Discussion Groups / English Usage / July 2009

are things like this
(1) wrong
(2) Poor usage
(3) correct and mean something somewhat different from the

Should I be surprised by the placement of "in due course?"
---
At the time, the Horabin's party itself was important enough [...]
because of the behavior of Jean Templer at the dance, conduct which to

Big Brother is my UK Yoofspeak language lab. I've noticed that one of
the hamsters in the wheel, Charlie, almost always says "us" when he
means "me."
He's from Newcastle, I believe, and his accent is often impenetrable (at

Isn't a "have" missing right at the end?
Everything seems past time here.
---
The extent to which Stringham had resolved to settle his own career

The BBC adaptation of Trollope's novels had Lady Hartletop say:
"... I have known the duke since forty years."
http://cjoint.com/?hjk0sKm0HV (the link is valid for about a fortnight
only.)

A couple of questions:
1. Which one of the sentences below is correct?
a) John is second eldest of eight children.
b) John is the second eldest of eight children.

Today is July 12, the Twelfth of July.
Here in Northern Ireland it is customary for the Orange Order to parade
on the Twelfth. However, being a Protestant organisation they will not
parade on the Christian Sabbath, so this year the Twelfth is on the

The sentence below is attributed to Southern American English (SAE)
speakers. What does it mean?
I might could leave work early today.
SAE speakers are said to use even more than two modals in their

Would your first thought be that they talk about loose covers meant to
protect armchairs, etc?
---
There was a silence, at the end of which Members put in , rather at

In England, which Liberty Hall might be surmised here? Just a generic,
hypothetical one, or a specific one?
---
[Sillery, a don, organizes a party at his place for some of his

Is this "all that sort of thing" mainly BrE? "Hearty" too?
----
'I imagine everyone in Kenya will be terribly hearty and wear shorts
and drink sundowners and all that sort of thing,' Stringham used to

Does "athletic formality" in BrE refer only to dress, or about
regulations?
----
[About Widmerpool and sports at school and a pension in France]

Does 'surly comments' neccessarily carry a negative connotation?

When I say "Will you" such as in the question "What time will you
come?" I feel difficult to pronounce it. I feel pronouncing "shall
you" is easier to me than "will you". I am wondering if  "what time
shall you come"? sounds idiomatic to you?

What is this gadget, the collar-turner, about?
I know that there are factory machines that turn collars by attaching
and stitching them to the shirt, however, these seem too complicated
for an individual user.