[mythtv-users] British vs. American English (was MythTV requires a better name)
R. G. Newbury
newbury at mandamus.org
Thu Sep 20 04:49:54 UTC 2007
David Brodbeck wrote:
> On Sep 19, 2007, at 11:30 AM, Tom Lichti wrote:
>> overtake = pass
>
> Another favorite of mine is "undertaking," which I've gathered from
> context means passing on the side meant for slower traffic. (The
> left side in Britain, or the right side in the U.S.) It sounds so
> morbid. I'm not aware of any special word for this action in
> American English.
Well I have heard it used in Ontario. It is especially evocative, since
if done with sufficient elan, the person doing the undertaking does not
thereby become the undertaker, he just needs one!
A few years ago, in heavy traffic, I blocked a guy in a pickup, from
passing me on the right at the end of an on-ramp merge, by pulling over
so he could not pass between my car and the guard rail. He actually
nudged me at one point. He was screaming and shaking his fist at me and
blowing the horn. This was fine, since it brought his activities to the
notice of the policeman in the unmarked car, just ahead of me (a Q-car,
if anyone wants another entry to the two countries rent by a language
thread). Where the guardrail ended, the yobo (another entry) pulled out
and 'undertook' me on the gravel shoulder...and made it about 3 car
lengths further on, before the policeman turned on all the nice little
flashing lights which he had to play with. Cop gave *me* a big smile!
Geoff
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