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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004in and on
Hi, I've been focusing on prepositions lately and I was wondering whether it would be also correct to say "I see myself ON the mirror" instead of "I see myself IN the mirror". I've actually never heard of the first usage, but since the mirrored image is touching the surface of the mirror, it is only logical to assume that the preposition on could be employed as well, although it sounds kinda weird in my ears. Thanks for your replies. >... since the mirrored image is touching the surface of the mirror ... It isn't. For a plane mirror, the image is as far behind the surface of the mirror as the subject is in front of it.  SignatureAlec McKenzie mckenzie@despammed.com Alec McKenzie filted: >>... since the mirrored image is touching the surface of the mirror ... > >It isn't. > >For a plane mirror, the image is as far behind the surface of the mirror >as the subject is in front of it. It may be worse yet...for a back-silvered mirror, the image is on the far side of the glass from the subject...if "mirror" includes that glass as well as the reflective surface, the image is very much "in" and not "on" the mirror.... For a plain (distinct from plane) reflective surface, such as a highly polished piece of metal, both subject and image can touch the surface and might be said to be "on" the mirror....r > For a plain (distinct from plane) reflective surface, such as a highly > polished piece of metal, both subject and image can touch the surface > and might be said to be "on" the mirror....r Only the parts of the subject and image that are actually touching the surface. Cheers, Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org Tony Mountifield filted: >> For a plain (distinct from plane) reflective surface, such as a highly >> polished piece of metal, both subject and image can touch the surface >> and might be said to be "on" the mirror....r > >Only the parts of the subject and image that are actually touching the >surface. While it's only literally true in the case of a quartet of little rubber pads, few would balk at saying my entire computer is "on" my desk....r > Tony Mountifield filted: > > [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > While it's only literally true in the case of a quartet of little rubber pads, > few would balk at saying my entire computer is "on" my desk....r Nor would I, but that's entirely different. Cheers, Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org Let's also consider the difference between "in the picture and on the picture" which, according to my observation conists in the different usage of Bristish and American English. However it occurs to me that both expressions, in the picture and in the mirror reflect! a more 3-dimensinal thinking whereas on the picture is 2-dimensional. Sheer philosophy, isn't it? cf. "The centre of the problem, the core of the matter" emil Tony Mountifield <tony@softins.clara.co.uk> schrieb in im Newsbeitrag: btcgua$82o$1@softins.clara.co.uk... > > Tony Mountifield filted: > > > [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk > Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > the mirror, it is only logical to assume that the preposition on could > be employed as well, although it sounds kinda weird in my ears. No, don't use "on the mirror": that would be for something like a label or some dirt etc on the surface, not for the image. On the other matter, British English usually has "in a street" and "on a road"; but if an inter-town road is called "Something Street", as some ancient ones are, it would be "on Watling Street"; and in town if a street is called "Something Road" it's not impossible that you'd hear "in Brompton Road", but it's rare. "In the road", though, is normal for somebody or something actually on the vehicle carriageway rather than beside it: The Beatles had a piece *Why don't we do it in the road?* There are related usages which you should be able to find by searching the Google AUE archive. Mike. > On the other matter, British English usually has "in a street" and "on > a road"; but if an inter-town road is called "Something Street", as [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > rather than beside it: The Beatles had a piece *Why don't we do it in > the road?* American English has a distinction between "in the road" and "on the road", the latter meaning, "in the process of traveling". "Road" here being a generalized concept, rather than any particular road. See Kerouac, Jack. I don't know if British English has this as well, I suspect so. Brian Rodenborn [...] > American English has a distinction between "in the road" and "on the > road", the latter meaning, "in the process of traveling". "Road" here > being a generalized concept, rather than any particular road. See > Kerouac, Jack. > > I don't know if British English has this as well, I suspect so. Yes, it does. Mike. > Hi, > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > > Thanks for your replies. Hi Sebastian, To my British English ears, "on" sounds wrong in this context. Incidentally (pun intended), the image is a virtual image and does not exist on the surface of the mirror but in the back of your eye; so I don't think it works from a logical viewpoint either. Just my opinion! Regards, Arfur arfur_million@hotmail.com (Arfur) wrote in message news:<17948036.0401050925. > Hi Sebastian, > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Just my opinion! Sounds wonderfully plausible to me. According to this idea it is "I see the person in the window" (the person is framed by the edges of the window and exists therefore in them) and "I see the person on the screen" (although here the person is also framed by the edges of the screen, there is only a projection of the person on the screen). Best wishes, Sebastian [...] > Incidentally (pun intended), [...] We don't need refractory characters like you round here. Mike. > [...] > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Mike. I shall need to reflect on what mu mean. SignatureRob Bannister |
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