Omission of definite article

[Charles Doyle]

And then there's the construction "at table." I have heard Americans use it, but only ones whom I suspect of Anglophiliac leanings.

"In bed," however, is perfectly loyal American (as long as multiple unmarried persons are not involved).

--Charlie



---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 09:07:58 +0000
>From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> (on behalf of Kelli Slimp <kellislimp at GMAIL.COM>)
>Subject: Re: Omission of definite article >
>Mark, that's a good point, and I also noted that the relative "permanence"
>of one's stay at each institution seems to have an effect on whether "the"
>is omitted or used. "In prison" is a fairly permanent state, as is "in
>school," as one usually spends the first 20 years of life in some kind of
>school. I wonder if that has anything to do with it?
>
>ks
>
>On Tue, Jan 19, 2010 at 1:41 AM, Mark Mandel <thnidu at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Mark Mandel <thnidu at GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject:      Re: Omission of definite article
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Note that all of these are institutions, and the phrase refers to specific
>> type of assocation with them. When someone's sick they are "in hospital"
>> (UK) or "in the hospital" (usual US); but if you go to visit them there you
>> are "at the hospital", and if there's a call for the patient's doctor, it's
>> "Is Dr. ___ in the hospital?"
>>
>> We use the same construction in "in college" and "in school", and I believe
>> in the UK they say "in (or at?) university".
>>
>> Mark Mandel
>>
>> On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 5:57 PM, Kelli Slimp <kellislimp at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Thanks, Jonathan. That's sort of what I had discovered as well. I did a
>> > little assignment on that subject, and your summary is in keeping with my
>> > questionnaire's findings.
>> >
>> > ks
>> >
>> > On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 10:53 PM, Jonathan Lighter
>> > <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>wrote:
>> >
>> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > > -----------------------
>> > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
>> > > Subject:      Re: Omission of definite article
>> > >
>> > >
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > >
>> > > Welcome, Kelli. And yes, some have noticed.
>> > >
>> > > I can't say just when I began to note the replacement of "in the
>> > hospital"
>> > > by "in hospital" on cable news, but it's been a few years.  "In future"
>> > may
>> > > be more frequent. Yet "out of hospital" still sounds very UK.
>> > >
>> > > The changeover is not very far advanced, though, even among the
>> > chattering
>> > > classes, and I'd still be surprised to hear anyone beyond the media or
>> > > lacking a strong British-Irish connection omit the article.
>> > >
>> > > I almost said "Anglo-Irish," which sounds fine to me, but I didn't want
>> > to
>> > > offend any Scots, Welsh, or Manx readers, for example.
>> > >
>> > > JL
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Mon, Jan 18, 2010 at 5:23 PM, Kelli Slimp <kellislimp at gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> > > > -----------------------
>> > > > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> > > > Poster:       Kelli Slimp <kellislimp at GMAIL.COM>
>> > > > Subject:      Omission of definite article
>> > > >
>> > > >
>> > >
>> >
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > >
>> > > > Hi all!
>> > > >
>> > > > I'm a M.Phil student of Linguistics at Trinity College Dublin and
>> just
>> > > > joined the list serve a few days ago.
>> > > >
>> > > > It's been entertaining following the various conversations, and I'd
>> > love
>> > > to
>> > > > hear your feedback on a little question of my own...
>> > > >
>> > > > I've noticed that the British and Irish press, as well as speakers in
>> > > > casual
>> > > > conversation, use the phrase "in hospital," effectively omitting the
>> > > > definite article, much the way we would say someone is "in prison" or
>> > "in
>> > > > jail," while Americans would more generally say someone is "in
>> > > > *the*hospital.
>> > > >
>> > > > Is the US press beginning to drop "the" as well? What about citizens
>> in
>> > > > casual speech? What have you all noticed?
>> > > >
>> > > > Thanks in advance for your musings.
>> > > >
>> > > > Regards,
>> > > >
>> > > > Kelli Slimp
>> > > >
>> > > > ------------------------------------------------------------
>> > > > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>> > > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > --
>> > > "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the
>> > truth."
>> > >

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