Recently I seem to have heard so many people use it to say the opposite of what I think they meant. Sometimes it doesn't matter, you can guess what they meant, but sometimes you can't. Like on Forkers when the first person liked cream doughnuts and someone else liked jam. Would they substitute cream for jam or jam for cream?
It had got to the point where I began to wonder if it was me that was wrong, so I checked.
This should really be in the curmudgeon's corner thread, but it's just so irritating when people who should know better say it doesn't matter about such things, @Buttercupdays . Like saying "disinterested" for "uninterested"... if it leads to confusion about exact meaning, it most certainly DOES matter.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Recently I seem to have heard so many people use it to say the opposite of what I think they meant. Sometimes it doesn't matter, you can guess what they meant, but sometimes you can't. Like on Forkers when the first person liked cream doughnuts and someone else liked jam. Would they substitute cream for jam or jam for cream?
It had got to the point where I began to wonder if it was me that was wrong, so I checked.
In maths, "substitute x for y" would mean everywhere there's a y, take it out and but an x there instead". Which seems to agree with the English language usage in your link.
Jam AND cream for me please (don't care which way round , AND is commutative).
Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
This reminds me about a news article that I read a while back. A Gregg 's customer asked for a cheese roll. This request was adamantly refused as they were not allowed to sell cheese rolls without tomato.
At least I suppose that is somewhat better ( healthier ) than the fast food outlet staff who are trained to say "....and do you want fries with that ? " Actually, given the state of what passes for Toms these days, it's probably just the colour combination ( white, yellow, red ) which Greg's are keen on Whatever happened to the basic Wimpy Bar - if anyone can even remember them ! And that's another "word" - fries - when did chips go out of fashion ?
I agree about Americanisms in books. Reading a Rebus novel recently the footpath was called a sidewalk. There was another example but I can't remember what it was now.
Gosh - I thought they'd gone out with the Ark - perhaps Beckenham is in a little world of it's own Actually, I never really liked the wimpy burgers - just remember them as being a place to go and look cool. I can't believe I just used that word - smack wrist
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Actually, given the state of what passes for Toms these days, it's probably just the colour combination ( white, yellow, red ) which Greg's are keen on
Whatever happened to the basic Wimpy Bar - if anyone can even remember them !
And that's another "word" - fries - when did chips go out of fashion ?
Beans on toast 90c
Toast and butter 60c
Toast and margarine 50c
Toast without butter 30c
Toast without margarine 25c
Actually, I never really liked the wimpy burgers - just remember them as being a place to go and look cool.
I can't believe I just used that word - smack wrist