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Discussion Groups / English Usage / February 2004"He played chess to county standard."
"He played chess to county standard." Can someone translate this seeming Britishism into terms that a Leftpondian like me can understand? (I understand the first three words very well.) -- Mike Hardy > "He played chess to county standard." > >Can someone translate this seeming Britishism into terms >that a Leftpondian like me can understand? (I understand >the first three words very well.) -- Mike Hardy He was as good at chess as the players in inter-county (e.g. Yorkshire v. Kent) tournaments are. (It suggests he didn't actually competed in such tournaments, though; he was just capable of playing at the same level.) -- Ross Howard Ross Howard replied to Michael Hardy's question: >> "He played chess to county standard." >> [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >such tournaments, though; he was just capable of playing at the same >level.) Essentially correct. He played chess to a standard to play for his county, had he chosen to play and been selected to play. I suggest that it implies also that he was good enough to play for his county's top team, rather than for one of its teams for players of lesser ability. There are 40 County Chess Associations in England, most of which play in regional County Championships organised on a league basis each year between September and March. The top regional teams go on to a knock out stage. Any Yorkshire v Kent match would not occur until this knock out stage. ( As it happens Kent are the reigning champions, beating Lancashire 9-7 in the Final last July. Yorkshire last won the Championship in season 1999/2000). There is no such system of inter-state championship in US chess nor, I'm pretty near sure, in Canada. Paul Buswell Thanks to all who replied. I had surmised that it meant as well as anyone in his county, and imagined intra-county rather than inter-county competition. That counties would be the usual units represented in competitions at a certain level had not occurred to me, but I suppose it makes sense in the context of British geography. -- Mike Hardy > > "He played chess to county standard." > > > >Can someone translate this seeming Britishism into terms > >that a Leftpondian like me can understand? (I understand > >the first three words very well.) -- Mike Hardy > He was as good at chess as the players in inter-county (e.g. Yorkshire > v. Kent) tournaments are. (It suggests he didn't actually competed in [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > -- > Ross Howard > Thanks to all who replied. I had surmised that it meant > as well as anyone in his county, and imagined intra-county > rather than inter-county competition. That counties would be > the usual units represented in competitions at a certain level > had not occurred to me, but I suppose it makes sense in the > context of British geography. Don't you see such competitions in the USA? In Connecticut, there are school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few areas where the counties are of any significance.  SignatureFrances Kemmish Production Manager East Coast Youth Ballet www.byramartscenter.com >In Connecticut, there are >school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few >areas where the counties are of any significance. That, and property values. SignatureTruly Donovan Lexy Connor mysteries: Chandler's Daughter, Winslow's Wife http://www.trulydonovan.com truly@trulydonovan.com > In Connecticut, there are > school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few > areas where the counties are of any significance. ...so long as you stay out of the courts and jails. SignatureJohn Varela (Trade "OLD" lamps for "NEW" for email.) I apologize for munging the address but the spam is too much. > Don't you see such competitions in the USA? In Connecticut, there are > school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few > areas where the counties are of any significance. There are competitions between schools, and groups of schools are "athletic conferecnces", but I haven't heard that county boundaries have anything to do with those activities. But I expect there's a lot of geographic variation in the USA. Counties are significant in rural places where the county sheriff's department is the police force, and in places -- rural, urban, and in-between, where counties maintain roads or public utilities. -- Mike Hardy > > Don't you see such competitions in the USA? In Connecticut, there are > > school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > force, and in places -- rural, urban, and in-between, where > counties maintain roads or public utilities. -- Mike Hardy Also more in The South than The North. In The South, the county is the basic unit of government (including administration and funding of schools, which in The North tend to be independent units, with independent financing). The North is a mishmash of cities, towns, townships, special districts, school districts, counties, and so forth, each with its own special mandates and taxing authority. In The South, it's all covered by counties, except what the incorporated cities can wrestle away from them. TUSIAVBP, so any region in Capital Letters has exceptions to the rules given above. The West is different altogether (and water law is more complicated than tax law), and Alaska and Hawaii are each different in their own way. Jon Miller << [Frances Kemmish] In Connecticut, there are school sports competitions between the counties; it is one of the few areas where the counties are of any significance. [end quote] >> Counties are important for libraries around here. I can get a card to any library in the county, but just over the line (in the library I happen to go to most often), I can't get a card. -- --------------------------------------------- Richard Maurer To reply, remove half Sunnyvale, California of a homonym of a synonym for also. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (at least not the normal way) ><< [Frances Kemmish] >In Connecticut, there are [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >but just over the line (in the library I happen to go to >most often), I can't get a card. Orlando is in both Orange and Seminole County, but most of the city itself is in Orange County. I live in Seminole County, but it's about a 10 minute drive to the center of Orlando. For 20-some years I paid a $25 annual fee to belong to the larger Orange County library, but had a free Seminole library system card. Finally, they did a deal where Seminole residents get reciprocity and a guest card to the Orange system. SignatureThe Web Bloodhound: http://home.earthlink.net/~tony_cooper213/icanbeglitzy.html > "He played chess to county standard." > >Can someone translate this seeming Britishism into terms >that a Leftpondian like me can understand? (I understand >the first three words very well.) -- Mike Hardy Would "at state level" mean anything to you? SignatureSteve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk |
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