Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

Embarrassingly, I am just now getting around to reading Douglas Adams's
"The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul." A house is described thusly: "The
hallway spoke of prosperity imposed on a taste that had originally been
formed by student living... Dirk was prepared to bet... that a ...

"I hear tell"
is dialect/non-standard, right?
---
"I hear tell everybody up North got big money."

Is "over" mandatory in
"to cut over to"
here?
Also, is the meaning

In Germany we call changeable weather Aprilwetter ("April weather") no
matter what month it is. Do you have a similar expression?
Incidentally, all we have at the moment is snow.
Cheers,

What would
"shotgun"
mean in this context?
---

This
"had a [short infinitive]"
e.g.
"Had a aunt move out there"

recently I've heard in Austria the phrase "Design to Region" that means that
the development and manufacturing of a product is made directly in the
country of the customers and users. Is the usage of the preposition "to" in
this phrase correct, or should it be "Design for ...

Interesting article in The Washington Post today, written by the
Post's ombudsman:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/linkset/2009/02/25/LI20
09022502075.html

What is the linguists' verdict on the attempted 18th century accents
in HBO's John Adams?
Drafting Declaration of Independence
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1Txi1687wo

I just finished 「The Hidden Life of Otto Frank」 by Carol Ann Lee.
http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Life-Otto-Frank/dp/0060520833
It's based on Otto Frank's life- the father of Dutch Jewish girl, Anne
Frank.

I think we all pronounce it with a schwa when it doesn't precede a
vowel. But recently I heard a recording of Handel's /Israel in Egypt/
in which it was pronounced with a regular short e, as in "bet".
Was that actually the pronunciation in the eighteenth century?

I am used to "humming" in relation to insects. What exactly does it
mean in English for dogs, is it threatening? Do they bare their teeth?
Do they make other, more threatening sounds, before getting to yap,
bark, etc?

Any distinction between
"wade"
and
"wade out?"

This seems idiom, doesn't it?
"as you put your feet under my table"
---
The State, Volume 39‎ - Page 25

This time a comprehension question, with thanks for all advice.  In
the following paragraph, there are two kinds of interpretations.
First, 2010's loan will reduce 20-30% from 2009.  Second, 2010's loan
growth at 20%-30%.  Or if you see the third one, many thanks. Kevin