Timeline for British Mass Nouns versus American Count Nouns
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
27 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 25, 2022 at 6:34 | review | Suggested edits | |||
| Mar 25, 2022 at 9:03 | |||||
| Apr 13, 2017 at 12:55 | history | edited | CommunityBot |
replaced http://ell.stackexchange.com/ with https://ell.stackexchange.com/
|
|
| Jul 26, 2016 at 20:22 | history | bounty ended | CommunityBot | ||
| Jul 25, 2016 at 22:53 | vote | accept | DyingIsFun | ||
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:27 | comment | added | DyingIsFun | @TrevorD, fly buttons are typically called a button fly in AmE, as in: "Sadly these jeans don't have a zipper, but rather a button fly. | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:17 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 35 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:10 | comment | added | user180089 | @TrevorD ~ no problem. And cramps can refer to muscle cramps as well in AmE, but yes in the specific example in the book it was referring to menstrual cramps | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:05 | comment | added | TrevorD | @V0ight I've taken the liberty of making 2 clarifications: 1. added date of book (i thought it's appearance was much older than it is.) 2. Clarified meaning of "cramps" - I had thought it was a ref. to mussel cramp, typically in the legs, and my earlier comments referred to that meaning. | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:02 | history | edited | TrevorD | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added date of book & clarified meaning of 'cramps'
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 20:00 | comment | added | user180089 | @TrevorD ~ yep, that's how we say it over here :D | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 19:55 | comment | added | TrevorD | @V0ight You quote AmE as using "a savings of 10%". Is that correct: "a" is singular & "savings" is plural! | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 17:37 | comment | added | user180089 | @TrevorD ~ my mistake, I didn't know that pants referred to underpants | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 17:36 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 4 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 17:33 | comment | added | Janus Bahs Jacquet | @TrevorD Well, I don't think people say that, but the book quoted from in this answer (and the site quoted from in the question) says they do. I've never heard anyone say they “have headache” either, but I would be surprised if the book just took it from out of thin air. | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 17:28 | comment | added | TrevorD | @V0ight In BrE, we don't use "flies ... to refer to [our] pants zipper": we use it to refer to the zipper in our trousers. We wear our [under]pants underneath our trousers (as is apparent from the quotation you've given)! ;-) Incidentally, they used to be called "fly buttons" before we used zips - what were "fly buttons" called in the US? | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 17:24 | comment | added | TrevorD | @JanusBahsJacquet 1. I've never heard “I have headache”. Why do you think we say that? Most people would say “I have a headache” or “I've got a headache”. 2. We might alternatively say "I’ve got the cramps" [plural]. 3. "I've got toothache" -yes: an ache in one tooth! 4. "I’ve got stomach-ache" = an ache in my stomach! | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 16:55 | comment | added | Janus Bahs Jacquet | Is it really preferably in BrE to say “I have headache”? That sounds as utterly bizarre in my inner voice in BrE as it does in AmE. “I’ve got cramp” just about passes (though I’d use the plural more naturally), and “I’ve got toothache/stomach-ache” both sound reasonably all right either way… but “I’ve got headache”?!? | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 16:06 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 8 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:59 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 238 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:43 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 201 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:38 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 201 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:30 | comment | added | TrevorD | In BrE, compass (singular) refers to a device that point North. BrE uses both woods and woods If you go down to the woods today, .... As a Brit, I would say "she's got cramp" (singular). We would also be equally happy with either form of "the team is/are playing". | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:23 | comment | added | user180089 | ok, I added a summary. Feel free to edit my answer for anything else. | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 15:22 | history | edited | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |
added 1024 characters in body
|
| Jul 20, 2016 at 13:33 | comment | added | DyingIsFun | I upvoted for accommodation; the observation regarding ingredients like carrot; and the observation regarding coffee (here, the transatlantic mass/count pattern is reversed); the other number differences from compass through woods is also very interesting. But I agree with @Josh61 that a better answer would have a bit of commentary, or at least a summary of the new findings (since a lot of what's in this passage was already mentioned in my question). | |
| Jul 20, 2016 at 9:42 | comment | added | user66974 | Interesting piece, I think it would be useful if you added some comments on your finding. | |
| Jul 19, 2016 at 18:57 | history | answered | user180089 | CC BY-SA 3.0 |