Two other countries separated by a common language

[Benjamin Barrett]

That's exactly right. He was put out by all these inquiries which all
came from Americans, so evidently everyone else interpreted it
correctly. This was about a decade ago, but as I remember it, I read it
both ways and figured there was nothing to lose as it was possible that
he really would "rather not" pay for travel. BB

Wilson Gray wrote:
> So, the South African's "rather not pay" was meant to be interpreted
> as a polite way of saying "will not pay."
>
> -Wilson
>
> On 9/29/07, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: Two other countries separated by a common language
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> That reminds of a similar problem I had with a South African. He was
>> advertising for a job and said he'd rather not pay for someone to fly
>> there. Evidently he got a number of responses from the US, including me,
>> as Americans interpret that to mean that he might pay for travel there. BB
>>
>> Wilson Gray wrote:
>>
>>> Something like that. The question,
>>>
>>> "Can you use one of these?" ["Would you like to have one of these?"] in American
>>>
>>> was re-interpreted as:
>>>
>>> "Do you have the ability to use of one of these?" in Australian.
>>>
>>> -Wilson
>>>
>>> On 9/29/07, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>>> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
>>>> Subject:      Re: Two other countries separated by a common language
>>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>
>>>> I have heard that in England questions such as "Do you know where the
>>>> subway station is?" are considered yes/no. Is this the same issue? BB
>>>>
>>>> Wilson Gray wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> An American has a handful of wallet-sized, plastic calendars given
>>>>> away as a form of advertising by his bank.
>>>>>
>>>>> The American, proffering a calendar to an Australian friend, speaks:
>>>>>
>>>>> "Can you use one of these?"
>>>>>
>>>>> The Australian, after pondering the American's question and briefly
>>>>> examining the calendar, returns it and, answering the question with a
>>>>> question, replies:
>>>>>
>>>>> "You just look at it, don't you?"
>>>>>
>>>>>
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>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>>
>
>
> --
> All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
> come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
> -----
>                                               -Sam'l Clemens
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>

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