h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Queue? Queue of traffic? You know, I don't wish this to be the American Guide to the Galaxy, but neither do I want to see it be the British Guide to the Galaxy, which this Guide often seems to insist on being. Now I happen to know what queue means, but the word's not in common use on this side of the Atlantic. But when I first encountered the word as a teenager reading HHGG, it was indecipherable from the context. The "dole queue" that Trillian referred to was totally meaningless (sounded more like a place at work than something which in fact turns out to be related to not working, yet another thing the ol merkin editors didn't change) and the "ticket queue", heh, well, somehow still not knowing what the word meant, and using that, er, context, hm, from So Long, you wouldn't assume a line of people waiting for tickets, I'll tell you.

Anyway, I'm just saying. I made a similar comment about "fortnight" when it was being used for "guide entries of the last fortnight", even though I know what that means as well. I dunno what the right way is, but there must be a way to make it *easily* readable by all of us readers of English.

The easiest way around it, one would think, would be to just say "stuck in traffic", but that's just me.

*whines* I don't know why I should have to share this entry with you anyway.

According to Kate, I said something in the forum about it. I have no recollection of this, but calling the institution of the bank holiday "mysterious" kinda sounds like something I'd say. Who knows?

Well, it's impossible to know for sure now. Used to be that original user pages didn't get deleted. (I still have two called "Morning".) But the original of this is gone. And I'm pretty sure I said something about mysterious bank holidays myself. There's quite clearly some stuff added, but I still think I'm entitled to whine at the judicious insertion of names under "researcher" when both of these additional "researchers" are editors.

Of course I'm joking, I really don't mind sharing it at all, not one bit. Just using it as something to go on about, and I am in fact curious how it came about that way.

PS Hey Mr. Pedant there's no apostrophe in Veterans Day. I would edit that bit myself, but I have no idea what happens to this if I edit it again.

I suppose the problem with 'queue' is that in British English, there aren't any efficient alternatives, and though the spelling may be a little eccentric, it's a pretty useful word. In techspeak, I guess 'FIFO' is a possible replacement, but it's not gererally applicable.
What do you use as an alternative over there ?

Anyway, English started as a practical blending of two languages, and became what it is today by assimilating words from other languages where convenient, and British English has imported (or reimported) much from your side of the Atlantic, generally with gratitude.

Also, how are _we_ supposed to know which bits of our version of the language are relatively UK-specific.?

Maybe we do need some sort of US-UK dictionary, or something more global.

Actually, I realized I spoke a little quickly on queue. It's not about the spelling at all, but about the use. I was wrong to say it's not in common use here, as it's in a lot of software (as in queue this email message to be sent or a print queue, things like that).

But a group of people waiting at the bank for the next teller is a "line" here, not a queue. As for the traffic, well, lemmee see... Well, the easiest way around that in this case would be to say "stuck in a traffic jam" instead.

It's a traffic backup or a traffic lineup or a traffic ^%@#ing jam again damn it that's the third time this week because of that stupid wanker keeping me there fifteen minutes late stuck in rush hour traffic again I'm quitting my job in the morning so help me.

According to the radio traffic announcers.

Because Canada sits sociologically half-way between America and Britain, there's still a bit of confusion over the public-holiday "Thanksgiving" on the 11th of October and "Remembrance Day" on the 11th of November.

Remembrance Day is usually used to combine memorials to those who died in both WWs and isn't regarded as a holiday, simply a dedicated time to reflect on what was lost and gained.

I believe that technically, Thanksgiving is a holiday, although most places stay open because there's terrific traffic (as is the case with most public-holidays).

Only those of English extraction (like me) still use the term Bank Holiday (in some circles, this still applies: most banks are closed when customer convenience is in question), the rest use public-holiday, indicating that public-servants have the day off while those in the hospitality/tourism/entertainment world are stil going like mad.

Mind you, I simply sit back and watch the madness because I don't follow public/bank or any other sort of holiday...which really annoys those who play the game at Christmas and expect me to go along with it.

Fruitbat

Well it sure makes a change from the vast majority of sites on the Internet that insists on using American terminology (probably because they are American).

How about using it as an educational exercise and learn about the diversity and flexibility of this language of ours. British people can then write about queues, chippies and bollocks (look it up) and you can write about sidewalks, pants and trashcans. We'll write colour, you can write color. I'll say potato and you can say tomato. Then we'll all be one big happy family. Cor blimey guvnor. That's a good idea and no mistake.

Exactly - why not let everyone write in "their" English, and if someone doesn't get it, well, no one's going to bite your head off for asking.

... And it's 'cashier' not 'teller'