shena Mackay (Harvester Press, 1984), a character is approaching the end of a bus journey near Dorking, in Surrey:<BR/><BR/>"Mercifully her bus stop hove in sight. She pressed the bell with relief and then stepped down, thanking the driver, as she had observed was the custom in these parts, onto the verge, ..." (p. 174)<BR/><BR/>I am not sure if it is made clear where the character comes from, but since she calls people "duck", the Potteries (well north of Surrey) is a good bet. The author was born in Edinburgh but lived in various parts of England before writing the book.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-43354015325482172342008-03-05T20:57:00.000+00:002008-03-05T20:57:00.000+00:00I also cringe when I hear other Americans use "Che...I also cringe when I hear other Americans use "Cheers," especially in email. In my experience, they are definitely not using it the way others do to mean "Thanks" or "Thanks and goodbye." They are using it in a very American way, as an informal "Best Wishes," or something like "Good times to you," closer in meaning to what Americans say when toasting drinks. What's more, it seems to be used when an American thinks of themselves as hip and cultured, hence my cringe. To me, it comes off as pretentious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-12156511399476280272007-04-17T22:01:00.000+01:002007-04-17T22:01:00.000+01:00I say thanks or thankyou, I think cheers is a bit ...I say thanks or thankyou, I think cheers is a bit colloquial for a letter it's used alot in spoken language in England i thinkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-53757468094893324922007-04-15T11:22:00.000+01:002007-04-15T11:22:00.000+01:00BTW, it is inadvisable to try to thank the driver ...BTW, it is inadvisable to try to thank the driver on the <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Docklands_Light_Railway" REL="nofollow">Docklands Light Railway</A>.Paul Danonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816761952837296368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14363823295274601892007-04-15T11:15:00.000+01:002007-04-15T11:15:00.000+01:00I note non-E (as L1) speakers using sorry for excu...I note non-E (as <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_language" REL="nofollow">L1</A>) speakers using <I>sorry</I> for <I>excuse me</I> when, in BrE at least, <I>sorry</I> is only for <B>after</B> you've barged past someone. My kids say I embarrass them when I thank cash-machines, though I can't think why. Non-E speakers have complained to me (as if I could do anything about it) about the lack of a standard word to utter when you give someone something. In German you say <I>bitte</I> as you hand over the sauerkraut-sandwich and I believe <I>alstublieft</I> serves a similar function in Dutch when serving stroopwafel. Italian has a word for it which isn't the same as the <I>please</I> word but at least they've got one. Here in London, we use <I>there you are, moosh</I>. If the item is food, one may add <I>get your laughing-gear around that</I>.Paul Danonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04816761952837296368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-61375313477884022462007-04-10T03:13:00.000+01:002007-04-10T03:13:00.000+01:00So in Swendish "dictionary" is "ordbok". That look...So in Swendish "dictionary" is "ordbok". That looks like "Wordbook", gee, I might even remeber that! I've not ever had a thing for languages. Maybe sendish is for me!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-83573377744530556102007-04-04T18:30:00.000+01:002007-04-04T18:30:00.000+01:00david p wrote:"I can understand how other cultures...david p wrote:<BR/><BR/>"I can understand how other cultures customs can seem insincere to others. An American saying "Have a Nice Day" after I've bought something does sound very insincere to me, even though I know it (probably) isn't."<BR/><BR/>I think it depends. I work as a grocery store cashier and was only told to be nice to and greet the customers, and "Have a nice day" worked well for me. I generally did mean it because, after all, angry customers complain and get me written up. However, for a while the management decided it would be very controlling of what employees said, and we were given a script-like set of things we had to say that went:<BR/><BR/>"Hi, How are you today? I'm Jack. Did you find everything you were looking for?"<BR/><BR/>and after the order:<BR/><BR/>"Have a nice day"<BR/><BR/>The managers were very anal about it for a while, watching you to make sure you said everything above, but eventually they relaxed and the atmosphere is once again more informal and people say whatever friendly greeting they are most comfortable with. Perhaps they decided that having a script results in the greeting coming off as insensere. I remember customers getting angry when I asked them if they found everything, telling me it wasn't any of my business.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-14308392189577844652007-04-04T16:35:00.000+01:002007-04-04T16:35:00.000+01:00Oxford has ta as originally a children's word, and...Oxford has <I>ta</I> as originally a children's word, and <I>ta-ta</I> as 'origin unknown'. Their uses are definitely separate--i.e. <I>ta</I> doesn't mean 'goodbye' and <I>ta-ta</I> doesn't mean 'thank you'.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40039040948057775362007-04-04T16:25:00.000+01:002007-04-04T16:25:00.000+01:00I have a few friends/co-workers who use "cheers" t...I have a few friends/co-workers who use "cheers" to close every e-mail. I use "thanks" every time. I suppose I think of it as thanking them for reading the whole thing, more than for anything else.