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Discussion Groups / British English / April 2008Annoying use of prepositions
Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? Parking "up" at the airport - why can't you just park? The same with heading "up" a team. That's all I can think of now. I feel better already. In article <88cbd2e7-1d68-4fc8-a236-2b6022d9cdeb@q27g2000prf.googlegroups.com>, > Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? > Parking "up" at the airport - why can't you just park? > The same with heading "up" a team. > That's all I can think of now. I feel better already. Not filled out any forms lately, then?  SignatureNew Marmite(TM): Not as thick! Not as dark! Not as te! David - toro-danyo atcost uku fullstop co fullstop uk http://www.toro-danyo.uku.co.uk/ > Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? If I pay amounts toward a loan balance from time to time, I am paying it down. If I finally make the last payment, reducing the balance to zero, I have paid the loan off. > Parking "up" at the airport - why can't you just park? "Parking up" is a stranger to me. I have never heard it--until now--and would never say it. > The same with heading "up" a team. I agree. "Heading a team" seems to mean exactly the same as "heading up a team". But why does "slow down" mean the same as "slow up", while "speed up" is heard, but not "speed down"? > That's all I can think of now. I feel better already. I'm glad your ruminations have cheered you up. 19:09, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, Bob Cunningham: > martin_pentreath@hotmail.com said: > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > But why does "slow down" mean the same as "slow up", while > "speed up" is heard, but not "speed down"? "Stand up" and "sit down" are the first words I learnt attending English lessons at school, ages ago in the last century. According to my old dictionary there are also "stand down" and "sit up". Are they really used? Signature°¿° > 19:09, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, Bob Cunningham: > > martin_pentreath@hotmail.com said: [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > > Are they really used? Yes, "stand down" can be used in the sense of releasing someone from a state of readiness to serve (e.g. military, fire service, etc.). "Sit up" usually means to move from a slouch or sitting at ease to being more erect and attentive. Cheers Tony SignatureTony Mountifield Work: tony@softins.co.uk - http://www.softins.co.uk Play: tony@mountifield.org - http://tony.mountifield.org In uk.culture.language.english on Fri, 4 Apr 2008 20:49:48 +0000 (UTC), }Yes, "stand down" can be used in the sense of releasing someone from }a state of readiness to serve (e.g. military, fire service, etc.). The opposite of "stand to" :) {R} 23:43, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, {R}: > Fri, 4 Apr 2008 20:49:48, (Tony Mountifield) > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > The opposite of "stand to" :) My dict. says the military orders are "stand easy" and "attention". Signature°¿° >23:43, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, {R}: >> Fri, 4 Apr 2008 20:49:48, (Tony Mountifield) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] >My dict. says the military orders are "stand easy" and >"attention". Those are drill commands. Other terms are used in other circumstances. SignaturePeter Duncanson, UK (in uk.culture.language.english) ADPUF schrieb: > 23:43, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, {R}: >> Fri, 4 Apr 2008 20:49:48, (Tony Mountifield) [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > My dict. says the military orders are "stand easy" and > "attention". When soldiers stand easy, they stay where they are but can adopt a relaxed posture. When they stand down, they leave the parade ground and go about their business. Regards, Einde O'Callaghan 02:12, sabato 5 aprile 2008, Einde O'Callaghan: > ADPUF schrieb: >> 23:43, venerdì 4 aprile 2008, {R}: [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > adopt a relaxed posture. When they stand down, they leave the > parade ground and go about their business. I've found in my dict. other military orders: fall in! right/left dress! fall out! - dismiss! (is this the same as "stand down"?) close the ranks! right/left turn! right/left face! rear! forward! in step! - keep step! Signature°¿° >> >>> }Yes, "stand down" can be used in the sense of releasing > >>> someone from }a state of readiness to serve (e.g. military, > >>> fire service, etc.). > >>> The opposite of "stand to" :) > >> My dict. says the military orders are "stand easy" and > >> "attention". > > When soldiers stand easy, they stay where they are but can > > adopt a relaxed posture. When they stand down, they leave the > > parade ground and go about their business. > fall out! - dismiss! (is this the same as "stand down"?) Here are some slightly deviant meanings for 'stand down' and 'stand to' from the 'Dictionary.com'. stand-down -noun 1. Military. a temporary cessation of offensive actions; cease- fire; truce: a stand-down for the Christmas holidays. 2. a work stoppage or layoff. Also, standdown. stand down, a. Law. to leave the witness stand. b. to step aside; withdraw, as from a competition: I agreed to stand down so that she could run for the nomination unopposed. c. to leave or take out of active work or service: to stand down some of the ships in the fleet. stand to, a. to continue to hold; persist in: to stand to one's statement. b. to keep at steadily: Stand to your rowing, men! c. to wait in readiness; stand by: Stand to for action. > Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > That's all I can think of now. I feel better already. I'd lime to pooint out that in most of the cases examined in this thread we're not talking about prepositions at all. The particles under discussion are actually adverbs, At 20:09:38 on Sun, 6 Apr 2008, Einde O'Callaghan <einde.ocallaghan@planet-interkom.de> wrote in <65shv9F2h2opnU1@mid.individual.net>: >I'd lime to pooint out that in most of the cases examined in this >thread we're not talking about prepositions at all. The particles under >discussion are actually adverbs, Hey! You! Get off of my cloud! SignatureMolly Mockford They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety - Benjamin Franklin (My Reply-To address *is* valid, though may not remain so for ever.) > Hey! You! Get off of my cloud! > Molly Mockford Have you folks started staking claims even on clouds??!!!!! >> Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? >> [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > we're not talking about prepositions at all. The particles under > discussion are actually adverbs, Unfortunately my new computer hasn't increased the accuracy of my typing! :-( Regards, Einde O'Callaghan > Paying "down" a loan - what happened to paying it off? > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > That's all I can think of now. I feel better already. I think they are all Americanisms. SignatureJohn Briggs > I think they are all Americanisms. > -- > John Briggs But these usages, (if they are really usages), haven't found their way in to any English or American dictionary so far. Except 'stand down' (noun) used in the (military) sense of a cessation of hostilities, 'stand down' (verb) used to mean 'withdraw from a competition' and 'lead up' (verb) used in the conventional sense as in 'the series of political happenings that lead up to the elections'. |
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