Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2008

From: "Mike Lyle" <mike_lyle_uk@REMOVETHISyahoo.co.uk>
Subject: Re: Aussie accent
Date: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 5:52 PM
Bob Cunningham wrote:

I've just come across these words when translating an Office of Surplus
Activities sales receipt for a Harley Davidson motorcycle and a bill of sale
concerning the bike. The words appear in the description section of the
document.

Just a personal note: This past Wednesday, I had cataract surgery on my
right eye. This coming Wednesday, I'll have the same on my left.
So far, so good.
Another personal note: We've had no heat in our house for more than a

According to the Guiness Book of World Records, there are as many as
2,241 synonyms for the state of being "drunk." How many can you list?
from the American Language section of www.odd-info.com

An off-topic thread in alt.folklore.computers brought it to my
attention that many Americans are calling traffic circles "roundabouts"
these days.
I have always called them "traffic circles".  In Massachusetts they

I believe it is correct to put the period before the closing quote mark: for
example, "This is correct." rather than "This is incorrect".
What's the consensus opinion on this?

Is
"will steal a sheep"
a serious crime, in the biblical sense?
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Let me ask a qestion about the meaning of "there's a pal" in the
following sentences.
"Honest, Jonah, I can't tell you. Leave it at that, there's a pal.
More than my life's

I’m currently reading  “Lost for Words” by John Humphrys and in
Chapter 13 “Can Words Change the World?” he sites the following as
having 3 grammar errors:
“Some people think that being tired is just a part of today’s hectic

What's "to move up" in a bed?
I thought it's towards the head of the bed, but ...
What other particles other than "up" work in this environment?:-)
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I suppose this should be strictly for our Australian contingent, but I
suppose it could be American or even British. This is from "The Road" by
Catherine Jinks, an Australian writer. The scene is near Broken Hill:
"...this bloke, whoever he was, couldn't have risked driving his ...

I want to refer to a monitor model which a company is developing (not
yet released). So can I call it "under-developped monitor model" or
"under-developping monitor model"? Or if possible, can you advice me
how to mention it idiomatically?

I can't quite believe the "throw away" at the end means "discard."
How is it, as you see it?
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Doc Daneeka was a very neat, clean man whose idea of a good time was to

"The sample was radiated with invisible ultraviolet radation in the vicinity
of 360nm and the organisms activity was simultaneously observed via the
microscope whilst the frequency of the ultraviolet source was adjusted to
avoid flourescence."

Hi !  I would like to know whether the following sentences are
correct.  I think a) is good, but I wonder if b) is correct, and why.
a) She asked me whether that water was good to drink.
b) She asked me whether that was good water to drink.