<BR/><BR/>As an American, I would be caught off-gaurd hearing "Ta" in any situation. I would probably assume that it was meant as "good-bye", as a shortend form of "Ta-Ta". Are the single and double Ta thought to be the same in BrE?Hodgehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02288259527410351909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-43728472035553617832007-04-04T09:04:00.000+01:002007-04-04T09:04:00.000+01:00I was guided here by a an English friend now in th...I was guided here by a an English friend now in the USA and thought it was a coincidence that "Cheers" came up as one of the American servicemen here asked me about it just this week! I am a lone British Civil Servant working with American servicemen. I am trying to help them master English!!!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-3340786997614648382007-04-03T23:47:00.000+01:002007-04-03T23:47:00.000+01:00I meant 'too formal' not 'too informal' in the bit...I meant 'too formal' not 'too informal' in the bit above.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-30458312985183312372007-04-03T23:46:00.000+01:002007-04-03T23:46:00.000+01:00I'm in the south of the UK and I do tend to use 'T...I'm in the south of the UK and I do tend to use 'Ta' a lot. Though I may have picked that up from my sister who went to university up north.<BR/><BR/>Many passengers do thank the bus driver I notice, though the (mostly) senior citizens sometimes say "Thank you, driver" which I'd never be comfortable with saying as it seems too informal and seems to infer they're on a better social level to the bus driver. Or that's the way it seems to me, it probably doesn't to them.<BR/><BR/>I can understand how other cultures customs can seem insincere to others. An American saying "Have a Nice Day" after I've bought something does sound very insincere to me, even though I know it (probably) isn't.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-63795156434766980242007-04-03T22:29:00.001+01:002007-04-03T22:29:00.001+01:00One of my house guests was a bus driver in the US ...One of my house guests was a bus driver in the US (in a university town in the northeast, and some cross-country work as well) in an earlier incarnation. Before telling him about this conversation, I asked how many passengers said 'thank you' to him in the course of a day, and he replied: 4%.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-37257333861298300522007-04-03T19:09:00.000+01:002007-04-03T19:09:00.000+01:00Sili: I've also gotten in the habit of saying "pa...Sili: I've also gotten in the habit of saying "pardon me" to apologize to strangers. "Excuse me" always sounds so sarcastic as an apology and a plain "sorry" never sounds sincere.<BR/><BR/>On departing the bus: I live in Seattle and hear most people thank the driver upon leaving the bus, which we usually must do at the front.<BR/><BR/>Re: bus/coach. I'm originally from Central Pennsylvania, and i've always heard a distinction between "bus" (to mean local transit or a school bus) and "charter" (to mean a comfy, long distance, usually rented bus).chris.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18140000097215409495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-69048508712709956162007-04-03T18:39:00.000+01:002007-04-03T18:39:00.000+01:00Jan Freeman has blogged about this conversation wi...Jan Freeman has blogged about this conversation with an interesting corpus analysis of her own email inbox. See it <A HREF="http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/brainiac/2007/04/cheers_for_amer.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50394531167396087662007-04-02T23:15:00.000+01:002007-04-02T23:15:00.000+01:00But in London, Marek, one has to exit the bus by t...But in London, Marek, one has to exit the bus by the back door, so interaction with the bus driver is limited. I think that's a different kind of situation...lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-32137995564525815342007-04-02T22:33:00.000+01:002007-04-02T22:33:00.000+01:00I have travelled around London by bus almost every...I have travelled around London by bus almost every day for the last fifteen years or more - and can count the times I have heard a driver thanked on the fingers of one hand. Several of those were in the form "Thank you, Drivah" from elderly ladies with cut glass accents in a tone which they might have heard their mothers using on the under footman.<BR/><BR/>That's if the driver has just driven. Where he or she has done something particularly helpful - most often waiting at a bus stop while I run breathlessly towards it, thanks are definitely in order and almost invariably given.<BR/><BR/>That's London - my experience of buses in the rest of the UK is twenty years out of date, so I have no knowledge of how much more prevalent thanks may be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-45213858753176537902007-04-02T21:37:00.000+01:002007-04-02T21:37:00.000+01:00I'm glad to hear that many Americans say 'thanks' ...I'm glad to hear that many Americans say 'thanks' to bus drivers, but I stand by my claim that it's done more in the UK. Every single person did it on the bus I was on yesterday.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39218133903828454812007-04-02T20:51:00.000+01:002007-04-02T20:51:00.000+01:00I put myself through college by working as a bus d...I put myself through college by working as a bus driver. Any and all thanks were *greatly* appreciated - you can't go wrong by being nice!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com