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  1. #11

    Join Date
    Jan 2006
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    Hong Kong
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    50
    Quote Originally Posted by PDLM:
    "perambulator" is a perfectly valid English word. OK - so it's more often spoken in the abbreviated form "pram", but that is the correct English word for what it describes. A native English speaker (i,.e one from England) would have no problem with this - it's only those of you who speak foreign dialects that have the problem. (And you would be pretty much lost speaking the Scottish or Singaporean dialects of English I guess).
    PDLM, I'm not disputing 'perambulator' is a correct English word. My point is, even in the UK today, we don't use this word. Which leads me to my second point. I am a British born Chinese, and my English is as native as it gets! I'm also a qualified CELTA teacher for your information. In my experience I would argue that not many native UK English speakers would know what the word 'perambulator' is, as it's simply not used or used very rarely.

  2. #12

    Join Date
    Nov 2004
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    Third Sphere of Paradiso
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    Shouldn't this be taken to another thread?


  3. #13

    Join Date
    Jan 2003
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    Back in Toronto now - after 10 1/2 years in HK
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    945

    'Lift' is a regular British-English term for 'elevator' and certainly not a slang. You think it would be posted in buildings everywhere and officially in documents if it were informal or a slang?


  4. #14
    deleteduser
    Quote Originally Posted by HKFella:
    'Lift' is a regular British-English term for 'elevator' and certainly not a slang. You think it would be posted in buildings everywhere and officially in documents if it were informal or a slang?
    OK some of my examples aren't strictly slang. Call it "british english" if you will. I am still learning more "british english" the longer I spend in Hong Kong. On another "expat" forum, I saw that someone wanted advice on buying "knickers".. I laughed my ass off when I found out she was talking about underwear

    BTW I was never saying that one way of speaking is more 'wrong' than another (although with british accents, that's another story.. I can't even watch british shows without turning on the subtitles).

  5. #15

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    Nov 2004
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    Third Sphere of Paradiso
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    Quote Originally Posted by **:
    No Kostas.. Original topic should be rephrashed.
    HAhaha... yeah.. I guess so

  6. #16

    Join Date
    Jun 2005
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    Hong Kong
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    114

    "British English"? Is that like "Italian Parmesan"?


  7. #17

    Join Date
    Dec 2002
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    More like English is to British as Pizza is to Italian ... abused, corrupted, evolved...