GUMTREE SCAMMER do not fall for this!

somethingcorporate

Split infinitives?

pulliptears

somethingcorporate wrote: »

Split infinitives?

I apologise for completely derailing this

I think unless you have a deep understanding of the English language things like split infinitives pass most of us by (me included, never professed to be an expert), but I do find vocabulary quite fascinating.

Things like going down to the capital city interest me, also regional uses of words like the Birmingham and Black Country use of the word 'Mom' which often has those who don't realise its a perfectly acceptable regional use and not an Americanism jumping up and down.

It is a funny old language, with strange meaning and strange words all through it. I don't think any of us will truly ever master it fully.

bod1467

"To go boldly" not "To boldly go" was what I was taught by my English teacher as being correct grammar. (Adverb follows a verb).

Jeff_Bridges_hair

bod1467 wrote: »

Your post 15 minutes after I have acknowledged my misunderstanding is somewhat redundant.

I had forgotten to press send then did when I had realised i hadnt done so.

UsernameAlreadyExists wrote: »

I'd never heard of this before! Can you link to an authoritative reference / explanation? My ham-fisted searching has only yielded others asking the same question and people posting similar to you.

Interesting it doesn't seem to apply to "Up north".

It all stems from the railway and their terminology

. You have 'UP' lines and 'Down' lines - mainly to do with London but also on east-west routes too. Used a as safe description so people know where you were working and on which line so that they didnt send trains down them amonst other things.

Oddly thats the second time in 2 days this has come up on the forum :T

pulliptears

Jeff_Bridges_hair wrote: »

Oddly thats the second time in 2 days this has come up on the forum :T

Strange, you don't hear something for years then its raised twice

NBLondon

pulliptears wrote: »

It's something to do with the importance of the capital I believe, I can't find any firm reference for it interestingly, but I think its from the old English where you always travel up to the more important place.
Funny old language isn't it?

I'd always understood it as "Up" to the city from the country - e.g. you go "up" to university at Oxbridge but are sent "down" (i.e. home) for a misdemeanour. Since Bath and Glasgow are both cities - it doesn't apply - unless you make the case as to which is the more important. Socially speaking, Bath is probably the posher...

"Up" and "Down" lines on the railway makes sense - there is also "reversible". Just to muddy the waters, at my local commuter station they refer to "Town" and "Country" ends of the platform; where Town is the direction of Central London.

pulliptears

NBLondon wrote: »

I'd always understood it as "Up" to the city from the country - e.g. you go "up" to university at Oxbridge but are sent "down" (i.e. home) for a misdemeanour. Since Bath and Glasgow are both cities - it doesn't apply - unless you make the case as to which is the more important. Socially speaking, Bath is probably the posher...

"Up" and "Down" lines on the railway makes sense - there is also "reversible". Just to muddy the waters, at my local commuter station they refer to "Town" and "Country" ends of the platform; where Town is the direction of Central London.

I don't think we'll ever find the definitive answer to this, lost in time I suspect.
Where I live in Stoke the main shopping town is Hanley (I apologise if you are familiar with it ) Local dialect (which believe me is a language in its own right!) dictates that we 'Go up Hanley duck'.

Hanley being the biggest town in the area is the only one locally we go up to. So who knows?

cos_2

I read many years ago that the notion of splitting an infinitive was bunkum; there's nothing to split. There's a load of interesting stuff on the net if anyone wishes to eagerly research it

E.g., http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2006/12/split-infinitive.html

P.S. I would go across to Glasgow from my location . . .

timbstoke

pulliptears wrote: »

I don't think we'll ever find the definitive answer to this, lost in time I suspect.
Where I live in Stoke the main shopping town is Hanley (I apologise if you are familiar with it ) Local dialect (which believe me is a language in its own right!) dictates that we 'Go up Hanley duck'.

Hanley being the biggest town in the area is the only one locally we go up to. So who knows?

Ey up duck, ow at, oraight?

Fair point - we go Up 'Anley Duck, but we pop down Stoke.

Language isn't really my strong point. All I know is that my mobile provider comes from up north somewhere. In fact, they just changed their name from "t'mobile" to "ee, mobile"

Fundamental_2

bod1467 wrote: »

If you don't know something it is not naivety, it is lack of knowledge. We all have the propensity to learn something new - and I just have. Thanks all (except spacey - your tone was entirely unnecessary).

Every day is a school day.

(From someone who has NEVER used money transfer companies like Western Union).

I agree that every day is a school day and we are always learning. However, the point at which you erred was claiming you couldn't see the scam and therefore the OP was a Paranoid Android. Why comment in this manner if, as you freely admit, you have no knowledge of this type of monetary transaction?

Surely silence would have been the correct response - the OP may have taken your comment, continued, and lost money.