In? On? Google

[Mark Mandel]

My guess (or theory or hypothesis if I want to sound more scholarly) is that
places defined as surfaces take ON and places defined by boundaries on
surfaces take IN:

on Earth, on the Moon, on small islands (Staten Island)

in Rochester, in the US, in large islands (Greenland), continents (Europe,
Australia, Africa)

This mainlander thinks of Hawai`i as a state and so a political entity
rather than a topographic one; similarly e.g. Iceland or Greenland. Do
Hawai`ians say "in" or "on" for Oahu? for the big island (i.e., the island
Hawai`i)?

m a m

On 9/25/07, Your Name <ROSESKES at aol.com> wrote:
>
> I've always been fascinated by how we choose "in" vs. "on."  I  live ON
> the
> earth, but I live IN Rochester - which is  obviously ON the earth.  I'd
> never
> say I lived ON Rochester or IN the  earth.  I found the info IN the
> dictionary,
> but ON the internet  (or on Google).  Is that because the info was ON the
> pages, but the pages  were contained INside the book covers?  While the
> Google
> info appears ON my  monitor screen?
>
> Anyone who can shed any light on how we choose IN vs. ON?
>
> Rosemarie
>
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