 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsEnglish UsageBritish EnglishESL Teaching Learnglish.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Discussion Groups / English Usage / March 2007ride vs lift
Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not lift to my friends? Thank you. > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. You can give or accept either or both. Americans say "ride". British, Irish and British Commonwealth people generally say "lift". But in the USA, "my ride" can mean "my automobile". "Pimp my ride" = "elaborately customize my automobile". British joke. Q. What did the brassiere say to the hat? A. You go on ahead - I'll give these two a lift. >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride >> and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not >> lift to my friends? Thank you. > >You can give or accept either or both. Americans say "ride". British, >Irish and British Commonwealth people generally say "lift". "Do you need a lift?", meaning "do you need to be driven somewhere?" is common, as far as I know, in the US. I use it, and I've never had anyone not easily understand what I mean. As far as I know, the two terms have identical meaning in context. "Ride" might be used more in the US, but "lift" is hardly unusual.  SignatureTony Cooper Orlando, FL kimfinale wrote, in <1175175461.763982.60260@y80g2000hsf.googlegroups.com> on 29 Mar 2007 06:37:41 -0700: > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. Probably pondian. Ride left, lift right. SignatureNick Spalding >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride >> and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, >> not lift to my friends? Thank you. > > Probably pondian. Ride left, lift right. Three people have now said that, at least two (I forget where contrex is) rightpondian. As a voice from the left, let me say that "lift" is perfectly idiomatic in the US, at least the parts I'm familiar with. I can't seem to come up with a good rule for when I'd use or expect one or the other. "Lift" seems to be more often used for a spur-of- the-moment favor than for something planned, but even with that, I can see "I'll take the bus, and you can get a lift from John". so it's not quite that. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |It's gotten to the point where the 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |only place you can get work done is Palo Alto, CA 94304 |at home, because no one bugs you, |and the best place to entertain kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com |yourself is at work, because the (650)857-7572 |Internet connections are faster. | Scott Adams http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. They mean the same thing and you can use either. But "ride" is more American and "lift" is more British. Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, and not just physical. It could mean helping with homework or cooking. And to make things worse, it's usually used with the informal first person plural pronoun even though it's only referring to one person. - Here, give us a lift, will you? SignatureDavid ===== > kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > and not just physical. It could mean helping with homework or > cooking. Though a fellow-Brit, I've never heard "lift" in those contexts. Regional, perhaps? > And to make things worse, it's usually used with the informal first > person plural pronoun even though it's only referring to one person. > > - Here, give us a lift, will you? Alan Jones >> Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a >> lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >Though a fellow-Brit, I've never heard "lift" in those contexts. Regional, >perhaps? Me neither. David >>> Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a >>> lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > >Me neither. Nor me. I think some degree of clarification or substatiation is perhaps in order? Cheers - Ian fredd@dropthis.clara.co.uk had it ... > >>> Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a > >>> lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > Nor me. I think some degree of clarification or substatiation is > perhaps in order? Perhaps it is, but I'm still struggling with the rs232 interface connected to the memory circuits of my brain. I think the clock synch is damaged. SignatureDavid ===== atj@blueyonder.co.uk had it ... > > kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... > >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Though a fellow-Brit, I've never heard "lift" in those contexts. Regional, > perhaps? It could be - I did wonder as much while I was replying. Midlands? SignatureDavid ===== > atj@blueyonder.co.uk had it ... > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > > It could be - I did wonder as much while I was replying. Midlands? It doesn't sound unusual to me. I suppose it could be Midlands, although I come from a different part (East not West), or it could be Northwest, I suppose; both David and I have spent time there. Fran Alan Jones wrote, in <0%POh.3737$kF3.3030@fe1.news.blueyonder.co.uk> on Thu, 29 Mar 2007 14:25:00 GMT: > > kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... > >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > Though a fellow-Brit, I've never heard "lift" in those contexts. Regional, > perhaps? Nor me. SignatureNick Spalding > Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a > lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, > and not just physical. It could mean helping with homework or > cooking. Are you quite sure about that? It might have that meaning locally somewhere, as a variant of "giving a hand", but in general, a lift is something you get from a cosmetic surgeon, a car driver, the caffeine in a cup of coffee, or, on a construction site, the operator of a crane. > And to make things worse, it's usually used with the informal first > person plural pronoun even though it's only referring to one person. > > - Here, give us a lift, will you? Oh aye, canny lad, on yer bike! It is certainly not universal, or even widespread. I am a Bristolian with Manchester/Derby/London/Surrey roots and/or connections, and I have never heard it used thus. > > Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a > > lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > in a cup of coffee, or, on a construction site, the operator of a > crane. Or from a