Omission of definite article

Tue Jan 19 14:40:33 UTC 2010

However, "in the bed" is very common in the southern U.S, where "in bed"
might be the norm in other places.

Bill Palmer

----- Original Message -----
From: "Charles Doyle" <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, January 19, 2010 9:32 AM
Subject: Re: Omission of definite article

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> header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Charles Doyle <cdoyle at UGA.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Omission of definite article
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 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:
>>
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>>> 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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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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