Timeline for American vs. British English: meaning of "One hundred and fifty"
Current License: CC BY-SA 3.0
7 events
| when toggle format | what | by | license | comment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 25, 2014 at 18:58 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @Barmar: Um - yeah! The first comment was made a long time ago, when I was doubtless adopting the position I'd have liked to be the case (that Americans are as tolerant of "British" practice as we perforce are in the opposite direction). I've since become increasingly convinced that US usage conventions are on average far more "dogmatic" than UK conventions, so I no longer stand by that first comment. You are correct, and my second comment backs you up. I won't delete the first comment, as it would make those following very confusing - but I certainly repudiate it now! | |
| Feb 25, 2014 at 18:36 | comment | added | Barmar | @FumbleFingers You seem to be contradicting yourself. Your first comment says it should not be interpreted as exclusive, now you say it should be. | |
| Feb 25, 2014 at 18:32 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @Barmar: Even in the context of the actual text cited here, one can infer "correct" means "exclusively so", from the fact that US usage is being contrasted with UK usage (where dropping "and" is not correct, and is at best only tolerated as an "Americanism"). If you look at the rest of the section in the Wikipedia article, you'll see it's absolutely littered with terms like usually, often, normally, more likely, frequently, etc. Since it doesn't "hedge" the cited assertion as "...in the US it is also considered correct...", I stand by my comment. | |
| Feb 25, 2014 at 18:19 | comment | added | Barmar | @FumbleFingers I think if that had been the author's intent, they might have said "acceptable" rather than "correct". The latter suggests a preference, although it doesn't mean it's exclusive. | |
| Aug 15, 2011 at 18:55 | comment | added | FumbleFingers | @T.E.D.: I think you misinterpret "correct" there as meaning "the right thing to do". It actually means "valid", with no implication that any alternative is "not valid". | |
| Aug 15, 2011 at 18:28 | comment | added | T.E.D. | The quoted text is actually the best answer so far. I hear it both ways here in the USA. Neither is "considered incorrect". | |
| Aug 15, 2011 at 17:37 | history | answered | GEdgar | CC BY-SA 3.0 |