fellow felon when doing a little light B & E, as in "give us a lift over this wall, me old son". Doubtless PG will be along momentarily (sic) to attest to my being a crackhead. > Or from a fellow felon when doing a little light B & E, as in "give us > a lift over this wall, me old son". That's a "leg up", isn't it? (Note: NOT a "leg over", which has rude connotations). Mike M >> Or from a fellow felon when doing a little light B & E, as in "give us >> a lift over this wall, me old son". > >That's a "leg up", isn't it? (Note: NOT a "leg over", which has rude >connotations). Or even a "peg up". SignatureOn-line canal route planner: http://www.canalplan.org.uk (Waterways World site of the month, April 2001) My Reply-To address *is* valid, though likely to die soon >>> Or from a fellow felon when doing a little light B & E, as in "give us >>> a lift over this wall, me old son". [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > >Or even a "peg up". Or sometimes "a bunk up". An example in "A Love Supreme - The Independent Sunderland Football Club Fanzine" (tenth paragraph quoted in full for amusement): http://www.a-love-supreme.com/ganterbury/gan_norwich.htm When we were allowed to park up in Norwich, it quickly became apparent that the local constabulary could not cope with the size of the travelling support. No advance ticket sales in those days, you just turned up and paid on the gate. Consequently, the street outside our turnstiles was a disorganised mass of bodies, with no queues in sight. Lucky decided that the only way to be sure of getting in on time was to climb over the fence, so we --> gave him a bunk up above the seething crowd, and he duly impaled both hands on the spikes cut into the corrugated iron sheets at the top. As he tried to pull himself up and over, a poliss appeared on the toilet roof, looked down at Lucky, and said "If you come over this wall, son, I'll chuck you straight back out" We managed to push him high enough to unstab his hands, and he fell back into the melee below. In some contexts "bunk up" can have "rude" connotations: http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/b.htm bunk up Noun. Sexual intercourse. E.g. "I thought if I brought her drinks all night I'd at least get a bunk up." SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in alt.usage.english) >> Perhaps confusingly, the British informal phrase "give somebody a >> lift" can refer to any sort of assistance, not just a ride in a car, [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >in a cup of coffee, or, on a construction site, the operator of a >crane. Or the bearer of good news who gives you a lift. SignatureTony Cooper Orlando, FL >kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >They mean the same thing and you can use either. But "ride" is more >American and "lift" is more British. Footnote: We do use "ride" when what's important is the car, not where it's going. John gave me a ride in his new car means John was showing off his car and we went for a drive so we could put the beast through its paces, whereas John gave me a lift in his new car means John took me to my destination, either dropping me off there or because it's where he was going there too. Either way, I didn't have to get the bus. > >kimfin...@gmail.com had it ... > >> Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > John gave me a ride in his new car This might have rude connotations, particularly in the minds of those fond of McGill. >>kimfinale@gmail.com had it ... >> [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > means John was showing off his car and we went for a drive so we could > put the beast through its paces, whereas That's why I find it confusing when someone uses the "Would you like me to give a ride to the station" formula. After translation, I assume the person has been watching too much American TV, although, on second thoughts, they might have picked it up from our Americanised Australian TV. SignatureRob Bannister > That's why I find it confusing when someone uses the "Would you like me > to give a ride to the station" formula. After translation, I assume the > person has been watching too much American TV, although, on second > thoughts, they might have picked it up from our Americanised Australian TV. Although if you listen a little harder, you'll find that it's "Would you like me to give YOU a ride to the station". Or, "Would you like a ride to the station?" SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux > They mean the same thing and you can use either. But "ride" is more > American and "lift" is more British. [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > - Here, give us a lift, will you? AusE: Other than the ride sense, I've only heard that as asking for help to literally lift something. SignatureRegards John for mail: my initials plus a u e at tpg dot com dot au >> They mean the same thing and you can use either. But "ride" is >> more [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > AusE: Other than the ride sense, I've only heard that as asking for > help to literally lift something. In my (Southern California) experience (1941-present) "give a lift" has been a ride. A Mexican asking for a ride might say "¿/Me puedes dar un raite/?" SignatureFrank ess > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. The meanings are the same. The frequency of these words may vary with dialect, but both are commonly understood. SignatureLars Eighner <http://larseighner.com/> <http://myspace.com/larseighner> Countdown: 662 days to go. kimfinale (or somebody else of the same name) wrote thusly in message <1175175461.763982.60260@y80g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>: > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. The immediate difference would appear to be that a "lift" would be a one-way journey to a specific destination whereas a "ride" has no definite destination associated with it and could be a circular trip undertaken simply for the pleasure of the journey. SignatureThis sig intentionally left blank Interchange the alphabetic letter groups to reply > Hi all, I wonder if anybody can explain the difference between ride > and lift when they mean transportation. Can I give only a ride, not > lift to my friends? Thank you. No, you can give a ride or a lift to anyone. Both seem to be used in Canadian English |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2012 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.